When I started my search for my Shirley's back in 1999, Other than the Shirley family who had extensive land holdings at Bagbere in Sturminster Newton Parish, I did not know of any Shirley's in Dorset, nor did anyone else. Gradually over the last 3 years I have discovered that the Shirley name has been present in Dorset since the early 1500's at least. The occurences are still widely scattered and seem to be mainly in the Blackmore Vale parishes. At this point in time having completed a unsuccessful search of Wiltshire I am leaning towards finding my family somehwere here evetually. Living overseas the lack of access to copies of Dorset Parish Registers is my biggest problem. I have discovered that the SHARLEY and SHIRLEY names occurs in over 25 Parishes, most of them in Blackmore Vale parishes, so this search is going to take some years. The following families are what I have found so far.

1.) The SHIRLEY family mentioned above with extensive land holdings at Bagbere near Sturminster Newton since at least the early 1500's are according to the Stemmata Shirlieanna to be suppposedly decendants of the Derbyshire Shirley's. According to the Stemmata Shirlieanna the family is not mentioned in the Parish Registers before 1690. Many of this family are recorded I believe in various London Parishes and certainly there are Wills in existance which do provide more information. It also appears that the Shirley family who lived at Lydlinch is the same family from information contained in existing wills and publications of the Somerset and Dorset Notes and Queries. As I have not researched this family, this will be updated as more information comes to hand.

2.) The SHIRLEY name turns up at Stalbridge in 1775 with the marriage of an Elizabeth Shirley, which is followed 3 years later by the marriage of a Thomas Shirley to Pretiza LEMON. I have no idea where this Thomas comes from but the association of the SHIRLEY name then continues to after the 1851 census before the name dies out or the family have moved elsewhere. Since this family is only 6 miles away from my own at Horsington, Somerset I have looked at it long and hard, but there is no evidence at this stage to connect the two families.

3.) Pulham, another mystery Shirley. This William states he was of Okeford and these records were checked for me, but there are no Shirley's recorded in the Parish registers, although a William Shirley is recorded as a witness at the marriage of James HALLETT.

4.) From my understanding the Shirley's of Blandford Forum and Hazelbury Bryan are also of the same family as the Bagbere/Lydlinch Shirley's. Existing records show them to be of a wealthy family so I have no reason at present to doubt this assumption.

5.) Stinsford - Arthur George Sewallis who appears in 1842 is of the Derbyshire Shirley family and I believe a MP (to be verified), married twice and had several children.

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