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James Hayes (14/11/1882 to 06/02/1946)
The name “Hayes” most likely comes from the settlement of Hayes in Kent (now a suburban area of southeast London) which appeared in the Domesday Book as “Hoese”, an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "a settlement in open land overgrown with shrubs and rough bushes". We will verify this in the future as we trace the Hayes line back to the 15th century when surnames of the common folk first became hereditary.
“James” was the name of James’ paternal grandfather James Hayes (1807-1857).
1882
James Hayes was born toward the end of the Victorian era, on Tuesday 14th November 1882. He was the son of David Hayes and Harriet Heasman. His parents married three months before his birth, insinuating that Harriet’s pregnancy motivated the wedding.
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Ordnance Survey 1895
David and Harriet had James baptised at Plaxtol on 28th January 1883. In this area at this time, baptisms only occurred on the last Sunday of the month. For whatever reason, James wasn’t baptized on the 28th November, and the 31st December had an unprecedented six baptisms, so the vicar’s calendar was full that day.
This seems to have led in later life to the confusion that James was born a year later on 14th November 1883. Most likely that at some point between his 8th and 18th birthday, he, or one of the parents, conflated his baptism year with his birth date and it stuck. His school records, if extant, may provide clarification.
He had seven elder half-siblings on his mother’s side with the surname “Miles” (two whom had died in childhood by the time he was born; Alice Miles and Hester Minnie Miles) and three younger full siblings.
His younger brother David was born in 1885, but died in infancy in 1886. John was born in 1888 and his younger sister Ethel was born in 1890.
1891
On 5th April 1891, he lived at a cottage in Ivy Hatch, a hamlet south of Ightham which still survives to this day. From a cursory glance at a picture of the area, it is possible that the house still remains, though that would need verifying.
The household consisted of his mother and father, his brother and sister, three half-siblings and one of their children. This seems standard for the area, with each cottage housing between six and nine people.
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Ordnance Survey 1895
James is listed at age 8 as a scholar. Though he would have been 7 at the time of the census, this may be a mistake based on the census-taker’s questioning (ie “What year were you born?” rather than “How old are you?”). Of course, this may also be the last time that James’ age was recorded correctly as 1882, as hereafter 1883 seems to have been accepted as fact by James.
He may have attended school in Plaxtol to the southeast, Oldbury/Ightham to the north, or in the forest to the northwest (indeed that school - St. Lawrence - proudly displays its foundation date of 1868 on its signage). School log books survive in the Kent Archives (Maidstone) that can verify this, and his recorded birth date at the time would be on the admissions register.
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Ordnance Survey 1867
This census lists James, unlike the rest of his family members, as being born in Broadfield, Kent which was to the east of Plaxtol. His mother certainly had association with Plaxtol, but discovering why he was born there will be part of her story. The only trace of the hamlet now is a B&B currently by the name Broadfield Manor House on Old Soar Road which seems to encompass all of the remaining buildings from that settlement.
In 1892, his half-sister Ellen Miles, who lived with the family, died at age 24.
In 1898, his half-sister Louisa Caroline Miles, who also lived with the family, died at age 21.
1901
By 31st March 1901, the family had moved to the house at the “Top of Rooks Hill” which is south of the hamlet of Bitchet Green, just west of Ivy Hatch. A house still stands there - whether it is the same or has been rebuilt could be confirmed. James is listed at 17, working as a stone quarryman along with his half-brother. He lives with his parents, that half-brother and his two younger siblings in the household. There are a number of quarries in the area, many marked even then as ‘Old Quarry’, so presumably out-of use. Researching quarrying businesses in the area at the time may give further insight.
This 1901 census lists James’ birthplace as Wrotham. At the time, this was the name given to the Unitary Division that covered the area, so is a less-specific reference to his birthplace than we have with Broadfield, though still correct.
In 1906, James’ father David died at home at the age of 62.
