Would like to hear from anyone researching the SERLE name particularly in and around Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse, Stoke Damerel, and Callington areas. Willing to share research. Particularly interested in William Serle [c1788 - 1862] and son Bootmakers/Cordwainers. Any info on cordwainers in and around Plymouth most welcome.
Just as a matter of interest and although not likely to help you it may be of interest to you, I have as an ancestor a William Searles who was also a Cordwainer. He was born circa 1680 Probably in Bardfield Saling or Great Saling in Essex his parents were John & Hester Searles, unfortunately the PRs for Great Saling pre 1715 are missing, I suspect he and other Searles were baptised at Great Saling and William was probably more likely to have been born there. William was no doubt carrying out his occupation as a Cordwainer in Great Easton Essex, he was certainly there when he got Grace Goldstone pregnant, as evidenced by their marriage entry. They married by licence at what is now Chelmsford Cathedral and the entry noted both were of Easton, Grace was born in Great Easton. That the Great Saling PRs don't start until 1715 has been a disaster for my Searles line, we very strongly believe that not a few Searles and their siblings were baptised and married at Gt Saling pre 1715, Those of us who have the same Searles tree are missing quite a number of baptism and marriage dates and because the marriages are missing we have a situation where 9 ancestor marriages and wives maiden surnames are missing, with 3 of those ancestor wives the first and surnames are unknown. What info we have of any Searles born, baptised, married or buried at Great Saling pre 1715 comes from documents such as Wills and Manorial Rolls. Apologies for sticking my oar in on your post but since occupations were often handed down through the generations I thought it might be of use to have that info.
Hi Findem, I think you are right with the father son progression of trades. It's also seems that it usual for the the firstborn child to take the name of the father or mother in the case of a daughter. Also quite common for surname of the bride to appear as a middle name for some children. If we go back as far as Serlo where it seems all serle's originate from we are undoubtedly related. The migration of the Serle name into Devon & Cornwall seems to directly as a result of Serlo in Gloucester. A fellow learned researcher has suggested that in early times people did not marry outside their immediate area this being about a 5-7mile radius this being the distance you could reasonably walk twice a day. The advent of the bicycle pushed this to 20 miles. The search goes on, I have posted elsewhere on the site some specific questions that I hoping to resolve. Thanks for your help.
Hi Geoffrey, No doubt a good many people did marry people from their own parish but keep in mind that once a boy started work he could end up in other parishes and meet his future wife there and marry there. There were also events/fairs where people looking for work and employers looking for workers would meet, this could see a guy working quite a way from his home parish. Btw I don't know how much genealogical experience you've had so what I'm about to add might be "Coals to Newcastle". Don't automatically write off anyone likely to be an ancestor because they come from a very distant parish. For many years I searched Essex for the birth or baptism of the Susannah Sturdy who married my ancestor William Adams in 1766 at Great Waltham Essex. A search came up with a Susanna Sturdy baptised 1739 in Nun Monkton Yorkshire which I dismissed because Nun Monkton is approx 200 miles from Gt Waltham. A few years later I contacted a guy who runs the Sturdy name in the Guild of One-Name Studies, he couldn't help me with his data base but suggested I look into the Nun Monkton Susanna Sturdy. The rest is history, one big clue I found when looking into her details was her father and brother's name Oswald, William and his wife named a second son Oswald, a name that doesn't occur in my Adams line prior to William and Susanna's family but did in successive families. As I can't help you with this topic I'll duck out of it now and hope someone has some answers for you. Wishing you lots of luck, feel free to contact me at any time.
Thank you for the encouragement. I have been doing this stuff for a few years but am no way as experienced as some so happy to lean. I would say that quite a lot that I have before 1837 is based on upon educated guesswork and reasonable probability. Obviously I'm constantly looking to validate and cross check stuff. For example I have an Alfred Serle in my line who was born in 1815 in Kingsand. I hunted for ages for a baptism and that gave me parents William and Mary. A marriage in East Stonehouse between William Serle and Mary whitaker. Alfred was a cordwainer so was William. William also had a son (william) who was again a cordwainer. So i'm reasonably happy that they are all the same family group. Do you know if there is anyone looking at the SERLE name in the GOONS ? (Guild of One Name Studies)
Just had a look in the GOONS site and the name Serle is not registered, nor is Searles, so unfortunately no-one has taken up a one name study, or at least not on GOONS. However there are some indexes which can be viewed such as marriages, probate details, newspaper references etc for the surname Searle and Searles, if you want to access those indexes you will have to treat Searle and Searles as separate name searches and no doubt Serle(s). I had a quick browse and got into a couple of indexes then a third wanted a username etc, so to browse them all it appears you may have to register, although I'm not 100% sure about that.
My husband’s 5 by great grandmother was a Mary Searle from Staverton, Devon. She married a John Cornall.
Hi Peregrine, Thank you for your reply. You may like to have a look at my web site Code: www.serlefamilyhistory.geoff-searle.co.uk It seems that over time there was a migration of SE(A)RLE's from Gloucester south-westward to Exeter. Possibly as a result of Exeter cathedral and Serlo's influence. My father's family originate from Plymouth and the surrounding area. I'm still looking for the connection in the family between Exeter and Plymouth.
You can follow the link to Keith Searle's Website Code: http://www.searle-family.co.uk/My_Searle_Family_Ancestry_Main.htm and Libby Shade has info on some Searle's in Australia. Libby's Website: Code: http://www.shade.id.au/
In his book "Bardfield to Brookend, A genealogical journey through the county of Essex", Ken Searles believes that the Searles line descends from a Norman named Serlo de Marci who came over with William the Conqueror and was given lands in Essex, per Doomsday Book.
Hi Derek, Yes, was aware of that. Think he went on to become abbot and founded Gloucester Cathedral. The current thinking is that he did not come to England until after 1066 as he does not appear on the Battle rolls. I have a book that is a transcript of the domesday book so i'll look that up. With the connection to the church it seems logical for a progression from Gloucester down to Exeter. Not sure when Exeter cathedral was founded i'lllook that up too.
I can't remember if I looked him up in the Essex part of the Doomsday book, I have a book containing a copy of the Essex part and a translation of each page, later today I'll have a browse.
Btw there is another Searles line here in Australia, a James Searles came over and settled in New South Wales, he is related to my line. I have been in contact with a lady who lives in the northern part of NSW, she is descended from that James.