Generation No. 1

1. HENRY1 DAVIS was born Abt. 1811 in Lambeth London. He married JULIA CARTER. She was born Abt. 1832 in Newport Monmouthshire.

Notes for HENRY DAVIS:
From census information given, it's possible that he also had the forename William - but in which order we don't yet know.

His census ages are consistent, giving him a birth year of 1811 in Lambeth. As his occupation for most of his life was as a clerk of some sort and his stated birthplace as Lambeth Surrey, this has helped pin him down through the censuses.

The best fit in the 1841 - is the Henry, aged 29, in North Street, Lambeth (born in that County) and recorded as a Clerk.

The best fit in the 1851 - is the Henry, aged 40, in The Old Bailey (St. Sepulchre) recorded as a clerk with birthplace of Norwood, which is in Lambeth. Also recorded is a Mary Davis, aged 32 and a son John aged 5.
We must assume that Mary was his first wife. There are many recorded death possibilities for both Mary and John in the following few years.

Some time before 1857 Henry had partnered Julia (formerly Carter) in order to produce Henry jnr. Julia had presumably been previously married or partnered, in order to account for Caroline and William, Henry's elder siblings.

Henry jnr's birth certificate shows that Henry's wife, Julia had the claimed maiden name of Carter.
At the time of Henry jnr's birth, they lived in Charles Street, Westminster, where Henry was recorded as a Law Writer.

No record for either marriage for Henry, or an earlier marriage for Julia have been found so far.

In the 1861 census, they are at 21 Parker St. St. Margarets Westminster. Henry's occupation was "Clerk - Law Stationers". The youngest child Alfred presumably died before another of the same name was born about 1864. There is a death record for -
2Q 1861 Alfred Davis - Westminster 1a 213

By 1871 census, they had moved to No. 3 Parker Street. Henry's occupation was "Clerk"

As the 1881 shows Julia on her own (though not marked 'Widow') - we assume that Henry died before then. There are two possible death records that could fit -
1. 3Q 1875 Henry Davis age - 64 Lambeth 1d 259 (the age is right but the registration district doesn't fit a Battersea address. Perhaps they moved from Westminster to Lambeth first)
2. 1Q 1881 Henry Davis - age 72 Wandsworth 1d 411 ( even more likely for a Battersea address)

Notes for JULIA CARTER:
We know nothing about Julia yet in terms of her claimed Welsh(Monmouth) background.

From Henry jnr's birth cert, her claimed former name was Carter. WIth a presumed birth year around 1832, there are no records for any Carter in Wales or Monmouth for that period.

However - she could not have been with Henry in 1851, as he was still living with Mary, his presumed first wife. As Mary probably died between 1851 and 1856, it is also quite possible that the two children older than Henry jnr were Julia's by another partner.

The 1881 census has her, presumably as a widow and working as a General Servant with Henry, Edwin and Laura still at home.

Our guess is that they moved to Wandsworth sometime after 1871 and before Henry's death.

Children of HENRY DAVIS and JULIA CARTER are:
i.CAROLINE2 DAVIS, b. Abt. 1852, St. Lukes London.
ii.WILLIAM DAVIS, b. Abt. 1854, St. Lukes London.
2.iii.HENRY DAVIS, b. 10 Jun 1857, St. Margarets, Westminster London; d. Aft. 1926, Lambeth London.
iv.ALFRED DAVIS, b. Abt. 1859, St. Margarets, Westminster; d. Bef. 1864, Westminster London.
v.EDWIN DAVIS, b. Abt. 1862, St. Margarets, Westminster.
vi.ALFRED DAVIS, b. Abt. 1864, St. Margarets, Westminster.
vii.LAURA DAVIS, b. Abt. 1872, St. Margarets, Westminster.

neration No. 2

2. HENRY2 DAVIS (HENRY1) was born 10 Jun 1857 in St. Margarets, Westminster London, and died Aft. 1926 in Lambeth London. He married (1) JANE BARNES 13 Nov 1887 in St. John's Walworth London. She was born Abt. 1869 in Lambeth London, and died Abt. 1903 in Benenden TB Sanitorium Kent. He married (2) CAROLINE ELIZABETH FOSTER 02 Apr 1905 in St. Paul, Southwark, London. She was born Abt. 1861.

Notes for HENRY DAVIS:
Despite family anecdotes to that effect - Henry was not Welsh - but his mother, Julia was, coming from Newport Mon.