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Ordnance Survey 1895
1911
The 1911 census, taken on 2nd April, shows the family to have remained at Rooks’ Hill - one of three domiciles at that address and possibly the very same three buildings that survive to this day; likely at least the same packages of land. At this point Rooks’ Hill is considered part of the hamlet of Stone Street to the north.
James is listed as 27 years old, single and working as a domestic gardener along with his younger brother and half-nephew. He lives with those two, his elder half-brother and his mother, now a widow. His birthplace is listed as Plaxtol, slightly more specific than Wrotham, but less so than Broadfield. All corroborate each other, however.
The 1911 census confirms that James was one of twelve children, though by 1911 five of them had died; his brother David and four of his half-siblings (Alice, Ellen, Louisa and Hester Miles).
In 1912, James married Fanny Seale. The marriage was registered to the district office of Tonbridge, Kent in the fourth quarter of 1912. The banns of marriage were signed at the parish church of Hildenborough, Kent on the 8th, 15th and 22nd of December. The marriage certificate states the date of the marriage as 26th December 1912. A Christmas wedding may sound romantic, but the less romantic reason for them is that it was common for employers not to grant time off work for weddings, so the only day off work in the year (for the couple and/or guests) would be at Christmas. Indeed, only five people were married
in the same church - Hildenborough Parish Church (St. John’s, built in 1844) - in 1912 and two of those occurred on Boxing Day. Sadly, the heavy snowfalls in the south of England typified by mid-Victorian era nostalgia had ceased; Christmas 1912 was not a white one and hence neither was the wedding.
The marriage certificate states that James is 29 at this point, which matches other records. He is a Bachelor, which confirms he hasn’t married before. His profession is given as “Labourer”, which presumably refers to his work as a gardener. He lives in Hildenborough, though whether at Rooks’ Hill with his family at this point, or at a separate abode with his new wife, is unknown. The latter seems more likely, as his obituary describes him living locally to Hildenborough from around this date. His father, David Hayes, is named and is also described as a labourer. The two witnesses to the marriage are Mary Ann Holmes (likely bridesmaid/best friend) and Alfred Seale (Fanny’s younger brother). Alfred and Mary Ann married two months later.
Their first daughter Ivy D Hayes was born on 28th January 1914. The rest of that year wasn’t such a cause for celebration - James’ mother died in the second quarter and in the third quarter of the year The Great War began.
1915
On 11th December 1915, James signed up for military service. Conscription didn’t begin until the following month (and until May 1916 for married men), and at this point recruiters had been going house-to-house asking for volunteers. James was posted to the Royal Horse Artillery and travelled 20 miles north to Woolwich on the banks of the River Thames. Here, at the Riding Establishment, he was trained to the highest standard to handle horse-drawn artillery as a gunner.
His wife would have been four months pregnant when he left for Woolwich. His second daughter, Lilian Mary (known as Betty) was born on 24th April 1916.
His half-brother William Miles, died of wounds on the 18th October 1916 during the Battle of the Somme.
On 10th April 1917 his training was completed and he was posted to the 22nd Reserve Battery as part of 4B Reserve Brigade at Boyton Camp, Wiltshire where he remained for the rest of the war, and a few months longer.
By 1919, he had clearly had enough and considered it time to go home. He reported an injury, "first felt in October 1917", of pain in his knee “at night when the weather is bad”, but otherwise was fine. This was enough for a medical examination which concluded rheumatic pain and also diagnosed him 40% deaf in his right ear. He was sent two-thirds of the way home to Surbiton, Surrey where the Medical Board ruled that his knees were normal, though confirming his partial deafness. That was enough, post-war, to grant his discharge on medical grounds, which occured on 13th March 1919.
All soldiers who were discharged on medical grounds were subsequently issued a Silver War Badge (this particular one inscribed with the serial 214846), but I imagine that James wouldn’t have considered it his due. Its location is currently unknown, but he very possibly could have sold it to a collector some time before his death.
