The Shield Name The Shield family have been living in Gloucestershire for at least 500 years. For a large part of that time the name Shield seems to have been interchangeable with the name Shill. The meaning of these names is unclear. In England the name Shield comes either from the occupational name for an armourer from the Middle English scheld meaning a shield, or from the Middle English schele meaning a hut, shed or shelter used by herdsmen as temporary accommodation in summer pastures. The name Shill, which seems to be peculiar to Gloucestershire, is unexplained. In Ireland the name Shield comes from the anglicised form of Ó Siadhail meaning a descendant of Siadhal . The name Shields, with the final ‘s’ is a habitational name for someone coming from North or South Shields in Northern England. The name Shield in Gloucestershire was also found with many alternative spellings. I have come across Shield, Sheild, Sheilde, Shelde, Sheyld, Shelyde, Shild, Shilde, Shyld and Shylde. There are rumours handed down in various branches of the family that the Shield family arrived in Gloucestershire from further north. In one case there is a story that two Shield brothers walked down from Scotland to Bristol. In another, the story is that a Shield farmer drove his cattle down from the north of England to Bristol for sale in the market, started to walk back, stopped in a pub and liked it so much that he used the money from the sale of the cattle to buy the pub and thus remained in Gloucestershire. We will probably never know

The Shield family in Pamington, Ashchurch Ashchurch is a village two miles north-east of Tewkesbury lying on the Worcestershire border and with the river Carron running through the parish and Pamington is a hamlet half a mile south-east of Ashchurch. With the coming of the railway a station was built at Ashchurch, and it is now part of the suburbs of Tewkesbury.

The first record of our family in Gloucestershire was Henry Shyld of Pamington who appeared in the Muster Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1539. This was a list of able-bodied men between the ages of 16 and 60 who could be called upon to serve in the local Militia in times of trouble. Henry wrote his will on 8th December 1569: he left his daughter Emele £13.6.8d and his daughter Elizabeth £10, both to be “payd at the daye of her marriage”. He also asked that “my Wyff Jane and John my boy doo kepe my daughters honestly in apparell”. He left the rest of his estate to his son John. One of the witnesses to his will was a Rychard Shelde. Henry’s wife Jane wrote her will a year later in 1570 but it was not proved until 1580. She left most of her estate to her son John, but mentioned his wife Elinor and their children John, Henry, Elizabeth and William to whom she left 6s 8d each. Henry also had an unmarried sister Joane, who died in 1561 leaving her brother “my cow & my calfe” and “to my sister his wife a payer of sheetes”.

An interesting fact about the family at this time is that they were known as James alias Shyld. Both Henry and his sister Joane wrote their wills in the name of James. Henry’s wife Jane called herself Jane James otherwise Shild and her son John and her grandchildren as James alias Shild. Their son John, in his will, called himself John James alias Shyld and his children James alias Shilde. By the next generation the name of James seems to have disappeared and the family were simply known as Shield. The reason for the alias is not known. It may have had something to do with inheritance of land or property or it may have been the result of an illegitimate offspring at some time with the child taking the names of both the father and the mother. Again we will probably never know.

Main Street, Pamington

Henry and Jane’s son John James alias Shyld and his wife Elinor had nine children between 1560 and 1578 who were baptised in the parish church at Ashchurch. These were John, Henry, Elizabeth, William, Elinor, Margaret, Richard, Ann and Mary. Most were baptised as Shylde, some as Shilde, one as James or Shilde, and one as Shylde or James.

St. Nicholas, Ashchurch

John James alias Shyld wrote his will in 1581. He was obviously quite a wealthy man as after leaving 6s 8d for the reparations of the church, 6s 8d to the poor of the parish of Ashchurch and 6s 8d towards the “mending of the highwaye where most neede is” He left £40 and various items of furniture to his wife Elinor, £60 to his son Henry, £40 to his son Richard, £40 each to his daughters Elizabeth and Mary and £20 to his daughter Margaret. His son Richard also received his freehold land at Whomedone (probably Homedown Farm which still exists today) and his eldest son John received all the rest and residue of his estate. (£60 in 1581 was worth about £11,350 in 2006.)

John and Elinor’s Children John and Elinor’s first child and eldest son, also John, was born in Pamington about 1560 and married Margaret Jordon, a local girl, on 7th June 1585 at Ashchurch. He and Margaret had nine children, all baptised at Ashchurch as Shilde or Shylde (the alias James seems to have mostly disappeared by this time). In the 1608 Muster Roll John appeared as John Sheild senior, a husbandman aged about 40, living at Pamington, tall and able to serve as a pikeman. (His son John also appeared as John Sheild junior, aged about 20, short and fit to serve with a calyver.) John died in about 1613 and wrote his will as John Shild.

Nothing is known of John & Elinor’s sons William and Richard except that William had a son, also William, baptised at Ashchurch in 1596 as William James or Shilde.

John and Elinor’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth, baptised in 1567 as Elizabeth Shylde, married a local man, John Young, and produced at least three daughters. Their next daughter, Elinor, born about 1570, was married as Elinor Shylde or James to John Dawby at Ashchurch in 1593 and had one daughter, Elizabeth. Their third daughter, baptised in 1573 at Ashchurch as Margaret Shilde, married William Rayer at Ashchurch in1594 and produced five children, all baptised at Ashchurch. Their fourth daughter, baptised at Ashchurch in 1578 as Ann Shilde, married Edward Millicheap at Tewkesbury in 1599 as Ann Shield. Ann and Edward had six children, all baptised at Tewkesbury. Their fifth daughter, Mary, born about 1580, married Ralf Gynes in 1615 at Ashchurch and had at least one son, Edward, baptised at Ashchurch in 1621.

Early Shields in Tytherington Henry Shield of Tytherington Henry, the second son of John and Elinor was baptised at Ashchurch in January 1566 and died in Tytherington in 1609 so he was the member of the family responsible for bringing the Shield family south to Tytherington. He married Edith Higgins, a widow. Edith had been previously married to William Higgins and had seven children by him. William was quite a prosperous farmer and when he died in Ashchurch in 1593 he left land both at Stidcote, Tytherington and at Cromhall Lygon in south Gloucestershire. He left the lease of his land at Stidcote to his widow Edith. along with furniture and other “implements of household use in and about the same house.” It seems likely that when Henry Shield married Edith in about 1594 they moved down to Tytherington. Henry and Edith had two sons together, Henry, who was baptised in Ashchurch in 1595, and William.

It is not known when Henry and Edith moved to Tytherington. The earliest record we have of Henry in Tytherington was in 1607 when he acted as overseer to the will of William Browne, also of Stidcote. He was noted in the will both as Henry Shilde and as Henry Sheilde. The following year another Muster Roll was drawn up containing "The names and Surnames of all the able and sufficient men in body fitt for his Ma'ties service in the warrs within the City of Gloucester and the Inshire of the same, wherein are contayned the City of Glouc' and the Hundreds of Dudstone and Barton Regis, with their ages, personable Statures and Armours viewed by the Right honorable Henry Lord Berkley Lord Lieutenant of the said City and the County thereof by direction from his Ma'tie in the month of September, 1608.” Henry’s name appears as Henry Sheild, yeoman of Tytherington, aged about 40, “of the tallest stature fitt to make a pykeman” and “hath one musket.”

Henry Shield made his will in 1608 as Henrie Sheild of Tytherington. He asked that his body should be buried at either Ashchurch or Tytherington. He left land at Stidcote to his wife Edith and after her death to his elder son Henry; he also left a house at Portbury in Somerset to Henry and some land which he still had in Pamington to his younger son William. William also received some yearlings, some sheep and his best young mare. As both his sons were young at the time, he also asked that “my sonnes Henrie and William shall be maintained by my wyfe with sufficient meate drinke learning & apparrell fitt for theyre callinge untill they cum to the adge of 21 yeares.” He also left legacies to his stepson Rowland Higgins, his stepdaughter Joan Higgins and the daughter of his stepson Nicholas, Susannah Higgins. He asked that all his goods at Stidcote not previously bequeathed “excepte the feather bed in the parlor & a flock bed that Henrie doth lie upon and his furniture shall be equally divided after the death of my wyfe Edith between my sunnes Henrie and William and my daughter in law Jone Higgins.”

Edith lived another 29 years and made her will in 1637 as Edith Shielde of Stidcote, Tytherington. She gave her son Rowland Higgins “one flock bedd whereon I now lie one coverlet one paire of sheetes one paire of blanketts & one boulster & pilliboard”; her son Henry Shield received two sheep, her grandson William Higgins one sheep and her grandson Edward Bull two sheep. All the rest of “my goodes moveable & immoveable within my now dwelling house of Stidcote I doo give & bequeathe unto my sonne Henry Shield & William Shield my sone & Jone Bull my daughter the wife of Samuel Bull to bee equally divided between them according to my husband Henry Shield’s former last will and testament.”

William Shield of Tytherington It is not known what happened to Henry, the elder son of Henry and Edith, but the younger son, William Shield, despite inheriting land in Pamington, remained in Tytherington all his life.

Tytherington is a village in South Gloucestershire which in 1712 had a population of about 320 and an area of about 2220 acres. It is 4 miles west of Wickwar, 3 miles S.E. of Thornbury, and 4½ miles S.W. of Charfield. The village is situated near the Gloucester to Bristol road. The soil is loamy, with a subsoil of limestone. By 1600 the flourishing wool industry of the Stroud valleys had spread south and by 1608 almost a third of the able-bodied men of the parish were weavers, working in their cottage homes. Itchington is a hamlet within the parish of Tytherington, located between Tytherington and Galveston and accessible only by narrow roads. It consists mainly of four farms, namely Hill Farm, Lower Farm, The Laurels and Manor Farm, together with a fifth, Woodleaze, established about 1840.

Tytherington Parish (from Tytherington in the Past by Allan Baddeley)

Stidcote in the north-west of the parish and where the Shield family first settled, was first mentioned in 1378 as Stutcote and Stitcotesbrigge. In 1712 there were four families living there at Pendick’s, Stidcote Farm, Summerleaze and Stidcote House. William and his family lived in a cottage now called Hawkins (after a later inhabitant). This cottage was built on the highest point of the lane between Tytherington and Stidcote, for dryness, yet exactly where a line of ponds served with water emerging from the base of limestone crossed the lane. Its foundations were always dry, its well always full. The property consisted of the house with a garden and two orchards, together with a meadow called New Leaze (later Home Close) of about 5 acres. William Shield, who was born about 1598, married Catherine Webb at St. James’ Church, Tytherington on 1st May 1622. They had eight children, presumably all born in Tytherington, although I can only find the baptisms of the first two, Edith on 5th October 1623 baptised as Edith Shield and Elizabeth on 14th February 1629 baptised as Elizabeth Sheld. The others were, Hester, Catherine, Henry, William, Sarah and John.

St. James’ Church, Tytherington Henry’s wife, Catherine died in 1664 and was buried at Tytherington on 25th June. Five days later their daughter Hester was buried and two months after that, their daughter Catherine – both girls probably in their early thirties. Was there an epidemic of some kind around at the time? William died six years later aged about 72 years and was buried with his wife on 25th April 1670: he had written his will a fortnight before his death. In his will William mentions his three sons, Henry, William and John and his three daughters, Edith, Elizabeth and Sarah. He left most of his property to his sons Henry and William. He gave them “my late new erected house and the ground that the same is built upon commonly called by the name of New Leize And all other houses and buildings belonging to the same house together with the Two Orchards and One Garden thereinto belonging and appertayning And also one ground thereunto adjoyning commonly called by the name of Horse Hay And also two acres of Meadow ground adjoining to the aforesaid ground called Horse Hay containing and intending to the Peece in Titheringtons mead And also two grounds adjoyning together commonly called Heath Furlong And also two acres of Meadow ground lying in a common meadow in six severall parcells called and known by the name of the Goose Foot being Lett meade And alsoe One acre of Meadow commonly called the Ham neare to Stidcotts …. And also One Half acre that lyes divided between William Barton and me All which premises are situate living and being within the parish of Titherington aforesaid To be had and holden to my said two Sonnes Henry and William joyntly and to their heires equally for evermore.” His son John had to be content with “All that parcel of Meadow or pasture ground and the Orchard thereunto belonging commonly called by the name of Beane Leaze.” His daughter Edith and her husband, Samuel Collins, received “All that One Ground called the Combe.” William’s three sons were to share “All my Goods and Household stuffes that is within my house” equally between them and his three daughters received £12 each. The rest and residue of his estate was shared equally between Henry and William who were also made joint executors.

