When I started my search for my Shirley's back in 1999, Other than the Shirley family who had extensive land holdings at Bagbere in Sturminster Newton Parish, I did not know of any Shirley's in Dorset, nor did anyone else. Gradually over the last 3 years I have discovered that the Shirley name has been present in Dorset since the early 1500's at least. The occurences are still widely scattered and seem to be mainly in the Blackmore Vale parishes. At this point in time having completed a unsuccessful search of Wiltshire I am leaning towards finding my family somehwere here evetually. Living overseas the lack of access to copies of Dorset Parish Registers is my biggest problem. I have discovered that the SHARLEY and SHIRLEY names occurs in over 25 Parishes, most of them in Blackmore Vale parishes, so this search is going to take some years. The following families are what I have found so far.
1.) The SHIRLEY family mentioned above with extensive land holdings at Bagbere near Sturminster Newton since at least the early 1500's are according to the Stemmata Shirlieanna to be suppposedly decendants of the Derbyshire Shirley's. According to the Stemmata Shirlieanna the family is not mentioned in the Parish Registers before 1690. Many of this family are recorded I believe in various London Parishes and certainly there are Wills in existance which do provide more information. It also appears that the Shirley family who lived at Lydlinch is the same family from information contained in existing wills and publications of the Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries. As I have not researched this family, this will be updated as more information comes to hand.
2.) The SHIRLEY name turns up at Stalbridge in 1775 with the marriage of an Elizabeth Shirley, which is followed 3 years later by the marriage of a Thomas Shirley to Pretiza LEMON. I have no idea where this Thomas comes from but the association of the SHIRLEY name then continues to after the 1851 census before the name dies out or the family have moved elsewhere. Since this family is only 6 miles away from my own at Horsington, Somerset I have looked at it long and hard, but there is no evidence at this stage to connect the two families.
3.) Pulham, another mystery Shirley. This William states he was of Okeford and these records were checked for me, but there are no Shirley's recorded in the Parish registers, although a William Shirley is recorded as a witness at the marriage of James HALLETT.
4.) From my understanding the Shirley's of Blandford Forum and Hazelbury Bryan are also of the same family as the Bagbere/Lydlinch Shirley's. Existing records show them to be of a wealthy family so I have no reason at present to doubt this assumption.
5.) Stinsford - Arthur George Sewallis who appears in 1842 is of the Derbyshire Shirley family and I believe a MP (to be verified), married twice and had several children.
Date | Place | child's name, father's name, mother's name | |
07Mar1755 | Sturminster Newton | Ellinour dau of John SHIRLEY | |
07Mar1755 | Sturminster Newton | Andrew son of John SHIRLEY | |
07Mar1755 | Sturminster Newton | John Burbidge son of John SHIRLEY | |
26Jun1759 | Sturminster Newton | Elisabeth dau of John SHIRLEY | |
26Jun1759 | Sturminster Newton | Robert son of John SHIRLEY | |
09Aug1771 | Sturminster Newton | Andrew son of John and Rebecca SHIRLEY | |
04Jul1785 | Tincleton | Phillis dau of Evelyn and Phillis SHIRLEY | |
14Jan1787 | Stalbridge | Thomas son of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | |
01Apr1787 | Moreton | Selina dau of Evelyn and Phillis SHIRLEY | |
26Nov1787 | St James, Shaftesbury | John base born son of Elizabeth SHIRLEY | |
