Sheffield of Yorkshire

[Gjest]

Dear John R. and others

There was a recent brief discussion about the Sheffields of
Balderstone et al, who are apparently ancestral to the later Rockleys
of Rockley (Sir Robert Rockley seems to have married the daughter of
Thomas Sheffield).

The question was asked whether these Sheffields could be equated with
the family of that name who are claimed, according to a rather late
visitation entry, to have had a descent from one of the Balioll kings
of Scotland [a claim, incidentally, which is likely spurious].

I have had the chance to go through the South Yorkshire pedigrees, and
some useful 14th century IPMs, and can confirm that Thomas Sheffield
is not a descendant of the marriage in question. He died in about
1406 (will proved York) and had a wife Helen (1379 Poll list), whereas
the Thomas of the senior line who were previously under discussion
died at an earlier date, and the line daughtered out after the death
of William Sheffield in (IIRC) the late 14th/early 15th century (he
was a clergyman) - ie all three sons of the marriage in question died
without surviving issue, with the exception of one grandson who
himself died issueless.

I can hunt up the full details once I am back in England in the New
Year if anyone is interested - but should add that from the embarras
de Sheffields I have not been able to assign any details to Thomas's
immediate ancestry, other than that he descended from a 13th century
second son of the senior Sheffield line.

MA-R

[wjhonson]

Thomas Sheffield was living Jun 1402 when he sold the Manor(s) of
Balderstone (Bolsterstone) and Penisall.

His grandson Robert Rockley (son of Robert Rockley by Alice Sheffield)
was a Knight already by 1386.

Thomas had to have been in his late 70s at the very least at the time
he sold the Manors.

Also I have a Thomas Rockley as a son of Robert Rockley by Alice
Sheffield but I have a note that he was born between 1380 and 1385,
can that be right?