Robert Tait                             Age 35

Regimental No. 23706           Private          3rd Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers

Died                                                                 1 June 1917

Buried                                                             Benrig Cemetery, St. Boswells

 

Personal Background

Robert was the only son of Robert, a carting contractor, and Janet Tait, nee Blake, who  lived at Paton's Buildings, St. Boswells.  He had a sister, Isabella.  In the 1901 Census it appears that their father had passed away and that Robert's occupation was no longer carting, but he was now a cab driver. With the railway station near the village, there would have been some demand for his services from travellers arriving at Newtown but whose final destination was beyond walking distance, as few people would then have had cars.  In 1911 he was still living with his mother and sister at the same address and had the same occupation.

 

 

Military Background

We do not know when Robert enlisted, but in March 1917 he became ill with Bright's Disease (nephritis - inflammation of the kidneys).  The symptoms included intense pain on both sides of the lower back.  Later a fever developed and an intense oedema, which caused his extremities to swell.  He was sent to the Flora Stevenson Military Hospital at Craigleith, near Edinburgh.  Eventually breathing became laboured and difficult, and kidney failure occurred, which led to Private Tait's death on 1 June 1917.

 

Although this event was deeply sad for the family, they may have  found some consolation from him being in hospital relatively near to home and that he could be laid to rest in his local churchyard.