Thomas Tooze and Mary James

St Olave, Exeter, Devon
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Neil Owen - geograph.org.uk/p/4210935
One of Exeter's oldest churches, it was founded in 1035. It had a varied past, being closed by Cromwell and converted to a school, reopened during the Huguenot exodus as a church.

Thomas Tooze (b. 5 Jan 1805, bap. 20 Jan 1805, in Halberton, Devon), son of Thomas Tooze and Jane Burton, married Mary James at St Olave's Church, Exeter on 8 Jul 1832. Undoubtedly, this is the same Thomas Tooze who appears in court in Exeter in 1832, being tried for Larceny.

Both were listed as sojourner (temporarily residing) in this parish. Further records suggest that Mary was born in around 1806-1807, in Devon. The 1851 census transcribes her birthplace as 'Kintbar, Devon', which Google helpfully asks if I meant Kentisbeare. Yes, I probably did. :) 

This Thomas and Mary had at least three children:

1. Ellen Tooze b. 1837 in Stoke Newington, Middlesex (no reg)
2. William Tooze b. 19 Aug 1839 (1839 S Quarter in OF THE HACKNEY UNION Volume 03 Page 133). A 1879 record, British Civil Service Evidence Of Age (Post Office), gives William's birth date.
3. Elizabeth Tooze b. 10 Jan 1842 M Qtr HACKNEY Vol 03 Page 196

The mother's maiden name on both birth registrations is James.

In addition, there was a Mary Tooze b. 1835 (no birth record), who died, aged 2, in 1837 D Quarter in ST MARY NEWINGTON Volume 04 Page 272. St Mary Newington is not Stoke Newington, but is too close in so many ways not to wonder if this was also child of this family. Clearly, they were in what is now the London Borough of Hackney by the time of Ellen's birth, but there are no baptisms, so there could well have been other children that were never recorded. There is no birth registration, but there is also a death of a 3 year old Eliza Tooze, in Hackney, in 1849, who could also have been theirs. 

In 1841, Thomas Tooze (rounded down to 30), Mary Tooze (30), Ellen Tooze (4) and William Tooze (1) were living in Brook Street, Hackney.

In 1851, Thomas Tooze (47) Brewers Servant - no surprise, his father was a Maltster - from Halberton, Devon, and Mary Tooze (44) from Kintbar, Devon [Kentisbeare] Laundress; William Tooze (11) and Elizabeth Tooze (9), both born in Clapton, Middlesex, were living in Assembly Row, which Victorian Villas in Hackney (PDF) suggests was in Northwold Road, Clapton, London. Ellen Tooze (14) Domestic Servant, born in Stoke Newington, Middlesex, was employed in the household of Thomas F Wilson (33) Stock Broker, in Wellington Place, Hackney. (An offshoot from the high road, called Wellington Place, had eight gentleman's residences by 1821; it had been extended due east as Wellington Road (from 1939 Shacklewell Road).

In 1861, Thomas Tooze (56) from Halberton, Devonshire with his occupation listed as 'Formerly Braid' (no idea what Braid means - a transcription error maybe), but saying formerly and being only in his 50's, I would read to indicate that Thomas had become infirm; Mary Tooze (54) Laundress and Elizabeth Tooze (19) Dress Maker, were living in Queens Road, Hackney.

Thomas Tooze died, at 65, in 1869 D Qtr in HACKNEY Vol 01B Page 335.

In 1871, Mary Tooze (69) Widow, seemingly living alone, was a Domestic Servant in the district of St John At Hackney (Lower Clapton).

Mary Tooze died at 66, in 1872 J Qtr in HACKNEY Vol 01B Page 287.

So what relation are Thomas Tooze and Mary James to Thomas Tooze and Mary Summers? The chance that they are NOT related, given they all hail from the same Devon villages, is infinitesimally small, however the link is further back than available records, so we can only speculate.

We do know that:

• Thomas Tooze (b. 1805) m. Mary James was son of, 
• Thomas Tooze (b. 1776) m. Jane Burton who was son of, 
• Thomas Tooze (b. 1735) m. Dorothy Woodbery

Whereas:

• Thomas Tooze (b. 1801) m. Mary Summers was son of, 
• Thomas Tooze (b. 1770) m. Joan Potter who was son of, 
• William Tooze (b. 1727) m. Joan Cood

Baptisms for William Tooze (b. 1727) and Thomas Tooze (b. 1735) are not available online, however, with only eight years between them, it would not be a surprise to discover that these two were brothers. If this is so, then the first common ancestor that Thomas Tooze (b. 1801) and Thomas Tooze (b. 1805) would share would be their great-grandfather, making them 2nd cousins.

Arthur Wilton Day and Louisa Jane James

South Beach, Weston-super-Mare
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Ian Capper - geograph.org.uk/p/6392467
South Beach at Weston-super-Mare with Birnbeck Pier

Arthur Wilton Day (b. 29 Dec 1879 in Chipping Ongar, Essex), son of Arthur Stephen Day and Mary Ann Ray, married Louisa Jane James (b. 31 Jan 1880 in Highbridge, Somerset), daughter of Joseph James and Emily Young, at St Stephen's church, Villa Street, Walworth, in the 4th quarter of 1900. The former St Stephen's Anglican church, was a large church (allegedly seating 2000), built c. 1866 (architect H Jarvis) and demolished c. 1956.

Ebner Street, Wandsworth
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Derek Harper
geograph.org.uk/p/3069437

In 1901, they were living at 23, Ebner Street, Wandsworth, with Arthur Day (21) Gas Fitter, Louisa Day (21) Lilian James (17) - Louisa's sister - an Incandescent Mantle Packer and Henry White (22) Window Cleaner, from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Boarder. 

In 1911, still at the same address at 23, Ebner Street, Wandsworth, we find Arthur W Day (31) Gas Fitter, Louisa J Day (31), Cecil A Day (24) Clerk Columbia Phono Corp - Arthur's brother - and his sister, Daisy R Heckman (30) described as "Married Deserted 7 Yrs".

If Arthur and Louisa had any children, it hasn't [yet] been possible to determine.

By 1921, it appears they were living in Bristol and Arthur Wilton Day died, aged 58, in 1938, in Bristol.

In 1939, Louisa Jane Day, widowed, was a Paid Companion, living in the household of Charles and Julia Burnett at 141 Richmond Road, Bristol.

Louisa Jane Day returned to her Somerset roots in her retirement, it seems, as she died, aged 79, in 1959, in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset.