My wife's ancestors - Day - Contents

Charles Day

• References:
  • The Britannia and Conway tubular bridges, Edwin Clark, London, 1850.
    • See Vol.1 (and here) and Vol.2.

Charles Day listed on p.816 of [Clark, 1850, Volume 2] as one of the foremen of masons on the construction of the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait, Wales.

Charles Day,
bapt 15 Jan 1809, Cambridge.
He was a stonemason.
He was living E side of Cambridge at marriage 1829.
He mar 26 Jan 1829, Cambridge, to Eliza Turner [bapt 9 Jan 1812].
They lived Cambridge. Children born there 1829 to 1839.
They moved to London. Children born there 1841 to 1846.
They are listed in 1841 census at 44 Hyde Place (now Hide Place), Westminster, London (see map). This is parish of St John The Evangelist, Middlesex.

Stone mason in Wales: They moved to Wales, children born there 1846 to 1848. He worked as a foreman mason on the Britannia Bridge (for the railway line) over the Menai Strait, Wales (construction was 1846 to 1850). He is listed in the account of the project: [Clark, 1850] as one of 5 foremen of masons. He would have been responsible for a gang of about 100 men on site. They were living London Road, Holyhead, NW Wales (see map) at Charles' bapt 1848.

Moved back to England. Youngest child born London 1850.
They are listed in 1851 census at Claydon, Suffolk. He is "mason".
They are listed (and p.2) in 1861 census at 2 Russell Place, Dover, Kent. He is "mason, stone".
He went back to London.
Lived Bale St, Mile End, London. There as at son Charles' mar 1868.
Bale Street is now gone but Bale Road survives (see map).
Their dau Caroline was married from 1 Bale St in 1870. Her father Charles described as "stone mason".
Charles and Eliza are listed in 1871 census at 1 Bale St. He is "Stonemason". His daughter Caroline and her husband are next door at 2 Bale St.

Eliza dies, 1877:
She died 1 Bale St, 30 Sept 1877, age 65 yrs, of bronchitis.
Charles is listed in 1881 census as "Stone Mason", living with his dau Caroline's family in London.

Charles dies in the workhouse, 1888:
He was living West Ham, London, at death. Listed as "mason".
He died 11 Oct 1888, age 79 yrs, in the West Ham workhouse, London.
It was an appalling thing to die in the workhouse. George Aldis says: "It seems inconceivable that [he] should have ended his days in this pitiful way. Presumably he became too ill for Caroline to continue looking after him; and in any case she had problems of her own, since she was now a widow herself". (Caroline was a widow with small children, even one born after her husband's death, and she had to go out to work as a cleaner to support them, and had to send her older children out to work too.)
Charles and Eliza had issue:

1. Marianne Day,
   born less than 8 months after parents' marriage,
   bapt 27 Sept 1829, St.Clement's church, Cambridge (see street view).
   Baptism transcripts on Ancestry say 27 Sept. NOT 22 Sept. (todo) See original.
   She is not in 1841 census, may have died.

2. Elizabeth Day,
   bapt 20 May 1832, Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the Round Church), Cambridge.
   Not in 1841 census, may have died.

   
   

3. John Day,
   born at East Road (leads to Newmarket Rd), Barnwell, E side of Cambridge,
   bapt 18 Sept 1836, church of St.Andrew the Less, E side of Cambridge.
   Listed as "Learning mason trade" in 1851 census.
   He mar 1866 to Elisa ---- and had issue:
   1. Frederick Day, born 1868, Bow, London.
   2. William Day, born 1873, Bow, London.
   3. Edward H. Day, born 1879, Bow, London.

   
   

4. William Day,
   born 1838 or 1839, Cambridge.
   At home in 1851 census, listed as "Learning mason trade".

5. Sarah Day,
   born 26 Jan 1841, 44 Hyde Place, Westminster, London.
   At home in 1851 census.

6. Martha Day,
   born 1845 or 1846, Westminster, London.
   With parents in 1861 census.

   
   

7. Caroline Day,
   born 1846 or 1847, Bangor, NW Wales.
   She is described in 1851 census as having been born at Britannia Bridge.
   With parents in 1861 census.
   Living with parents at 1 Bale Street, Mile End Old Town, at mar.
   She mar 7 Feb 1870 to George Hallandal [from next door] and had issue.
   They mar at Stepney parish church, London. See mar cert.

   
   

8. Charles Day,
   bapt 25 Dec 1848, Holyhead, NW Wales.
   See bapt cert from here.

   
   

9. Alfred Day,
   looks like "Alfie" in 1861 census,
   born Apr 1850, Stepney, London.
   Listed as age 11 months in [UK census, 30 March 1851].
   With parents in 1861 census.
   He wit sister Caroline's mar 1870.

Charles Day and family listed in 1841 census at Hyde Place, Westminster, London.
See full size.

Charles Day and family in 1871 census at 1 Bale St, Mile End, London.
His daughter Caroline and her husband are next door at 2 Bale St.
See full size.

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The Britannia Bridge, over the Menai Strait, Wales

See satellite view of the two bridges over the Menai Strait, NW Wales.

• The older E bridge is the Menai Suspension Bridge, built 1826 for road traffic.
  This carries the A5 road.
  See street view.

• The newer W bridge is the Britannia Bridge, built 1850 for the railway line.
  Charles Day was a foreman mason on the construction of this bridge in 1846-1850.
  The original bridge was wrecked by fire in 1970.
  It was completely re-built in 1972 as a two-tier bridge to carry the A55 road on the upper level and the railway line on the lower level.

The original Britannia Bridge (rail only), just after construction in 1850.
From 1852 book.

The original Britannia Bridge (rail only) on an old postcard.
From here.

The Britannia Bridge today (road and rail) after re-building in 1972.
From here.
See more pictures

The Britannia Bridge today.
Click to rotate. From street view on shore on N bank.
See also street view on road on bridge.
See also street view under bridge on S bank.
See map for more street view positions.