The Day Family
Charles Day (d. 1849) is first recorded as living at Spear Hall, Bevois Mount, in 1814. He was born in the East Indies in 1772 and traded in Sumatra (Indonesia) until shortly before his arrival in Southampton having apparently “made his fortune”. His family are recorded as working for the East India Company from 1632. During his time in Bencoolen, (now Bengkulu city, Indonesia) he had acquired two plantations Botany Bay and Combong and over thirty slaves.
Prior to his move to Southampton he had already had two children, Thomas (born 1803) and William (born 1804), with Incie Janin an Indonesian. His two boys were apparently educated in England having travelled home with their father in 1811 often staying at Spear Hall, Bevois Mount. In early 1821, aged 18 and 16, they were sent back to Indonesia to run the two spice plantations owned by their father growing and trading nutmeg, mace, cloves, opium and controlling the remaining slaves.
They frequently wrote to their father reminiscing about “Bevis” and hoping once against to visit. They sent affectionate messages to their half siblings, his wife (Frances) and her aunt. Thomas’ last words prior to his death in 1823 aged 20 were:
“my dear William write my father that I shall soon be better and that I do not forget them at Bevis Hill.”
However, letters from their father became less and less frequent leaving William to reflect on Bevis Hill:
“I cannot avoid feeling some pain, I can scarce refrain a tear, in thinking that those happy days are never to return.” – 1826.
Two years later, in what seems to be his last letter to his father, William says:
“I am unhappy and what has tended to make me more so is, the silence with which you have behaved towards me for the last 3 years. If you wish to hurt my feelings you have taken the most effectual way to do it.” – 1828.
He died in 1831 aged 26.
These sixteen letters were kept by the family for 180 years and reproduced in “Letters from Bencoolen 1823–1828”. Had they not they would not have discovered that Williams daughter Ellen (b. 1824) had a great great grandson who contacted them in 2012.
William described his feelings for Ellen, his one year old daughter, in 1825 “I am proud in saying that my little child promises to be good looking, and as fair as I could justly expect – I feel all the affections for it that a father can feel for a child” but told his father on writing his will :
“Let your mind be under no apprehensions of my child ever being the slightest burthen to my friends at home, as you will learn by my will that it is my strict injunctions to my execturo on no account to send the child home nor even so much as separate it from her mother as I feel assured that the poor child will be much happier brought up as a native than as a European unless she has a father to provide for it.”
It is after this letter that correspondence from his father decreased.
“my dear William write my father that I shall soon be better and that I do not forget them at Bevis Hill.”
However, letters from their father became less and less frequent leaving William to reflect on Bevis Hill:
“I cannot avoid feeling some pain, I can scarce refrain a tear, in thinking that those happy days are never to return.” – 1826.
Two years later, in what seems to be his last letter to his father, William says:
“I am unhappy and what has tended to make me more so is, the silence with which you have behaved towards me for the last 3 years. If you wish to hurt my feelings you have taken the most effectual way to do it.” – 1828.
He died in 1831 aged 26.
These sixteen letters were kept by the family for 180 years and reproduced in “Letters from Bencoolen 1823–1828”. Had they not they would not have discovered that Williams daughter Ellen (b. 1824) had a great great grandson who contacted them in 2012.
William described his feelings for Ellen, his one year old daughter, in 1825 “I am proud in saying that my little child promises to be good looking, and as fair as I could justly expect – I feel all the affections for it that a father can feel for a child” but told his father on writing his will :
“Let your mind be under no apprehensions of my child ever being the slightest burthen to my friends at home, as you will learn by my will that it is my strict injunctions to my execturo on no account to send the child home nor even so much as separate it from her mother as I feel assured that the poor child will be much happier brought up as a native than as a European unless she has a father to provide for it.”
It is after this letter that correspondence from his father decreased.
Charles married Frances Mary Perreau in 1812 and their first son was born in 1813 in London prior to their move to Southampton. They may have met at Fort Malborough, Bencoolen, as Frances’ father was trading there at the same time as Charles Day. Both seem to therefore have links with the East India Trading Company.
Frances was the granddaughter of Robert Perreau whose trial for fraud at the Old Bailey was a huge story of its time with great public interest. Many thought he and his twin brother Daniel innocent blaming Margaret Rudd, Daniels lover, but they were found guilty and hung at Old Tyburn in 1776.
Her aunt, Frances Keble Perreau, the daughter of Robert Perreau, lived with the family at Spear Hall.
Charles and Frances Mary had at least 12 children, 11 of which were born in Bevois Mount, Southampton:
Charles Arthur Day 1813–1892
Robert Ladbroke Day 1814–1899
Vaughan Campbell Day 1814–1913
Cecilia Francs Horton Day 1816–1821
George Fiott Day 1820–1876
Emma Emilia Day 1821–1855
Montage Stevens Alexander Day 1823–1852
Lavinia Frances Dora Day 1825–1837
Eleanor Margaret Campbell Day 1827–1893
Henry William Day 1829–1853
Frances Marianne Day 1831–1862
Frederick Hugh Irwin Day 1833–1894
Her aunt, Frances Keble Perreau, the daughter of Robert Perreau, lived with the family at Spear Hall.
