William was the son of Thomas and Cherry/Charity Shearly, Sherly, Sharley of Richmond, Hampshire England. When his parents married in Richmond on the 14th of November 1769, his father gave his occupation as a Sojourner. A Sojourner being a traveling person, a temporary resident. And well he may have been as Hampshire is over 60 miles from Horsington, Somerset.

William was born in Richmond around 1772. His mother was likely to have been a more permanent inhabitant as a relative Isaac Falkiner (possibly her father?) was present at her marriage as a witness.

William had an older brother Thomas who was baptised in Richmond on the 26th September 1770.

William married Anna Crouch on the 22nd January 1799 in Horsington, Somerset, England both being Church of England. Anna would be recorded with variations that included Ann, Anne, Anna.

Anna Crouch

The children I know of from William Sharley and Anna Crouch are as follows.

1.Thomas Sharley b. 1800.

2. Elizabeth Sharley b. 1801.

3. Henry Sharley b. 1803.

4. Melinda Sharley b. 1805.

5. John Crouch Sharley b.1807.

6. William Sharley b. 1810.

7. Ann Sharley b. 1811.

8. James Sharley b. 1814.

9. Charles Sharley b. 1816.

I believe all born in Somerset, England is the township of Horsington. Horsington was and is as I understand a small and ancient parish which translates loosely to keeper of the horses, standing about 4 kilometres south of the larger town of Wincanton.

On the 19th January 1800 (the following year to their marriage) would see the arrival of their first son (my ancestor) Thomas Sharley baptised in Horsington, Somerset.

Elizabeth Sharley born 1801 in Horsington, Somerset.

July 1803 would see the arrival of Henry Sharley baptised in the October of the same year.

April 1805 was the birth of their daughter Melinda Sharley baptised in June of the same year.

A son, John Crouch Sharley followed in March 1807.

Son, William Sharley in February of 1810.

A daughter, Ann Sharley in April 1811.

A son, James Sharley in May 1814.

A son, Charles Sharley in June 1816.

I’m not really sure how many children William Sharley and Anna Crouch had because their christian names were common in Britain. By tracking through the parish registers I’m comfortable that there were definitely nine at least. They were all registered as place of birth being Horsington and within the right time frame. The records do go across two registers as a new register was started in 1813.

Anna died eleven years before William and both were buried in Horsington. Anna died at 62 and William at 81. The same Rector oversaw both of their funeral services.