Daniel Day

DANIEL DAY

DANIEL DAY

Daniel Day, Founder of Fairlop Fair

Daniel Day was born in the parish of St. Mary Overy in 1683. He worked in Wapping as an engine, pump and blockmaker, being regarded as clever and excellent mechanic. His inventions included a jigger; a pump that conveyed beer from the fermenting vessel to barrel.

Being the son of a wealthy brewer meant that he always lived comfortably. However, he preferred to dress simply and treated everyone with respect. When invited to a society ball he was given a pair of finest lace ruffles and told it would be necessary to wear them. Day detested the idea and instructed his housekeeper to dye them green, in which colour he wore them to that function and all similar occasions after that.

Servants were treated as friends. When his widowed housekeeper passed away after spending thirty years under his roof Day insisted on arranging her funeral. He would not allow her ring to be removed saying she would come back to life if that happened. The lady was buried in her wedding dress with a pound of tea in each hand - things always treasured by her in life. Day disliked the taste of tea and never partook of a cuppa but never minded others doing so.

Day had a generous nature. If a friend fell on hard times and borrowed money he refused any payment of interest and often let them off the debt. He presented a bell to newly built St. John's Church, Wapping in 1760 and many charities benefited from his kindness. He confessed to being uneasy in the company of lawyers and his face muscles twitched whenever he heard of litigation.

1832. The Feast under the Fairlop Oak from 'The Book of Days'.

Every first Friday in July Daniel Day travelled to Hainault to collect rents. When visiting he would provide a feast for tenants and friends under the spreading branches of the gigantic oak. On the day several sacks of beans with a proportionate quantity of bacon were distributed from the trunk of the tree. Refreshments came from the nearby Maypole Inn.

The Fairlop Boat

Daniel Day initially walked to Fairlop and back to Wapping, but over the years that followed many different methods of transport were tried. He fell from a horse, got thrown from a mule and travelled in a carriage that overturned. An engine he built broke down on the third trip. He developed an aversion to travelling on land and gave instructions for his body to be conveyed to his graveside over water.

Walking to Fairlop proved tiring of course,

so good Daniel Day purchased a horse.

Falling off saddle, Daniel felt such a fool,

so horse got replaced with a troublesome mule.

The mule threw Daniel into the mire,

leaving him wet and in muddy attire.

Riding four-legged beasts lost Daniel's trust,

so getting post-chaise became urgent must.

Accident in a carriage wasn't foreseen,

Which led to Daniel inventing a machine.

Two mechanical journeys without a frown,

but on the third trip his engine broke down.

Good old Daniel Day never lost heart,

his last trips to Fairlop were by jockey-cart.

Poem by Raymond Small, 2017

Picture courtesy of Brian Ecott

"He drew the folk from all around,

To feed on beans and bacon sound,

Upon the old oak's shady ground."

Friends enjoyed the occasion so much that they all pledged to accompany Day on the first Friday in July for the rest of their lives. The pump and block-makers built a boat from an entire piece of fir. It was mounted on a carriage and decorated with ribbons, flags, streamers and rigging. The boat pulled by six horses carried a musical band. By 1725 the bean feast began taking on the appearance of a regular fair, progressively increasing with puppet shows, wild beasts, fruits, gingerbreads, and toys of all descriptions. In a very few years it became one of the most respectable, well regulated and harmonious fairs around London. This developed into the Fairlop Fair which at its peak attracted over 100,000 visitors each year.

1805 Fairlop Oak. J. Nichols & Son publishers. Picture from Gentleman's Magazine.

When a branch fell from the oak Daniel Day had a coffin made from the wood. When testing the coffin for size it was found to be too short. Day didn't complain or worry that it wasn't a perfect fit and said: "Nevermind, they can cut off my head and put it between my legs."

The original words on both sides of the headstone read:

Here lieth interr'd the Body of

Mr. DANIEL DAY, Block and Pump

-maker, late of the parish of St.

John, Wapping, who departed

this Life, October the 19th, 1767,

aged 84 years

Death, from this world, hath set me free

From all my pain and misery

As a respectful tribute

to the memory of the Founder of

FAIRLOP FAIR,

the Company of Blockmakers

caused this stone to be repaired

A.D. 1829, under the direction of

the following members:-

Joseph Flowers, William James Grinyer,

Tomas Hemingway, Abraham Kimm,

William Row, and John Own, Treasurer.

St. Margaret's burial register on 25th October 1767. Daniel Day is listed towards the bottom of the page.

Researched and written by Raymond Small.

With thanks to Brian Ecott, Elaine WIltshire, Rosemarie Khan and Sandra Patchett.