13Sep1789 | Stalbridge | John son of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | |
18Nov1792 | Pulham | Charlotte dau. of Wm. and Mary SHIRLEY | |
25Dec1792 | Stalbridge | Mary dau. of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | |
20Apr1794 | Wareham | John son of James and Sarah SHEARLY | |
05May1795 | Stalbridge | Mark son of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | |
05May1795 | Stalbridge | Francis son of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | |
24Oct1802 | Wareham | Thomas son of James and Haret SHEARLY | |
18Nov1804 | Wareham | Josiah son of James and Sarah SHEARLY | |
22Mar1812 | Wool | Mary Ann dau of John and Jane SHERLEY | |
25Dec1814 | Stalbridge | Elizabeth dau of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | John's occupation - carpenter |
07Dec1817 | Stalbridge | Mary dau. of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | |
25Oct1818 | St Peter, Shaftesbury | Sarah White dau of Thomas Bradbeer and Rachael SHIRLEY | |
21Feb1819 | Winterborne, Zelstone | Sarah dau. of James and Mary SHERLEY | |
09Jan1820 | St Peter, Shaftesbury | Charles White son of Thomas Bradbeer and Rachael SHIRLEY | |
03Jun1821 | Stalbridge | Sarah dau. of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | |
25Aug1822 | Holy Trinity, Shaftesbury | John White son of Thomas Bradbeer and Rachel SHIRLEY | |
18May1823 | Stalbridge | John son of John and Sarah SHERLEY | |
03Mar1824 | St Peter, Shaftesbury | Mary White dau of Thomas Bradbeer and Rachel SHIRLEY | |
20Mar1825 | Stalbridge | Thomas son of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | |
01Jul1827 | Stalbridge | Mark son of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | |
23Aug1829 | Stalbridge | Emma dau. of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | |
11Aug1833 | Stalbridge | Ann dau. of John a carpenter and Sarah SHARLEY | |
18Sep1836 | Stalbridge | Henry son of John and Sarah SHIRLEY | [1861 Cenus - Henry is married and living at Lydlinch] |
14Aug1842 | Stinsford | Sewallis son of Arthur George Sewallis and Georgina Emily SHIRLEY | |
02Jul1843 | Stinsford | Sewallis son Arthur George Sewallis and Georgina Emily SHIRLEY | |
24Nov1844 | Stinsford | Robert son Arthur George Sewallis and Georgina Emily SHIRLEY | |
28Oct1846 | Holy Trinity, Dorchester | Mary Ann dau. of John and Una SHIRLEY | Serjeant in 1st battilion Grenadier guards |
04Jul1847 | Stinsford | Francis John son of Arthur George Sewallis and Georgina Emily SHIRLEY | |
15Aug1847 | St Peter, Shaftesbury | Charles son of Joseph and Elizabeth SHERLEY. Music Teacher of Queen St, Lambeth, London. | |
28Dec1848 | Stinsford | Mary Selina dau. of Arthur George Sewallis and Georgina Emily SHIRLEY | |
28Oct1849 | West Fordington | John son of John and Una SHIRLEY | |
12Dec1852 | Portesham | Walter son of Joseph and Jane SHIRLEY | [This may not be a Shirley family as Joseph was born at Cerne Abbas with the surname spelt as SHERRY, all subsequent baptisms and census records at Portesham before and after 1852 show this family's surname as SHERRY] |
09Jul1854 | Stinsford | Arthur Horatio son of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
26Aug1855 | Stinsford | George son of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
14Sep1856 | Stinsford | William son of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
28Oct1857 | Stinsford | Charles Henry son of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
06Feb1859 | Stinsford | Phillis dau of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
11Sep1859 | Stalbridge | Mary Jane dau. of Wm. and Anne SHIRLEY | |
25Jul1861 | Stinsford | Emily Gertrude dau. of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
