Portrait of James Shield 1790-1875

The Shield/Shill family had a 300 year association with Tytherington which ended in 1885.  For a time the names Shield and Shill were interchangeable.

William Shield the elder (abt 1598-1670) was left the lease of land at Stidcott in his mother's will.  It then passed to his sons Henry (abt 1636-1684) and William (abt1638-1691).  It was William who actually lived there.

James Shill (pictured left) was baptised at Tytherington on 1st August 1790.  In 1826 he was farming at Moorleaze, Itchington and in 1827 he was a farmer at Stidcote.  From 1830 until 1875 when he died, he was farming at Barmers Land Farm.  He was baptised, married and buried as James Shield whereas his father, also James (1745-1816) was baptised, married, buried and wrote his will as Shill, although on his gravestone he is James Shield.

James Shield senior was the son of James Shill (1710-1773) and Mary Pullen.  Confusion arises because there were two James Shills both baptised in 1745!  James Shield's (1710-1773) youngest child was Sarah Shield the village schoolmistress.  On the hill which, before the quarry, rose up behind the church, there was a cottage where Sarah Shield lived. Her tombstone in the churchyard reads:

'To the memory of Sarah Shield spinster of this parish who departed this life May 31 1852 aged 93 years and 11 months'. The greater part of her time was spent in usefulness to her neighbours. She was also the village schoolmistress for 63 years and died respected by all who knew her.'

As you walk along the path to the church Sarah's tombstone is on the right hand side just beside the wall running up the slope.

Samuel Shield, the bailiff to the Hardwicke family, was a brother of James Shield (1790-1875) so another son of James Shield (1745-1816) and Sarah Luce.  Samuel's tombstone in the church graveyard reads:-

In memory of Samuel Shield 39 years clerk of this parish who died on the 19th of January 1855 in the 60th year of his age by the upsetting of a carriage after being many years in the employ of the late Thomas Hardwicke. Gent. of this place and his sister Mrs. P Morris who has caused this tomb to be erected Also in memory of Anna wife of the above named Samuel Shield who departed this life February 28th 1867 in the 70th year of her age.

Samuel's wife Anna taught the village children for some years in the middle of the century.

Pictured left is Henry Shield (1838-1921) the ninth child of James Shield (1790-1875) and Mary Issac. He was born at Barmers Land Farm and farmed there with his brother James until about 1885 when they moved first to Over and then to Berkeley, ending the family links with Tytherington.

Thank you to Sarah Stead (nee Shield) for providing the information for this page.