Joseph Mays was the first child of George Mays & Phillis Wickenden christened April 23rd, 1843 at East Grinstead, Sussex.
In 1851 Joseph, his 2 younger sisters & his parents were living at Gate Lodge, Shovelstrode, East Grinstead.
By 1861 Joseph’s father had died & Joseph was living with his widowed mother at The Barracks, East Grinstead. His 2 sisters were still at home & Joseph was working as an agricultural labourer.
Joseph married Amelia Stone on September 5th, 1864 at East Grinstead. Witnesses at the wedding were Robert Izard & Harriet Izard. Amelia stated that she was of full age when in fact she was only 18 as she was christened February 8th, 1846 at East Grinstead, the daughter of Mary Ann Pentecost & George Stone, an agricultural labourer. Joseph’s mother also remarried on the same day at East Grinstead, her second husband being Samuel Dennis, a bricklayer. At the time of the 1861 census Amelia herself had been being working as an agricultural labourer at the age of 15.
On the christening records of many of their children Amelia’s name was given as Ann Amelia.
In 1871 Joseph & Amelia were living at 3 Bridges, Worth, Sussex & Joseph had now become a coachman & Amelia was described as a domestic servant. They had 4 sons at home – George (5), William (4), Henry (2) & John (1). Amelia’s sister, Mary Stone (11), was living with them & described as a domestic servant.
By 1881 the family had moved to Alfred Mews, Kensington, London & Joseph still worked as a coachman. They now had 5 sons at home – William, an errand boy, John, Thomas (6), Edward (2) & Joseph (9 months). They also had a daughter Mary aged 4 & a nurse child Cecil Langdale Mays, aged 2 months.
Son William a coachman, married Amelia Barrell on January 26th, 1889 at All Saints, Notting Hill, Kensington. Amelia, the daughter of Charles Barrell a cab proprieter, was only 19 at the time of the wedding.
In 1891 Joseph & Amelia were living at Cromwell Rd, Kensington & Joseph was now described as a carman. Children still at home were Mary, Alfred (Edward), Joseph, Phillis (8), Charles (6) & Richard (4).
A report in the West London Observer of August 6th, 1892 states that Joseph of Kensington Park Mews, Notting Hill & his sons Joseph (12) & Richard (5) were summonsed for appearing in public whilst suffering from scarlet fever. Joseph pleaded guilty but said he was unaware of the condition. An exemplary fine of 20 shillings & 1 shilling for each boy plus costs was imposed on him. It was stated that the fine would have been much heavier but Joseph was in very poor circumstances. There was an epidemic of scarlet fever in London in 1892 which took the lives of over 1,000 people.
Son William & his wife Amelia were living at Richmond Rd, Hammersmith at the time of the 1891 census & William was a coachman like his father. Son Henry (known as Harry) had recently married and he & his wife Eliza were living at Clarendon Rd, Hove, Sussex where Harry was also a coachman.
The family had moved again by 1901 & were now living at 11 Brook Mews, Paddington, London. Joseph was now described as a coachman, not domestic. There were only 2 children left at home – Phillis & Richard. Son William continued to be a coachman & he & wife Amelia were living at Kensington Park Mews, Kensington. Son Harry, now a stableman, & wife Eliza were living Acklam Rd, Kensington & they had 2 children – Henry Joseph G (9) & Minnie Amelia (7). Son Joseph was working as a coachman & living at 17 Fairhazel Gardens, Hampstead (he was apparently living in the stables outside).
Son Joseph married Victoria Helen Knowles in 1902 in Kensington & they were to have a son Thomas Joseph who died in infancy & a daughter, Victoria who was christened in August 1908, just before Joseph's death.
Daughter Phillis married George Alfred Ford, a grocer, in 1907 & her brothers John & Edward Alfred Mays were witnesses.
In 1911 Joseph & Amelia were living at 11 Frederick Mews, Marble Arch & at the age of 68 Joseph was still a coachman. It was noted on the census that Joseph & Amelia had had 11 children, only 9 of whom were still alive. Their son William (44) was living with them & appeared to be unemployed. His wife Amelia was living with Ethel & Edmund Westhorp at the time of the census at Hampfields, Stanley Ave, Wembley, Middlesex & was described as a ‘useful help (domestic)’. It was noted that William & Amelia had no children.
