Where did they come from?

[Paul Caswell]

Hi All,

This is more a quest for ideas than a question.

I have a large family of Stockleys (over 500 at last count) from Corfe Castle. Almost all of them descend originally from George Stockley and Mary. Their first child, John, was baptised 13 Dec 1668. There are no Stockleys in the Corfe records prior to this time. This makes George and Mary born before 1651.

I would like to try to find where George came from and who Mary was.

There is an area near Bere Regis (about 11 miles from Corfe) that was once treated as a district called Stockley:

From 1614 to 1657 the term Stockley was given to a large district for the purpose of church rate assessment, and included the whole of the Bere Heath area as well as Chamberlaynes and Doddings.

I will be investigating this area first and, intriguingly, there is a Stuckley listed in the protestations of Bere Regis of 1641.

I would like any other ideas as to where they may have come from or how I may be able to find out.

Paul

[mcmp]

Perhaps you could consider Stockley (in Calne hundred, Wiltshire) as a possible original source for your Stockleys.  I have a similar problem with a sudden appearance in Dorset in the late 16th C, only to find that they came from Cornwall.

This link will show you that Stockley in Wilts has been there for a while:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=18030&strquery=stockley

Michael

[Paul Caswell]

Thanks Michael. That is certainly another avenue to investigate.

The more the better at this stage.

Paul

[VivP]

  Hello Paul,

There is one John STUCKLEY in the Hearth Tax Assessments for 1662-4 in Bere Regis - one hearth, so not badly off.  This is the only information it gives. There is no STOCKLEY or variant that I can see, and John is the only STUCKLEY.

Don't forget that people would walk miles in those days, or even more recently.

[Paul Caswell]

Hi VivP,

I contacted the Bere Regis OPC about this one. He has only just started and hasn't yet had much time to work on transcribing. He promised me he will get back if he finds any Stockleys/Stuckleys.

There's also a William Stuckley in the Corfe 1641 protestation returns. Tantalising isnt it.

Paul

[MorganOfMonmouth]

I am related to the Stockley's of Corfe Castle (Edwin Swyer Stockley). Any help would be greatly appreciated ( line back to Simon Stockley).