Hello All,
I have recently come across the name of Sherriff in a tree that I am researching on behalf of someone else although the information was originally given to me by someone on another site.
I am doing a tree primarily centred round the Hodgkins family who travelled in Worcs area and I've just linked a Patience Holland to them somehow.
Now, Patience (1794, Crayton) was apparently married first to a Thomas Hodgkins and had at least one son called Thomas (1821, Hillton, Leics) who married Unity (1820, Whittaker, Warks). Patience then married a Jonas Holland (1806, Tate Brook, Warks) and they had John, Joseph, Henry, Isaac, Jacob, Patience and Ezekiah.
There is a 1861 census at Bloxwich, Staffs which list Patience and Jonas Holland plus 16 other people but it's a heck of a confusing census list because only 5 of the total of 18 people have a Relationship noted for them. Jonas is Head, Patience is Wife, Thomas Hodgkins is 'Son of Patience', John Holland is 'Son of Patience' and then Unity is described as 'Wife of Thomas Hodgkins'. The rest of them have no description at all ans none of them are in much order of age or connection so it's very difficult to work out who is who.
Now then.... in 1881 there is a census recorded in Great Barr, Staffs in Travelling Vans.
Apart from a couple of Holland families mentioned, there is also a register of a John Sherriff (1848) as Head abiding with Patience Holland listed as Grandmother. Now, I've traced this John Sherriff down as a son of Jonas Sherriff (1819) and Jane ?? (1822).
What I don't know is the following...
Was Patience's maiden name Sherriff and this is a son she had before she married her first husband Thomas Hodgkins (he's older than the son I have registered to them as being born in 1821 so it is possible) or was he another son of her union with Thomas but just took her maiden name. Or was John's mother Jane a daughter of Patience and she then married a Sherriff.
Another possible Sherriff I have is Catherine (1800) married to Joseph Hodgkins (1781, Tredington, Worcs). I say 'possible' because the person who gave me the initial link to Sherriffs and Hodgkins believes that she was a Sherriff but I have nothing so far to back up his theory.
Joseph and Catherine had, amongst others, Job Hodgkins (1827, Exhall, Warks) who married Trainnet Hodgkins (1825, Tannot, Warks) and this is the line that I'm following for direct descendants. The connection between these two Sherriffs is that John Holland (1828, Braunton, Warks) s/o Jonas Holland & Patience married Sarah Hodgkins (1824, Braunton, Warks) d/o Joseph Hodgkins and Catherine which makes both mothers possible Sherriffs.
I can't see that any of these names fit in with the names already mentioned on this thread but I was hoping that someone could throw a light on the subject if they are connected to their lines in any way.