William and Catherine Shield’s Children William and Catherine’s daughters Hester and Catherine died in their thirties. Their daughter, Elizabeth, died unmarried in 1680 age 51. Edith married Samuel Collins and Sarah married Nicholas Horwood in Tytherington in 1663. Little is known of their youngest son John Shield. His daughter Mary was baptised on 14th February 1675 at Tytherington as Mary Sheild. She was described in the parish register as the daughter of John and his “supposed” wife Anne. She survived only a few months and was buried on 16th July the same year. William and Catherine’s son William Shield married Elizabeth Packer at Painswick on 16th April 1671. They had five daughters, Elizabeth, about 1673 who died in 1681 aged eight, Hester in 1675, Sarah in 1676 who died in 1680 aged 4, another Elizabeth in 1681 who married John Baker at Tytherington in 1729 and another Sarah in 1684 who died the following year. These girls were all baptised as either Shield or Sheild. William and Elizabeth continued to live at the property now known as Hawkins until William died in January 1692 followed by Elizabeth shortly afterwards in February 1692. Both were buried at Tytherington. Hawkins was then sold to William Pullen of Mill Farm, Tytherington. (see Pullen family)

Henry Shield William and Catherine’s eldest son Henry Shield, described as a husbandman, also stayed in Tytherington although it is not known exactly where he lived. In 1671 he paid hearth tax on two hearths. He married a girl called Sarah about 1671and had six children by her, Henry in 1673, Thomas about 1674, Sarah in 1675, James in 1677, John in 1678 and Elizabeth in 1681. Henry died intestate in 1684 and was buried at Tytherington on 6th June aged about 48 years. His wife Sarah died 21 years later and was buried 10th October 1705.

Henry and Sarah Shield’s Children Nothing is known of Henry and Sarah’s two daughters, Sarah and Elizabeth, except that Sarah died unmarried aged 42 and was buried at Tytherington on 29th January 1717. Their son James was buried at Tytherington on 13th March 1687 aged 10 years: the parish register noted “son of Sarah, relict of Henry Shield” Their son John died at Tytherington in 1729 aged 51. He may have married Hester Oakley. Of their other two sons, the eldest, Henry, moved to Alveston and gave rise to a branch of the family where the name Shield died out: the second son, Thomas, remained in Tytherington and was our ancestor. Henry Shield of Alveston Henry and Sarah’s eldest son, Henry Shield, described as a yeoman, married a girl named Mary (possibly Mary Oakley, the sister of Hester Oakley) and after the birth of two sons, Henry in 1712 and Joseph in 1714 (both baptised at Tytherington as Shield), moved his family to Alveston about two or three miles away. A note in Alveston parish register states “According to the testimony of John Cullimore (aged 81) the number of inhabitants of the Parish of Alveston in 1770 was 205, and only 5 communicants.” It is now a commuter village with about 3000 inhabitants. Henry died at Alveston in 1728 aged 55 but was buried back at Tytherington as Henry Shill. His wife, Mary, died three years later and was buried with her husband. Their son, Joseph, died in 1735 aged 21 (also buried at Tytherington) but their son Henry married Ann Farmer at Thornbury on 3rd October 1731 when Henry appeared as Henry Sheild, yeoman of Alveston.

St. Mary’s Church, Thornbury By 1734 Henry was busy selling his inheritance in Tytherington. He sold Horshay (two and a half acres) and another 8 acres of meadow and 8 acres of pasture to John Harwood, yeoman of Grovesend for £100. In 1736, when he was described as Henry Shild of Sibland, Thornbury, he sold more land to John Hawkins, gentleman of Titherington, for £68. 19s. Henry and Ann had two children that we know of, William, who was baptised at Thornbury on 18th January 1738 as Sheild and Mary, born about 1740, who married John Cobb at Yate on 22nd December 1765 as Mary Shill. Mary and John Cobb had four children, all baptised at Tytherington, John and Mary in 1770, Daniel in 1773 and James in 1776. John Cobb died in 1809 and his wife Mary a year later; both were buried at Tytherington. Henry and Ann’s son William was living in Alveston in 1784 when he was paying tax on nine lights (windows) there. This would have been a large house in those days. He married a girl called Mary, and had two children, Mary in 1774 and William in 1777. Some time after this he must have moved because although he was buried in Alveston in June 1828 at the age of 91 years, he was described as William Shield of Westerleigh, a village near Yate about 10 miles away. Neither of his children married: they worked Blackberry farm at Westerleigh together with their cousin John Cobb. William died in 1849 at the age of 72 leaving his estate to his sister Mary and £200 to John Cobb. Mary died a year later at the age of 76 and left the bulk of her estate to John Cobb of Itchington, the son of her cousin John Cobb. Both William and Mary were buried back at Alveston.

The re-built St. Helen’s Church, Alveston

Thomas Shield of Tytherington Thomas Shield, the second son of Henry and Sarah remained in Tytherington all his life. On 25th May 1704 when he was 30 years old he married Ann Smith in the parish church at Tytherington In the parish register he was described as Thomas Shield, a shearman. Being a second son, he obviously did not inherit any land and had to work in the wool industry. A shearman’s work was to raise the nap on the woven cloth with teazels and then to shear it level with a heavy pair of large shears to leave an even non-woven finish like that of the cloth on a billiard table. Thomas and Ann had four sons all baptised in Tytherington church; John on 7th April 1708, James 28th May 1710, William 29th May 1713 and Henry 7th January 1716: the first two were baptised as Shill and the other two as Shield. It was around this time that the name Shield seemed to be interchangeable with Shill. Maybe it was the way it was pronounced or maybe the parish clerk was deaf! Thomas died at the early age of 46 and was buried at Tytherington on 24th April 1720. His widow, Ann, lived another 35 years and was buried on 31st August 1755 aged 79.

Thomas and Ann Shield’s children Thomas and Ann’s eldest son, baptised John Shill on 7th April 1708, was married twice and had eight children. About 1733 he married a girl called Elizabeth by whom he had four children, Ann in 1734, Sarah in 1736, Mary in 1739 and John in 1741 (who died a year later).The first three were baptised as Shield and the last one as Shill. John’s wife Elizabeth died in 1744 and on 8th April 1751 John (as John Shill) married Mary Cowper at Tytherington by whom he had another four children, John in 1752, William in 1754, Henry in 1758 (who died as an infant) and Betty in 1761 (all baptised as Shill). It is not known what John’s occupation was but he certainly served as the parish clerk at Tytherington for about 30 years so he must have been well educated. He died at Tytherington age 55 and was buried on 17th March 1763. All John’s surviving children seemed to have gone by the name of Shill. A little is known of his daughters. Ann married Richard Greenwood in 1761 at Tytherington and had three daughters and Mary married Thomas Pendick in 1775 also at Tytherington. Although both were baptised as Shield, both were married as Shill. His youngest daughter, Betty, married Joseph Wheeler at Marylebone in 1796. Very little is known of John’s son, John Shill except that he married a girl called Elizabeth and had seven children baptised at Iron Acton. The really interesting one is his son William Shill who went to London and became very wealthy by owning a great deal of property. William married Dorothy Anderson in 1785 but had no children by her. However, he did have an illegitimate daughter by Ann Hart, a servant, in 1799: this daughter was named Dorothy Ann Shill and seems to have been brought up by William. What his wife thought of this arrangement is not recorded. By the time William died in 1828 aged 74, he was known as William Shill of Paddington Green, gentleman. In his will William left £200 a year and his furniture, linen and plate to “my dear wife” Dorothy and £15 a year each to his brother John and his sister Elizabeth (Betty): he also gave his brother “the Freehold Land and Tenements he now occupies at Tormarton” and another seven acres at Rangeworthy. He left a house in Cumberland Street to his niece, Sarah Shill (daughter of his brother John), another in the same street to Ann Hart, at the time a servant in Devonshire Place and another in the same street to his nieces, Eliza and Dorothy Wheeler (daughters of his sister Elizabeth). His sister Elizabeth was to get a house in Finsbury Market. After their deaths, these houses were to go to his daughter Dorothy. He also left his daughter two houses in Tottenham Court Road, two houses in Upper Malborough Place, one in Cumberland Street and one in Pitt Street. He left a house in Queen Street, Tower Hill to his executor, Charles Thomas Phillips, (the husband of his daughter Dorothy) and also some ground rents he owned on condition that Charles gave all his own daughters £100 when they reached 21 years. After his wife’s death his sister Elizabeth was to receive two houses in Oxford Buildings and his brother John, one house in Oxford Buildings and one in Booths Court. His niece Mary Shill and nephew Henry Shill (children of his brother John) were to receive five houses in Pancras and after their deaths these houses were to go to his grandsons, John and William Phillips. These grandsons also received two houses in Rupert Street. He gave another house in Cumberland Street to a nephew of his wife and three houses in Finsbury Market to his nephew William Shill. He gave his nephew John Shill five shillings “a lazy idle fellow that is all he shall have of mine”. He left 19 guineas to the Middlesex Hospital and 19 guineas to St. George’s Hospital. His daughter Dorothy was the “whole and sole residuary legatee” William’s handwritten will, written in March 1826, was a very long and complex document and was followed by an equally long and complex codicil written in October 1828 shortly before he died. By this time he had purchased more property, changed his mind about a few of the legacies and added a few more but the gist remained the same. He also mentioned Dorothy as “my said natural daughter and she is also the daughter of Ann Hart that I have left the house No 18 Cumberland Street to for life.” And added a legacy to her nurse “I leave to Mrs Frazer five pounds that Nursed Mrs Phillips when a child.” The fact remains that William Shill had become a very successful man of property since going to London. Thomas and Ann’s second son, baptised James Shill in 1710, was our direct ancestor and we will return to him later. Nothing is known of their third son, baptised William Shield on 29th May 1713, other than that he was buried at Tytherington on 9th December 1798 aged 85 years. Henry Shield of Tytherington Thomas and Ann’s youngest son, baptised Henry Shield on 7th January 1716 first married a girl called Mary by whom he had one son, Thomas, in 1736 and then married Ann by whom he had another ten children mostly baptised as Shill. These were Henry in 1738, John 1740, Betty 1743, James 1745, William 1747, Isaac 1749, George 1752, Sarah 1754, Luke 1756 and Hannah 1760. Obviously exhausted by all this procreation, Henry died in 1763 at the age of 47 years. There is a memorial to him in Tytherington churchyard. In memory of Henry Shield of this parish who died 27 January 1763 in the 47 year of his age Likewise near this place lieth the body of Sarah Shield daughter of the above by Ann his wife who died at Bath February 19 1779 in the 24 year of her age sincerely lamented by her brother who dearly loved her and caused this stone to be erected Also Ann wife of the said Henry Shild who died February 5 1785 aged 68 years As we see from this inscription, Henry’s daughter Sarah, who was working as a servant in Bath, died at the age of 25 years in 1799. Henry’s daughter, Hannah, after producing an illegitimate daughter in 1787 who was baptised Hannah Jones Shill, went on to marry Samuel Gazzard at Tytherington in 1790 with whom she had another five children. Henry and Ann’s son, John, baptised as John Shield in 1740 moved to Thornbury where he became a publican and victualler at “The Burrough”. In 1765 he married Betty Knott as John Shill and had eight children all baptised at Thornbury as Shill. John’s younger brother, Isaac, baptised as Isaac Shill in 1749, married Betty’s sister Martha Knott in 1775 at Thornbury also as Isaac Shill. Isaac was a yeoman farmer and he and Martha had six children all baptised at Thornbury as Shill. He and Martha must have moved later to Almondsbury where they were both buried as Shield, Martha in 1819 and Isaac in 1833.

Henry and Ann’s son, James, baptised as James Shill in 1745 also moved to Almondsbury where he married a young widow called Ann Bracey in 1777. James and Ann had two sons, Henry in 1777 and James in 1781. Ann died in 1810: a report of the inquest in the Gloucester Journal of 1st October states “At Almondsbury hill, on view of the body of Mrs Ann Shill, aged 65, found dead in a shed in her garden, supposed to have been killed by lightning during the thunderstorm on Saturday se’nnight.” James lived another 14 years and was buried at Almondsbury in 1824 age 79 as James Shield. I am in contact with Lesley Dawson, a great great great granddaughter of their son Henry.

Henry and Ann’s son, Luke, baptised as Luke Shill in 1756, married Mary Garnsey at Old Sodbury in 1797 also as Luke Shill. He and Mary had four children all baptised at Chipping Sodbury as Shill. Luke died in 1823 and was buried at Chipping Sodbury as Luke Sheild: his widow Mary was also buried there in 1839 as Mary Shield.

Henry and Ann’s son William was another who went to London to make his fortune. He married Susan Moss, a wealthy woman from Norfolk and made enough money to call himself “gentleman” though it is not known how he achieved this. He and Susan had no children. His wife, Susan, died in 1808 at Hampstead and was buried at St. George’s, Hanover Square. In her will she left several thousand pounds and after various bequests to her brothers and their children, the remainder went to her husband William. After her death, William returned to Gloucestershire and lived in Thornbury. He died in 1826 aged 79 and was buried in Tytherington, when he was described as William Shield, gentleman of Thornbury. In his will, written the same year, William left £600 to his wife’s relatives in Norfolk but the bulk of his estate went to “Nathaniel Shield alias Shill of Kington in the Parish of Thornbury in the County of Gloucester Yeoman” who was his second cousin. He also left him “all the freehold Messuage and Premises with the Appurtenances wherein I now dwell with the fixtures thereunto appertaining.” He left land called Moorleaze in Tytherington “now in the occupation of my Cousin James Shield as tenant” to his nephew James Shield of Almondsbury. He also mentioned his nephew William Shield “Son of my late Brother Luke Shield of Sodbury” and his cousin “William Shill of Paddington Green in the County of Middlesex gentleman.” His executors were his cousins, James Shield of Tytherington, yeoman, and William Shill of Paddington Green, gentleman.

