My Sherrill/Sherrell/Sherwell/Shirwell research in Devon

In and around Exeter, Devon


Westcountry Studies Library and Devon Record Office
This is the place to do research on the English Sherrills who were the ancestors of Adam the Pioneer and his father William the Conestoga Trader. The Westcountry Studies Library, on the left, has many books of general reference including will transcriptions and books about Devon, Exeter, Plymouth, etc. They also have a book called The Sherwell Story, A History of Sherwell Congregational Church, Plymouth, 1744-1964, by Stanley Griffin. On the right is the Devon Record Office where the microfilm and microfiche records are kept of parish records for all of Devon.

Evidence of Sherwell, Shirwell, and Sherrell descendents living in Exeter in 2001.

If you visit this area, people will know how to pronounce your name correctly without prompting however, they may ask you how to spell it.
Florist shop, Edna Sherrell in Exeter
Shirwell Stores

truck from the Sherwell Garage

Sights of the Devon countryside


Devon rolling hills
The Sherrills at Shirwell near Barnstaple

The Parish Churches


The Parish Church, at Shirwell, north Devon
The Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul at Ermington, south Devon.
Found in the church records at the Devon Records Office from this parish:
Adam Sherewill, married Marye, 16 July 1632
William Sherewill, baptized, 7 June 1635 (father Adam, mother Marye)
Honour Sherewill, baptized 30 June 1639 (father Adam, mother Marye)
Marye Sherewill, baptized 9 July 1643 (father Adam, mother Marye)

The Parish Church of St. George at Modbury, south Devon near Ermington
Found in the church records at the Devon Records Office from this parish:
Margery Upright (wife of William Sherwill), baptized 9 August 1635 (father Richard Upright and Elizabeth Pulliblank)
Note: Richard Upright married Elizabeth Pulliblank on 27 October 1634 according to the parish register of the Church of Holbeton. The Pullyeblank family lived in the area for a number of years afterward according to the Modbury churchyard cemetery.
Headstone of John Pulleyblank at Modbury Parish churchyard.
September 16th 1860 Aged 82 years (b.1778)

Map of Devon in 1610

Click here for a large Map of Devon in 1610 showing Sherwell Hundred, Ermington Hundred, Plymouth and Exeter.

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The next portion of this page relates to another Sherwell family group. I call them the Thomas/Nicholas Sherwell family. They were members of a merchant family living in Plymouth at about the same time as the Adam/William Sherwell family was living in Ermington and Modbury. They are probably related - they lived only 20 miles apart - but I have yet to make a connection.

Transcription of the will of Thomas Sherwell of Plymouth




SHERWELL, Thomas of Plymouth Merchant.

     Date of will 17 March 1629

     Proved 10 Oct. 1631 by Nicholas Sherwell & Richard Taper; the
other executors Mathias Nichols clerk and John Jope having died;
oaths coram Abrahamo Sherwell, clerico.

     Whereas I have by deed dated 14 March 1627 conveyed unto my
special friends Mathias Nichols preacher of the Word in Plymouth,
my well beloved brother Nicholas S. and my sons-in-law John Jope &
Richard Taper all my lands &c. in Plymouth & elsewhere for use as
determined in my last will, I now make them my executors and dispose
of my estate as follows.

     To the Hospital of Orphans Ayd.

     To the new Hospital which is now erecting for setting the poor on
work.

     To 20 poor artificers.

     To the poor of Plymouth.

     To my daughter Elizabeth Jope her daughters Eunice and Elizabeth.

     To my grandson John Jope.

     To my daughter Arminell £50

     To my two younger sons John & Nehemiah £100, when they shall
approve themselves to my executors to be thrifty and industrious.

     To my daughter Rebecca £100 at marriage.

     To each of my brother Nicholas S's children on or more divinity books.

     To each of my sister Ryland's children.

     To my kinsman Robert Doble, and to John Scoble servant to Richard Greepe.

     To my beloved friend Mr. John Clement.

     Residue to be settled on such of my sons Thomas, John & Nehemiah
as shall best approve himself for his sober, industrious and religious
carriage to my executors, otherwise to my three daughters and remainder
to my beloved brother Nicholas and his heirs for ever, and my son
Thomas to have only an annuity of £20 for life and his debts discharged
up to £100, and my younger sons to content themselves with the portion
above allotted.

     Witnesses: Thomas Harrye, Robert Dobell, Josias Dobell.

     Codicil: 18 July 1631. My son Thomas only to have his debts
discharged up to £20 and if my said eldest son shall hinder the
performance of my will, his annuity shall be void.

     To Abrahan, Mathias and Elizabeth children of Richard Tapper, each £10.


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people named in this will and their relationship to Thomas Sherwell.

Mathias Nichols, friend
John Clement, friend
Nicholas Sherwell, brother
Ryland Sherwell (?married lastname), sister
Robert Doble, kinsman?
John Scoble, servant to R. Greep?
Richard Greep, associate?

