The Sherley Family
The name Sherley comes from the English name Shirley or the Norwegian name Sjoli(e).- Shirley - An English name, was used in various places, but all were based upon the same Old English words: scir (bright) and leah (woods or clearing).
- Sjoli, Sjolie - A Norwegian name, was derived from a farmstead on a hill near the sea. sjo (sea or lake) and li (hillside).
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 Shirley.
It is not clear exactly how the name Sherley came about but when I was younger, I was told a story about it's origin.
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 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, Alice Cockayne. The elder Ralph Shirley also had a son named Ralph Shirley by his first wife, Joan Basset. Which could explain the name change to avoid confusion between the half brothers.
Sir Thomas Sherley (The Elder) was an English Lord who dies but he left behind three sons: Sir Thomas Sherley, Sir Anthony Sherley, and Sir Ralph Sherley. These are the Sherley Brothers that Evelyn Philip Shirley wrote about in her book.
Here are a couple of quotes about the Sherley Brothers:
"No three persons of one family, ever experienced adventures at the same time so uncommon, and so interesting." Author Unknown
"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