First Generation

John Shelley is a direct ancestor of Bill Burgar, the author of this history.

He was born in 1771 and according to the 1841 Census he was not born in Berkshire.⁹

He died in 1848.¹⁶   Civil Registration of Death reference is Mar 1848, vol 6, p 247 - in Windsor, Berkshire.¹⁶

John Shelley and Catherine Brown ²⁰  were married on 1 October 1809 in Sunninghill, Berkshire.²¹⁷ The Marriage Register for Sunninghill has the entry:

John Shelley and Catherine Brown were married 1/10/1809

Prior to the marriage they had 2 children together, the first in 1795.   Why was it that they only married 13 years after the first child?.

It is possible that one of them was already married and therefore they were unable to marry.  It is possible that Catherine Brown was married previously.  See below.

John and Catherine Shelley appear together in the 1841 Census in Sunninghill Berkshire. ⁹

See 1841 Census

 Catherine (Matthews) Brown is a direct ancestor of Bill Burgar, the author of this history.

She was born in 1761 ⁹ .  According to the 1841 Census he was not born in Berkshire⁹ .

She died in 1842 in Windsor, Berkshire.¹⁶ Civil Registration of Death reference is Dec 1842, Vol 6, p 173 - in Windsor, Berkshire.¹⁶

The IGI ²⁰ has the entry:

Catherine Matthews married William Brown on 26/4/1789 in Sunninghill, Berkshire

William Brown and Catherine Matthews had two daughters:

Sophia Brown, baptised 1st June 1789 at Sunninghill, Berkshire ²⁰.

Dianna Brown, baptised 25th December 1791 at Sunninghill, Berkshire ²⁰.

That John Shelley and Catherine (Matthews) Brown got together soon after this last christening suggests that William Brown might have deserted his wife, Catherine.  However, further work needs to be carried out to prove this possibility.

See family tree of the descendants of John Shelley

John Shelley and Catherine (Mathews) Brown had the following children:

i.	Sarah Shelley
ii.	John Shelley