One of the most interesting items in William’s will was the fact that he ordered “thirty Shillings of lawful money Current in Great Britain for ever to the Clerk of the Parish Church of Tytherington aforesaid forever to keep my Tomb in the said ChurchYard in good order and repair” … “nor shall the Clerk or any other person Suffer any body or person but myself to be put or buried in my said Grave or Tomb And the said Clerk for the time being shall at the end of every three Years paint or cause to be painted my said Tomb with white Lead and Oil and the letters on my said Tomb to be kept in a good State and preservation and then the Clerk afterwards to make the demand upon the Landlord or tenant for the thirty shillings and when the expenses of painting are paid the remainder of the thirty shillings I give to the Clerk as his property for his care and attention to my said Tomb.” The parish clerk at the time was his second cousin Samuel Shield.

Tomb of William Shield at Tytherington The inscriptions on William’s tomb at Tytherington reads

Sacred to the memory of William Shield, Gent., late of Hampstead, Middlesex son of Henry and Ann Shield of this parish, who died December the 10th 1826 aged 79 years In memory of Mrs. Susan Shield wife of the said Wm Shield, Gent. who died in the 70th year of her age at Hampstead in the county of Middx February 27th 1808 and was enterred in the Burying grounds of St. George's Hanover Square, London

Inscriptions on William Shield’s Tomb

The Shield Laundry Family Henry and Ann Shield’s sixth son, George, baptised in Tytherington in 1752 as George Shill, gave rise to what I call the Laundry Family. George married Elizabeth Britton in Olveston in 1778 as George Shill. George and Elizabeth had ten children in Olveston, Thomas in 1779, George in 1781, Samuel 1784, William 1786, Sarah 1788, Elizabeth 1790, Ann 1792, Mary 1794, Isaac1797 and John in 1799. Like his brothers John and James, George was buried at Almondsbury: he was buried as George Shield aged 83 in 1835, his wife Elizabeth as Elizabeth Shield in 1831 age 73. George and Elizabeth’s son, George, baptised as George Shill in 1871 at Olveston, was an agricultural labourer. He married a girl called Mary and they had seven children all baptised as Shill at Olveston.

George and Elizabeth’s son, Samuel, baptised at Olveston in 1784 as Samuel Shill, married as his second wife, Martha Pring Hartland in 1826 at St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol with whom he had a son, Samuel in 1827. Samuel worked as a carpenter and died in 1867 aged 82.

George and Elizabeth’s son, William, baptised at Olveston in 1786 as William Shill, was a master shoemaker. He married first Ann Rodman (neé Boyer) a widow with a daughter Ann, in 1843 at Almondsbury and after Ann’s death in 1851, he married Elizabeth Davis (neé Weeks), another widow, at Almondsbury in 1852.

George and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth, baptised at Almondsbury in 1790 as Elizabeth Shill, never married. She died in 1870 aged 80 and was buried at Almondsbury as Elizabeth Shield. The inscription on her tombstone reads “She was a faithful and valued servant for 15 years in the family of the late Mr Harris of Bristol.”

George and Elizabeth’s daughter Mary, baptised at Almondsbury in 1794 as Mary Shill, married Abraham Thomas, a grocer and later a Chelsea Pensioner of Tockington in 1833. After giving birth to a son, George Thomas in 1836, Mary died. Abraham then employed Mary’s sister, Ann Shield, (baptised at Almondsbury in 1792 as Ann Shill) as his housekeeper until her death in 1864 aged 72 years.

George and Elizabeth’s son, Isaac, baptised at Almondsbury in 1797 as Isaac Shill, worked as a quarryman in Almondsbury. He married Sarah Kingscot in 1822 at Almondsbury and they had eleven children, Samuel Sumner in 1822, Luke 1823, Ellen 1825, Mary Ann 1827, William 1828, Job 1832, George 1834, Joseph 1837, Sarah 1840, John 1841 and Charles in 1844. Isaac died in 1860 aged 65 and his wife Sarah in 1885 aged 84: both were buried at Almondsbury as Shield.

Finally, George and Elizabeth’s son, John, baptised at Olveston in 1799 as John Shill, worked as an agricultural labourer in Olveston. He married Ann Cordey and had four children, Henry in 1823, Edwin 1825, Harriett 1826 and James in 1829. John died in 1881 age 81 and Ann in 1885 aged 84: both were buried at Almondsbury as Shield. I am in contact with Carol Carpenter (neé Shield), one of the great great granddaughters of John Shield through his son James, and Lorraine Vass, one of his great, great, great granddaughters through his son Edwin who migrated to Australia.

St. Mary’s Church, Olveston

It will be seen that although the sons of George and Elizabeth all had very different occupations, they all lived fairly near each other in Almondsbury or Olveston. In fact, Isaac and Samuel lived next door to each other on Almondsbury Hill. What becomes clear on examining the censuses is that many of their womenfolk were working as laundresses, presumably to augment the family income. In 1851 the population of the parish of Almondsbury was 1584, of which 603 were in the village itself, so there would have been plenty of work. At that time, Sarah, the wife of Isaac, and Ann, the wife of John, were both taking in washing. So too, were Mary Ann, Samuel’s daughter-in- law and Matilda, Isaac’s daughter-in-law.

St. Mary’s Church, Almondsbury

Ten years later in 1861, Sarah, by now a widow, and Ann, John’s wife, were still working as laundresses. So too were Isaac’s daughter Ellen, George’s daughter-in-law Elizabeth and Samuels’s daughter-in-law Mary Ann, even though by this time she and her family had moved to live in St. Paul’s, Bristol.

It was Samuel’s son, Samuel Shield junior who founded the Samuel Shield Laundry. Although he started off following his father’s profession (in 1851 he was a 23 year-old carpenter in Almondsbury and in 1861 a 34 year-old cabinet maker in St. Pauls) by 1871 he was described as the manager of a steam laundry and in 1881 as the proprietor of his own laundry at Filton. He obviously saw where the opportunities lay! Samuel had married his cousin, Mary Ann, (daughter of Isaac) in 1847 at St. Mary Redcliffe in Bristol.

In 1871 when Samuel junior was living in Trinity Street, Bristol, both his wife Mary Ann and two of his daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, were employed as laundresses and his son Philip was an assistant in the laundry. Back in Almondsbury, Isaac’s widow Sarah age 70, was described as “formerly a laundress” and his daughter-in-law Matilda, was still working as a laundress.

Samuel and his wife Mary Ann ran the laundry business at Filton from the house of a William Bennett, recently deceased. An attraction of the situation was a plentiful supply of well water. The house became known as Laundry House, and its outbuildings were adapted to their new use. The new enterprise was called simply the Filton Laundry. In the1881census Samuel was described as “laundry proprietor master employing 60 women and 4 men”. His wife, Mary Ann, was “mistress of the laundry” and his two youngest daughters, Martha and Sarah, who were still living with their parents, were “occupied in laundry.” Most of his family had moved to Filton with him. Living a couple of doors away were his son, Samuel aged 28 with his wife and four children, Samuel being employed as a “laundryman’s stableman.” Next door to Samuel was his brother, Philip aged 27 with his wife and baby son: Philip was employed as a “laundryman fireman.” Nearby were living Samuel’s married daughter Lucy with her five children and his married daughter Elizabeth and her two children. Only his daughter Mary, also married, remained in Bristol.

The Old Laundry House

On 5 May 1881 Samuel and Mary Ann bought the cottage now at No.7 Conygre Road. It had been built by Thomas Gillam on a plot of ground almost an acre in extent. On the land Samuel built Belle View House, (now known as the Red House), where he lived until his death in 1892. The Shield family also built the two semi-detached cottages standing on the roundabout near the Anchor, Belle View Cottages, and the row of houses nearly at the top of Southmead Road.

Belle Vue House, Congyre Road in 1880 (The Red House) Ten years later in 1891 the business at Filton was still prospering. Samuel Shield and his wife Mary Ann were living at Belle Vue, Filton where he was described as a 64 year-old “laundry proprietor.” His son Samuel with his wife Martha were living with their family at Anchor Cottage, Filton. Samuel was a 38 year-old “laundryman”; of his children, Lucy was a 15 year-old “packer in laundry” and Samuel a 12 year-old “bookeeper in laundry.” Next door to Samuel lived his married sister Martha Davis and her husband Charles, both “laundry assistants.” Also in Filton were Samuel’s married daughter, Elizabeth Adams, working as a “laundress” and next door to her was another married daughter, Sarah Collins, also a “laundress.” Samuel’s son, Philip Shield, who ten years earlier had been a “laundry fireman” had died in 1889 at the age of 33 and his widow, Emma, was running the Plough Inn at Filton. Living next door was yet another of Samuel’s married daughters, Mary Ford, also working as a “laundress.

The Plough at Filton (Philip Shield’s name can be seen above the door)

Not only was Samuel Shield an important employer in Filton, he also served as a Churchwarden and Guardian of the parish. When he died in 1892 the business was carried on by his son Samuel. In 1901 he was living at Filton and described as “proprietor of laundry” with his wife Martha as “laundry forewoman.” His son, Samuel, aged 22 was a “laundryman’s carman”, his daughter, Ellen, age 21 a “wash packer” and his son Ernest age 17 a “laundryman office boy.” Living next door were his son Fred aged 26, “laundryman’s bookeeper” with his wife and baby daughter, and in the same house, his son Herbert age 19 a “boiler attendant” with his wife Alice a “machine worker in laundry.”

Samuel and his wife Martha with their children in 1892

Samuel and Martha in 1900

Interestingly, Samuel’s sister Martha, who in 1891 was working together with her husband Charles Davis as “laundry assistants” in Filton, were by 1901 living in Long Ashton and running their own steam laundry. It is not known whether this was their own enterprise or an offshoot of the Filton laundry.

Filton laundry before1906 (to the left is Laundry House, occupied by the laundry proprietor)

On 19th September 1908 an advertisement in the South Gloucestershire Gazette showed expansion of the business.

FILTON LAUNDRY FILTON NEAR BRISTOL ESTABLISHED 1869 SAMUEL SHIELD PROPRIETOR

Samuel Shield begs to inform his Patrons and the Public that he now sends regularly to THORNBURY and NEIGHBOURHOOD twice a week. He is prepared to take Entire Family Washings and Small Parcels of Shirts, Collars, Sheets, Table Linen, Blankets, Counterpanes and such articles as are not conveniently done at home

Some advertising was produced on blotters like the ones below.

Samuel junior (1853-1918) built the row of substantial cottages in Southmead Road, Filton known as The Rank in which various members of the family lived: he also demolished the old Laundry House and erected in its stead the New Laundry House, where he resided.

Laundry House in 1926 (Mildred Shield standing at the front porch)

Laundry House in 1999 (Lloyds Bank, since demolished)

In May 1913 the work shops adjacent to the laundry used by Robert Phillips wheelwright and coach builder, were bought by Samuel Shield, together with the Coffee Tavern opposite the Anchor.

Workshop of Robert Phillips wheelwright and coach builder

The Coffee Tavern was a house built by William Bennett next to the brewery. It was a three-storey house, the ground floor facing the road being taken up by the shop, while above were probably two small bedrooms on each floor, with some further accommodation at the rear. It continued as a Refreshment Room until absorbed by the extension of the laundry in the1920s.

The Coffee Tavern opposite the Anchor

Filton Laundry about 1913 (Samuel and three of his sons in the foreground)

In 1883 Samuel Shield was elected chairman of the Board School and he was one of the first councillors elected to the new Filton Town Council in 1894. On the Coronation of George V in 1911: “all the children of the Parish up to the age of 15 years were entertained with a sumptuous tea provided by Mr S Shield, School Manager, at his sole expense. Each child was also presented by Mrs Shield with a Coronation Mug which was her personal gift”

In 1911 he offered a piece of his land on which to build a parish hall. The building of the hall was delayed for many years but the Memorial Hall was finally built on Shield land alongside the Laundry, opening in 1927. He also played a prominent role in setting up a fire station in the village.

Samuel Shield died on 31st May 1918, at the age of 65; the church, where he had been so active, was full for his funeral service, "full choral" as a newspaper account reported. Mourners included J.W. Bolton representing the Parish Council, F.W. Gayner representing the District Council, and T.H. Hill representing Filton Golf Club, of which Samuel had been a founder member in 1909, and members of a number of Masonic Lodges. Among the competitions played for in the golf club today is the Ernest Shield Trophy, presented by Samuel's youngest son.

Samuel Shield (1853-1918)

After Samuel’s death in 1918, the laundry was taken over by his sons Fred Shield, Samuel Shield, Herbert Shield and Ernest Shield. Fred married Louisa Harris in 1897 and had four daughters. Samuel married Madeleine Huff in 1903 at Filton and had three children. Herbert married Alice Rachel Pymm in 1899 and had seven children and Ernest married Annie Oliver in 1906. I am in contact with one of the granddaughters of Fred Shield, Diana Bandy, who lives in Essex, and with Jennifer Gratton, one of Samuel’s granddaughters, who lives in Somerset. I am also in contact with John Shield, who lives in Malaysia and his sister Irene Brookes, who lives in Australia, two of the grandchildren of Herbert Shield.

