The name Sherley comes from the English name Shirley or the Norwegian name Sjoli(e).When I was younger, I heard a story about how the name Sherley was created. However, after doing a little research, I now believe that this story is just a myth.
- Shirley - An English name used in various places but all were based upon the same Old English words. scir = bright and leah = wood or clearing
- Sjoli, Sjolie - A Norwegian name derived from a farmstead on a hill near the sea. sjo = sea or lake and li = hillside
Once there was an English Lord who died leaving his estate to his two sons. The elder son felt that the estate should belong to him since he was the oldest but the younger son had stayed at home and helped his father when he fell ill. They decided to fight a dual and the winner would take over the castle and estate. The loser would have to leave and could no longer use the family name Shirley. The younger son lost the dual and changed his name to Sherley.
The history section below shows that there was an English Lord, Sir Thomas Sherley (The Elder), but he left behind three sons when he died and not two. One of his sons, Sir Anthony Sherley, wrote several accounts about his and his brother's adventures and it was in these writings that it was believed was the first written record of the name Sherley.
The book The Sherley Brothers by Evelyn Philip Shirley (1848) states that the first person to use the spelling Sherley was Ralph Sherley the Great Grandfather of Thomas Sherley (The Elder). Ralph Sherley was the son of Ralph Shirley from his second wife.
The name Shirley is a habitation name that was first in Derbyshire, Surrey Hampshire and the West Midlands. A habitation name is one where the surname of a person is derived from pre-existing towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.
Shirley, Derbyshire is a small village close to the town of Ashbourne. It is situated in the countryside on top of a small hill. In the Domesday Book which was written in 1086, the Shirley village is mentioned as belonging to Henry de Ferrers. In the 19th century, the church was led by Rev Charles Fancis Powys who was the great nephew of Thomas Powys. The Powys were cousins of the Shirley family who were direct descendants of Earl Ferrers, the first Sheriff of the County. This shows a continuous line from Henry de Ferrers to the nineteenth century in Shirley.
The Shirley Coat Of Arms was first found in Derbyshire where they held a family seat that can be traced back to ancient Anglo-Saxon times and before the Norman Conquest in 1066. There is no difference between the Shirley Coat of Arms and the Sherley Coat of Arms.
The family motto is Honor Virtue Praemium which translates to: "Honor is the reward of virtue."
"The antient extration of the Sherleys in this County of Sussex, is sufficiently known, the last age saw a leash of brethren of this family, severally eminent; This mindeth me of the Roman Horatii, though these expressed themselves in a different kind for the honor of their Country."
Fuller, Worthies of Sussex
"No three persons of one family, ever experienced adventures at the same time so uncommon, and so interesting."
Unknown