His birth certificate states he was born at 8 Charles Street Westminster. His father, Henry's occupation was given as Law Writer

On his marriage certificate in November 1887, he is recorded as a Contractors Carman. He gave the occupation of his father, Henry as a carman. Whilst he may have taken this up in later life, his earlier career was involved as a Law writer and law stationer's clerk.

In the 1861 census, he is given as a 4 year old, at home in Westminster, with birthplace as St. Margarets Westminster

In the 1871 census, he is given as a 14 year old Telegraph Boy at home in Westminster, with birthplace as Westminster.

In the 1881 census, the enumerator made a transposition error between Henry and his brother Edwin, so we are not sure of his real occupation. His age is given as 23 - and he was either a House Painter or a Labourer. Birthplace is consistent as Westminster.

In the 1891 census, he is living with wife Jane at Doon Street North Lambeth. He is recorded as a carman. The eldest child Henry was 3 and would be dead within months.

He is recorded in the 1901 Census as Harry Davis, with a birthplace of Lambeth - from the dittos on the page this looks like an enumerator's mistake.

His age changes with almost every document he is named on. In the 1861, he was 4. In the 1871, he was 14. In the 1881 he was 23, For his first marriage, in November 1887, it is given as 26. On the 1891 Census, it is given as 27. On the 1901 Census, it is given as 34. For his second marriage in April 1905, it is given as 42.

Current research is based on the earlier census entries being more relaible - with a likely birth year of 1857/58.

Notes for JANE BARNES:
Jane's marriage certificate states her age as 19 (November 13th 1887) - a spinster. Her father, Thomas, was recorded as a blacksmith.

The witnesses were Walter Chambers and Mary Ann Smith, who both made a mark.

There is a death record for a Jane Davis, given age of 33 in 3rd Q 1903, registered at Cranbrook Kent.
Benenden, just outside Cranbrook was the location of the Tuberculosis Sanatorium for Workers, Unionists and Friendly Societies.

As this is the only recorded death for a Jane Davis of around the right age, between Apr 1901 and March 1905 - and her death at that age fits a probability of TB - then there is a good chance that this is it.

Notes for CAROLINE ELIZABETH FOSTER:
Caroline only put her mark on the marriage certificate. Witnesses were C.Day and C. L. Batstone.

Caroline was a widow. Birth name was Foster (father William, a chimney sweep)

Her previous married name had been Ripper.

Children of HENRY DAVIS and JANE BARNES are:
i.HENRY3 DAVIS, b. Abt. 1888, Lambeth London; d. Abt. 1891, Lambeth London.

Notes for HENRY DAVIS:
Henry is the elder brother of Jane that she would never have known about. He died very shortly before she was born. The death record is for 3Q 1891 Lambeth 1d 175.

ii.JANE LILIAN DAVIS, b. 24 Aug 1891, Waterloo, London; d. 22 Mar 1965, Kennington, London; m. WILLIAM EDWARD HALLIDAY, 22 Aug 1915, St. James Kennington London; b. 06 Feb 1885, Holborn London; d. 1970, Kennington, London.

Notes for JANE LILIAN DAVIS:
The facts regarding Jane have turned out to be different from the family lore which was built around her. She was said to have been Welsh, or at least to have had a Welsh father (Henry) and have been born in 1890. She called herself Jane Lilian.

In fact, Jane was born on 24th August 1891, in Duke Street, Waterloo and her name was registered as Jane Lydia. As her mother, Jane, was illiterate, it is indeed possible that she was named Jane Lilian and the Registrar mistakenly wrote Lydia, which Jane snr would not have been able to read and correct.

At her birth, father Henry's occupation was given as a Contractor's Carman. He was not Welsh either, coming from Westminster.

In the 1901 census, she was living with her family at 2 Milan Place, North Lambeth and by the time of her father's second marriage, had moved to 72 Tower Street.

Subsequent to that, there was a move to Linnet Court in Waterloo - before she left home and moved in with William to Methvey Street, Kennington.

Her mother is said to have died when she was about 12, around 1902 - and when her father re-married in 1905, her stepmother was not very nice to her, perhaps because of her high spirits.

Jane as a young lady was evidently a real tomboy. She had a tattoo on her arm and used to earn a living selling newspapers, complete with cloth cap!

More About JANE LILIAN DAVIS:
Burial: 25 Mar 1965, Streatham Park Cemetery Grave No. 63116 Sq. 28

Location data: Jane was born in Waterloo, London

iii.MARIA DAVIS, b. Abt. 1896.
iv.LIZZIE DAVIS, b. Abt. 1900.