08Nov1863 | Stinsford | Louise dau of Arthur George Sewallis and Mary Beadon SHIRLEY | |
14Jul1872 | Sixpenny Handley | Alice dau. of Henry and Charlotte SHERLEY | |
14Jul1872 | Sixpenny Handley | Laura dau. of Henry and Charlotte SHERLEY | |
26May1880 | Portland | Thomas son of John and Eliza Jane SHIRLEY | |
16May1883 | St Peter, Portland | Henry son of John and Jane SHIRLEY | |
04Jan1885 | St Peter, Portland | Charlotte dau. of John and Eliza Ann SHIRLEY | |
04Feb1894 | St Peter, Portland | Mary Ellen dau. of John and Jane SHIRLEY | |
04Jun1899 | Bradpole | Arthur George son of Frederick Arthur and Emily Martha SHERLEY | |
12Jan1903 | West Fordington | Walter son of Harry and Emily SHIRLEY | |
13Nov1903 | St John, Portland | Cecil Percy son of Frederick James and Mary SHIRLEY | |
12Oct1904 | West Fordington | Mary dau. of Harry and Emily SHIRLEY |
Date |
Place | Groom | Bride | Comments |
21Sep1572 | St James, Shaftesbury | William ELLES | Alles SHERLY | |
06Aug1582 | Hazelbury Bryan | William SHERLIE | Marie | |
1646 | Hazelbury Bryan | Edward THORNHILL | SHERLY | |
19Feb1749 | Cann | John SHIRLEY, Esq., of Bagbere | Elizabeth FRAMPTON of Buckland | |
16 Aug1769 | Blandford Forum | Henry BIGGS | Sarah SHERLE | |
10Oct1775 | Stalbridge | Matthew BURGE | Elizabeth SHIRLEY | |
16Feb1778 | Stalbridge | Thomas SHIRLEY | Pretiza LEMON | |
03Jul1781 | Moreton |
Evelyn SHIRLEY | Phillis B. WOLLASTON | |
18Sep1791 | Pulham | Wm. SHIRLEY of Okeford | Mary WARR, otp | |
26Mar1801 | Cann | Charles BOWLES, Esq., widow | Jane SHIRLEY of Shaston | |
17Apr1803 | Stalbridge | John FEZARD | Pretiza SHIRLEY | by Lic. |
11Sep1803 | Stalbridge | John DIKE | Ann SHIRLEY | |
21Jun1804 | Wyke Regis | John SHEARLEY | Jane HOATH | |
15Aug1805 | Wyke Regis | Thomas ADAMS - widower, of Melcombe Regis | Elizabeth SHIRLEY | |
29 May 1809 | Stalbridge | Thomas SHIRLEY | Harriet PARSONS | botp, by banns (Mary SHERLEY was one of the witnesses) |
26 May 1811 | Stalbridge | John BARNES of Horsington, Somerset | Mary SHIRLEY, otp | by banns |
18Nov1813 | Lydlinch | John SHIRLEY - of this parish | Sarah BUCKLAND - of this parish | |
30Sep1817 | Cann | Thomas Bradbeer SHIRLEY of St Peter, Shaston | Rachel WHITE | |
23Dec1838 | Stalbridge | George SCAMEL | Harriet SHIRLY (widow) | botp, by banns |
24Aug1841 | Sherborne | Arthur George Sewallis SHIRLEY of Stinsford | Georgina Emily COOKSON of this parish | witnesses - Evelyn SHIRLEY & William COOKSON |
02Sep1852 | Stalbridge | Job EDWARDS | Ann SHIRLEY | dau. of John SHIRLEY, carpenter |
08Jan1857 | Shaftsbury | Charles White SHIRLEY | Ann Ford BARMAN | son of Thomas Bradbeer SHIRLEY |
20Jun1878 | Stalbridge | George DUFFETT | Emma | dau. of John SHARLEY |
Date | Place | Name | Age | |
09Mar1585 | St James, Shaftesbury | Henry SHORLY | ||
20Jun1599 | St James, Shaftesbury | Katherine SHORLIE | ||
05Jul1603 | St James, Shaftesbury | Johan SHORLIE | ||
07Oct1779 | Stalbridge | Thomas LEMON base born son of Thomas & Pretiza SHIRLEY | ||
25Apr1796 | Stalbridge | Mark SHIRLEY | infant | |
19Jan1797 | Stalbridge | Francis SHIRLEY | ||
27Mar1797 | Pulham | Mary wife of Wm. SHIRLEY | ||
02Apr1797 | Pulham | Charlotte dau of Wm. and Mary SHIRLEY | ||
30Jul1797 | Stalbridge | Thomas SHIRLY | ||
02Mar1813 | Holy Trinity, Shaftesbury | Mary SHIRLEY of Salisbury | 82 | |
28Jun1836 | Moreton | Phillis Byonn SHIRLEY | 73 | |
17Sep1836 | Moreton | Francis SHIRLEY | 41 | of Dorcester |
31May1837 | Stalbridge | Thomas SHIRLEY | 49yo | |
11Jan1843 | Stalbridge | Sarah SHIRLEY | 21yo | |
14Jan1846 | Stalbridge | Mark SHIRLEY | 18yo | |
13May1846 | Stalbridge | Mary SHIRLEY | 28yo | |
07Sep1849 | Stalbridge | Elizabeth SHIRLEY | 34yo | |
08Dec1860 | Stalbridge | John SHIRLEY | 71yo |