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Sherwood - An ancient English surname derived from the Old English elements 'Scir' meaning 'bright' or 'shire', and 'Wood' - a collection of trees. Thus the name may have applied to a 'dweller in the bright wood' or a dweller in a wood near a Shire or County boundary. It is thus of toponymic origin and may have sprung up independently in several regions at the same time. Also the name of a forest and a place in Nottinghamshire.
The coat of arms shown here is not one that I or many other present-day Sherwoods are entitled to bear - my Sherwood ancestors were in the main humble agricultural labourers who lived for generations, at least as far back as 1550, in villages around the old market town of Ashford in Kent. This was a pretty area of mixed arable & dairy farming, with some fruit-growing; the home of Shakespeare's John Cade of rebellion fame, but has been much changed by industrial development and the rapid growth of Ashford as an international rail terminal for Eurotunnel. The arms show a black chevron between three stars or mullets on a silver shield, and date back to at least the 16C when they were granted to several families in Northumberland, Yorkshire and Bath. Other Sherwood families in Kent were wealthier Weavers or Cloth Merchants.

Here is a register report for my Sherwood family, showing my direct line in Red: (A # indicates there is a photograph associated with this person or place)

 First Generation  

1. John SHERWOOD. Born  ? 1550. John married Emlyn CASTLEDEN. at Sevington, Kent.         
2   i. John (1592-1663)

Second Generation

  2. John SHERWOOD. Born in 1592 in Sevington KEN. John died in Willesborough KEN in 1663, he was 71. Buried on 19 Feb1663 in Willesborough KEN. John was baptized in Sevington KEN on 21 Jan 1592. On 3 Nov 1619 when John was 27, he married Jane WINTER, in Willesborough KEN. Born  ? 1590 in Sevington KEN. Jane died in Willesborough KEN in 1664, she
was 74. Buried on 16 Jul 1664 in Willesborough KEN. They had the following children:

          3   i. Thomas (?1620-) 
          4  ii. Edmund (1622-) 
             iii. Martha. Martha was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 29 Apr 1627. Born in 1627.               iv. John. Born in 1628 in Willesborough KEN. John was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 27 Dec 1628.
               v. Grace. Born in 1629. Grace was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 28 Feb 1629.               vi. Jane. Born in 1633 in Willesborough KEN. Jane was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 14 Apr 1633.  
           5 vii. John (1635-)

 Third Generation

3. Thomas SHERWOOD. Born  ? 1620, baptism not found. Resided in Hinxhill KEN in 1652 to 1664. Occupation: Carpenter. Resident: Hinxhill ca1652-1664. On 15 Apr 1650 when Thomas was 30, he first married Ursula BONHAM, in Canterbury St.M Bredin. They had the following children:

               i. John. John was baptized in Hinxhill KEN in Nov 1652. Born  ca 1652.
               ii. Grace. Grace was baptized in Hinxhill KEN  ca 1653.  
              iii. Katherine?. Katherine? was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 16 Sep 1653.  
               iv. Edward. Edward was baptized in Hinxhill KEN in Mar 1660.  
               v. Thomas. Thomas was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 24 Aug 1662. Born in 1662 in Hinxhill KEN.  
               vi. Margaret. Margaret was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 15 May 1665. Born in 1665.  
 In 1669 when Thomas was 49, he second married Elizabeth JEDDEREE, in Sturry KEN. They had one child:           6   i. William (1670-1750)

4. Edmund SHERWOOD. Edmund was baptized in Sevington KEN on 31 Mar 1622. Born in 1622 in Sevington KEN. On 19 Nov 1648 when Edmund was 26, he married Mary JEFFERIE, in Canterbury St.M Bredin. They had the following children:

               i. Jane. Jane was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 16 Sep 1649.  
               ii. Mary. Mary was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 9 May 1655.

 5. John SHERWOOD. Born in 1635 in Willesborough KEN. John was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 16 Aug 1635. John married Ann ?---.  They had the following children:

          7   i. Edmund or Edward (1661-1704) 
              ii. Ann. Ann was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 22 Jun 1662. Born in 1662.  
              iii. Thomas. Thomas was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 10 Apr 1664. Born in 1664.                iv. John. John was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 10 Jun 1666. Born in 1666.  
               v. Jane. Jane was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 8 Apr 1668. Born in 1668.  
               vi. Elizabeth. Elizabeth was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 2 Oct 1670. Born in 1670.               vii. John. John was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 1 Dec 1672. Born in 1672.  
             viii. Margaret. Margaret was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 21 Mar 1674. Born in 1674.  
              ix. Gracious. Gracious was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 5 Nov 1676. Born in 1676.

