My interest in the name of Dayus stems from my 4xgreat grandmother, Mary Dayus, who married Thomas Bray on July 2nd, 1787, at Stoke St. Milborough, Shropshire. Mary was baptised at Tugford St. Catherine's on May 2nd, 1771, the daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Dayus, then of Broomcroft, Diddlebury, Shropshire. The Marriage Licence confirms that Mary was a minor at the time of her marriage. Samuel and Elizabeth had five other children, all baptised at Tugford: Elizabeth (1773), Edward (1775), Samuel (1780), Samuel (1787) and Sarah (1792), and probably also Ann, whose baptism has not been traced.
Edward married Ann Clee at Stoke St. Milborough on December 12th, 1800. Ann married John Richards at Stoke St. Milborough on February 19th, 1801.
Mary's parents, Samuel Dayus and Elizabeth Braznor were married on July 14th, 1770, at Wentnor, Shropshire, by licence. I have not traced the baptism or parentage of Samuel, though the Dayus name in Shropshire can be traced back to Richard Dayus in Rushbury, born c. 1660.
Dayus is quite an unusual name. There are 81 entries in the Shropshire IGI (1992 version), including derivatives such as Daus, Dayace and Dayous.
Please contact me by e-mail if you think you have any interests in common with mine.