We would like to thank Mike Stephens for personal information on Thomas Mays & his family.
Thomas Mays was the sixth child of John May & Mary Marchant born January 26th, 1845 & christened June 20th, 1847 at St John the Baptist, Croydon.
In 1851 Thomas was living with his parents & brothers & sisters at 11 Smiths Yard, Croydon.
By 1861 Thomas was living at 8 Hand Cross Alley, Croydon with his parents. Thomas was a carriage painter.
Thomas married Mary Ann Hart on April 14th, 1867 at St Andrew’s, Croydon, Surrey. Witnesses at the wedding were Thomas’ sister Elizabeth & her husband Robert Hubbard. Mary Ann was christened November 22nd, 1846 at Hertford, Herts, the daughter of Frances & Henry Hart, a general labourer.
In 1871 Thomas & Mary Ann (Mayo in Ancestry.co.uk index) were living at 2 Ormesby Cottages, Upper Stanley Rd, Croydon & Thomas was now a house decorator. They had a daughter Alice, aged 3.
By 1881 the family were still living at Stanley Rd, now number 4 & Thomas was still employed as a house decorator. In addition to Alice they now had 5 more children – Harriet (9), Ada Emma (7), Emily (5), Louisa (3) & Thomas J (2 months).
In 1891 Thomas & Mary Ann were again found at Stanley Rd (#19). Only 2 children were still at home – Louisa & Thomas. Daughter Ada was working as a kitchen maid in Queens Gate, Kensington, London for Edwardo Lembeke, a merchant from Peru!
Thomas died on November 21st 1898, aged 53, at the London & County Lunatic Asylum, Cane Hill, Coulsden, Surrey. He was buried on November 26th at Queen’s Rd Cemetery, Croydon. The probate notice states that he was of 19 Stanley Rd & administration was granted to his wife Mary Ann on January 8th, 1903. His effects were £457.14s.6d.
In 1901 widow Mary Ann was still at 19 Stanley Rd with daughters Ada & Emily, both dressmakers, & son Thomas, a yeoman. Also with them was a granddaughter Mary L Wheeler, aged 4. This was the child of daughter Harriet who had married Edward Henry Wheeler, a timber merchant, in 1894.
Daughter Ada married William Turmeau, a 39 year old widower on July 14th, 1904 at Christ Church, Croydon. William was a fruiterer, & witnesses at the wedding were Ada’s brother Thomas John & sister Louisa.
Son Thomas married Emma Kate Talbot in 1910 & was awarded the Military Medal during WW1.
Mary Ann had moved to 88 Greenside Rd, Croydon by 1911 where she was living with daughters Emily & Louisa who were both dressmakers with their own accounts working from home. It was noted on the census that Mary Ann had had 7 children, only 6 of whom were still alive.
There is a death for Mary A Mays in Jan-March 1926, aged 79, registered at Croydon.
The children of Thomas Mays & Mary Ann Hart were:
m.1.6.1 Alice Mays born August 2nd, 1867 at Croydon, Surrey; died May 17th, 1945 at Western House Public Assistance Institution, Ware Hertfordshire.
m.1.6.2 Ellen Mary Mays born July-September 1869 at Croydon; buried September 16th, 1870 at St John’s Croydon
m.1.6.3 Harriett Mays born 1871 at Croydon, & christened April 2nd, 1872 at Christ Church, Croydon, Surrey; died June 1989 at Wandsworth, London
m.1.6.4 Ada Emma Mays born August 23rd, 1873 at Stanley Rd, Croydon & christened November 16th, 1873 at Christ Church, Croydon, Surrey; died April 7th, 1952 at Bushwood, Queens Park Ave, Billericay, Essex
m.1.6.5 Emily Mays born Oct-December 1875 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.6 Louisa Mays born February 9th, 1878 at Stanley Rd, Croydon, & christened April 7th, 1878 at Christ Church, Croydon, Surrey; died January 31st, 1951 at 30 The Crescent, Belmont, Surrey
m.1.6.7 Thomas John Mays born born February 4th, 1881 at Stanley Rd, Croydon & christened May 1st, 1881 at Christ Church, Surrey; died Oct-December 1961 in Surrey