Thomas William Colwill and Olivia Trevail

St George's, Hanover Square
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Anthony O'Neil - geograph.org.uk/p/4518508

Thomas William Colwill (b. 1861 in Pimlico), son of Henry Colwill and Mary White, married Olivia Trevail (b. 1854 in Luxulyan), daughter of Joseph Trevail and Jane Rundle, at St George, Hanover Square on 13 Nov 1886. Witnesses were Kate Archer and Charles Trevail, the bride's sister and brother.

Thomas and Olivia had two children:

1. Harry George Colwill born 1888 in Pimlico
2. Elsie Mary Colwill born 1896 in Dalston

In 1871, at 20, was a kitchen maid in the household of Francis Gosling, Banker, at Wellbury House, Great Offley, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. (Goslings Bank was one of the banks merged into Barclays Bank in 1896)

In 1891, Thomas Colwill (29) Labourer joiner, living at Chichester Street, St George Hanover Square, with wife Olivia Colwill (33), son Harry (2), as well as four boarders: Charles Usher (26), Walter Wilham (35), Constance Wilham (25) and Ernest Aller (24). Thomas claimed to be from Taunton, Somerset. He wasn't. Following the clues, we discover that Thomas William Colwill, born in Pimlico in 1861, was the son of Henry Colwill, Joiner, and Mary White - who married in Wells, Somerset, in 1857. Thomas William Colwill was merely baptised at St Thomas, Wells, Somerset, in 1861. 

By 1901, Thomas Collwell (sic) (39) Builder's foreman, living at 24, Back Common Road, Lake Avenue Terrace, Chiswick, with Olivia (36), Harry (12) and Elsie (4), had remembered that he was born in Pimlico.

In 1911, Thomas Colwill (49) Foreman Joiner, Olivia Colwill (53), Harry Colwill (22) Joiner and Elsie Colwill (14), were living at 21 Slowmans Cottages, Ashingdon Road, Rochford, Essex. 

In 1921, T W [Thomas William] Colwill (59) Commercial Traveller; Olivia Colwill (63) and Elsie Mary Colwill (24) Clerk at the Ministry of Pensions, were living at 108, Oval Road, Croydon, Surrey.

Thomas W Colwill died, aged 69, in 1930, in Croydon.

Olivia Colwell died, aged 83, in 1937, also in Croydon.

John Day and Ellen Wilton

View from Market Square in Hitchin, with St Mary's Church in the background

cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Lucas - geograph.org.uk/p/989830

John Day (b. 27 Dec 1820, bap. 25 Mar 1821 in Hitchin) son of Squire Day and Sarah Hobbs, married Ellen Wilton (b. 1819), daughter of Stephen Wilton and Elizabeth Hankin, in Royston, Hertfordshire, in 1842. 

John and Ellen Day had six children: 

1. Henry Wilton Day b. 1843 in Buntingford, Hertfordshire
2. Martha Hobbs Day b. 2nd quarter of 1845 in Cambridgeshire
3. Ellen Day b. 3rd quarter of 1847 in Hitchin (died 1857, aged 9)
4. Sarah Ann Day b. Q1 of 1850 in Hitchin (died Q4 of 1850)
5. John Alfred Day b. 4 Jan 1852 in Henlow, Bedfordshire
6. Arthur Stephen Day b. 1855 born in Hitchin

In 1851, John Day (30) Cabinet Maker Journeyman, Ellen Day (32) Dressmaker, Henry W (7), Martha H (5), Ellen (3), George Day (29) Master Tailor (John's brother) and Caleb Burrows (15), lodger, lived in Dead Street, Hitchin - later renamed Queen Street, but that didn't improve it much. Dead Street was compared to the worst slums of London. Even in 1919, the cottages in the Queen Street area were described:  

“Some houses had earth floors. The windows and doors were small and in a few cases the only window downstairs opened to a passage where there was no light and very little air. The only bedroom was like a stable loft, reached by a decrepit stairs or a ladder. Tea chests served as tables and 5 or 6 children in one bed was not unusual.  It was very much survival of the fittest.”

In 1861, John and Ellen Day were living in Church Yard, but that was still in the same squalid, underworld area, of which was said, "Although the area was central, the whole district was taboo for the rest of Hitchin’s inhabitants." There we find John Day (41), Ellen Day (46), Henry Day (17), at that time a Butcher Journeyman, Alfred Day (9) and Arthur Day (6). Martha Day (14) was then a House Maid in the household of Frederick Gillum (27), Cabinet Maker, in Sun Street, Hitchin. (A Martha Day, year of birth given as 1847, daughter of John and Ellen Day, was baptised on 17 Apr 1872, in Cambridge.)

Found no further records anywhere for John and Ellen Day.

In 1871, Alfred J Day (19) Reporter and Arthur S Day (15) Photographic Artist, were living with their grandfather, Squire Day (74) Upholsterer and Lodging House Keeper, in Back Street, Hitchin, Hertfordshire.