His first son, Alfred James was born on 7th September 1919. The date may give pause to some, but it is possible that James may have been granted leave for Christmas and/or New Year in order to have provided the necessary means for conception. However, it is also worth noting that at time of writing, Alfred’s granddaughter has no DNA matches on James Hayes’ ancestral side of the family, only exclusively Fanny Seale’s. This is in comparison with four of James’ grandchildren, so there can be some doubt that James was Alfred’s father.
The family was completed by David Henry in 1921, Ronald Alan John in 1923, Frank Ernest in 1925 and Raymond in 1927.
1939
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 1939 Register taken on 29th September shows James to be living with Fanny and five of their children; Alfred having moved out by this point. He is listed as a retired gardener and would have been 56 years old. They live at one of the houses listed as “Club Cottages” on Riding Lane, near to Hollanden Park Farm.
Much of the Battle of Britain was fought over Kent, so it is likely enough that James bore witness to it first-hand. Over 2,500 bombs were dropped on Kent, with 23 in the Hildenborough area alone. Overall, one person in the area was killed and five injured. Did this impact the family? We know that all five sons signed up to fight.
In 1944, his half-sister Philadelphia Stone (née Miles) passed away, aged 74.
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1946
James’ death is recorded in the first quarter of 1946 at the registry office in Tonbridge.
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Ordnance Survey 1936
A copy of his death certificate would state the cause of death. I have been unable to find will or probate, so likely everything he owned passed intestate to his wife Fanny.
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However, his gravestone does exist. He has been recorded online as residing in the graveyard at St John the Evangelist Church, Hildenborough where he was married 32 years earlier. The stone states his date of burial as 9th February 1946, but curiously his birth year as 1884. With such a small discrepancy, it may have been that the inscription was based on his age at death (62), rather than his birth-date having been provided. A picture of the stone, obtained by a visit might clear that up somewhat.
An obituary survives in the Kent & Sussex Courier of Friday 8th February 1946. It tells us that James died on Wednesday 6th February, and is transcribed as follows:
The death occurred on Wednesday of Mr. James Hayes, of 7, Club Cottages. Aged 62, Mr Hayes had resided locally for over 30 years. He leaves a widow, five sons, all of whom are serving in the Forces, and two daughters.
In addition, a report on his funeral appears in the Kent & Sussex Courier of Friday 15th February 1946, transcribed as follows:
The Funeral of Mr. J. Hayes took place at Hildenborough on Saturday, the Rev. E. W. E. Fraser officiating. Chief mourners were Mr. and Mrs. Webb, Mr. and Mrs. A. Hayes, Miss B. Hayes, Messrs. David, Donald and Raymond Hayes, Mr. J Seal, Mrs. Palmer, Mrs. Parker, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Houghton and Mrs. McKowen. The widow was unable to attend owing to illness.
Mr J. Seal here is most likely Fanny’s brother John Seal. James’ son Frank is the only one of his children not mentioned.
He was survived by his wife and all seven of his children, his sister Ethel, and his half-sister Susan Fielder (née Miles).
It is currently uncertain as to the fates of his younger brother John and his elder half-sister Elizabeth Bennett (née Miles), as no information can be found on either after 1911.
He and Fanny’s seven children are now all dead, but the pair have seventeen grandchildren in descent, two of which were illegitimate or adopted, so there may be more. Many of those seventeen since became grandparents themselves, the vast majority remaining in Kent.
Please do head over to the forums and leave a message if you are a descendant, or connected to a descendant, or you have any further tidbits of information about James, no matter how small!
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Lifemap
Sources
Baptism Register
Marriage Banns
Marriage Index
Marriage Certificate
Death Index
Gravestone Index
1891, 1901, 1911 Census
1939 Register
Kent & Sussex Courier
World War I Discharge Papers
World War I Medal Rolls