 Fourth Generation

6. William SHERWOOD. Born in 1670 in Hinxhill KEN. William died in 1750, he was 80. Buried on 23 Jan 1750 in Brook KEN. William was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 29 Nov 1670. Resident: Brook 1700-1750, Householder. On 23 May 1699 when William was 29, he married Amie NEWMAN, in Mersham KEN. Born  abt 1675. Amie died in Brook KEN in 1735, she was 60. Buried on 26 Apr 1735 in Brook KEN. They had the following children:

          8   i. Thomas (1700-)

              ii. William. Born in 1702 in Brook KEN. William was baptized in Brook KEN on 11 Oct 1702.

              iii.     John SHERWOOD @. Born in 1705 in Brook KEN. John SHERWOOD @ was baptized in Brook KEN on 28 Jan 1705.

               iv. Mary. Born  ca 1709 in Brook KEN. Mary died in Brook KEN on 20 Nov 1770, she was 61. On 17 Aug 1731 when Mary was 22, she married William WHITEWOOD, in Brook KEN. Born  ca 1697. William died in Brook KEN on 19 Jul 1757, he was 60.

           9  v. Edward (ca1715-1778)

 7. Edmund or Edward SHERWOOD. Edmund or Edward was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 19 May 1661. Born in 1661. Edmund or Edward died in Hinxhill KEN in 1704, he was 43. Buried on 7 May 1704 in Hinxhill KEN. Resided in of Wye in 1681. On 25 May 1681 when Edmund or Edward was 20, he married Elizabeth WEBB, in Canterbury St.Mildred. Born  ca 1655. They had the following children:

               i. Ursula. Ursula was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 26 Jun 1682. Ursula died in 1708 in Hinxhill KEN. Buried in 1708 in Hinxhill KEN.

               ii. William. William was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 1 Dec 1692. Born  ca 1692 in Hinxhill KEN. William died in Hinxhill KEN in 1694, he was 2. Buried on 1 Jul 1694 in Hinxhill KEN.

              iii. Margaret. Margaret was baptized in Hinxhill KEN on 2 Feb 1695. Born  ca 1695 in Hinxhill KEN.

              iv. Grace. Grace was baptized  ? . Born  ? . Grace died in 1697 in Hinxhill KEN. Buried on 23 Nov 1697 in Hinxhill KEN.

               v. Ann. Ann was baptized in Willesborough KEN on 5 Jun 1687.

 Fifth Generation

8. Thomas SHERWOOD. Born in 1700 in Brook KEN. Thomas was baptized in Brook KEN on 7 Apr 1700. On 1 Oct 1726 when Thomas was 26, he married E EYETHORNE/AYTHORN, in Crundale KEN. They had the following children:

               i. Elizabeth. Elizabeth was baptized in Wye KEN on 22 Nov 1730. Born in 1730 in Wye KEN.

               ii. Thomas. Thomas was baptized in Wye KEN on 9 Jul 1733. Born  ca 1733.

              iii. Dorothy. Dorothy was baptized in Wye KEN on 12 Dec 1736.

 9. Edward SHERWOOD. Edward was baptized in Brook KEN on 7 Jul 1715. Edward died in Brook KEN in 1778, he was 63. Buried on 31 Dec 1778 in Brook KEN. Born  ca 1715. On 26 May 1736 when Edward was 21, he married Susan PRIGG, in Wye KEN. Susan died in 1750 in Brook KEN. Buried on 8 Nov 1750 in Brook KEN. They had the following children:

               i. William. Born in 1739 in Brook KEN. William was baptized in Brook KEN on 6 Apr 1739.

               ii. Edward. Born in 1741 in Brook KEN. Edward was baptized in Brook KEN on 22 Aug 1741. Edward died  ? 1741.

              iii. Edward. Born in 1742 in Brook KEN. Edward was baptized in Brook KEN on 22 Aug 1742. Edward died in Brook KEN in 1778, he was 36. Buried on 31 Dec 1778 in Brook KEN. On 19 Jun 1773 when Edward was 31, he married Sarah BRISE, in Waltham KEN.

               iv. Thomas. Born in 1743 in Brook KEN. At the age of 1, Thomas was baptized in Brook KEN on 18 Mar 1744. Thomas died in 1743 in Brook KEN. Buried on 5 Sep 1744 in Brook KEN.1

               v. Thomas. Born in 1745 in Brook KEN. Thomas was baptized in Brook KEN on 28 Jul 1745. Thomas died in 1797, he was 52. Buried on 24 Jan 1797 in Brook KEN. 

