Thomas Sheward, Sarah Bill of Linley, Broseley

[jacqueline cox]

Where do Sarah Bill and Thomas Sheward come from?
Linley Parish Registers are included in St Leonard Broseley, so it is hard to know which members of ag lab Thomas Sheward and Sarah Bills' families actually came from tiny Linley. Sarah's illegitimate daughter Jane was born there 1808 (Jane Wilson nee Bill, in London Marylebone 1851). Jane was baptised at Stockton by Bridgnorth, Norton, across the river. Thomas and Sarahs' 4 daughters Sarah, Anne, Eliza and Thirza 1815 - 22 were all of parish of Linley. Sarah Sheward is heard of no more but not buried in Broseley or Barrow, (much closer to Linley) 1822 - 1844.
A John Sheward blacksmith b 1803-10 was also born in Linley. 2 Shewards in one tiny village? Is he connected? if so, how? Thomas Sheward and Sarah Bills' marriage (St Leonard's register) in 1810 was witnessed by Richard Bill (were they children of Richard Bill and Joyce Aston, mar 1762?) and John Geary. He also witnessed the marriage of Richard Bill and Joyce Aston in 1762 St Leonards. Was he a mate, relative or a long lived churchwarden/ parish clerk?
Can any of you throw some light on my confusion?
(I have entered similar queries in Ancestry, got  into trouble for not saying, then!)

[garstonite]

Hiya Jacqueline....according to Record Pilot on IGI
Jane Bill
christened 23rd October 1808 - Stockton by Bridgenorth, Shropshire
mother Sarah Bill
residence -Shropshire

I don`t know how far Stockton by Bridgenorth is from Linley....but this may suggest where Sarah was from if she went to her own family church(Stockton) to babtise her daughter and not babtise Jane in Linley....
allan

[garstonite]

I can only see 2 possibles on Record Pilot for Sarah Bill

christened 4th dec 1785 at St Leonards ,Broseley ...parents Thomas and Sarah

christened 3rd Oct 1784 at St Leonards ,Broseley...parents Richard and Joyce ......the Richard and Joyce you mention ?
......there is a possible Sarah Bill who would have been 30 when Jane Bill was born in 1808..
christened 26th march 1878 at St Leonards ....I cannot see any other possibilities except these 3....so I would suggest that Sarah Bill IS from the area.....

as for Thomas Sheward ...only ONE that matches date wise
christened 9th august 1778 at Hopton Wafers,Shropshire ...father John Sheward mother Elizabeth

allan

[garstonite]

If John and Elizabeth ARE the parents of Thomas...
John Sheward marries Elizabeth Hyde on 12th May 1760 in Hopton Wafers, Shropshire ...they had 8 children christened   in Hopton Wafers...
allan

[jacqueline cox]

Thanks for lookingAllan. I 'm inclined to think that Sarah Bill was child of Richard and Joyce because one of her witnesses to the marriage with Thomas Sheward in 1810 was Richard Bill, possibly her father or brother.
Stockton Church is at Norton on the other side of the Severn from Linley Brook. There was a footbridge, but it would still have been a few miles slog to get there, carrying a baby, when there were more convenient churches on the Linley/ Broseley side.
I'm hoping that someone can work out the Sheward connections with Linley. Thomas's age is 70 in 1841 and 70 in 1851! Was he a generation older than John Sheward the blacksmith born in Linley or the same? Could he have been John's father? brother?
Where were these Shewards buried? Sarah (Bill) Sheward's last 2 children were baptised in 1822. I can only find one of her 4 afterwards, Thirza, who married Benjamin Buckley. No trace of Sarah 1815, Anne 1817 (died 1837, GRO?) Eliza 1822. Not in Linley, Broseley, Barrow or Willey, the nearest parishes; I searched the burial records at the Archive this week from 1815 to 1844 hoping to get a handle on their ages, and Sarah's death.
Newest posting. Is Hopton Wafers a reasonable place for leaving to go to little Linley Brook, does anyone know?

[..claire..]

Hi,

Children of Richard Bill and Joyce Aston

Richard bp. 26 June 1763 St. Leonards Broseley
Edward bp. 19 Feb. 1769  "        "              "
James    "    22 Jan. 1775  "        "              "
Nancy    "    31 May 1778  "        "              "
John      "    23 Dec. 1781 "         "              "
Sarah    "    3   Oct. 1784  "         "             "

Hope this helps a little

claire

[jacqueline cox]

yes I fancy the Richard born in 1763 as her witness.

[garstonite]

Bridgenorth Registration area covers Hopton Wafers

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/REG/districts/bridgnorth.html

so must be close to Linley
allan
added   mapquest uk gives the distance as 20 miles

[jacqueline cox]

If I can find a father/ son link between John Sheward the blacksmith born Linley 1803 - 1816 (!) and Thomas Sheward labourer of Linley, (1810-1822)  then he would be the only son of Thomas I've identified, and it would be reasonable for Thomas to call his only? son either Thomas after him or John after his father? The Hopton Wafers one, possibly. But I can't link them. I can find John and his wife Eliza (while she is alive) in every census except 1841; they had a 1 year old son William by then. John is always born in Linley apart from one NK. He is in one census twice!