Son Edward Alfred had married Florence Ellen Phillips in 1905 & at the time of the 1911 census they were living at 20 Egerton Mews, South Kensington where Edward was a domestic coachman. There is a death for Florence in February 1912 in Kensington. Edward married again in April-June 1912, his second wife being Katherine (Catherina) Becker. They were to have 2 sons - Edward Joseph in 1913 & Harold John in 1923. In 1939 Katherine & Edward were living in Finchley, London & Edward was a tool room storekeeper.
Son Richard married Rose Dyall on August 1st, 1908 at the Parish Church, Southall, London & in 1911 they were living at 106 Godolphin Rd, Shepherds Bush, Fulham & Richard was a motor coach builder (journeyman). Richard enlisted in 1915 when he gave his address as 4 Frederick Mews, Marble Arch. He served in the Royal Army Service Corps during WW1 during which time he was posted with the Expeditionary Force to France.
Son Charles also worked as a coachman & in 1911 he was living at 20 Coleherne Mews, Earls Court, Kensington. Charles, a motor cleaner, enlisted with the Royal Fusiliers in 1915 & gave his father as next of kin whose address was 11 Frederick Mews, Marble Arch. He was discharged in 1916 being no longer fit for service having contracted pneumonia & become generally emaciated & in poor mental & physical health. Charles was admitted to the St Pancras Workhouse in 1922 & it was noted that he had no home. Charles married Minnie E Ransley on November 29th, 1924 at Willesden & the 1939 register shows them living in Willesden & Charles had returned to working as a coachman.
Joseph died died on November 4th, 1919, at 13 Hampden Gurney St, Hyde Park, Middlesex & was buried at Kensal Cemetery, Kensington. Probate was granted on December 29th, 1919 to son John Mays, a motor driver. His effects were £251.7s.
Amelia died, aged 83, & was buried on March 5th 1929 at at Kensal Cemetery, Kensington, Middlesex.
The children of Joseph Mays & Amelia Stone were:
m.7.1.1 George Mays born June 7th, 1865 & christened July 30th, 1865 at East Grinstead, Sussex; died Jan-March 1947 at Kensington
m.7.1.2 William Mays christened January 27th, 1867 at East Grinstead, Sussex; died February 28th, 1919 & buried at Kensal Cemetery, Kensington
m.7.1.3 Henry Mays born Jan-March 1869 at Crawley, Sussex
m.7.1.4 John Mays born February 22nd, 1871 & christened April 2nd, 1871 at Worth, Sussex; died April-June 1973 at Enfield, Middlesex
m.7.1.5 Thomas Mays born July-September 1873 at Brighton, & christened November 23rd, 1873 at St Peter’s, Brighton, Sussex; died June 3rd, 1905 in Kensington
m.7.1.6 Mary Mays born September 8th, 1876 at 6 Alfred Mews, Kensington, & christened June 1879 at St John’s, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, Middlesex
m.7.1.7 Edward Alfred Mays born June 13th, 1878 at 6 Alfred Mews, Kensington, & christened July 28th, 1878 at St John’s, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington Kensington, Middlesex; buried November 4th 1954 in St Marylebone Cemetery, Finchley, Middlesex
m.7.1.8 Joseph Mays born July-September 1880 at 6 Alfred Mews, Kensington, & christened September 12th, 1880 at St John’s, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, Middlesex; died September 16th, 1908 & buried at Kensal Cemetery, Kensington
m7.1.9 Phillis Emily Mays born July 26th at 6 Kensington Park Mews & christened September 17th, 1882 at St John the Evangelist, Kensington, Middlesex; died December 24th, 1961 at King Edward Hospital, Ealing
m.7.1.10 Charles Mays born April-June 1885 at 6 Alfred Mews, Kensington, & christened June 21st, 1885 at St John’s, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, Middlesex
m.7.1.11 Richard Mays born April 18th 1887 at 6 Alfred Mews, Kensington, & christened June 12th, 1887 at St John’s, Ladbroke Grove, Kensington, Middlesex