Charles and Frances Mary had at least 12 children, 11 of which were born in Bevois Mount, Southampton:
Charles Arthur Day 1813–1892
Robert Ladbroke Day 1814–1899
Vaughan Campbell Day 1814–1913
Cecilia Francs Horton Day 1816–1821
George Fiott Day 1820–1876
Emma Emilia Day 1821–1855
Montage Stevens Alexander Day 1823–1852
Lavinia Frances Dora Day 1825–1837
Eleanor Margaret Campbell Day 1827–1893
Henry William Day 1829–1853
Frances Marianne Day 1831–1862
Frederick Hugh Irwin Day 1833–1894
Charles Day’s son, Charles Arthur Day, is often cited as establishing a foundry in Milbrook (1834) at the age of 21, but this was probably a joint venture with his father. A later move to Northam (1837) was initially known as the Northam Iron works, ultimately becoming Day, Summers & Co. They produced iron steam ships, paddle steamers, mail ships, tugs, barges, and several of the Southampton’s floating bridge ferries. The family continued to trade until 1928 and was taken over by Thornycroft with the yard ultimately becoming part of Vosper Thornycroft.
Their fifth child George Fiott Day was one of the earliest recipients and the first from Southampton to receive the Victoria Cross in 1857. From the London Gazette, 24 February 1857:
Genitichi, Sea of Azov, 17th September 1855, Lieutenant George Fiott Day, Royal Navy.
“With great enterprise and gallantry, landed and successfully carried out a reconnaissance within the enemy’s lines at Genitchi. This service was performed by Lieutenant Day with the view to ascertaining the practicability of reaching the enemy’s gun-vessels, which lay within the Straits of Genitchi, close to the town. It was performed by Lieutenant Day alone on a dark but fine night, with the assistance of a pocket compass.
After traversing four or five miles of low, swampy ground, occasionally up to his knees in water, he at length advanced to within about 200 yards of the vessel. From the perfect silence on board it was his conviction that they were without crews, and when he returned it was with the full impression that the expedition was a feasible one. This opinion, however, he was induced to change on the following day in consequence of the increasing activity which was apparent in the direction of the enemy vessels, and therefore he determined on making a second visit to the spot.
On this occasion the night was squally, and the journey longer and more difficult than before. On reaching the spot and finding the enemy vessels manned, and their crews apparently on the alert, he decided the effort to surprise them was out of the question. Lieutenant Day was so long on shore that the seamen stationed to pick him up gave him up for lost and returned without him. Mr. Parker, however, came to look again and found Day lying exhausted on the shore and took him back to the ship where he eventually recovered from his exposure.”
Genitichi, Sea of Azov, 17th September 1855, Lieutenant George Fiott Day, Royal Navy.
“With great enterprise and gallantry, landed and successfully carried out a reconnaissance within the enemy’s lines at Genitchi. This service was performed by Lieutenant Day with the view to ascertaining the practicability of reaching the enemy’s gun-vessels, which lay within the Straits of Genitchi, close to the town. It was performed by Lieutenant Day alone on a dark but fine night, with the assistance of a pocket compass.
After traversing four or five miles of low, swampy ground, occasionally up to his knees in water, he at length advanced to within about 200 yards of the vessel. From the perfect silence on board it was his conviction that they were without crews, and when he returned it was with the full impression that the expedition was a feasible one. This opinion, however, he was induced to change on the following day in consequence of the increasing activity which was apparent in the direction of the enemy vessels, and therefore he determined on making a second visit to the spot.
On this occasion the night was squally, and the journey longer and more difficult than before. On reaching the spot and finding the enemy vessels manned, and their crews apparently on the alert, he decided the effort to surprise them was out of the question. Lieutenant Day was so long on shore that the seamen stationed to pick him up gave him up for lost and returned without him. Mr. Parker, however, came to look again and found Day lying exhausted on the shore and took him back to the ship where he eventually recovered from his exposure.”
He married Mary Ruddell-Todd in 1858. She was the daughter of James Ruddell-Todd MP for Honiton.
Charles Day’s great grandson and great nephew of George Fiott Day, Owen Heathcote Lacy Day, was a Captain in the Hampshire regiment, he died in the Dardanelles in 1915, aged 27, and is commemorated on Southampton Cenotaph.
His parents, Arthur James Day and Georgiana had built Northlands House, Westrow Road in 1882. They soon built a ballroom that was later used by Georgiana in 1911 to launch the women’s branch of the Conservative association. On Arthur’s death in 1924 he left a legacy worth several million pounds in today’s money. Despite this when his wife Georgiana died in 1927 the house was sold shortly thereafter and the family company went into liquidation.
– FB
Charles Day’s great grandson and great nephew of George Fiott Day, Owen Heathcote Lacy Day, was a Captain in the Hampshire regiment, he died in the Dardanelles in 1915, aged 27, and is commemorated on Southampton Cenotaph.
His parents, Arthur James Day and Georgiana had built Northlands House, Westrow Road in 1882. They soon built a ballroom that was later used by Georgiana in 1911 to launch the women’s branch of the Conservative association. On Arthur’s death in 1924 he left a legacy worth several million pounds in today’s money. Despite this when his wife Georgiana died in 1927 the house was sold shortly thereafter and the family company went into liquidation.
– FB