         10  vi. John (1746-1814)

Sixth Generation

10. John SHERWOOD. Born in 1746 in Brook KEN. John was baptized in Brook KEN on 21 Dec 1746. John died in Hastingleigh KEN in 1814, he was 68. Buried on 11 May 1814 in Brook KEN. Resident: of Hastingleigh at marr. On 10 Jan 1770 when John was 24, he married Elizabeth NOTT, in St.Mary's, Wye KEN. Born  ca 1746 in Wye? Elizabeth died in 1807, she was 61. Buried on 1 Jul 1807 in Brook KEN. They had the following children:

         11   i. Edward (1770-1846)

         12  ii. Elizabeth (1772-)

             iii. Thomas. Born in 1774 in Brook KEN. Thomas was baptized in Brook KEN on 17 Apr 1774.

               iv. Sarah. Born in 1776 in Brook KEN. Sarah was baptized in Brook KEN on 25 Feb 1776. Sarah died in 1802, she was 26. Buried on 10 Jun 1802 in Brook KEN.

Seventh Generation

11. Edward SHERWOOD. Born in Mar 1770 in Brook KEN. Edward was baptized in Brook KEN on 11 Mar 1770. Edward died in Willesborough KEN on 29 Jan 1846, he was 75.2 Buried on 2 Feb 1846 in Chilham KEN. Occupation: Ag.Lab. Resident: East Ashford Union Workhouse at death. On 12 Oct 1793 when Edward was 23, he married Elizabeth BODLE, in Chilham KEN.

They had the following children:

               i. John. John was baptized in Chilham KEN on 8 Jun 1794. Born in 1794. 

              ii. William. William was baptized in Chilham KEN on 24 Jan 1796. Born in 1796. 

             iii. Edward. Edward was baptized in Chilham KEN on 30 Mar 1800. Born in 1800. 

         13  iv. Mary (1802-)

              v. Elizabeth. Elizabeth was baptized in Chilham KEN on 4 Oct 1807. Born in 1807.

 

12. Elizabeth SHERWOOD. Born in 1772 in Brook KEN. Elizabeth was baptized in Brook KEN on 21 Jun 1772. Elizabeth had an illegitimate child by Robert AMOS, son of John AMOS & Sarah DAD. Robert was baptized in Crundale Church S Mary on 2 Jul 1774.

         14   i. Thomas SHERRARD alias SHERWOOD (1800-1862)

 Eighth Generation

13. Mary SHERWOOD. Mary was baptized in Chilham KEN on 15 Mar 1802. Born in 1802. Child:

               i. Frances. Frances was baptized in Chilham KEN on 3 Jun 1822. Born in 1822.

 14. Thomas SHERWOOD. Born on 10 Mar 1800 in Petham. Thomas was baptized in Petham, Kent on 23 Mar 1800. Thomas died in 1862, he was 61. Buried on 12 Mar 1862 in Hastingleigh, Kent. Occupation: Ag.Lab. Resident: 1823-25 at Brook, 1851 & 61 census at Hastingleigh. On 5 Aug 1823 when Thomas was 23, he married Elizabeth REYNOLDS, in Crundale. Born  abt 1794 in Brook, Kent. Elizabeth died in E.Ashford RD, KEN in Apr 1879, she was 85. Buried on 15 Apr 1879 in Crundale, Kent. They had the following children:

               i. Sarah Ann. Born in 1823 in Brook KEN. Sarah Ann was baptized in Brook, Kent on 23 Nov 1823.

          15  ii. John (1825-1878)

         16 iii. William (1827->1891)

              iv. Susannah. Born in 1830 in Hastingleigh KEN. Susannah was baptized in Hastingleigh on 3 Jan 1830.