Fred and Louisa Shield

Herbert and Alice Shield

Fred and Ernest Shield in the office The laundry about 1930

In Kelly's Directory of Bristol for 1935 Samuel Shield Ltd., the Filton Laundry, was advertising its Filton Sunshine Service No. 3. This service was not intended for starched work, silk garments, lace curtains, down quilts, holland blinds or dungarees. These articles were done by the Finished Sunshine Service No. 1.

In August 1951 the Directors of the laundry, sons of Samuel Shield, sold the buildings to the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Subsequently they were used by Bristol Cars Ltd. The manufacture of cars moved back to the main works, and in July 1960 the premises were sold to Bristol Siddeley Engines, which in turn sold to the Gloucestershire Education Committee five years later. These buildings, now named Shield House, became part of Filton Technical College but were demolished in 1997. The Laundry House itself was sold to Lloyds Bank Ltd., in September 1954. The Shield name is remembered in Filton today (2007) by the presence of a shopping centre known as the Shield Retail Complex as well as Shield Avenue and the Shield Road Primary School.

Shield Road Primary School, Filton

James Shill, Parish Clerk of Tytherington

We now return to James, baptised 28th May 1710 at Tytherington, the second son of Thomas and Ann Shield and our direct ancestor. James seems to have kept the name Shill rather than Shield all his life. He married Mary Pullen ,(see Pullen family) a local girl, on 1st April 1744 at Tytherington as James Shill and he was buried on 3rd September 1773 as James Shill. He and Mary had six children baptised in the local church, again all by the name of Shill. These were James in 1745, Mary 1746, Thomas 1749, Samuel 1752, Betty 1754 and Sarah 1758. James probably worked as a small tenant farmer since he was recorded as renting the “messuage, tenement or dwelling house with garden” which was part of the Bromwich’s (later Porch House) property in Tytherington. This was probably a wattle & daub cottage demolished when no longer habitable. However, his main claim to fame seems to be the fact that he served as Parish Clerk, a position he took over from his brother John after his death. The inscription on his memorial in the churchyard reads “James Shill, late parish clerk, died 1st September 1773 aged 63”.

Parish Clerks Since the Shield family faithfully served the church at Tytherington as Parish Clerks for an unbroken 170 years I thought that it would be interesting to note exactly what this job entailed. The role of the modern parish clerk, (the clerk to the parish council) which since 1907 has been part of the local government, is very different.

The post of Parish Clerk is one of the most ancient and prestigious of the lay parish positions: the Clerk was probably one of the few people in the village who could read and write. The position would very often be passed down from father to son through many generations. The name is merely the English form of the Latin clericus, a word which signified any one who took part in the services of the Church, whether he was in major or minor orders. A clergyman is still a "clerk in Holy Orders," and a parish clerk signified one who belonged to the rank of minor orders and assisted the parish priest in the services of the parish church. Every incumbent was ordered to have a clerk who shall sing with him the service, read the epistle and lesson, teach in the school, and admonish the parishioners to send their children to the church to be instructed in the faith. Next in line to the incumbent he would assist in the service and lead the singing. His functions included reading the lessons and epistles, singing in the choir, giving out the hymns, leading the responses, serving at the altar and other like duties. In country parishes such as Tytherington, the post of Parish Clerk was often combined with that of Sexton so he would also be responsible for more menial duties such as grave digging and bell ringing as well as other duties around the church and churchyard. Sometimes the post of Sexton was combined with that of Verger, a minor church official responsible for the care of the church, vestments and vessels, and keeping the church clean. A wonderful story showing the combination of these roles is given in Peter Hamson Ditchfield’s book The Parish Clerk: “Not long ago a gentleman was visiting a village church, and was much struck by the remarks of an old man who seemed to know each stone and tomb and legend. The stranger asking him what his occupation was, he replied: "I hardly know what I be. First vicar he called me clerk; then another came, and he called me virgin; the last vicar said I were the Christian, and now I be clerk again”. The ‘virgin’ was naturally a slight confusion for verger, and the ‘christian’ was a corrupt form of sacristan or sexton. All the duties of these various callings were combined in the one individual.” According to the same book it was deemed "The clerk must be at least twenty years of age and known to the parson as a man of honest conversation and, sufficient for his reading, writing and for his competent skill in singing” The Vestry was originally the place where the church vestments, plate and the parish chest containing the parish records were kept. It was in the Vestry that the parishioners met to administer the affairs of the parish and the word Vestry came to be used for that body of parishioners also. In this context the members of the Vestry were entitled to vote on all parish matters and to elect the parish officers such as the Sexton, the Verger, the Churchwardens, the Overseers of the Poor, the Vestry Clerk, the Constable and the Surveyor. To be eligible for the vestry one had to be a contributor to the church rate. The Vestry Clerk was responsible for the Vestry minutes and the organization of the meetings. In small parishes the Parish Clerk would perform this function. Sometimes in small parishes the Churchwardens would also act as Overseers of the Poor. The positions were largely unpaid but some carried ancient perks such as a piece of land or rights to grazing in the churchyard. The Parish Clerk would earn a small salary and a fixed sum for each marriage, baptism and burial and the Sexton would earn a small sum for each burial. Unlike most parish officers at that time the Parish Clerk was not elected annually but appointed by the incumbent for life. Being able to sing well and to manage the choir was one of the most important parts of the Parish Clerk’s job. “When the time for singing the metrical Psalm arrived, the clerk gave out the number in stentorian tones, using the usual formula, ‘Let us sing to the praise and glory of God the one hundred and fourth Psalm, first, second, seving, and eleving verses with the Doxology.’ Then, pulling out his pitch-pipe from the dusty cushions of his seat, he would strut pompously down the church, ascend the stairs leading to the west gallery, blow his pipe, and give the basses, tenors, and soprano voices their notes, which they hung on to in a low tone until the clerk returned to his place in the lowest tier of the ‘three-decker’ and started the choir-folk vigorously. But a pitch-pipe was not usually the sole instrument. Many village churches had their band, composed of fiddles, flutes, clarionets, and sometimes bassoons and a drum. When the clerk gave out the hymn or Psalm, or on rare occasions the anthem, there was a strange sound of tuning up the instruments, and then the instruments wailed forth discordant melody. The clerk conducted the choir, composed of village lads and maidens, with a few stalwart basses and tenors. It was often a curious performance. Everybody sang as loud as he could bawl; cheeks and elbows were at their utmost efforts, the bassoon vying with the clarionet, the goose-stop of the clarionet with the bassoon - it was Babel with the addition of the beasts. And they were all so proud of their performance. It was the only part of the service during which no one could sleep, said one of them with pride - and he was right. No one could sleep through the terrible din.” Although entries in the parish registers of baptisms, marriages and burials were supposed to be made by the incumbents, there is good evidence that the parish clerks not infrequently kept the registers, especially in later times, and from the beginning they were responsible for the facts recorded. Being one of the few literate people in the parish, before the days of School Boards it was not unusual for the Parish Clerk to teach the children of the working classes the three R's and religious knowledge, charging a fee of twopence per week for each child. Other duties often included the writing of letters and wills and the composing of epitaphs. Master John Hopkins, Parish Clerk at one of the churches at Salisbury at the end of the eighteenth century, issued an advertisement of his various accomplishments which ran thus: "John Hopkins, parish clerk and undertaker, sells epitaphs of all sorts and prices. Shaves neat, and plays the bassoon. Teeth drawn, and the Salisbury Journal read gratis every Sunday morning at eight. A school for psalmody every Thursday evening, when my son, born blind, will play the fiddle.” Hogarth's engraving of The Sleeping Congregation is a parable of the state of the Church of England in his day. The parson is delivering a long and drowsy discourse on the text: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and I will give you rest." The congregation is certainly resting, and the pulpit bears the appropriate verse: "I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." The clerk is attired in his cassock and bands, contrives to keep one eye awake during the sermon, and this wakeful eye rests upon a comely fat matron, who is fast asleep, and has evidently been meditating "on matrimony," as her open book declares. To prevent people from sleeping during the long sermons a special officer was appointed, in order to banish slumber when the parson was long in preaching. This official was called a sluggard- waker, and was usually our old friend the Parish Clerk with a new title. The clerk in one church used a long staff, at one end of which was a fox's brush for gently arousing a somnolent female, while at the other end was a knob for a more forcible awakening of a male sleeper. The sluggard- waker and dog-whipper appear in many old churchwardens' account-books. Thus in the accounts of Barton-on-Humber there is an entry for the year 1740: "Paid Brocklebank for waking sleepers 2s. " The clerk in his capacity of dog-whipper had often arduous duties to perform in the old dale churches of Yorkshire when farmers and shepherds frequently brought their dogs to church. The animals usually lay very quietly beneath their masters' seat, but occasionally there would be a scrimmage and fight, and the clerk's staff was called into play to beat the dogs and produce order. Nor were dogs the only creatures who were accustomed to receive chastisement in church. The clerk was usually armed with a cane or rod, and woe betide the luckless child who talked or misbehaved himself during service. Frequently during the course of a long sermon the sound of a cane striking a boy's back was heard and startled a sleepy congregation. James and Mary Shield’s Children None of James and Mary’s daughters married. Their first daughter, baptised as Mary Shill on 22 October 1746 died on 30th April 1767 aged 21 years and was buried at Tytherington 4 days later again as Shill. Their second daughter, baptised as Betty Shill on 4th June 1754 was buried a few months later on 15th October 1754. Their youngest daughter, however, made up for these early deaths by living until she was 93; baptised Sarah Shill on 21st December 1758, she died on 3rd May 1852 and was buried at Tytherington. She appeared in the 1841 census as Sarah Shield aged 80 of independent means, living on her own in Tytherington next to the blacksmith’s shop. Ten years later, she was still in Tytherington, aged 92 and living with her niece, Elizabeth Payne, a 60 year- old widow and nurse. Sarah had received an annuity from her nephew George Shield, who had died in 1846 but written his will in 1838 when he described Sarah as a shopkeeper of Tytherington. However, it is clear from her tombstone in Tytherington churchyard that Sarah had spent most of her life as the village schoolmistress. To the memory of Sarah Shield spinster of this parish who departed this life May 3rd 1852 aged 93 years and 11 months the greater part of her time was spent in usefulness to her neighbours She was also the village schoolmistress for 63 years and died respected by all who knew her

Tombstone of Sarah Shield at Tytherington James and Mary’s youngest son, baptised as Samuel Shill on 19th May 1752, married Elizabeth Alsop at Iron Acton on 13th April 1786. They had two children baptised at Iron Acton and another five at Stapleton and then at some point moved to Cheddar in Somerset. In 1841 Samuel and Elizabeth were living at Radclift Street, Cheddar where Samuel was 85 years old and of independent means. Elizabeth died there in 1843 and Samuel in 1845. Their known children were Susannah born in 1786 who died aged 6 years, Joseph born in 1788, who married and had a large family and who ended up as a brewer in Bridgewater, Elizabeth born in 1790 (who was the 60 year- old widow Elizabeth Payne living with her cousin Sarah Shield in Tytherington in 1851), Samuel born in 1793 who died in 1810 age 17 and was buried at Tytherington, William born 1797 who died a year later and another Susannah born 1798 who never married but lived to a ripe old age working as a servant, mostly with the Gilling family in Cheddar: in 1891 she was aged 92 and living at Bath Street, Cheddar, a retired servant. Samuel and Elizabeth’s last known child was Mary Ann, baptised in Stapleton in 1802. All these children were baptised as Shield.

