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 in April-June 1867 at Croydon, Surrey. 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.
Thomas died in Oct-December 1898, aged 53, the death being registered at Croydon.
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. Son Thomas married Emma Kate Talbot in 1910 & was awarded the Military Medal during WW1.
The children of Thomas Mays & Mary Ann Hart were:
m.1.6.1 Alice Mays born July-September 1867 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.2 Harriet Mays born July-September 1871 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.3 Ada Emma Mays born Oct-December 1873 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.4 Emily Mays born Oct-December 1875 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.5 Louisa Mays born Jan-March 1878 at Croydon, Surrey
m.1.6.6 Thomas John Mays born February 4th, 1881 at Croydon, Surrey