Hello all, have just joined your merry band and am desperately seeking any members with the surname DARRALL or DARRELL or has any information about this Shropshire family.
Hello Gwynne.....and thank you so much for this. This is news to me.....don't know about this enterprise at all!
my Darralls were based in Little Wenlock and Lightmoor. I have reached back to circa 1700 with parish records but leads dry up before that
I have been to Ariel in Normandy and discovered where the surname Darrell originates and visited Sessay, Lillingstone Dayrell and Littlecote Manor in UK . The difference in spelling may not be significant?
the surname is very centred on the Dawley area as you point out. But how that came about remains a mystery to me. There may be no connection with the Darrells but it would be great to find out more.
thank you for your interest ????
Kate
I have more information about the connection between the Darralls (in Little Wenlock and Dawley) and my 6xGGF Cornelius Gittins. I was pretty confident that he married Jane Darrall from Little Wenlock, but their 19-year age gap was bothersome! After researching the Darralls some more, I am even more confident about that marriage.
As I mentioned in my previous post (GITTINS and DARRELL), Cornelius owed money to a Thomas Darrall, and this Thomas became the administrator of his estate. But who exactly was Thomas, and why was Cornelius owing him money? Further, Thomas’s son Robert was made the 3rd life on Cornelius’s farm lease. Why would Cornelius want to choose him rather than somebody in his own family?
It turns out that Thomas Darrall (b.1691 to Edward and Christian in Dawley) married Jane Darral’s sister Elizabeth. That’s right, the marriage was between 2 Darrells!! But Thomas’s parents were from Dawley and Elizabeth’s parents were from Little Wenlock, so they were probably not too closely related.
Thomas and Elizabeth were married (in 1717) just a month before Cornelius and Jane. I suspect that all four of them got along well together, and looked out for each other.
The story of Cornelius and Jane (as detailed in my article linked to the other post) was one of riches to rags. As they sank into poverty, they must have received some financial support from Thomas, so he became their creditor (in legal terms).
Robert (b. 1726) was the son of Thomas, and age 10 when Cornelius settled his farm lease. At that point, Cornelius could have appointed his youngest son to be the third life. But the son was only 2 years old, and at greater risk of dying early than Robert. So Cornelius probably appointed Robert knowing that he too would have the family interest at heart.
I hope that you find this bit of sleuthing among the Darralls in your ancestral neck of the woods to be of interest. It seems remarkable to be able to connect these dots in the genealogical record from 3 centuries ago.
--John
I have in my tree
Elizabeth Margaret Darrall 1870
Emily 1873
Hilda Mary 1883 -1961
Jane 1760
Joseph 1842-1922
Sarah Jane 1867
Thomas 1879
William 1876
Thomas 1839
Thomas 180+9
Mainly 4th cousins. If want info about any of these drop me a line.
Would be very interested in info about Jane Darrall 1760 Thank you
Kate, I have spent many years researching the 'Darrall' name in and around Dawley (Telford now) and have a wealth of information I could possibly share with you if you are looking in this area of Shropshire.
My ancestors are derived from Thomas Darrall who married Mary Morgan in 1787 in Dawley and lived in the area until 1883 when the descendants emigrated to New Zealand. Where do you fit into the 'Darrall clan' ?
I see a Jane Darrall married a John Shepherd on the 16-7-1785 at Little Wenlock, could this be the one you are looking for? Her age at marriage of 25 years could be right.
Would be nice to hear from a fellow Darrall researcher - there are not many of us.
Paul in New Zealand.
John, I am interested in the source for your information regarding the marriage of Thomas Darral to Elizabeth Darral. There is a possibility that I, too, may be related to this family but, to date, can't find any evidence of the connection.
Any data you may be able to furnish would be gratefully received.
Paul Darrall in New Zealand.
Hi Paul
The source is the Dawley Magna Parish Register. In May and June of 1717, there are mention of six different Darrals:
May 1: Marriage of Benjamin Darrall to Sara Darrall.
May 17: Burial of William Darrall.
May 25: Marriage of Tho(mas) Darrall to Elizabeth Darrall.
June 27: Marriage of Cornelius Gittins to Jane Darrall.
I have not checked, but all the above should be found in the transcription of the Dawley Parish Registers on the Dawley History website:
http://dawleyhistory.com/Archive/Dawley%20Parish%20Registers%201666-1837.pdf
I found this resource to be very helpful in my Gittins research. If you look under "Dorrall" in the index at the back, you will find page references to all the Dorrall, Darrall, Darrell names in the register. There are a large number!!
Hope this helps, John
Thank you John for the link to the Parish Registers. Will take me a 'month of Sundays' to sort out all the Darrall/Dorral/ etc. variations of my name but are very grateful for the opportunity to investigate this aspect of records. Looks like my lounge floor will be covered in paperwork for the forseeable future - just as well my wife is on holiday.
It look as though you and I maybe related somehow through the marriage of Cornelius to Jane - this I will need to investigate but can confirm that the Ferreday, Franks, Tranter, Morgan, Barker and Garbett families are linked with my Darrall family, mainly through marriage and location.
Off to spread some papers before I get found out!
Regards
Paul
Hi Paul
https://www.shropshirearchives.org.uk has the following indenture:
“Indenture dated 25 March 1661. Between 1) William Lord Craven; 2) Richard Dorrell of Little Dawley, yeoman. Lease of premises in Little Dawley for 99 years for the lives of Elizabeth, wife, Edward, son of Dorrell & Jane Pargiter. Rent & Heriot. (Bad condition)”
The exciting thing is that Richard Dorrell is the first “Darrall” to show up in the Dawley Parish Registers. In the transcription on the Dawley History website, the first page records his death in October, 1666. The second page records the death of his widow, Elizabeth, in January 1667. The first page also records the baptism of a child Ann to his son Edward and Jane.