Elizabeth(1) Sherwell Jope, daughter
John Jope, son-in-law
Eunice Jope, grand daughter
Elizabeth Jope, grand daughter
John Jope, grandson

Arminell(2) Sherwell Tapper, daughter
Richard Tapper, son-in-law
Abraham Tapper, grandson
Mathias Tapper, grandson
Elizabeth Tapper, grand daughter

Thomas Sherwell, oldest son
John Sherwell, younger son
Nehemiah Sherwell, youngest son
Rebecca(3) Sherwell, daughter(unmarried as of date of will)
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Relationships derived from the will of Thomas Sherwell
Thomas Sherwell lived in Plymouth. He had a brother, Nicholas, and a sister, Ryland. He had three daughters (Elizabeth, Arminell and Rebecca) and three sons (Thomas, John and Nehemiah). His oldest daughter, Elizabeth married John Jope; they had two daughers and one son (Eunice, Elizabeth and John). His second daughter, Arminell married Richard Tapper; they had two sons and one daughter (Abraham, Mathias and Elizabeth). His third daughter, Rebecca, was unmarried as of the writing of this will. The oldest son, Thomas, was probably not married as of the writing of this will and the other two sons, John and Nehemiah were not married at this time either.
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From the book, The Sherwell Story, A History of Sherwell Congregational Church, Plymouth, 1744-1964, by Stanley Griffin
p. 53 - The name chosen for the new sanctuary was Sherwell, partly because it was built on what was known as the Sherwell estate, but chiefly in memory of the Rev. Nicholas Sherwell, M.A., a noted non-conformist minister of the town.

Spelling variations of the name were common. ex. Thomas Sherwell, mayor of Plymouth in 1626; one year later his name was spelled 'Sherwill' in official documents.

The Sherwills were a wealthy merchant family living in Plymouth in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were a religous and philanthropic family. Thomas and his brother, Nicholas, built the Orphans Aid in Catherine Street in 1615.

Thomas Sherwell served as mayor of Plymouth for three terms; 1608-1609, 1617-1618, and 1626-1627. He served as a member of Parliament from 1614-1628.
His brother, Nicholas, also served as mayor of Plymouth for three terms; 1618-1619, 1628-1629, and 1637-1638.

There was also, a Rev. Nicholas Sherwill, son of Abraham Sherwill [vicar of Milton Abbot, Devon]. He attended Oxford and was ordained 16 August 1660. On 11 April 1672 he was licensed as a "Presbyterian general preacher" by a "Declaration of Indulgence" of Charles II in 1672. Rev. Nicholas Sherwill lived at Green House near Charles Church in Green Street. He died in 1696 and was buried at St. Andrew's Churchyard on 11 May 1696.
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Other information and sources

SPELLING VARIANTS
From the book, Place Names of North Devon, Blomé
(I don't have all of the abbreviations but this is a literal copying from the book)
Shirwell - 118 F 7:
Aiscireuuilla (Ascerewelle Exch),
Sireuuilla 1086 DB,
Sirigvilla 1093 France,
Shirewill 1242 Fees 784,
Syrewill 1242 Fees 787,
Sirwell 1263 Ipm,
Sherewill 1428 FA,
Shurwell 1655 BMi.
OE sciran-wiellan 'clear spring'.

abbreviations cited
DB: The Doomesday Book (Exon Doomesday)
Exch is the Exchequer copy for Devon
F: French
BMi: Index to the Charters & Rolls in the British Museum, Ellis & Bickley, 2 vols,. London, 1900-1912
Fees: the Book of Fees commonly called Testa de Nevill 1198-1293
FA: Inquisitions & Assessments relating to Feudal Aids
OE: Old English
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MUSTER ROLLS
Muster Rolls of 1569 (containing 17,778 names) p.216-217 lists William Shirwill as a Billman in the Hundred of Ermington, Modburye Parrishe
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SOURCES OF WILLS (transcriptions) - dates, are the dates of the will

Moger Will Transcrriptions, vol. 18,
Sherwill Family,
Nicholas of Plymouth, 25 July 1696

Wills
(a multi-volume set of books arranged alphabetically by surname containing will transcriptions):
The Sherwell Family (beginning at page O.M. Coll. 8/36)
Abraham [Vicar of Milton Abbot] 30 Aug 1664
Abraham of Plymouth 28 May 1690
John of Plymouth 31 Dec 1641
John of Ashburton 17 May 1655
Nicholas of Plymouth, Merchant 8 Apr 1639
Thomas of Plymouth 16 Dec 1639
Thomas of Plymouth 17 Mar 1629

Calendars of Devonshire Wills & Administration, Vol. I (1908)
1568 John Shirwell, ad.519 (p.2)
1649 John Shirwill, W. Cornwood (p.170)
1699 Nicholas Sherwill, W. Walkhampton (p.174)
1676 Richard Sherwill, A. Chagford (p.178)
1601 Thomas Sherwill, W. Hole (p.165)
1628 Walter Sherwell, A. Cornwood (p.167)
1634 William Sherwell, W. Cornwood (p.168)

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Some observations based on my experience researching the Sherwells in Devon:
People with the Sherewell surname (and spelling variants) lived all over Devonshire in the 16th and 17th centuries and earlier. This is evident by the fact that the place, Shirwell, is in the north while many Sherwell families are known to have lived in Plymouth at the other end of the county and points in between.
There seem to be at least two Sherwell family groups in South Devon at this time (1600-1700): the merchant family of Plymouth and the family who lived in the area of Ermington and Modbury. Since they lived during the same period they were certainly different branches, assuming they were related. There is, however, no mention of any relationship between these branches, nor evidence of any association among the members of the different Sherwell families. Also, I was unable to locate anyone named Samuel Sherwell (the one who ended up on Long Island, N.Y.) in either of the family groups I investigated.
There is no consistency whatever in the spelling of the surname. This is still in evidence today in Devon, England as well as in the United States.

I welcome you comments, observations and suggestions.
Steven Sherrill e-mail: steve@orchestralibrary.com

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