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 Shirley News
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July 19, 2021
The following are examples of the miscellaneous
items I tend to find and post on a periodic basis, but do not
mention here. The following items posted to the London
England page and to Kerry
Ireland page in the members' section
1648 Jan. 24 - Committee For
Compounding [G 116, p. 829.] - Petition of Mary, widow of Sir
George Shirley, Chief Justice of the King's Court of Chief Pleas
(sic) in Ireland, to the Committee for Compounding. She and her
husband lost a great estate by the barbarous rebellion in Ireland,
and were forced to sell all they had, and run into debt for the
maintenance of herself and family, having a younger son Thos.
Shirley, who is weak and sickly, and has a wife and 4 children,
and no other relations to help him. Parliament, sensible of her
sad condition, have ordered her 100l.; entreats payment forthwith,
to keep her family from perishing. Noted as referred [G 116,
p. 827]. Annexing,I. Parliament order alluded to, for payment
of 100l. from Goldsmiths' Hall to the wife of Sir George Shirley,
lately deceased, and earnestly desiring its speedy advance. 6
January 1648;
1651 Jan 31 - Committee For Compounding
[Vol. G 221 p.58] James Shirley, St. Bride's, London - .Begs
to compound, not being sequestered, for adhering to the King.
Noted as referred to Reading. 4 Feb. [Vol G 12 p 111] Fine at
1/6 1l.
1762 July 7 - Calendar of Home
Office Papers - Dom. Geo. III., pcl. 74, No. 65. #614. Forfeited
Estates of Lawrence Earl Ferrers.
Report of the Attorney and Solicitor General on the petition
of Washington Earl Ferrers, brother of the late Lawrence Earl
Ferrers, who was convicted of felony and murder; praying the
grant of the estates, real and personal, of the late Earl forfeited
on account of his attainder and conviction, subject to the payment
of his debts, the petitioner's income being very scanty, and
not sufficient to support the dignity devolved upon him. An inquisition
was taken at Towcester, Northamptonshire, to inquire into His
Majesty's title to the escheat on the 19th of October 1761. The
results of the inquisition here recited. The principal real properties
are the manors of Astwell and Falcot. They (the Attorney and
Solicitor General) are of opinion that His Majesty is entitled,
in consequence of the attainder, to the late Earl Ferrers' personal
estate and the lands of which he was seized in fee simple subject
to such charges as affect the same in point of law. The charges
which deserve consideration are the following:—
1. The deed poll of Feb. 16. 1760, by which he granted East India
bonds, notes, and effects, to the value of 4,496l. 13s. 8½d.,
for the benefit of his four natural children by Mrs. Margaret
Clifford.
2. The indenture of March 12, 1760, by which he assigned his
interest (amounting to 6,000l.) in a charge of 10,000l. secured
by a trust term of 500 years upon several estates in Leicestershire
and other counties, upon trust to secure 1,200l. to the four
children of John Johnson, being the unhappy man for whose murder
the said Earl was attainted, and likewise for other purposes
of paying his debts by bond and simple contract, and making some
provision for his brother, Mr. Walter Shirley.
3. A deed poll of March 12th, 1760, made in execution of a supposed
power to charge 2,000l. as an additional provision for Mrs. Clifford's
children, upon some entailed estates reserved to the said Earl
by an indenture therein referred to, dated April 16th, 1762.
With respect to the first and second charges, being made before
his conviction, for just and reasonable considerations, though
their validity may possibly be questioned in law, as being made
in immediate contemplation of his attainder, yet it will be agreeable
to His Majesty's equity and clemency to suffer them to prevail.
