Jan Johnston (kajanbo @t hotmail.com), of Western Australia, on the Rootsweb Message Board, wrote Looking for information on a William and Sarah Day who were living in Portland Street in St Albans, around the 1890 to 1900's. Trying to find out if they lived there any earlier, and if so, what their children's names were. Any information would be great. Thanks....

 The family is listed on the 1881 census in Portland Street, St Michaels, St Albans.

William DAY	Head	40	General Lab	Harpenden
Sarah DAY	Wife	35	Needlework	Cheapside
Edward DAY	Son	15	Errand Boy	St Albans
Minnie DAY	Daur	13	Straw Work	St Albans
Fred DAY	Son	11	Scholar	St Albans
Jane DAY	Daur	7	Scholar	St Albans
Ernest DAY	Son	4	Scholar	St Albans
Harry DAY	Son	3 m		St Albans

Their house was only a few doors from the Blue Lion, Portland Street, and many of the nearby households contained straw workers (see under Straw Industry on the Occupations page) or people who worked at the Silk Mill on the River Ver below the Abbey. William Day was born at Harpenden, but it is not clear where Cheapside was in Hertfordshire - there was one in Hemel Hempstead but there may have been others. Your may be able to get a less ambiguous place of birth for her from the 1871 census (available to order on microfilm at your nearest LDS family history centre) or the 1891 census (available online in 2002).

Thirty years earlier, at the time of the 1851 census, William Day was with his parents, in Pound Field, St Michaels:

William DAY	Head	41	Agric Lab	Harpenden
Sophia DAY	Wife	40		Harpenden
Charles DAY	Son	15	Hat Maker	St Michaels
Emma DAY	Dau	13	Hat Maker	Harpenden
William DAY	Son	11	Hat Maker	Harpenden
Hannah DAY	Dau	7	Hat Maker	Harpenden
George DAY	Son	3		St Michaels
Martha DAY	Dau	9m		St Michaels

It is almost certain that the children were making straw hats.

Knowing your William's parents name allows a return to the 1881 census which has the following entry for part of the Blue Lion, Portland Street.

Sophia DAY	Head - Widow	71	Baker	Harpenden
Charles DAY	Son - Married	45		St Albans
Martha DAY	Dau - Unmarried	30	Straw Hat Finisher	St Albans

William's mother was living just a few doors down the road.- I haven't checked the 1881 census but perhaps some of William's other brothers were somewhere in the neighbourhood.

Jan Johnston (kajanbo @t hotmail.com) replied: Thanks for all the information Chris, you have been very helpful.  I had seen the "DAY" family on the 1891 census, but some of the older children were missing.  This earlier census gives their details and that's what I was looking for.  Now I am just waiting on my Grandmother's birth certificate from the U.K to try and see if either of the girls listed are her mother, as she isn't sure on her Mum's first name ? 

I have spent many hours looking over your web site, it is very interesting.  My Grandmother who is 92 was here last week- end having a look at some of the pictures, and she saw one of 'Fishpool Street' that has her old house on it.  Very exciting for her indeed.  Just about all my roots are from the St Albans area, so it's nice to be able to see some of it on the web.  I visited there about 10 years ago, before I was interested in my family tree, and now I'm kicking myself for not taking more photo's and video. 

June 2005

Roy Hull (RoyBernardHull @t aol.com) provides some information on William and Sarah Day who were living in Portland Street in St Albans, around the 1890 to 1900's. Their daughter Minnie Helen married Ernest Hull in 1889, who is my Great Grandfather.  From my family history research I have found the following:

William Day was born in Harpenden on 31/12/1839.  He married Sarah Swain at the Wesleyan Chapel, St Albans on 3/9/1865.  Sarah was born at Sleap's Hyde (not Cheapside - probably census collector thought he heard Cheapside).  Sleap's Hyde is close to Colney Heath near St Albans.  She was born 24/9/1845, the daughter of Edward Swain and Sarah Newman.  Isabella Day (relation not known) and Charles Day (brother) were witnesses at the wedding.  The 1871 census has them living at Portland Street, with children:  John F. (aged 5, scholar), Minnie (aged 3) and Fred (aged 1).  At that time William's occupation was "Fish Dealer", and Sarah's "Needleworker".  I also established that William's parents were William and Sophia Day (maiden name Deamer).  At the time of William's birth, William (snr)'s occupation was Agricultural labourer.  By the time of William and Sarah's marriage, William (Snr) was a master baker, and the family were living at Portland Street: Sarah's residence was Hill Street, St Albans.

If, as seems likely, Cheapside is a mis-hearing of Sleap's Hyde it would suggest that no-one in the family could read and write well enough to fill in the forms. (In any case my earlier comment about Cheapside was wrong - there is a Cheapside Farm only a mile or so from where the family was living!)

September 2007

If you can add to the information given above tell me.

Page updated September 2007