Hampson Taylor was born at Bury in Lancashire, England, on 16 April 1893 to parents Jacob Taylor and Betsy Taylor (née Openshaw). He was the youngest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. Taylor emigrated to Australia from England in 1912 and arrived at Melbourne on 31 May 1912 aboard the Themistocles.

Taylor married Annie Mabel Edmondson at Footscray, Victoria on 23 August 1916; their daughter Jean was born on 11 August 1917. Taylor was a chemist by trade and at enlistment was working in a laboratory at the University of Melbourne.

Taylor enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Melbourne on 8 November 1916 and was attached to the 37th Battalion, 6th Reinforcements. On 16 December 1916 Taylor embarked from Melbourne abord the troopship Medic, disembarking at Plymouth, England, on 18 February 1917. In April 1917 Taylor was promoted to lance corporal and based at the 10th Training Brigade at Durrington, England. During July 1917 Taylor reverted to private and attended a training course at the Command Bombing School at Lyndhurst, qualifying as an Officers Instructor, and in August was appointed acting lance corporal.

Taylor participated in a concert held by The Mountebanks on 4 August 1917 at No. 12 Camp, of the 10th Training Brigade, Durrington, England. Taylor sang two songs, “There’s a Land” and “The Trumpeter”.

In December 1917 Taylor was sent to France; in October 1918 he was transferred to the 39th Battalion and again reverted to private. Taylor was on leave in England during late December and early January 1919. In January Taylor returned to France and remained with his unit until April 1919, when he was sent to England for return to Australia. Taylor embarked for Australia aboard the troopship Themistocles on 12 June 1919 – the same ship on which he had arrived in Australia in 1912. He disembarked at Melbourne on 8 August 1919 and was discharged on 15 September 1919.

One of Taylor’s brothers, George, was reported drowned following the sinking of the troopship Otranto after a collision with the troopship Kashmir off the Scottish island of Islay on 6 October 1918. The Otranto was serving as the convoy flagship for a convoy from New York and was carrying American troops for deployment in France. Approximately 470 men died in this incident.

Following his discharge, Taylor returned to his pre-war address and obtained employment as a surgical dresser. From 1924 to 1963, Taylor’s occupation is recorded as “turner”.

Hampson Taylor died at Heidelberg, Victoria, on 7 January 1967 at the age of 73. He is buried at the Altona Memorial Park, Altona, Victoria. Annie Mabel Taylor died in Victoria in September 1977 at the age of 83.