The agents and counsel who attended in support of the third charge
are candid enough to admit that they are satisfied that the late
Earl had no such power as therein recited, and consequently that
deed is void. In conclusion, there is no objuction in law to
the grant prayed by the petitioner, if His Majesty shall condescend
to his request, subject to all charges legally affecting the
estate. 11½ pp
1278 Petitions in Parliament
- Edward I [12 (8)]. To your highness, lord king, James of Shirley
shows you that, whereas he handed over his manor of Eatingdon
to his son Ralph to acquit the aforesaid James of debt against
all men, so that the aforesaid Ralph was to hold the manor for
fifteen days to gain full seisin and, after the fifteen days,
was to surrender this manor to him to hold for the term of his
life, he keeps the aforesaid manor and has kept it for two years
and more to his great damage of sixty pounds and has cut down
and sold his grove and still keeps the chattels, both movable
and immovable, which the aforesaid Ralph found in the aforesaid
manor, against the wishes of the aforesaid James, and has had
the animals driven into another county and and has had them sold
as he wishes, so that his father James is deprived of these chattels.
And where the writings made between them on their agreement were
delivered into escrow he has had them removed by fraud and deceit,
although the aforesaid James knows in whose hands they are, and
asks you, sir king, for God's sake, that they be ... by your
order. Moreover, whereas James has presented to a vicarage that
is appurtenant to this same manor, this same Ralph has come and
obstructed this, so that because of this obstruction the bishop
has collated to the church. And thus he wrongfully retains the
manor and is unwilling to surrender the manor to him or acquit
him of the debt or keep any of the other terms, and so the same
James prays your highness that this wrong be amended for him
by your power. ANSWER: Let him seek a remedy by writ of covenant
or debt or trespass.
1694 Oct 25 Dublin Castle - Calendar
of State Papers, William and Mary [Regarding the Scottish Pretender's
ally Walter Crosby] Copy of the information of Major John Steer,
co. Kerry, dated Oct. 24, 1694. John Shirley, clerk, of Carignafeels,
co. Kerry, told me at Bat. Crosby's house at Taberrit, the 16th
and 17th instant, that he saw and read several letters from Walter
Crosby dated at Lourain in Flanders and directed to Sir Thomas
Crosby, and the said Shirley told me he perfectly well knew his
hand; that the said letters did import several matters of treason
against this present government, and if the government forced
him he would declare the truth of the matter on oath.
July 16, 2021
This is interesting. I found a source that extends what we
had earlier posted about the Rent Rolls of St Mary's Co Maryland.
All the following are now posted to the St
Mary's Maryland page in the members' section (the items
after 1758 are new)
St Mary's Co Maryland
1753 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
Neighbors in 1753:Burch Swann
(part of Hopewell)....[several later] James Thompson (part of
St John's Herberts' Swamp), Ignatius Greenwell (St Ignatius Addition),
Phillip Fenwick (part of Fenwick Manor), Daniel Watts (Watts
Lodge) John Plummer (part of Elizabeth Manor) Richard Shirly
(Shirley's Adventure) Thomas Keen (Keen's Rest) Thomas Mathyes
(part of Friend's Conjunction)
1754 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
1755 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
1756 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
1757 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
1758 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Richard Shirly "Shirly's Adventure"
150 Acres
1760 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1760/31 Richard Shurley "Shurley's
Adventure" 150 Acres
1761 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1761/34 Richard Shurley "Shurley's
Adventure" 150 Acres
Death of
Richard Shirley?
1762 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1762/26 Heirs of Richard Shirly; pt
"Shirly's Adventure" 50 Acres
1763 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1763/28 Heirs of Richard Shurley; pt
"Shurley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1764 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1764/27 Heirs of Richard Shercliff (sic);
pt "Shurley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1765 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1765/27 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Shirley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1765 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1765/18 James Gough Jr; pt "Shirley's
Adventure" 100 Acres (same as in 1764)
1766 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 40/1766/27 Heirs of Richard Shurley; pt
"Shurley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1767 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1767/27 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Shirley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1768 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1768/20 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Shirley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1769 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1769/20 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Sirley's Adventure" (sic) 50 Acres
1770 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1770/29 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Surley's Adventure" (sic) 50 Acres
1771 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1771/25 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Sirley's Adventure" (sic) 50 Acres
1773 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1773/30 Heirs of Richard Shirley; pt
"Shirley's Adventure" 50 Acres
1774 St Mary's Co MD Debt Books
(Rent Rolls) Liber 41/1774/32 Heirs of Richard Sherley; pt
"Sherley's Adventure" 50 Acres
July 8, 2021
RESEARCH STATEMENT - Here is a summary of where the
Shirley Association stands with respect to finding trans-atlantic
links between Shirley families in North America and those in
England etc.
