Day – research

On 31 October 1853  Eliza Day married George Wagstaff Russell 1834-1891 at All Saints Church, Isleworth, Middlesex

Eliza stated on the marriage certificate that her father was John Day, farmer.

Important DNA link 

See Alan Betts tree:

Situation at May 2015: Carolyn can find no ‘cast iron’ entries in the 1841 census for John and Eliza. There are no official records that can be tied to solely Eliza’s father rather than the many other John Days.  Therefore we only have Eliza’s word that her father was a farmer and that his first name was John.  They lied about GWR’s age on the marriage certificate, he was a minor, so why not Eliza’s father who may have died when she was a child.

At the time of the 1851 census Eliza, aged 23 was living in Back Street, Hitchin in the household of John Young, ‘baker and grocer employing 1 man’.  Eliza, born Enfield Middlesex  is described as a ‘niece’, presumably to John Young’s wife Elizabeth [nee Day?]. The fourth member of the household was John and Elizabeth’s daughter 21 year old Martha Young. Both John and Martha state that they were born in Hitchin while Elizabeth’s entry is:

Name: Elizabeth Young
Age: 58; Estimated Birth Year: abt 1793; Relation: Wife; Spouse’s Name: John Young
Gender: Female; Where born: Ickleford, Hertfordshire, England

Was Eliza John Young’s niece or his wife Elizabeth’s niece?

STOP PRESS Now found on  https://www.hertsdirect.org/ufs/ufsmain?ebz=2_1431880782224&ebd=0
John Young and  Elizabeth Day Ickleford parish 27 Sep 1817
John Young and Elizabeth Day Ickleford parish 17 Sep 1817

probably the dates that their marriage banns were read.

First line of research is on the assumption that Elizabeth’s birthplace was correctly entered by the census enumerator AND that Elizabeth was Eliza’s aunt and therefore her maiden name was Day then … in findmypast subscription site Elizabeth’s record is:

Baptism record: Name: Elizabeth Day
Gender: Female
Baptism Date: 22 Sep 1793
Baptism Place: Ickleford,Hertford,England
Father: Henry Day
Mother: Hannah

Henry and Hannah’s marriage:
Henry Day
Marriage year 1786
Marriage place Ickleford, Hertford, England
Spouse Hannah Hunt

The surviving Ickleford baptism records start in 1749 so if Henry had been born in Ickleford he should be included.  No Henrys but Sarah Day was baptised there in 1749, so if Henry was baptised in Ickleford it was under a different first name OR he was born before 1749 and married Hannah when he was over 39 years old.

Hannah’s birth? Hannah Hunt, Christening Date: 23 Feb 1755 at St Mary, Hitchin. Father Edwd. Hunt, Mother Sar.

Problem is that neither of this Hannah’s parents names are included in the list of Henry and Hannah’s offspring. Also she would not have married until she was 31 years old.

In findmypast subscription site the following are the offspring of Henry and Hannah Day giving their baptism (and some burials) at Ickleford:
William  18 March 1787
Elizabeth 13 April 1788 buried 14 February 1790
John 7 March 1790
James 18 December 1791
Elizabeth 22 September 1793 who probably married John Young, above
Ann 3 May 1795
Mary 5 March 1797 buried 17 Feb 1798
Henry 6 March 1798

so John Day, above baptised 7 March 1790 may have been Eliza’s father

Hannah’s burial?  Hannah Day 8 November 1805 at Ickleford. No record of Henry’s death at Ickleford.

This is not enough confirm that Henry and Hannah were Eliza’s grandparents.  The 1861 census helps as retired grocer John Young is living in Old Park Road, Hitchin with his wife Elizabeth, and unmarried ‘brother’ 74 year old (b.1787) William Day a retired master shoemaker. In the 1841 census William, a shoemaker is living in Ickleford with his brother James and his wife. Then in 1851 the three are still living together but James has become an ‘incapacitated road labourer’.  This ties Elizabeth, William and James as siblings.

Carolyn would like one more good piece of evidence before saying that Henry and Hannah were definitely Eliza’s grandparents.

The Young family’s religion:

Martha’s baptismal record shows that the Young family were non-conformists:
Baptism record: Martha Young
Birth Date: 29 Oct 1829
Gender: Female
Event Type: Baptism
Father: John Young
Mother: Elizabeth Young
Baptism Date: 29 Nov 1829
Baptism Place: Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
Denomination: Independent or Paedobaptist Congregational
Piece Title: Piece 0743: Hitchin, Back Street Meeting (Independent or Paedobaptist Congregational), 1771-1837

More on Ickleford!! Baptisms: first name child, two at end parents

Day family:

Wm and  Eliz Elizabeth wife of Wm Day died 1778, Wm Day widower died 1780
Day Sarah — — 1749 Wm and Eliz
Day William — — 1750 Wm and Eliz
Day George — — 1753 Wm and Eliz
Wm and Alice ‘Alice Day widow from Walsworth’ died 1785
Day William — — 1752 Wm and Alice – died 1769
Day Sarah — — 1755 Wm and Alice
Geo and  Sarah – not above George. In 1762 George Day m Sarah Warboy at Ickleford. Sarah Day died 1804. George Day aged 85 yrs died 1821 (born 1736)
Day Mary — — 1763 Geo and Sarah
Day Sarah — — 1767 Geo and Sarah
Day George Day — 1770 Geo and Sarah
Day Ann — — 1771 Geo and Sarah
Day Thomas — — 1774 Geo and Sarah

John and Mary John Day aged 82 yrs died 1821 (born 1739) Mary died 1831 aged 91 years (born 1740)
Day William — — 1763 John and Mary
Day John Day — — 1770 John and Mary
Next four all baptised 4 July 1789
Day George — — 1789 John and Mary
Day James — — 1789 John and Mary
Day Mary — — 1789 John and Mary
Day Thomas — — 1789 John and Mary

1772 Samuel Day m Sarah Ward at Ickleford

Henry and Hannah (our line??) in 1786 Henry m Hannah Hunt  1786 at Ickleford. Hannah Day died 1805. Henry died 1831 77 years (born 1754)
William  18 March 1787
Elizabeth 13 April 1788 buried 14 February 1790
John 7 March 1790 (our line?)
James 18 December 1791
Elizabeth 22 September 1793 who probably married John Young
Ann 3 May 1795
Mary 5 March 1797 buried 17 Feb 1798
Henry 6 March 1798
George (born 1770 above?): In 1792 George Day m Mary Watson at Ickleford  ***See  ancestry member sandiham72  for good tree ****
Day John — — 1792 George and Mary   (or is this our John Day??)
Day Ann — — 1794 George and Mary
Day William — — 1794 George and Mary
Day Mary — — 1796 George and Mary
Day Squire — — 1797 George and Mary
Day Sarah — — 1800 George and Mary
Day Thomas — — 1803 George and Mary
Day George — — 1805 George and Mary

Thomas born 1774 above: In 1798 Thomas Day m Elizabeth Gray at Ickleford
Day George — — 1798 Thomas and Elizabeth

Baptisms continue in findmypast website

CHECK all info below covered above: