The Day Family

The first Day to be recorded in Harwell parish register was Joseph Day, married in St Matthew’s Church in 1785. After that, nearly all the Days who came to live in Harwell were baptised or buried here.

Isaac Day, whose brother Robert lived at the Malt House, had nine children, but some died early. Isaac was born in Harwell in 1819 and died in 1895. His business career and movements can be traced from the census returns: in 1841 he was a sawyer, married and living in Harwell; in 1851 he lived in Harwell Street with four daughters. In 1861 he still lived in Harwell Street with five children, but in 1871 he lived in Townsend (Close Cottage?) with four children. He is also known to have lived at Broadway Farm.

His surviving son was called Isaac after his father; he was born in 1860, became a farmer and landlord of the Chequer’s Inn, was the father of Albert Day, and died in 1914. Isaac’s brother Robert also remained a Harwell man. He was born in 1822, but died early, in 1863; he also had nine children, and is recorded as living in Harwell Street in 1851 and 1861. By 1871 his widow moved to Townsend, a house which remained in the family for several generations, and was known as “The Malthouse”, “The Maltings” and “Chestnuts”.

Isaac and Robert’s brother Benjamin, whose great-great granddaughter now lives in France, lived at Middle Farm, and the tenancy was continued by his son Joseph Day until 1911. The writer of the article about Harwell at the turn of the century was Stanley Day.

Comments

• Day & Lewis of Harwell
  Chris Baverstock –
  22 Nov 2011

  Well done Harwell for posting this website!Robert Day(1823-1863)you mention in the above article is my Great Great Grandfather reputedly born in Middle Farm. His wife Catherine Lewis(1827-1905)did indeed live at ‘Townsend’ and have some photos of it from around 1905 here. I also think that I have some unidentified pictures of Harwell possibly the main street about the same date if anyone feels they are up to identifying them please?

  You mention Stanley Day, he is my Great Uncle a lovely man and on many occasions enjoyed reading his description of a stay at his Grand Mother Catherine’s!

  I have an on-line Harwell Day/Lewis family tree for any family interested and any contributions to it are gratefully excepted.

  Is there anyone in Harwell able to take photos of any surviving family headstones I wonder? It would be greatly appreciated…