1. The vast majority of American
Shirley branches have no proven link across the Atlantic to England
or to ireland. Only a scarce few American families can be traced
to Londonderry Northern Ireland, a few Canadian Shirley families
can be traced to co Kilkenny and one American family to co Wexford
Ireland. A few Englishmen who migrated to America in the 1800s
can be traced back to their English Shirley families. But that's
really it.
2. There is no known, provable
connection to the aristocratic and ancient Shirley family of
Ettington Warwickshire by any Shirley branch in the world - that
we know of to date (nor is there likely to ever be). Documented
research on the Ettington Shirley family proves it, and more
importantly DNA proves it - at least so far.
3. We are beginning to run out
of opportunities for good luck - to uncover that long lost Last
Will and Testament buried in an English archive that says something
like "And I give 5 pounds sterling to my son Thomas currently
living in Northumberland Virginia" The Shirley Association
has ransacked almost all English probate sources, both at the
national level and at the county record office level. We currently
only lack gathering wills in a couple of counties - and none
that we have (thusfar) provide any clue of any trans-atlantic
connection. Again, only a few counties remain (with a smattering
of needle-in-haystack ecclesiastical "peculiars" not
checked as yet). It's getting desperation time.
4. 90% of the low-hanging research
fruit has been picked. The rest is needle-in-haystack level of
difficulty. But thanks to the Mormons and companies like Ancestry
and FindMyPast, who are slowly indexing a few of these odd research
sources every month. But it's slow. There are sources that I
have targeted, e.g. Records of London trade guilds (who were
large landowners, thus tenant lists), also English Manoral court
records, only a smattering survive, almost none indexed, thus
search page by page of blurry handwriting, looking for a Eureka
event. Also the archives of landed aristocrats, not held by county
record offices (the latter I've already searched for the most
part)
5. Some places are easier to
research than others. Example, research in Scotland is difficult
(I've done it). The Scottish government disgracefully acts like
a for-profit corporation, selling access to the history of their
citizens only to paying customers, in direct competition with
the private sector firms, Ancestry.com, FindMyPast and also with
the Mormon's efforts. Worse, the Scots guard their treasure zealously.
But thankfully, Shirley is not traditionally a Scottish surname.
6. You may not know, but the
Irish burned down their entire state archive in the 1920s, during
one of their many violent "troubles". Virtually nothing
survived of a 1000 years of Irish history. Worse, prior to the
arson, the Irish government demanded all documents scattered
about the country in county record offices be sent to Dublin
for "safe keeping". Pooof! All gone. (Irish family
history research is a disaster. I've researched in Dublin - there's
simply not much there)
June 12 2021
I just finished a major
project. Transcribing
all mentions of Shirleys in the Irish Exchequer Court Docket
books. The actual bills were destroyed in the 1920s fire at the
Irish Archives. The docket books are rare windows into Shirleys
who lived between the late 1600s and mid 1800s. There are clues
in these docket mentions. Will need to study at some length.
Posted to the main Ireland
index page in the members' section.
Ireland Exchequer Docket Books:
1674 - 1850
June 6 2021
New Ireland
Lineage - I constructed
a new lineage for the Shirley family of Camolin Parish Wexford
2. Thomas
Shirley bricklayer of Camolin Parish Wexford. Moved to Dublin,
Family raised in Dublin
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