Rugby club rediscovers ex-England captain's grave

Little Billie Taylor played for England 14 times and captained the team on seven occasions

A rugby club is to hold a memorial service for a former England captain once known as the "Prince of Half-backs".

Ernest William Taylor - known as Little Billie - captained the national team seven times from 1894 to 1899, but his legacy has mostly been forgotten.

Now his sporting achievements have been brought back into the limelight by members of his former club Whitley Bay Rockcliff RFC, who are planning to restore his grave.

Steve Brooks, secretary of the club's history society, said at the peak of his career Little Billie was the "main man" of English rugby but memories of his achievements have faded.

"He was well known for his speed, his tackling ability and his distribution," he said.

Over his career, Taylor played for England 14 times and captained the national side on seven occasions.

He also captained Rockcliff RFC for five seasons and regularly led the county team between 1889 and 1903.

Ernest William Taylor became a professional golfer after his rugby career ended

Details of Taylor's successful career came to light when his granddaughter, Maureen Ross, who is now in her 80s, contacted the club to find out more about her grandfather.

The connection led to the club providing Mrs Ross with a tour of Whitley Bay, in North Tyneside, including the places Little Billie would have played.

The group also discovered Taylor became professional golfer after his rugby career, and a golf club he made is still kept at Whitley Bay Golf Club.

Mr Brooks said Rockcliff was also able to find the graves of Taylor and his wife, Mary Frances, at Whitley Bay Cemetery, despite being "rundown".

With the permission of Taylor's remaining family, the rugby club has sent the gravestones to be restored and Little Billie's will be engraved with the club emblem. In addition, there will then be a memorial service held in his honour.

"We're at the point now where we know they've started work on the restoration and we're hoping to have it all in place for the 17 August, which coincides with the day Rockcliffe was re-established as a club in 1887."

A rededication ceremony will be held at the cemetery before further celebrations take place at the clubhouse, where Taylor will be inaugurated into the club's hall of fame.

"There will be memorabilia relating to him and his career in the clubhouse for people to have a look at, and it will be a nice way to celebrate him," Mr Brooks said.