Contents [hide]

Sharman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Sharman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Sharman finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a person who worked as a sheep-shearer deriving from the middle English word "sheareman," which meant "shearer." Alternately, and especially in Norfolk, the name was derived from "shireman," that is, a person born outside the county. 1

Early Origins of the Sharman family

The surname Sharman was first found in various counties and shires throughout ancient Britain. In fact, "in [the] Domesday Book the Judge of the County-court was called a Seirman, i.e., Shireman. The Anglo Saxon scirmann is defined by Bosworth as 'a man who superintends, shireman, provincial, an overseer, governor, provost, bailiff of a hundred.' " 1

The earliest record of the name that we could find was Roger Sereman who was listed in 1207 in Leicestershire. A few years later William le Shereman was listed in 1281 and the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk list John Sherman in 1327. In the same year, the Subsidy Rolls of Essex listed Philip Shareman (Sharman.) 2

Early History of the Sharman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sharman research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1611, 1662, 1670, 1671 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Sharman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sharman Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Sharman has been recorded under many different variations, including Sherman, Shearman, Sharman, Shaerman, Shirman and others.

Early Notables of the Sharman family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Philip Sherman (1611-1687), an English founding settler of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations; and Roger Sherman of Connecticut, signer of the American Declaration of Independence.John Sherman (died 1671), was an English historian of Jesus College, Cambridge, a native of Dedham...
Another 53 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sharman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sharman family to Ireland

Some of the Sharman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sharman migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Sharman or a variant listed above:

Sharman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Sharman, who landed in Virginia in 1664 3

Sharman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Sharman, who landed in Virginia in 1710 3
Peter Sharman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1765 3

Sharman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sharman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss Ann Sharman, (Shearman), English convict who was convicted in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Broxbournebury" in January 1814, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. William Sharman, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dromedary" on 11th September 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
Mr. William Sharman, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "England"on 28th April 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Thomas Sharman, aged 25, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Hydaspes" in 1851 7
Thomas Sharman, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Hydaspes" 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sharman migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sharman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Sharman, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl Durham" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand in 1841 8
Jonathan Sharman, aged 45, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Ann Sharman, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
Charles E. Sharman, aged 15, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
J.R. Sharman, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Berar" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sharman (post 1700) +

Samuel Sharman (1879-1951), American gold medalist sports shooter at the 1924 Summer Olympics
Ralph "Bally" Sharman (1895-1918), American Major League Baseball player
Brenda Leithleiter Sharman (b. 1968), American beauty queen, Miss Georgia USA 1990
William Walton "Bill" Sharman (1926-2013), American NBA basketball player and coach
William E. Sharman, American politician, Mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, 1924-28 9
Robin Sharman (b. 1979), English road racing cyclist from Repton, Derbyshire
Charlotte Sharman (1832-1929), English humanitarian
William "Will" Sharman (b. 1984), British international sprint hurdler
Mark Sharman (b. 1950), British broadcasting administrator
John Edward Sharman DSC and Bar and Croix de guerre (1892-1917), Canadian World War I flying ace credited with 8 victories
... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 3rd November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/broxbournebury
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dromedary
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/england
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HYDASPES 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Hydaspes.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html