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"The Shards" — Newsletter of the Shard*low Study Group |
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Issue #18
Empire Builders
The use of the word ‘Empire' is not PC [politically correct] these days but, while following up several Shard*low* families, I have
been impressed by the number of people who emigrated to various parts of the world where Britain (another non PC word) had an influence. To what extent this was due to economic conditions I can't say or how the numbers would compare with other surnames but I am sure it would be a higher percentage than most.
Another aspect of this is the number of these same people who joined the armed forces during World War 1. The part played by the ANZAC s is legendary but when you see familiar names on the web pages of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission https://www.cwgc.org/ it becomes that much more real.
This prompted me to see how many Shard*low',s did make the supreme sacrifice'.
The result was 11 in WW1 and 13 in WW2, this last figure includes two civilians engaged on war work.
To the First World War total could be added 3 Royal Marines whose widowed mother married Robert T. Shardlow. I am indebted to Avril Marshall for the following ballad written by Robert.
There's an old fashioned homestead that stands by the sea
And a fond loving mother three score and three
Whose sad tearful eyes wander far o`re the lea
As her lips part to murmur `come back lad to me'
Each night to the window in silence she strays
Where she places a lamp and its flickering rays
Are intended for him who may never return
But brightly the light in the window shall burn
Chorus
There's a light in the window burns brightly for thee
My brave sailor laddie so long gone from me
Your absence and silence make mother's heart yearn
So brightly the light in the window shall burn.
The story is simple oft told in a day
It was only a sailor who sailed far away
And parted from mother whose heart beat with care
And a loving voice praying for winds to be fair
Alas the long years came and went as a dream
Some story of wreckage came from the Gulf stream
So brightly the light from that window it gleams
So brightly the light from that window it gleams
Intended for him who lives only in dreams
The light in the window in calm or in storm
Was never extinguished till bright early morn
Till a neighbour who chanced by the window to stray
Discovered the light burning brightly one day
Discovered the light burning brightly one day
A tap at the door still no answer there came
He stepped to the window and peep'd through the pane
The matron was dead tho' the light brightly shone
They still keep it burning for one far from home.
Robert served in the Royal Marines for 21 years, 13 of them at sea. He received 4 Good Conduct Badges and was discharged in July 1901, a photograph of him is attached as a separate file "Robert Shardlow4" (Thanks to Michael Fradd for providing this.)
DNA Testing
The possibility of using this in connection with Geneaolgy is getting a lot of attention at present, earlier this year the BBC and
University College London launched a survey to determine the genetic heritage of the British Isles details of this can be found at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/
Someone I know, of Wigg descent, met the criteria required and volunteered to take part but until recently had not been contacted.
Those of us descended from Susanna Shardelow born 1762 & Edward Shardelow born 1764 carry some Wigg blood because they both married Wiggs, brother and sister.
Rough Justice
The following is from the "Norfolk Quarter Sessions Order Book" and is dated 7 April 1657.
Complaint of the inhabitants of Thurton: John Shardelow persuaded Ann Hardy widow to pull down her house, saying he would entertain her in his house. He took the timber and materials, and shortly after cast her out harburghless [sic].
ORDERED. He is to find her a house and the inhabitants of Thurton to pay him 22s, the rent agreed for it.
I can't help wondering what the inhabitants thought of this judgement. Having set out to right an injustice they ended up paying the bill.
[Thurton should not be confused with Thurlton which is some 10 miles nearer the coast]
Another Shardlow Family
Again the result of John's web page but this time with its roots in Staffordshire. Lynn Shardlow only had the name and date of
birth for her grandfather who was born after the latest census available (1891) so it was necessary to obtain his Birth
Certificate. Fortunately this connected him with the only Shardlow family to have records deposited in the library of the Society
of Genealogists. I had made a copy of their family chart some years ago which had four earlier generations so we had a ready made family.
This chart did not have references to the source but I was able to confirm the two most recent generations from the 1881 Census.
Yorkshire and Stafford
It was something of a coincidence that shortly after the above I had a letter from a person not connected with the name but who knew of a firm in Sheffield who traded as Ambrose Shardlow & Co. This person has gone to considerable trouble to give me
details which seems to connect with Lynn's family. Investigation continuing.
Data on CDs, Phillimore Marriage Index.
A considerable reduction (50%) in the cost of these if a complete County is purchased at one time has enabled me to get the
whole run for Norfolk. I have searched these for the following variations : SHARDLOW, SHARDALOW, SHARDELOW, SHARLOW & SHALLOW.
I did not expect to find any instances of the first of these and this proved to be the case: I included Shallow because in The Bishops Transcripts for Norton Subcoure 1690 an entry in the Parish Register for Shardelow had been
altered to Shallow. This was the first time I had come across that name so I thought this would be a good opportunity to see if
there were other cases, I found 6 but 2 of these were widows of a first marriage to a Shallow. There were a few for Sallows
but these did not seem to be connected. My impression was that Shallow did not exist as a surname in its own right and is a
variation of SHARD*LOW* but this needed further investigation. I went on to search the British Vital Records Index and found that SHALLOW was a fairly common name in Ireland.
As to the alteration to the BTs , as no other cases were found in Norton or any of the surrounding villages and those found were in the North West of the county, my feeling is that this change should not have been made and the entry in the PR was correct.
The CDs also contained 1 Sharlowe, 1 Shardalow and 2 Shardelow names which were new to me and will be added to the database.
Shardlow Village
You may have seen reports of the extensive floods in many parts of England due to exceptionally heavy rain in October and
early November, I am glad to be able to report that only minimal flooding (2"-3") affected the Heritage Centre in the village.
When I wrote about Shardlow village in an earlier "Shards" I also mentioned a BBC reporter of that name, I have since written to him and received an encouraging reply. I am waiting for details of his ancestors to add to our database.
South Africa
I had an enquiry from David Shardlow which seemed to connect with a person in SA whose address I had but with whom I had
not had contact. I am sad to say that person is too ill to reply in person but I have had a very nice letter from his wife. Unfortunately the supposed connection also proved to be wrong
I also have written twice to a professional researcher in SA for some information on a Shardalow family there, this research agent has been helpful in the past but for some reason I have not received any reply.
Future "Shards"
This letter now goes to 20 people and I would welcome contributions for the next and subsequent issues. My thanks to Avril Marshall and Michael Fradd for their help with this one.
| Owner of original | Originally created by Gerry Langford (d. 2017) |
| File name | shard/myfolio_01/18_issue.html |
| File Size | 9.66 KB |
| Media ID | 1201 |
| Dimensions | n/a |
| Folio version | v13.0.0.22 (28 Mar 2021) |
| Linked to | Albert George SHARDALOW |
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