The Sherley Family - Honor Is The Reward Of Virtue

The name Sherley comes from the English name Shirley or the Norwegian name Sjoli(e).

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

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.

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 English History section will show 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 is believed that the name Sherley was first written.

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 family motto is Honor Virtue Praemium which translates to: "Honor is the reward of virtue."