 Ninth Generation

15. John SHERWOOD. Born in 1825 in Brook Kent. John was baptized in Brook Kent on 25 Sep 1825. John died in Crundale Kent on 24 Aug 1878, he was 53. Buried in 1878 in Crundale Kent. Occupation: Ag Lab. Resident: Smeed Cottage #, Hassell Street, Hastingleigh, Kent in 1851. On 18 Dec 1847 when John was 22, he married Sarah Ann HOAR, daughter of William HOAR, in Hastingleigh KEN. Born in 1828/1829 in Godmersham Kent. Sarah Ann died in Crundale Kent on 27 Sep 1861, she was 33. Buried in Crundale Kent. They had the following children:

               i. Elizabeth (1848-)

              ii. Susannah (1849-1924) # She married Thomas Ditcher (1848-1917) at Crundale on 14 Oct 1871 and had 5 children. A photo of them outside their house, Castle Cottage, Saltwood can be seen below. Information kindly supplied by her great-granddaughter, Sue Marshall.

             iii. John Thomas (1852-1929)

              iv. Celia (1853-) married Henry Morgan 26 July 1875 at Crundale.

              v. Frederick (1856-1940) married Harriet Newport, lived at Chartham & had a large family.

              vi. Sarah Ann (1859-) probably married Daniel Chittenden, she was housekeeper to him at Brook in the 1881 census.

             vii. Mary Ann (1860-)

  16. William SHERWOOD. Born in 1827 in Hastingleigh KEN. William was baptized in Hastingleigh on 11 Nov 1827. William died  aft 1891, he was 64. Occupation: Labr. Resident: 1861 & 81 census at Bilting, Godmersham. On 3 May 1856 when William was 29, he married Mary GREENSTREET, in Hastingleigh KEN. Born  abt 1832 in Godmersham, Kent. Mary died  aft 1891, she was 59. They had the following children:

               i. John (~1857-?1937)

              ii. William (~1860-)

             iii. George A (~1865-)

              iv. Walter H (~1863-)

John Thomas SHERWOOD # 1852-1929 above was my great grandfather. He married Frances HAYWARD and had nine children, of whom my grandfather, George, the eldest was born in 1874 at Kennington near Ashford. John Thomas spent most of his life as Woodman  at Challock, where the family lived at what is now Pear Tree Cottage # in Pested Lane. They had the following children:
 i. George SHERWOOD (Illegitimate)
ii. Frederick SHERWOOD; Born 1877. Baptism 10 Jun 1877
in Godmersham.
iii. John Henry SHERWOOD (known as Harry)
iv. Ernest William SHERWOOD
v. Herbert Stephen SHERWOOD
vi. Mildred Frances Mary SHERWOOD
vii. Percy Douglas SHERWOOD
viii. Harold Edward SHERWOOD
xi. Reginald Charles SHERWOOD; Born About 1890.
x. Emily Gertrude Celia SHERWOOD
George married Ellen SHETTLE whom he met while working at St.Thomas's Hospital in London. He was a Gardener and moved first to Esher in Surrey, before moving to Waltham Cross in Herts, where he worked in the tomato growing nurseries. George had three children, of whom my father, Herbert John was the second, born in 1907 at Boughton Aluph near Ashford. 

There are many descendants of John Thomas and his brother Frederick still living in Kent and elsewhere.

Some Family Photographs:

George and Ellen Sherwood with their three children (L to R): Reginald George, Winifred and Herbert John (Phil's father) taken about 1927.
  Phil's great-grandfather, John Thomas Sherwood taken at Pested ca1912
Smeed Cottage (now demolished) at Hassell Street, Hastingleigh where John & Sarah Sherwood lived ca1851.
 The house at Pested Lane, Challock ca1895 (now called Pear Tree Cottage) where John Thomas & his family lived from ca1880. His wife Frances is on the right holding one of her daughters. Who are the other two? Could the one on the left be John's sister, Susannah, seen in photo below?
 Phil outside the front of Pear Tree Cottage at Pested.
Susannah & Thomas Ditcher outside their home at Castle Cottage, Saltwood near Dover.(photo by kind permission of Sue Marshall)

A photo of my father, Herbert and also the Sherwood family at Pested in 1912 can be seen on my Sherwood ONS site.

This page was last updated on 14 May, 2011