The founding heritage of the Shierman family is in the
Anglo-Saxon culture that once dominated in Britain. The name Shierman comes from when one of the family 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.Early Origins of the Shierman family
The surname Shierman 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. 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]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Early History of the Shierman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shierman research.
Another 159 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1611 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Shierman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Shierman Spelling Variations
The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few
hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time,
spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Shierman has been spelled many different ways, including Sherman, Shearman, Sharman, Shaerman, Shirman and others.
Early Notables of the Shierman family (pre 1700)
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shierman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Shierman family to Ireland
Some of the Shierman family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 31 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Shierman family to the New World and Oceana
Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Shiermans to arrive in North America: John Sherman, who settled in Boston in 1634; Phillip, Edmund, Thomas; and William Sherman all settled in Virginia in 1652; Thomas Sherman settled in Barbados in 1634.