So Richard and Elizabeth “Darrall”, born in the early 1600’s, could be your earliest known ancestors in Dawley. This allows you to explore your Darrall tree, not only upwards from Thomas and Eliza, but also downwards from Richard and Elizabeth … and hope to meet somewhere in between.
In any event, Richard Darrall and Richard Gittins were fellow Dawley Yeoman, and the records of their families are intertwined in the Dawley Register.
I hope this new information does not unduly increase the paper coverage on your lounge floor.
Regards, John
Hi Paul
I could not resist exploring a possible connection between your Thomas Darrall/Mary Morgan and the early Darrall Yeomen in Dawley. The result of my effort is shown below, but it is not very encouraging. The information might be useful as a reference if you have not already explored this part of your tree.
D*r*l Born Married Year Lived in Notes
Robert ~1575 Margaret ? ? Dawley Yeoman, Burgess Much Wenlock
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Richard ~1610 Elizabeth Bayton 1635 Dawley Yeoman, married Much Wenlock
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Richard ~1650 Ann ? ~1676 Dawley No baptism or marriage record
Richard 1680 Mary Darrall 1709 Dawley
Thomas 1719 Jane Williams 1751 Dawley Bap Little Wenlock, mar Madeley
Thomas 1758 Mary Morgan 1787 Dawley
There are indentures in Shropshire Archives (see below) for Robert, and for Richard (~1610). FMP has probate records for each of Robert, Margaret, Richard (~1610) and Elizabeth. They are hard to read, but do not seem to reveal any paternal relation either between Robert and Richard (~1610), or between Richard (~1610) and Richard (~1650).
There is no record for the baptism of Richard (~1650) since it would have occurred before the Dawley Register began in 1666. The Register does show Richard (~1650) and Ann had 5 children between 1678 and 1691. However, I could not find a marriage record for them.
I could find only one little hint that Richard (~1650) might be the child of Richard and Elizabeth. Richard (~1650) named his two oldest children Richard and Elizabeth.
Richard and Ann are, I believe, the great-grandparents of your Thomas (1758) via Richard (1680) and Thomas (1719).
I searched on the term “D*r*l” to circumvent the various spellings (including “Darwall”).
My other sources are listed below and were obtained from Shropshire Archives.
Regards, John
Other Sources:
Indenture dated 13 June 1612. Between 1) Sir George Hayward; 2) Robert Dorrall of Little Dawley yeoman. Lease of premises in Little Dawley for the lives of Margaret widow of Roger Eastop & William Eastop their son. Rent, Heriot, 2 Capons, 2 Hens.
Indenture dated 25 March 1661. Between 1) William Lord Craven; 2) Richard Dorrell of Little Dawley, yeoman. Lease of premises in Little Dawley for 99 years for the lives of Elizabeth, wife, Edward, son of Dorrell & Jane Pargiter. Rent & Heriot. (Bad condition)
Robert Darrall of Little Dawley was admitted as a Burgess to the Borough of Much Wenlock in the time when William Haywarde, gent, was Bailiff 1613-1614.
BOROUGH OF MUCH WENLOCK 1468-1836 Unlike Ludlow and Shrewsbury, where the towns may be said to have their origins in the castle, Much Wenlock's beginnings may be seen to be ecclesiastical. Much Wenlock Priory owned a number of manors, each one of which would be controlled by a bailiff responsible to the prior. Most of these estates by 1080 had already belonged for four centuries to the church of Wenlock. The bailiff was the most senior official subsequently responsible to the lord of the manor and for the conduct of the court. The last bailiff was William Anstice, who became first Mayor of the new reformed borough in 1835. The borough's real beginning however comes in 1468, a few weeks after the first successful royal appointment of a prior of Wenlock. At the instance of Lord Wenlock, chief butler of England, Edward IV, recalling the 'laudable and acceptable services' of his 'liege men and residents of the town of Wenlock' in his gaining of the crown, granted them a charter conferring on the town the status of a 'free borough incorporate forever'. A bailiff, burgesses and commonalty were to have a liberty extending 'over the parish of Holy Trinity'.
Wow! Hello Paul, how wonderful to hear from you.! My paternal grandmother, Jessie, was a Darrall from Little Wenlock. You are correct…there aren’t many folk interested in our lineage.
I descend from William Darrall (born 1778) who married Sarah Lommas. William had many siblings including a Thomas but he would be too young to be your Thomas?
I had no idea there was a Darrall branch in NZ! Where do you live?
Familia good wishes
K
Hello Paul, still haven't been able to discover why the surname Darrall is so concentrated in the Dawley area or how the name came to Shropshire. The original Darrell/Dayrell family came over very soon after 1066 . Have you any leads?
best wishes Kate
ATTENTION new member Mr DARRELL of Church Stretton. I have been researching the Darrells/Darralls for many years and may be able to help you with your family history
Best wishes
Kate
Hello Paul, long time no contact. I currently have an old NZ pal staying with me....she lives in Invercargill. do you live in north or South Island? Would really love to swop info with you re Darrall emigration to NZ. Please reply Kate
CHETWYND
Anyone any info on the parish of Chetwynd pre 1700
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Hi Kate,
Welcome to the Forum.
In view of the lack of response so far to your enquiry, may I respectfully suggest you explain more precisely what information you seek?
I suspect that Dawley (now part of Telford) was the centre for DARRALL’s.
Although there seems to be very little information about any DARRALL family in Bridgnorth (my area of interest) I do have these two photographs of their short lived shop in Bridgnorth in approx. 1910.