Church of St. James the Less, Iron Acton

Thomas Shield of Larks Farm, Iron Acton

James and Mary’s second son Thomas Shield, born at Tytherington in 1746, married a local girl, Unity Wickham on 14th May 1781 at Tytherington. Thomas was a farmer who by 1789 had moved to Larks Farm at Iron Acton. He and Unity had eight children, Thomas in 1782, James 1784, Daniel 1786, Unity 1787, William 1789, Charles 1792, and twins George and Robert in 1797. All their children were baptised at Tytherington as Shill except for Charles who was baptised as Shield. Thomas appeared on the Electoral Roll in 1832 as Thomas Shield of Iron Acton, a freeholder. Franchise at that time was far from universal. An entitlement to vote was mainly based on an interest in buildings and land. Iron Acton is a parish of 11,000 acres about three miles SW of Tytherington. It was once famous for the iron are that was dug there and derives its name Acton from the Saxon word for oaks with which it anciently abounded, and its prefix from some iron works which formerly existed there. The population in 1841 was 1342 inhabitants, many employed in coal and iron mines. Larks Farm was in the hamlet of Latteridge and only about a mile from Itchington and two miles from the centre of Tytherington. Thomas and Unity remained at Larks Farm for the rest of their lives. Unity died there in 1826 aged 75 and Thomas in 1836 aged 90. They were both buried back at Tytherington as Shield and there is a tombstone in the graveyard there commemorating both Thomas and Unity and five of their sons, three of whom died before their father. To the memory of William, son of Thomas and Unity Shield of the parish of Iron Acton who died May 2nd 1821 aged 31 years Also of Charles their son who died February 25th 1823 aged 32 years Also of the aforesaid Unity Shield Wife of Thomas Shield who died April 26th 1826 aged 75 years Also of James Shield ...... Also to the memory of Thomas Shield who died January 22nd 1836 aged 90 years Also of George his son who died February 22nd 1846 aged 50 years Also of Thomas his son who died December 21st 1858 aged 71 years Thomas Shield wrote his will in 1829, seven years before his death. He left a freehold farmhouse and a small plot of land at Itchington to his eldest son Thomas. All his money and personal effects were left equally between his three children Robert, George and Unity. He directed that Larks Farm with its 80 acres be sold and that £100 be given to his son Daniel, then resident in Jamaica. The remainder was to be divided into five equal shares, one each for his sons Thomas, Robert and George, the income from another share for his daughter Unity and the income from the fifth share for the children of his deceased son James. He mentioned £600 already advanced to his son Thomas, £150 to his son Robert, £50 to his son George and £200 to his late son James which sums were to be deducted from their respective shares. At the end of a very long will (15 pages) Thomas made his mark with a cross so he was obviously illiterate. Thomas and Unity Shield’s Children Of Thomas and Unity’s eight children, very little is known about four of them. Nothing is known of their daughter Unity other than that she was alive in 1829 when her father made his will. Likewise, nothing is known of their son Daniel other than that in 1829 he was living in Jamaica. Their son, William, died at Larks Farm in 1821 age 31 and was buried at Tytherington as William Shield and their son, Charles, died at Keynsham in Somerset in 1825 aged 32 and was also buried at Tytherington as Charles Shield. Thomas and Unity’s sixth son, George, never married. In 1838 he was farming at Woodhouse, Olveston but he died aged 50 in 1846 at Keynsham like his brother Charles and was buried at Tytherington as George Shield. He wrote a will in 1838 in which he left £10 each to his uncle Samuel Shield and his wife Elizabeth of Cheddar and £10 to his aunt Sarah Shield, the schoolmistress of Tytherington. The rest of his estate he put in trust for the same three people and after their deaths it was to go to his niece Ann (daughter of his brother Thomas), his cousins Elizabeth and Susannah (daughters of his uncle Samuel), his cousin Ann (daughter of his uncle James Shield of Tytherington), and Mary and Jane Shield, the daughters of a distant cousin James Shield of Moorleaze, Tytherington. It seems that George’s sympathies were all with the women! Thomas and Unity’s youngest son, Robert Shield, married Hannah Smith at Tytherington in 1824. He first farmed at Alveston (he was on the Electoral Roll there in 1832) and then moved to Oxenton, a small village, 2½ miles S.E. of Ashchurch and 4½ S.E. of Tewkesbury and situated on a branch of the river Severn. (This is very close to Pamington, the home of his ancestors). Robert and Hannah had six children, Thomas Smith in 1825, Jane Wickham 1827, Robert1832 and Charles1835 all born in Alveston and Catherine1837 and William 1839 both born in Oxenton. Hannah died in Oxenton in 1841 aged just 40 years and was buried there. By 1851 Robert had taken a new wife, Susannah, and moved about 5 miles further north to the village of Overbury in Worcestershire where he was living at Brick House and farming 400 acres. He died at Overbury in 1868 aged 72 and was buried back at Oxenton. Susannah died in 1876 aged 75 and was also buried at Oxenton. Thomas and Unity’s eldest son, Thomas Shield, married Charlotte Sainsbury in 1806 (as Thomas Shill) at Tytherington when he was described as a husbandman of Tytherington. Thomas and Charlotte had three children, Charlotte in 1807, George 1808 and Thomas 1809, all baptised at Tytherington as Shill. Charlotte died in 1809, probably in childbirth as her youngest son was baptised after her death. Thomas then married Ann Meredith at Alveston in 1816 by whom he had another four children, Daniel in 1817, Robert 1818, Ann 1820 and William 1823, again all baptised at Tytherington as Shill. Thomas died at Westerleigh in 1853 aged 71 and his second wife Ann died in 1864 aged 83, also at Westerleigh. A tombstone at Tytherington reads: Sacred to the memory of Charlotte wife of Thomas Shield of this parish who died December 23rd 1809 aged 26 years Also of Thomas Shield of Hope Farm son of the above Thomas and Charlotte Shield who died February 22nd 1880 in the 71st year of his age Also of Hannah wife of Thomas Shield who died October 27th 1893 aged 83 years Also of Julia Adelaide wife of Edward Andrews and daughter of the above Thomas and Hannah Shield who died February 16th 1924 aged 90 years Their end was peace

Tombstone of Charlotte Shield (nee Sainsbury) 1783-1809 Thomas and Unity’s second son, James Shield, married his cousin Elizabeth Shield at Tytherington on 7th September 1825. Elizabeth was the youngest child of his uncle James Shield. At the time of their marriage Elizabeth was only 20 and James was 41 years old. James farmed at Tytherington but only enjoyed married life for four years, dying on 27th January 1829 aged 45 years. During this short marriage James and Elizabeth produced three children, James Wickham in 1825, Catherine Elizabeth (known as Elizabeth) in 1827 and Emma in 1828. Two years later the young widow Elizabeth remarried Nathaniel Isaac and had two more children (see Isaac family)

James Shield, farmer and Parish Clerk of Tytherington

The eldest son of James and Mary, born 14th April 1745 and baptised at Tytherington six days later as James Shill, was like his father a farmer and the Parish Clerk of Tytherington, a post he took on when his father died and which he held for 46 years. James married Sarah Luce on 8th November 1782 at Alveston by licence when he was 37 and Sarah was almost 20 years old. James signed the marriage licence as James Shill and Sarah made her mark

Marriage licence of James and Sarah

James and Sarah lived all their lives at Tytherington in a house near the centre of the village, then known as Bromwich’s after John Bromwich, a previous owner, and now called Porch House. Bromwich’s at that time belonged to William Pullen and his second wife Mary, and Mary’s sister Sarah Russell. William Pullen was an uncle of James Shield. (see Pullen family) James and Sarah had eleven children, all baptised at Tytherington, mostly as Shill. These were John in 1783, Nathaniel 1784, Mary Ann 1785, Samuel 1787, James 1790, Martha 1791, another Samuel and Sarah 1795, Ann 1797, Henry 1800 and Elizabeth 1805. Only James and Martha were baptised as Shield. James wrote his will (as James Shill) on 26th January 1816 and died on 5th July the same year aged 71. He left all his property in trust to his nephew Thomas Shill (son of his brother Thomas) and William Luce of Grovesend (his wife’s brother) for the sole use of his wife Sarah. They had permission to sell anything that was necessary for the support and maintenance of her. After Sarah’s death his daughter Elizabeth was to have “my tent Bed and bestead” and what remained was to be sold “for the most money they can get and equally divide the same between all my Children that shall then be living.” Thomas Shill and William Luce were the executors as well as the trustees of the estate which amounted to less than £100. James was buried four days after his death as James Shill. Sarah lived another eight years and died on 12th February 1824 aged 61: she was buried as Sarah Shield. In the churchyard at Tytherington is a tombstone which reads: In memory of Samuel son of James and Sarah Shield Who died January 12 1793 aged 5 years In memory of the said James Shield who was clerk of this parish 46 years He died July 5th 1816 in the 71st year of his life

James and Sarah Shield’s Children As far as we know, only one of James and Sarah’s children died in infancy, the Samuel commemorated on the tombstone above, who died aged 5 years. Their eldest daughter, Mary Ann, married James Wade at Tytherington in 1804 (as Mary Ann Shill) and nothing more is known of her. Nothing at all is known of their daughters Martha and Sarah and nothing is known of their daughter Anne except that she was alive when her cousin George wrote his will in 1838. Their youngest daughter, Elizabeth, was the one who first married her cousin James Shield by whom she had three children, and after his death married Nathaniel Isaac by whom she had another two children.

Elizabeth Shield 1805- Elizabeth and Nathaniel Isaac moved from Tytherington to Banwell in Somerset where in 1841 Nathaniel was farming 204 acres at Wolvershill so the three Shield step-children all grew up in Somerset. James Wickham Shield, born in Tytherington in 1825 married Maria Ford and became a farmer at Winscombe, where he had three sons: he died in 1863 at the early age of 38 years. Catherine Elizabeth Shield, always known as Elizabeth, born in Tytherington in 1827, never married but worked as a dressmaker and housekeeper and died at Banwell in 1914 aged 87. Emma Shield, born in Tytherington in 1828, married George Goding in 1859 at Banwell and died there in 1906 aged 78. James and Sarah’s eldest son, John, married Sarah Olive at Tytherington in 1802 (as John Shill) and seems to have worked as an agricultural labourer all his life, living at Grovesend. John and Sarah had six children who sadly all died young and were buried at Tytherington. These were Anne in 1804 who died when she was four, twins Anne (died aged five) and George in 1808 (died aged twelve), Sarah in 1812 who died aged one year, Sarah Anne in 1815 who died aged five and Mary in 1818 who died aged 8 months. John himself died in 1824 at the early age of 41 years and was buried at Tytherington as John Shield. His death, like his life, seems to have been an unfortunate one. A report in the Gloucester Journal on May 10th 1824 states “On Tuesday last, a poor man, named John Shield, who has for a considerable time past laboured under periodical fits of insanity, was proceeding with a cart load of potatoes to Bristol from the neighbourhood of Thornbury, in this county, accompanied by his wife, when he manifested strong symptoms of a return of his complaint, and was, in consequence, detained at Stoke, at the house of a relative, until the next morning, when, as he appeared to be perfectly recovered, he was allowed to leave the house, and was soon afterwards discovered drowned in a brook in Stoke lane. An inquest was held on the body, and a verdict of Insanity returned. We daily see cause to approve of the legislative adoption of Lunatic Asylums, and wish the powers given by the Act of Parliament were universally acted upon, on account of the public at large, as well as of the unfortunate sufferers.” Their second son, Nathaniel, did rather better for himself. In 1817 at St. James’s, Bristol, he married Sarah May from Elberton (as Nathaniel Shill) by whom he had one son William in 1818 (baptised at Thornbury as William Shill). Although in 1818 he was described as a husbandman, by 1826 he was a “yeoman” and in the 1851 census a “landed proprietor”. Nathaniel and Sarah lived at Kington, Thornbury and in 1826 benefitted from the will of William Shield, the gentleman of Hampstead who had retired to Thornbury. William left to “Nathaniel Shield alias Shill of Kington in the Parish of Thornbury in the County of Gloucester aforesaid Yeoman all the freehold Messuage and Premises with the Appurtenances wherein I now dwell with the fixtures thereunto appertaining” and all the rest and residue of his estate. However, despite his new-found status, old habits die hard. On 17th September 1829 Nathaniel Shill was fined £5 for “Shooting a hare at Kington Tything, Almondsbury, when not qualified” the witness being one Thomas Gazzard. And on 15th November 1834 Nathaniel Shield, yeoman of Thornbury was caught “Trespassing in search and pursuit of game at Littleton upon Severn, on land occupied by Mapson Taylor.” This time he was “Fined £1, to be paid to Benjamin Collins, overseer of the poor of Littleton on Severn, and 10/- costs to the complainant, or one calendar month in Lawford's Gate House of Correction.” By 1851 Nathaniel and Sarah had moved to the High Street, Thornbury where they lived for the rest of their lives. Nathaniel died in 1873 aged 90 and Sarah in 1883 aged 91; both were buried at Thornbury.

High Street, Thornbury John and Sarah’s son, Samuel, was the one who took over the role of Parish Clerk when his father died in 1816, a post he held for 39 years. Samuel married Hannah Veater, a girl from Winterbourne, a village about 5 miles away, at Tytherington in 1822. Samuel and Hannah had six children, all baptised at Tytherington: Charles in 1824 who died when he was 12, Samuel James in 1826 who died aged 8 months, Mary Ann in 1828, Susan in 1831, Charlotte in 1834 who must also have died in infancy, and another Charlotte in 1837. Samuel started life as an agricultural labourer but by 1851 had become the farm bailiff for Thomas Hardwicke, a local landowner. His wife Hannah, like Samuel’s aunt, Sarah Shield, was the local schoolmistress for 32 years. Their daughter, Mary Ann, never married but went into domestic service as a housekeeper and cook in Bristol, dying at the age of 72 in 1900. Their daughter Susan married Eli Pitman, an agricultural labourer from Tytherington and had seven children and their daughter Charlotte, after working for a while as a schoolmistress assistant, married John Nelmes, a widower from Thornbury. John and Charlotte had two children and ran a grocery store in Kington. Samuel obviously died as the result of an accident in 1855 age 60 and his wife Hannah died 12 years later in 1867 aged 69. Their tombstone in Tytherington churchyard reads: In memory of Samuel Shield 39 years clerk of this parish who died on the 19th of January 1855 in the 60th year of his age by the upsetting of a carriage after being many years in the employ of the late Thomas Hardwicke. Gent. of this place and his sister Mrs. P Morris who has caused this tomb to be erected Also in memory of Anna wife of the above named Samuel Shield who departed this life February 28th 1867 in the 70th year of her age

Tombstone of Samuel Shield James and Sarah’s youngest son, Henry, married Catherine Isaac from Yate who was a sister of the Nathaniel Isaac who married his widowed sister Elizabeth. In fact they both married in the same week in April 1831 although Nathaniel and Elizabeth married at Tytherington and Henry and Catherine married at Kingswood. Henry took up farming at Yate. In 1832 he was to be found on the Electoral Roll at Yate, in 1838 he rented a farm near Goose Green, Yate from the Rev. Henry Jones and in the 1841 census he was at Brick House Farm, Yate. Henry and Catherine had three children that we know of, Sarah Catherine in 1842, Henry John 1843 and Charles James 1846. Henry wrote his will in 1848 where he left all his property (land in Yate and Iron Acton, all his farming stock, etc) in trust to John Isaac (Catherine’s brother) and Moses Smith so that the profits could be used for “ the support and maintainance of my beloved Wife Catherine and my three beloved children namely Henry John, Charles James and Sarah Catherine until my said beloved children shall severally attain the age of twenty one years and upon either of my beloved children and each of them attaining the age of twenty one years they my said children and each of them shall be paid the sum of four hundred pounds if they the said Trustees consider it expedient to put either of my said children in a respectable Business” He also added that “if my beloved Wife Catherine shall at any time after my decease marry or become the mother of a child during her Widowhood she shall be paid the sum of thirty pounds a year and no more during her natural life.” Henry died in 1850 age 50 and was buried at Yate, leaving Catherine with three young children. In the census the following year, she was still at Brick House Farm with her three children, three servants and her younger sister Elizabeth Isaac (who had been deaf and dumb since birth). She was obviously still carrying on the business as she was described as a farmer of 140 acres employing six labourers. By 1861 Catherine had remarried to William Horwood, also a farmer and they were farming Brick House farm together. Of Henry and Catherine’s children, little is known. Sarah Catherine married John Ford in 1867 and had at least one son. They emigrated to America in 1884 and settled in North Dakota. Henry John married Jane Cook in 1866 and had seven children. After farming for a while he ended up in Bristol as a gas stoker. I am in contact with Hilary Lewis, a descendant of Henry John who lives in Chepstow. Nothing is known of Charles James. Catherine herself died in 1873 aged 68 and was buried at Yate.

