Charles Day (boot blacking manufacturer)

Charles Day (died 25 October 1836) was a British industrialist who was co-founder and then sole proprietor of the Day and Martin boot blacking company.^[1]

On his death he left the then enormous sum of £450,000. There are stories that the "Black Diamond" blacking formula was originally obtained from a soldier in return for a favour,^[2] but this was denied by the company.^[3]

The Day and Martin company is an early illustration of the power of advertising and marketing. For many years they had a factory in High Holborn, and a picture of the factory appeared on the uniquely shaped bottle. It is also reported that they promoted the product by hiring large numbers of men in suits to ask for it in shops around London. The company also features in company law because, after Charles' death, one of his nephews, William Charles Day, had to be legally restrained from manufacturing counterfeit Day and Martin blacking, as this infinged the rights of the original company.^[4]

Charles Day married Rebecca Peake at Stafford St. Mary's on 6 September 1806.^[5] They had one daughter, Letitia Caroline, (c1808-1877), who when young was a sought after heiress until she eloped with Horatio Clagett (or Claggett), a well-known "playboy" and serial bankrupt, in 1832.^[6][7]

Charles Day's will mentions his main residence as Harley House, Regents Park. He also owned a second house at Edgware, remembered for its lodge in the shape of a boot blacking bottle.^[8] He left £100,000 to found an institute for the blind, and also built alms houses at Edgware. After Charles Day's death his will, which contained five codicils made in the weeks before his death, was heavily contested for several years.^[9] His widow Rebecca lived on at Edgware with her daughter and son-in-law until her death in 1843.^[10]

References

1. ^ Urban, Sylvanus (1837). The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 161. London. pp. 101 – 102. 
2. ^ Bells Life in London, 13th November, 1836.
3. ^ Letter to The Times, 23rd January, 1835
4. ^ The Times, 14th December, 1843, page 6.
5. ^ Parish Register: IGI batch M010222
6. ^ The Times, 11th October, 1832
7. ^ A Rich Insolvent, Bells Life in London, 12th January, 1851
8. ^ 'Edgware: Introduction', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 4: Harmondsworth, Hayes, Norwood with Southall, Hillingdon with Uxbridge, Ickenham, Northolt, Perivale, Ruislip, Edgware, Harrow with Pinner (1971), pp. 151-155. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22453 Date accessed: 29 April 2009
9. ^ The Times: e.g. 3rd May 1838, 10th November 1838, 27th April 1841, 31st January 1844
10. ^ Will indexed in National Archives Documents Online

Persondata
Name	Day, Charles
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Date of birth
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Date of death	25 October 1836
Place of death