GILBERT and DAY

[tfd40n]

My ancestor William Gilbert Day died in Tunbridge Wells in January 1918 described as a retired soldier, having recently lived with his daughter in Bo Peep Stores, Pembury.  He married Mary Ann (Webb) Wyman in 1858 in Waterloo, London. We believe he was born William Gilbert in Cranbrook in Dec 1836, who enlisted in 1856 and was discharged in 1866. There is strong circumstantial evidence that they are one and the same but we would like to be certain.  We can find no evidence of William Gilbert Day's birth, or of William Gilbert's death.   Any help / comments, please?

[casalguidi]

Welcome to Rootschat.

Have you located William Gilbert/William Gilbert DAY in every available census?

When/where does William Gilbert DAY first turn up?

Is there any useful information on his 1858 marriage ie. how did he sign/occupation/name and occupation of father/names of witnesses?

Is there any obituary for him that may name relatives?

Casalguidi

[CaroleW]

Hi and welcome to Rootschat

The 1858 marriage cert just shows him as William Day bachelor presumably full age occ pattern & clog maker - father Samuel Day occ whitesmith

Mary was a spinster - father Matthew - occ pattern & clog maker

Witnesses were G Cleaver & Margaret Mary Cordwell

So William wasn't a soldier when he married

[tfd40n]

Thanks for your swift reply, both of you.  1) William Gilbert: We have his military papers; paybook, honourable discharge as Chelsea Out Pensionner.  We can trace him from birth in 1836 through to his discharge in 1866 and then nothing.  2)William Gilbert Day: We can find no trace of him prior to his marriage in 1858 - we have his cert (but can find no trace of a Samuel Day) and then he is in every census till 1911, with details of his family.   We have a receipt for his burial (which gives his age and therefore DOB as similar) and a cutting from the local paper describing him as a retired soldier.  As a soldier (driver) he should not have married at 22 without permisson which may have been why he described himself as a pattern maker(?)  The name William Gilbert runs down through the family as forenames and one set of relations had to refer to themselves as Gilberts (not Days) when visiting some relations.  Circumstantial!!! but why do we have the paybooks etc. if William Gilbert was no relation?   And why is there no record of William (Gilbert) Day's birth or William Gilbert's death?  Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[casalguidi]

Do you have the census entry for William GILBERT bc1837 Cranbrook resident in Surrey at the time of the 1861 census.  I don't have the full details so was wondering how that fits into the picture?  If anybody else is looking can they post the full details please.

Casalguidi

[keyboard86]

Hi this is the 1861 as requested:-

William Gilbert 24 Unmarried occ Driver b Cranbrook
Residing at No 6 Field Battery In Brigade, Royal Artlillery, Aldershot
Census Ref RG09/431/73/9
Keyboard86

[casalguidi]

Typical

2)William Gilbert Day: We can find no trace of him prior to his marriage in 1858 - we have his cert (but can find no trace of a Samuel Day) and then he is in every census till 1911, with details of his family.

So William (Gilbert) DAY appears with his wife somewhere in the 1861 census

Casalguidi

[CaroleW]

We believe he was born William Gilbert in Cranbrook in Dec 1836, who enlisted in 1856 and was discharged in 1866

Are you referring to the entry found above?  If so - that William was unmarried in 1861 whereas your William married in 1858

I honestly cannot see why he would describe himself as a pattern & clog maker if he was a soldier

I think we need you to post some details from at least one census 

[casalguidi]

Looking at http://genforum.genealogy.com/day/messages/7563.html I assume it's this family in 1881

42 Auckland Rd, Tonbridge, Kent

William DAY head mar 37 under gardener b (can somebody check please)
Mary A wife 37 b.Oxfordshire
Mary A E dau 16 b.London/Surrey
William H son 13 b.London/Surrey
George J son 9 b.Tunbridge Wells
Frederick C son 6 b.Tunbridge Wells
Ernest R son 1 b.Tunbridge Wells

RG11/917 folio 13 page 21

Ah, so he was a clog maker then http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GENBRIT/2003-07/1057937472

Does the 1861 census hold the key?

Casalguidi