Henry John Shield 1843-

James Shield of Barmers Land Farm, Tytherington, Overseer of the Poor

Finally we come to James, the fourth son of James and Sarah who was baptised at Tytherington on 1st August 1790 as James Shield. James married Mary Isaac of Yate, by licence, on 18th May 1826 at St. Mary’s Church, Yate when he was 36 and Mary was 29 years old.

St. Mary’s Church, Yate Mary Isaac was another sister of Nathaniel, who married James’ sister Elizabeth and Catherine who married James’s brother Henry. Thus three Shield siblings married three Isaac siblings! Mary’s family were farmers from Hall End Farm, Wickwar.

(The Old) Hall End Farm, Wickwar

John and Mary farmed at Barmers Land Farm in Tytherington which was owned by the Hardwicke family from 1728 until after WW1. The name was originally Bradmears which means “broad pools” as there are two large ponds at the farm. The farmhouse and granary are thought to date from the 17th century and have been listed by English Heritage. In 1881 the farm consisted of 250 acres, but it is now much reduced in size owing to the construction of the M5 which cut off the easternmost fields and quarrying in the southern part of the farm.

Barmers Land Farm, Tytherington

James and Mary lived all their married lives at Barmers Land and all their ten children were born there. These were Sarah in 1827, Mary 1829, James 1830, John 1831, Henry in 1833 (who only lived a year), Catherine 1834, Susannah in 1836 (who died aged nine), Annie 1837, Henry 1838 and Luke in 1840. Their children were all baptised at Tytherington church, mostly as Shield! James appeared on the Electoral Roll for Tytherington in 1832 as both James Shill and James Shield. In the 1841 census James aged 50 and Mary aged 40 were at Barmers Land with nine children and three servants. In 1851 James aged 61, a farmer of 200 acres and Mary aged 53 were there with seven children and a granddaughter Susannah Daniell. In 1861 James aged 70, a farmer of 205 acres employing one boy and two men, and Mary aged 63 were living with six children, their granddaughter Susannah and two servants. Finally in 1871 James aged 81, still described as a farmer and Mary aged 74 still had four of their children and two servants with them. James also appeared in various trade directories as James Shield, farmer of Barmers land. James was obviously a man of some standing in Tytherington.. Not only did he take over the role of Parish Clerk from his brother Samuel after his death, he was also elected several times by the vestry to be an Overseer of the Poor (1843, 1844,1855, 1866)

Overseers of the Poor In the 16th C the old ecclesiastical parishes were given responsibilities for local government functions, such as repairing the roads and seeing to the poor. The Poor Law Acts of 1598-1601, provided the framework for the Old Poor Law, which survived until the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834 created the New Poor Law based on unions of parishes and “Union Workhouses”. Two unpaid Overseers of the Poor were appointed by the Vestry in Easter week and were the only parish officers bound by civil law. They were usually chosen from “substantial householders” on a rotation basis. Working closely with the Church Wardens and meeting once a month they were responsible for setting and collecting the poor rate and distributing benefits to those requiring relief. They were required by law to keep detailed account books of income against expenditure. The overseers would also endorse settlement certificates and bastardy bonds, present settlement queries to the justices for examination and effect removal orders. Along with the wardens they would arrange parish apprenticeships for deserving poor children. They were responsible not only to the Vestry but also to the justices of the peace meeting in Quarter Sessions. The office of overseer of the poor carried a local prestige which compensated for the onerous nature of some of the duties. One of the main difficulties, of course, was in deciding who was “deserving poor” and who was not. In The Compleat Parish Officer, a handbook published in 1734 for those who had to apply the law it states “There are reckon’d three Sorts of poor People, such as are poor by Impotency (the Aged, Decrepit, Lame, Blind, distracted Persons, Infants, etc) such as become poor by Casualty (Persons maimed, undone by Fire, overcharged with Children, etc) and such as have made themselves poor by Rioting, Idleness, Drunkeness, etc.” The poor by impotency were to be relieved, the poor by casualty were to be set to work if possible or else relieved and the third sort were to be sent to the House of Correction and set to hard labour. James Shield wrote his will in 1872. He gave £150 each to his son John and his daughters Catherine Isaac and Anne Eley and £50 to his daughter Sarah Daniell. He put £400 in trust (the trustees being his sons James and Henry Shield and Richard Daniels, a farmer of Tytherington), the profits of which were to be used to support his wife Mary. After her decease the money was to be divided equally between his sons James and Henry. The rest and residue of his estate was also to be divided between these two same sons. In 1873 James wrote a codicil to his will revoking the £50 to his daughter Sarah and reducing the sum for John to £100. I discovered later that this was because he had already given some money to these children, who were now both in Australia.

James Shield 1790-1875

Mary Shield (neé Isaac) 1797-1881 James died of bronchitis on 8th January 1875 at Barmers Land aged 85. Mary then went to live at Rangeworthy with her daughter Catherine and her family where she died of “decay of nature” on 27th November 1881 aged 84. Both James and Mary were buried at Tytherington. In loving memory of James Shield who died at Barmers Lands Farm in this parish January 8th 1875 aged 84 years Also of Mary wife of the above who died November 27th 1881 aged 85 years Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord

Tomb of James and Mary Shield James and Mary Shield’s Children Two of James and Mary’s ten children died when very young. Henry, born in 1833, died when he was just over a year old and Susannah, born in 1836, died of hydrocephalus in 1845 aged nine years. Another two died in early adulthood. Their daughter Mary, born in 1829, married William Slade Bailey a farmer of Berkeley in March 1856 but died in December the same year, probably in childbirth. Their son Luke, born in 1840, who worked as a farmer with his father, died of enteritis in 1871 aged 31. All were buried at Tytherington. The inscription on Mary’s tomb at Tytherington reads: Sacred to the memory of Mary wife of William Slade Bailey of Woodford Hill Farm in the parish of Berkeley daughter of James and Mary Shield of Barbers Land Farm in this parish who departed this life December 29th 1856 aged 29 years

Tomb of Mary Bailey (nee Shield) 1829-1856

The tombstone of Luke in the churchyard also commemorates his sister Catherine and his brother James. Catherine married William Robertson Isaac from Berkeley in 1861 in Birmingham where he was a railway porter: William and Catherine later returned to Gloucestershire and took up farming in Rangeworthy: they had a daughter born in 1864 in Birmingham, Sarah Ann, who probably died young. James remained a bachelor all his life and farmed Barmers Land with his brother Henry until about 1885. He then moved with Henry to Over Court Farm at Over. By 1901 he had retired and was living with his widowed sister Catherine Isaac at Falfield. James died in 1903 aged 73. In loving memory of Luke Shield who died at Barmers Lands Farm in this parish September 4th 1871 aged 30 years in the midst of life we are in death Also of Catherine Ann Isaacs sister of the above who died August 13th 1901 aged 67 years To be with Christ which is far better Also of James Shield who died November 13th 1903 aged 73 years Gone but not forgotten

Tomb of Luke, Catherine and James Shield

Catherine Isaac (neé Shield) with her daughter Sarah Ann

James and Mary’s daughter, Ann Shield (always known as Annie), married James Eley on 12th May 1863 at Thornbury Baptist Church. Although Annie had been baptised at Tytherington church on 20th May 1837, she was baptised again on 28th April 1861, when she was 24, at the Thornbury Baptist church so this must have been important to her. James Eley was from Lower Moreton in Thornbury and started life as a carpenter but after inheriting a property called Whites at Moreton from his father in 1864, took up farming. James and Annie had nine children, eight of them at Moreton and the last at Kingswood where they moved in about 1872. James died of typhoid in 1874 leaving Annie a young widow with six children (three daughters had died in infancy). She carried on farming alone at Merrywood Farm, Kingswood for many years. Annie died in 1934 aged 97: both she and James were buried at Kingswood Chapel.

Annie Eley (nee Shield)

A locket belonging to Annie Shield with a photograph of her mother Mary inside

The Australian Shields Two of James and Mary’s children emigrated to Australia, their eldest daughter Sarah and their second son John. Sarah Daniell (nee Shield) Sarah Shield, born in 1827, married Henry Daniell, a farmer from Tortworth, on 9th September 1847 at Tytherington. They had three children born in England, Susannah in 1847, Sarah in 1849 and Henry William in 1850. In 1851 they were living at Little Sodbury House, near Hawkesbury and Henry was farming 67 acres. However, in 1852 Henry and Sarah and their two younger children (aged three and one) emigrated to South Australia, leaving their elder daughter, Susannah, behind to be brought up by her grandparents. Why they left Susannah is not known but she never saw her parents again. Henry and Sarah with their two younger children set sail from Plymouth on the Standard on 6th March 1852, arriving at Port Adelaide, South Australia on 15th June. Soon after arriving Sarah wrote a letter home to her parents. (I have left the original spelling but added some punctuation to make it easier to read – there was none at all in the original!) South Astrilia Adelade June 28 Dear Mother and Father I hope you are all well as it leaves us at present. We arrived here the 16 after a good Voige, we had but two rough knights. I and the Children was very Sick for a fortknight and as soon as I got beter my Dear little boy got ill, he kept srinking every day for six weeks, he was gone to skin and bone. We had a very kind Docter and Captin and had it not been for the Captin kindness I think he uld have died. He told me to go in to the Cabin whenever I chose. All through the voige I Dined and Drinked Tea with the Captin and Docter many times and I did have a glass or two of wine every day. The Docter gave up my boy for death, he sead he could do nothing more for him. He never tasted any thing but a little Port Wine for more than a week nor uld not let no one tuch him but me, he uld not let his Father tutch him. I did nothing but cry over him one Sunday when he was at his worst but Provedence sede fit to restore him to me but he have got the hoping Cougf very bad now. We had nine deaths and 7 births in the Ship. Every thing is very dear here now on account of the Gold digins. There is no men left to Cultavate the land, they have left their Crops to go to the digins for any one to have. Henry have got a Situshion 50 Mils up in the Cuntry, he have got 12s a week and all our food and house and firing and he have so much ground for a garden as we like and when the Sheep Shering Coms on he will have from three to four Months Shering and then he will be able to erne 3 Pounds a weeck. Mrs Butler keeps 60 Thousand Sheep. We leve here to morrow morning and when we get there I shall give you more pertickelers. Plese to remember me to all my aunts and Uncles and all enquiring Frends. Tell my dear little Suse I wish I had her with me, Sarah is ofen Speking of her. Plese to remember me to Old Aunt. Henry joins with me in kind love to you all I remain Dear Mother and Father your Affectonate Daughter

Direct H Daniell Sarah Daniell at Messr Grant and Butler River Light South Astrilia Henry and Sarah first settled in Tea Tree Gully to the north east of Adelaide. This area, named after the native tea trees which once grew in thickets in the swampy gully in the face of the Adelaide hills, was first settled in 1837 by stockholders who found the soil rich and fertile. The early settlers were predominantly agricultural folk who transformed the land into a patchwork of orchards, paddocks and fields of cereal crops. In 1855 the population of the Tea Tree Gully area was 1440. A hundred years later it was 2561. After that the population climbed dramatically as people settled in the area from all over the world until by 2004 it was over 100,000: it is now one of the most populous local government divisions in Adelaide. An awesome expansion of growth and development for what was once Old Tea Tree Gully- a district of orderly vineyards and orchards, of gullies thickly wooded with native trees, and scattered farms and villages. Henry and Sarah would not recognise it today! When in Australia Henry and Sarah had another nine children, Thomas Butler in 1853, Mary Jane 1854, Lucy Selina 1856, Elizabeth Caroline 1859, Annie Eliza 1862, William Augustus 1865, Clara Agnes 1868, Florence Shield 1869 and Rosa May in 1874. Sarah wrote many letters home to her parents and some of these are now in the possession of Josie Drew, the wife of Mervyn Drew a descendant of Susannah Daniell, the daughter who was left behind in England.

