The Shire Families
Recently, I have started a project about the Shire Families originally from the Somerset area.
If you would like to contribute or are related to the Shires email me at [email protected], I would be very grateful. If you have photos, information or even DNA results that would be a great help to the project, you can send them to the same email address stated above.
There seems to be 2 main branches, the East Chinnock and the Crewkerne branch. I'm actually interested in both branches as Crewkerne and East Chinnock are less than 5 miles away from each other and although no records have brought them together yet, I'm hoping DNA might be the answer in the future. (Or present if any Shires have had one and would like to get in touch!). However there are variants of the name that have occurred including Shier and Shyer.
The Crewkerne branch actually moves to the Buckland St Mary area, via Rev. John Shire, and by 1750 the Shire surname dies out in Crewkerne. (This is the branch I'm descended from).
There is a theory that the Shire's may in fact be from just over the border in Dorset from around the Beaminster area. But it's still unclear if this is true.
The furthest back, with certainty, I have got is John Shire, born abt 1645 in Crewkerne (There is a John Shinner on FreeREG baptised 1646 which I have to look into) on the Crewkwerne branch. And on the East Chinnock branch is Bernard Shire, born about 1700 in the East Chinnock/Beaminster area.
Over time the Shires start to move around the country, including London and Penarth, but some have moved countries to Canada, South Africa and The USA.
There has also been a wide range of occupations including: apothecary, vicar, farmer, sockweaver and (my favourite) road scavenger!
Over the past few weeks I have tried to put the families together and even may have broken some brick walls. I've also tried to sort out the military ones including the ones that served in World War 1. So if you are related feel free to get in touch!
If you enjoyed this article or are related to the Shires feel free to comment below.
Published: 3 September 2015
If you would like to contribute or are related to the Shires email me at [email protected], I would be very grateful. If you have photos, information or even DNA results that would be a great help to the project, you can send them to the same email address stated above.
There seems to be 2 main branches, the East Chinnock and the Crewkerne branch. I'm actually interested in both branches as Crewkerne and East Chinnock are less than 5 miles away from each other and although no records have brought them together yet, I'm hoping DNA might be the answer in the future. (Or present if any Shires have had one and would like to get in touch!). However there are variants of the name that have occurred including Shier and Shyer.
The Crewkerne branch actually moves to the Buckland St Mary area, via Rev. John Shire, and by 1750 the Shire surname dies out in Crewkerne. (This is the branch I'm descended from).
There is a theory that the Shire's may in fact be from just over the border in Dorset from around the Beaminster area. But it's still unclear if this is true.
The furthest back, with certainty, I have got is John Shire, born abt 1645 in Crewkerne (There is a John Shinner on FreeREG baptised 1646 which I have to look into) on the Crewkwerne branch. And on the East Chinnock branch is Bernard Shire, born about 1700 in the East Chinnock/Beaminster area.
Over time the Shires start to move around the country, including London and Penarth, but some have moved countries to Canada, South Africa and The USA.
There has also been a wide range of occupations including: apothecary, vicar, farmer, sockweaver and (my favourite) road scavenger!
Over the past few weeks I have tried to put the families together and even may have broken some brick walls. I've also tried to sort out the military ones including the ones that served in World War 1. So if you are related feel free to get in touch!
If you enjoyed this article or are related to the Shires feel free to comment below.
Published: 3 September 2015
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