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Hi everyone

I have traced back to a John Shelley of Aston Lodge, Stone, died 20/4/1777, buried 22/4/1777 at St Michaels Stone. I think his parents may be John & Dorothy Shelley of Ranton, and am looking for evidence of this.

Dorothy Shelley widow died in 1726 at Ranton. I have her will and in it she leaves her son John a piece of pasture land called Dog Birch, near Wolverhampton.

Google has thrown up a reference to an archive document held at Stafford Record Office:-
Ref D660/26/10 1669-1775
Dog Birch Close, Wolverhampton
Bargain & Sale, Lease & Release & purchase articles (1775)
[Grosvenor-Haughton et al - Shelley - Bamford]

It looks like the transaction was between people called Shelley & Bamford, and 1775 is only 2 years before my John Shelley died.

I would much appreciate a check of this document to see what information it gives about these 2 people - hopefully addresses!

Thank you
Liza

Thank you very much for this information on William Oakes. I will send Lichfield an email re the other people.

The Charles line were at Alrewas prior to 1750, then moved to Abbots Bromley.

Thanks again.
Liza

Hi Josey

Thank you for replying.

Yes the 1861 ref is my John Slater. He is my great grandfather. I found his army service from him being listed as a "gunner Royal Artillery" on his marriage cert. Then a colleague checked out the records at TNA and found his discharge & enlistment dates, where he was listed as a shoeing smith.

He is not with his wife on 1871 census (in Yorkshire) and she remarries as a "widow" mid 1872 in Ulverston Lancs.

I have checked out every John Slater who might fit the details I have and it is definitely not the one you mention, born Kirdford Sussex.

Details from marriage cert say age 29 (in mid 1867) so born c1838, born Hartfield Sussex, father Samuel Slater blacksmith. The only candidate I have is a Samuel Slater bap 1838 Maresfield, father Samuel Slater a labourer. The family moved to Hartfield when Samuel was a child. Samuel is on 1841 & 1851 censuses then does a disappearing act which would fit the RA enlistment.

I have not found a suitable death for a John or Samuel Slater, or census entries 1871 foll. There is a possibility for a John Slater in 1881, widower, blacksmith, the right age, but this one says born Forest Gate, Sussex. A possibility though as he does not appear to be on earlier censuses at Forest Gate.

I am wondering if he emigrated but haven't got far looking into this, with John Slater being a common name and place of birth other than just 'England' usually not given.

So I am at my wits end for ideas with this now.

Liza

Thank you very much for your replies.

Sadly the John Slater born Bolton Lancs is not my man. Mine I believe to have been born 1838 Hartfield or Maresfield Sussex. He was a shoeing smith/blacksmith. He was abroad in Royal Artillery in 1861, discharged in 1869.

The record I looked at on Ancestry said sentence 'imprisonment' on the header part. In the document image John Slater was at the top of a page and it looked like "7 years police supervision" which did not seem like imprisonment. A little further down the page it said "2 years" by another chap, so I wondered if this applied to the ones above as well. Rather confusing.

I am now wondering if I misread 'penal servitude' as 'police supervision'. I haven't the right level of subscription to recheck this at home (checked it at a library). Another time I could note the names of the chaps listed after him (convicted of same offence) and try to find them in 1871.

If anyone can access the Assizes record opinions would be welcome.

Thanks
Liza