Part of a letter written by Sarah to her parents in 1864 giving the names of her children (she had another three after this)

Susannah also wrote to her parents, Sarah and Henry, in Australia. This is a letter written in 1864 when Susannah was 17 years old and is full of gossip about the family. I have tried to explain a few of the complicated family relationships! Wednesday Morning Jan 13 1864 My Dear Mother I received your kind letter and was … to hear from you and that you are all … to hear of such a good account of Australia and that my dear Brothers & Sisters are getting on so well. I am sorry to tell you my Aunt Cathy1 have been very ill and I am staying with her at Birmingham at present. She have been ill this year with Inflammation on the Lungs but I am happy to say she is getting better as I long to be home with my Dear Grandmamma and Granpapa.

Grandpapa has got a very bad cold but I trust it will soon get better. My Dear Grandmamma would give all the world if she could but ….. to speak to you Dear Mother … so should … She do want? you to send all the childrens Names begin at Sarah and want you to send Marys Likeness and her own. Dear Mother I shall never come ever because I do not like the Water. I am quite grown up now and I hope you will save me a good Fortune and send me … I hope you received Uncle Charles’s2 Portraits quite safe as they said when they was here last they was going to send it … … by the time you get this

Aunt Eley3 will have a baby they are both very well thank God & send their kind love to you all. James Shield4 is dead that lives in Somersetshire, he has not been dead a twelvemonth yet and his Widow has married again the other week to Mr Hancock of the same Place

My Dear Mother do you ever think of coming to England again as I should be so pleased to see my Dear brothers and Sisters. My Dear Uncles are quite well send their kindred Love to you all. Uncle Ralph Hill’s5 father is dead now they will do very well having so much Money left them and his Mother is … very ill Cousin Sarah is going to have Daniel Luce at last they Court very strong at present. I don’t know whether it is too hot to last she have been staying at Luces all the Christmas she came down to see the other Cousins for a couple of Hours. Dear Mother I don’t know whether you have seen the Miss Trotmans, Aunt Isaac’s relations because they are come out there

Your Uncle Pullen6 is dead and Anne Isaac is going to have Tom Pullen after a bit.

I am sorry to tell you Dear Uncle7 is going to disgrace himself he is going to Marry Robbert Tratmans daughter disgracing all the Family … in the world …. and to do such a thing as that .... if he had not taking up with such a … as that he might of married a lady he would … have talked to him, he says he shall do as he please .... about … any one who he Marries .Of course she is very pleased to marry a Farmers son. He is there every night. Dear Grandmamma is nearly …. about it, she is always talking to him about it but can make no impression on him

I think I have told you all the news I can think of hopeing you Dear Mother will write back as soon as you get this letter as I am so delighted to hear from you.

…. my Dear Grandmamma and Grandpapa and my Dear Mother joining with me in kindred Love to you and Dear father and my Dear brothers and Sisters from your sincere and loving child Susan Daniell

You must write Dear father for we shall soon be parted from my Dear Grandmamma and Grandpapa8

1. Aunt Cathy was Sarah’s sister Catherine Shield who had married William Robertson Isaac in Birmingham in 1861. 2. Uncle Charles was actually a great-uncle, the brother of Grandmamma, Charles Isaac (1807-1872) who married Anne Daniell (1815-1886) in 1837 and had five children. Charles was a farmer at Hall End Farm, Yate. 3. Aunt Eley was Sarah’s sister Annie Shield (1837-1934) who married James Eley (1836-1874) in May 1863 at Thornbury and had nine children. The first, Florence Mary, was born in 1864 which explains “Aunt Eley will have a baby” 4. James Shield “that lives in Somersetshire”. Grandpapa’s sister, Elizabeth Shield (1805-) had first married her cousin James Shield (1784-1829) and after he died married Nathaniel Isaac (1800-1870) a brother of Grandmamma. Elizabeth and James had three children, the eldest of which, James Wickham Shield (1825-1863) was a farmer in Winscombe, Somerset. After James Wickham died in early 1863, his widow Maria remarried Henry Hancock in late 1863. “he has not been dead a twelvemonth yet” – not really a decent interval! 5. Uncle Ralph Hill was actually a great-uncle. Grandmama’s sister, Hannah Isaac (1810-) first married Thomas Daniell (1807-1847) in 1839 at Yate and after his death married Ralph Hill in 1855. Ralph’s father had obviously just died and “now they will do very well having so much Money left them”. Ralph was a farmer at Yate and then Charfield. 6. Uncle Pullin. Grandmamma’s sister Anne Isaac (1812-1855) married William Pullin (1802-1863) in 1836 and they had four children. William was a farmer, first at Wickwar and then at Pewsham, Wilts. He died in August 1863. His second son, Thomas Pullin (1841-1925) was also a farmer in Wilts and would be the “Tom Pullin” mentioned. The Anne Isaac that was “going to have him after a bit” was the daughter of Grandmamma’s brother Charles, mentioned earlier, whom he married in 1865. 7. Dear Uncle was Sarah’s brother, John Shield (1831-), who did indeed marry Ann Tratman (1847-), the daughter of Robert Tratman later that same year 8. This sounds as if Susannah thought her grandparents were about to die: in fact her grandfather lived another 11 years and her grandmother another 17.

Susannah Daniell (1847-1897)

Finally, a letter written by Sarah Daniell to her family back home in 1872.

Tea Tree Gully Feby 29th 72 My ever dear Parents Brothers and Sisters Your letter of Sep 24th 1871 informing me of the Death of my dear youngest Brother Luke1 did not reach me until the 14th of this Month February, the ship that brought it was recked so I did not hear of the sad bereavement for nerly six months. My dear sorrowing parents let us hope that he is entred his rest for the Lord gave and he also taketh away Blessed be the name of the Lord. I will praise him as long as I live for he has done great things for me whereof I am glad and do put my trust in him. I am glad to hear that My dear Daughter Mrs Smith2 is got safe over her troble and goin on very well give my kind love to her and tell her to write a few lines to me as soon as she can and send her Likeness for her Brother Thomas Butler and he have one taken redy to send in return. Give my best love to my dear Sister Mrs Eley and her dear Husband and Family. Give my kind love to my dear Sister Catherine and her dear Husband and I shold so much like her Likeness and William if She will send me I will send one in return. My dear brother John and Wife and family is quite well and desires theyr best love to you all. John is working with my husband, they have got a Contract making 8 Chaines of Rood. The crops is not very good in this Colony this year, many of the farmers have not more than 3 Bushels of Wheat to the Acre but we had ten this year, last Year we had 20 Bushels on the same ground. We do milk four Cows but the Butter is selling very low it is only 10 pence pr lb, Eggs 9 pence per Dozen. We have a good crop of Grapes, I think we shall make about 100 gallons of Wine this Year, we are goin to make it next week if it is fine. I resived my Father Likeness safe and I am very pleased with it. When you rite again plese to send the old house. Henry and all the Children joine with me in kind love to you all

I remain my dear parents your ever affectionate and Loving Daughter sarah Daniell PS plese to write soon 1. Sarah’s youngest brother, Luke Shield, died in September 1871. 2. Daughter Mrs Smith. Sarah’s daughter, Susannah Daniell had married Edwin Smith in 1869.

Sarah and Henry Daniell remained in Australia for the rest of their lives, never returning home to England and never seeing their daughter Susannah again. They went through good times and bad. Some years the harvest failed, due to drought. Other years there was such a glut that prices plummeted, but they never in their letters mentioned wanting to come home to England. They wrote about their illnesses: Sarah suffered for many years with erysipelas, a streptococcal infection of the skin which causes a very painful rash and appeared to put her out of action for weeks and sometimes months at a time. One of her sons had consumption. In a letter home to Susannah in 1865 she says “how sorry she is to hear you have got the Leppercy and my dear sister to have it on her so many years” This may or may not have really been leprosy – the term covered many skin conditions such as fungal infections, psoriasis, etc. It was not actually possible to diagnose true leprosy until the end of the 19th century. (Although there are still on average 10 cases of leprosy diagnosed in England and Wales every year today (2007).)

Sarah’s father, James Shield, wrote his will in October 1872 leaving £50 to Sarah and £150 to his son John. In May 1873 he wrote a codicil, revoking the £50 to Sarah and giving only £100 to John. This was because he had already sent Sarah and John £50 each. In August 1873 Sarah wrote “My ever dear Parents, Sisters & Brothers. I received your kind and welcom letter last week and the draft on the Bank of South Australia. £50.00 and I am much obliged to dear Father for it. I went and drawd it out that Bank and put it in the Savings Bank and John did the same with his.”

Henry and Sarah moved in 1875 from Tea Tree Gully to Coobowie, about 150 miles from Adelaide on the Yorke peninsula, where they farmed Rockhampton Farm. Many workers from the Adelaide plains came to try their luck there after it was discovered that it was a good place for cereal crops. Production rose from 552 acres planted and reaped in 1870 to 180,000 acres by 1884. It is now famous for wheat and barley crops. Henry died there in 1886 aged 63 and Sarah died in 1913 aged 86 years.

Susannah Daniell, the daughter left behind in England with her grandparents, married Edwin Smith, a farmer, at Thornbury in 1869 and they had one daughter, Mary Catherine in 1871. Sadly, Edwin died in 1872 aged only 35 and Mary Catherine died in 1875 aged four. That same year Susannah remarried another farmer, Robert Drew and the following year had a son, Gilbert. A grandson of Gilbert’s, Mervyn Drew and his wife Josie, are today (2007) farming at Northwick, close to the Severn Bridge.

Susannah, Robert and Gilbert Drew

John Shield of Tea Tree Gully James and Mary Shield’s second son, John, also emigrated to Australia thirteen years after his sister Sarah. He was the uncle mentioned in Susannah Daniell’s letter to her parents in January 1864 as “going to disgrace himself he is going to Marry Robbert Tratmans daughter disgracing all the Family” and “he might of married a lady” “Of course she is very pleased to marry a Farmers son.” Maybe this was pure snobbery: the Tratman family had been the village blacksmiths in Tytherington for several generations. Perhaps the Shield family, being farmers, considered themselves a cut above the blacksmiths, necessary though they were to life in the country. John and Ann Tratman married in St. Paul’s Bristol on 31st December 1864 (although they both came from Tytherington) and none of the family were witnesses. John was 33 and Ann was only17: she was also four months pregnant at the time (perhaps another reason for the disgrace to the family!) A few months later, on 8th April 1865, John and Ann embarked on the Peeress for their trip to Australia and Ann gave birth to their first son, Wyndham Peeress Shield off the Cape of Good Hope on 24th May. They arrived in Adelaide on 9th July.

After arriving in Australia John and Ann had another ten children. These were Florence Melinda in 1866, Lilian Adelaide 1868, Blanche 1870, Nimrod Young 1872, Gilbert Randolph 1874, Rhoda Alma 1876, Amelia Amanda 1878, William Lyndon 1881, Mary Evelyn 1882 and Julia Fleta 1884. Some of John’s letters home are also in Josie Drew’s possession. Tea Tree Gully Dec 24th (1875) My Dear Mother I now take the opportunity of writing to you hoping to find you all well. My wife is not very well, don’t seem to get strong since she had the rheumatic fever. Dear Mother I received you letter last week. I was Glad to hear from you but very sorry to hear of poor Mrs Smith1 little Girl death, it must be very sad for her to loose booth Husband and Child.

Sarah Hancock2 was heare when we had the letter that is Mrs Daniels oldest Daughter that is Married. I cannot tell you how they are as they have never written but one letter since they went away to me. Henery3 the oldest son have been over to see us since they left the Gully, they like it very well over there. They sold ther place for one hundread and fifty £ to the Landlord of the Hirecomb Hotel and we are living in it but as soon as we can see a nother place to suit us I shall leave as it is very small house. This last winter the Dayre & the Childred bed room tumble down to the Ground soon after we come heare. It is strange that they don’t write to let you know where they are living. Dear Mother you wanted to know how it was that we did not wheare Mourning but sister Sarah was leaving the Gully week after we had the letter with poor fathers death4 in then she said they had been to a deal of expence in Moving there so I thought it would look strange for My family to be in Mourning and not theres famy.

Dec 26 We have a very wet Chrismas. It is raining powering as I am writing and has been all the day. It is very bad for the farmers as they are in the Midst of reaping. They have wonderful crops this time. We often sends you newspapers but you don’t tell me if you get them. My hens egs took the first prize at the show last time. We have some very fine fowls and ducks. I have only 8 young ducks now, I have been selling them for Chrismas at 6d per pair, fowls is much cheaper 2 6 pair. We had roast duck and Green peas plum pudding and aprycoot pie for Chrismas dinner. I cut my first cucumber of My bed yesterday. Egs is 1s1d doz, butter one Shilling per pound, beef 5d to 6d per pound, Ches 10d, English 1s 6d per pound, bacon 1s. We killed to fat pigs this last winter, one 15 score and nine score. Dear Mother you wanted to know how many sheep I had but sheep farmers out hear has thousands of acres of land to run these sheep, land that is good for Nothing else. I had three cows but I have only 2 now. I had to sell one as we could not keep her home with the others. Feed is very scarce now for cattle, all dried up with the hot weather.

January 29th I begun writing last Month but could not finished it before the Maile left. The weather is very hot this last fortnight. My Wife was in town yesterday and seen Jane Daniel5 and she reiceved her sister letter from England last Maile. Dear Mother you did not tell me any thing about My Brother James6 weather he is married or thinking about it or weather you are keeping on the farm or who has got it. I wish you could get the portrait of the farm house and send it out here. The weather has been two hot for the Chrildren to go town to have there likeness taken to send you as you wanted. There names and ages, Wyndom Peeress was 10 years 24 last may, we had his name John Peeress but I had it altered to Wyndom Peeress, Florance Mellinda was 9 years 29th of last December, Lillian Adelaid was 7 years the 27th of last November, Blanch was 5 years 10th November last, Nimrod Young was 3 years 8th of last October, Gilbert Randolf will be 2 years the 11th of Jully. The three eldest goes to schooling is very deer out hear. My Dear Mother I hope will be able to read this when you get it. You will please to send the Hundred Pounds you said father left me but I hope you will have more than that for me some day. I don’t think it will make any difference what bank as ther is severeal banks in Adelaid. Send it to the bank of Australia wheare the fifty was on, we got that changed with taking two witnesses. I should have send another of our Cards in this letter but they are taken so bad. Remember us kindly to Mr and Mrs Drew7 And I wish them health and Happyness. I wish you wold send some English papers & you will plan to write by the return of Post if convenient. it is now midnight and I am getin so Slepy so I must conclude my letter with kindest love to you dear Mother Sisters Brothers and all inquring friend.

I remain Your affectionate son John Shield

Good buy. May the lord have mercy upon you and that we may meet in heaven with my father ah that will be Joyful when we meet to part No More

1. John’s niece Susannah Daniell. Her first husband Edwin Smith had died in 1872 and then their daughter, Mary Catherine, died in 1875. 2. John’s niece, Sarah Daniell, married Thomas Hancock in Australia. 3. John’s nephew, Henry William Daniell, his sister Sarah’s eldest son. 4. John’s father, James Shield, died January 1875. 5. John’s niece, Mary Jane Daniell. 6. John’s brother, James Shield, never married. Barmers Land Farm was taken on by James and his brother Henry Shield; their mother Mary moved to Rangeworthy to live with her married daughter Catherine. 7. After the death of her first husband, John’s niece, Susannah Daniell married Robert Drew in September 1875.

When John and Ann arrived in Australia, they went to Tea Tree Gully where in 1872 his sister Sarah wrote “John is working with my husband, they have got a Contract making 8 Chaines of Rood”. The “very deer schooling” mentioned in John’s letter was presumably at the Tea Tree Gully School built in 1870 for £224. Sixteen years later in 1886, and almost opposite the school, St. Wilfrid’s Church was built of local sandstone for a cost of £294. Two months after the official opening of the church, on 10th October 1886, John and Ann’s five youngest children were baptised here.

St. Wilfrid’s Church, Tea Tree Gully

In another letter to her daughter Susannah dated 18 April 1885 written from Rockhampton Farm Coobowie where they had moved from Tea Tree Gully, Sarah wrote “Went to see Uncle John about a year ago they are all getting on very well now, they have eleven children the Eldest son is 20 next May 24.” So despite the inauspicious start, John and Ann’s marriage was obviously a great success.

John died at Tea Tree Gully in 1914 aged 83 after which Ann moved to a house in Young Street, Parkside which she named Tytherington. Ann died in 1921 aged 75: she and John were buried together in Payneham Cemetery. Their memorial reads:

In loving Memory of John The beloved husband of Annie Shield Who departed this life August 18th 1914 Aged 83 years At rest Also Annie Beloved wife of the above Died March 6th 1921 Aged 75 years At rest

One of John’s great granddaughters, Judith Adelaide Trowbridge (nee Shield), with whom I am in contact, has written a book about the subsequent history of this particular branch of the family in Australia, called Shield is the Name.

Henry Shield, farmer of Barmers Land, Over and Floodgates

James and Mary’s son, Henry Shield, was born at Barmers Land Farm on 27th October 1838 and baptised in the church at Tytherington on 25th May 1839. In 1871 aged 32 and still unmarried, he was working the farm with his father and brothers James and Luke. On 30th March 1876, aged 37, he married Selina Pullin at St. Mary’s Church, Yate. Selina was 23 and had been born at North Nibley but was then living with her parents at Orwill Farm, Yate. The witnesses at the marriage were her father Thomas Pullin and her brother Lawford Pullin.

Henry and Selina, along with Henry’s elder brother James, farmed Barmers Land until 1885 and their first four children were born there. These were James Thomas in 1877, Lawford Henry 1878, Eliza Mary 1879 and Catherine Blanche 1882. In the 1881 census Henry aged 42 and James aged 51 were farming 250 acres and employing three men. They were living at Barmers Land together with Selina, the first three children and two servants. The whole family, including James, then moved to Over Court Farm at Over, Almondsbury.

Over Court Farm

While at Over Court Henry and Selina had another three children all baptised at Almondsbury. These were Gilbert John in 1885 who died when a few weeks old, Gilbert Archibald in 1886 who died when a few months old and Gladys Selina in 1890. In 1891 James aged 61, Henry aged 52, his wife Selina aged 38 and four of their surviving five children, along with two servants, were living at Over Court Farm. Their daughter, Catherine Blanche, aged nine, was living with her widowed Aunt Catherine Isaac at Vilner farm, Thornbury. In the 1894 Kelly’s Directory James and Henry Shield were still at Over Court Farm but by 1897 Henry was at Floodgates Farm, Ham, Berkeley and James had retired to live with his widowed sister Catherine Isaac at Falfield.

Floodgates Farm, Berkeley

In the 1901 census Henry age 62 and Selina aged 48 were at Floodgates with Lawford aged 23 and Gladys aged 11. They also had Selina’s 84 year-old widowed father, Thomas Pullin, living with them and one servant. Their eldest son James aged 24 and eldest daughter Eliza Mary aged 21 were farming together at Mereford farm, Kingswood and their daughter Catherine Blanche aged 19 was still with her Aunt Catherine Isaac who was now at Falfield, together with her Uncle James Shield.

Henry Shield (1838-1921) Selina Shield (neé Pullin) (1853-1920) Henry wrote his will in 1917 when he was living at St.Mary Street, Thornbury and described as a retired farmer. He made his sons, James and Lawford, and his wife Selina, executors and trustees of his will. Selina was to receive all his household effects and £12 a year from each of his children. The rest of his estate to be divided equally between his five children. However, Selina died before Henry on 24th December 1920 aged 67 of acute bronchitis and cardiac failure and Henry died aged 82 of cerebral thrombosis on 17th April the following year, both at Newport, Berkeley: the gross value of his estate was £2046, net value £1252. Henry and Selina were buried together at Berkeley cemetery where the inscription reads: In loving memory of Henry Shield late of Floodgates Farm in this parish who died April 17th 1921 aged 82 years Also Selina wife of the above who died December 24th 1920 aged 67 years Thy Will be Done

Henry and Selina Shield’s Children Two of Henry and Selina’s children, Gilbert John and Gilbert Archibald, died as infants but the other five all survived to adulthood.

Henry and Selina’s three eldest children, Lawford, Cissy and James

1. James Thomas Shield Henry and Selina’s eldest son, James Thomas Shield, born at Barmers Land Farm on 1st March 1877 was a farmer all his life. By 1901 he was farming at Merryford farm, Kingswood with his sister, Eliza Mary, both of them unmarried. Later that same year he married Ada Mary Taylor (known as Polly), a farmer’s daughter from Bluegates Farm, Clapton, Berkeley. James and Polly then farmed the 250 acres at Worlds End Farm, Berkeley where their three children were born.

Worlds End Farm, Berkeley By 1917 James was at Floodgates, his father’s old farm. When living at Berkeley James served as a churchwarden at St. Mary’s Church. On retirement he and Polly went to live at The Firs, Grovesend. James died on 4th January 1943 aged 65 and Polly on 14th July 1951 aged 73. They are buried in Berkeley cemetery. In loving memory of James Thomas Shield late of Floodgates Farm died January 4th 1943 aged 65 years Also of his beloved wife Ada Mary died July 14th 1951 aged 73 years Rest in Peace And their daughter Mary Louisa February 20th 1972 aged 65 years James and Polly had three children.

2. Lawford Henry Shield Henry and Selina’s second son, Lawford Henry Shield, was my great grandfather. Lawford was born on 25th January 1878 at Barmers Land Farm in Tytherington and lived there until 1885 when he was seven and the family moved to Over Court Farm. About 1892, when Lawford was 14, the family moved again to Floodgates Farm, Berkeley and Lawford helped his father on the farm here until his marriage in 1908. Lawford married Louisa Cory Westaway, from Manor Farm, Purton on 22nd April 1908 at St. Mary’s Church, Berkeley. The witnesses at their marriage were John Edward & Hannah Collins Westaway (Louisa’s father and sister.) Louisa was the sister of Charles Edward Westaway, who had married Lawford’s sister Eliza Mary a year earlier. Apparently, Lawford used to get annoyed because his elder brother James always got the family horse to do his courting while Lawford had to walk – Manor Farm was several miles away from Floodgates farm!

Manor Farm, Purton

St. Mary’s Church, Berkeley After their marriage, Lawford and Louisa moved to Bush Street Farm, North Nibley. The Indenture dated 6th April 1908 for Bushstreet Farm (97acres) between Lawford Shield of Floodgates and Rt.Hon.Charles Paget Fitzhardinge, Baron Fitzhardinge shows that the rent was £120 a year and included cottage 293 which was uninhabitable; cottage 341 which was habitable could be included for an extra rent of £5 a year. Lawford and Louisa stayed at Bush Street Farm for five years during which time their first two children were born.

Bush Street Farm, North Nibley In 1913 Lawford and Louisa moved to Alkington Farm, Berkeley where their other five children were born.

Lawford Henry Shield (1878 -1964) Louisa Cory Shield (1881-1969)

3. Eliza Mary Shield Henry and Selina’s eldest daughter, Eliza Mary Shield (known as Cissie), was born at Barmers Land Farm on 2nd May 1879. In 1901 aged 21 she was farming at Mereford Farm, Kingswood with her elder brother James. She married Charles Edward Westaway of Manor Farm, Purton, Berkeley on 21st May 1907 at Berkeley and eight days later they set sail for Wellington, New Zealand on the Ionic, spending their honeymoon on the ship. Their three children, Dorothea Gladys 1908, William Henry 1912 and Frank Edward 1915, were all born in New Zealand. Dorothea Gladys remembers a very happy childhood in New Zealand, riding bareback on a pony to school every day, and always considered herself a ‘Kiwi’ even though she only lived there for 12 years.

Charles and Cissie Westaway with their two elder children Charles and Cissie spent their early married life farming in Timaru, New Zealand but in 1920 Cissie had major surgery for cancer and was not expected to live long. As she was also homesick, Charlie sold up and the family returned to England arriving in January 1921. Sadly, Cissie’s mother, Selina, had died on Christmas Eve while they were sailing through the Panama Canal and her father, Henry, died within three months of their arrival. At first they stayed with Cissie’s brother, Lawford and various other family members but eventually they purchased Burrows Court at North Nibley which became the family home. Here, Charlie worked as a farmer and cider merchant and, it is said, “enjoyed the cider-making a little too much!”

Burrows Court, North Nibley

4. Catherine Blanche Shield Henry and Selina’s second daughter, Catherine Blanche Shield, known as Dolly, was born at Barmers Land on 21st January 1882. When she was growing up she seemed to spend her time living with relatives: in 1891 aged nine, she was living with her aunt Catherine Isaac at Vilner Farm, Thornbury and in 1901 aged 19 she was living with her aunt Catherine (now widowed) and her uncle James Shield at Falfield. Dolly married in 1909 to Martin Horatio Gazzard, a farmer from Berkeley. Dolly and Martin had eight children all born at Saniger Farm, Sharpness.

Saniger Farm Catherine Blanche Gazzard (neé Shield) (1882-1963)

5. Gladys Selina Shield Henry and Selina’s youngest daughter, Gladys Selina Shield, was born 8th March 1890 at Over Court Farm and baptised at Almondsbury Church a month later.

Gladys Selina Shield In 1909, when she was 19 years old, she married Herbert Frank Woodman in Swindon, Wiltshire. Bert, as he was known, had been born at the Portland Hotel in Malvern, Worcestershire and spent his life as a hotel-keeper and a salesman for Kleeneze. Bert and Gladys had moved to North Wales in 1927. Bert died there in 1959 aged 71 and Gladys in 1968 aged 78 . Gladys Selina in the 1930s