Sherman Family History and Genealogy

Much has been written about the early Sherman Family. An excellent site is maintained for the Shermans of Yaxley (SOY).

THE SIX 'ORIGINAL' SHERMAN IMMIGRANTS

From 1633 to 1637 five Sherman brothers and cousins immigrated to New England. They are the ancestors of many English SHERMANS in the United States. Philip and Samuel were brothers and Capt. John was their cousin. All three of these men were second cousins to The Rev. John Sherman and the Hon. Samuel Sherman, who were also brothers. It has not been established whether William Sherman ("The Pilgrim") was related or not. Visit Our Sherman Immigrants.

  • William Sherman ("The Pilgrim") came to Plymouth, MA, in 1632 Vital Statistics pdf icon.
  • Philip Shearman, 1609-1687, came to Roxbury, MA, in 1633
  • The Reverend John Sherman 1613-1685, came to Watertown, MA, in 1634
  • The Honorable Samuel Sherman 1618-1700, came to Wethersfield, CT, in 1636
  • Samuel Shearman 1610-1643, came to Boston, MA, in 1636.
  • Captain John Sherman 1612-1690, came to Watertown, MA, in 1637.

--Information from Roy V. Sherman, Professor Emeritus, Akron, OH
Some of the Descendants of Philip Sherman the First Secretary of Rhode Island

Some of the books published on the Sherman Family that I have used include those listed below. There are many more listed at Sherman Research Books.

The New England Shermans -- by Roy V. Sherman, privately published, 1974.

Some of the First Descendants of Philip Sherman The First Secretary of Rhode Island -- by Roy V. Sherman, privately published, 1968.

Roy V. Sherman was a Professor Emeritus of the University of Akron in Akron, OH and researched SHERMAN and allied families in North America and England for most of his life. Frank Dempster's Collection constitutes the main portion of his books. Roy's own research and personal correspondence completes the work. Copies of Roy's books are located at the main LDS library in Salt Lake and in various other libraries, but are NOT available on film from Family History Centers, nor are any reprints available. SOY member Art Cohan can help with lookups or further info.

Sherman Allied Families -- by Bertha L. Stratton, 1951. "Sherman Allied Families" is available on FHC film #1018902.

New Light on Henry Sherman of Dedham, Essex, England and Some Notes on His Descendants, Also William Freeborn's English Home & Wife -- by Bertha L Stratton, 1954.

Transatlantic Shermans -- by Bertha L. Stratton, 1969. "Transatlantic Shermans" is NOT available at FHC's, nor are reprints. SOY member Art Cohan can help with lookups or further info.

Bertha Stratton is a descendant of Philip Sherman. Her books are very detailed and well-documented, containing genealogical data on hundreds of SHERMANS who date back to the Family origins in Dedham, Essex and Yaxley, Suffolk, England. Also included is interesting historical information relating to ancient England and colonial America, and numerous prominent Shermans.

Sherman Genealogy -- by Frank Dempster Sherman, publishing dates vary.

The Frank Dempster SHERMAN Collection consists of nearly two thousand four hundred fifty-seven approximately 5x7 inch cards done in his own beautiful handwriting. Frank Dempster's works have not entirely been published but everything he documented is preserved by microfiche. His wife donated his entire genealogy collection to the NY Public Library after his death in 1916. Frank Dempster divided his works by the four leading men and compiled descendants of each with Philip being the voluminous. Some of his works are available at local Family History Centers. FHC film #1405270 covers descendants of Philip, Captain John, and the Hon. Roger Sherman. FHC film #1405271 covers descendants of Samuel Sherman.

You also might want to check the Sherman Family Census Index.

Shermans of Yaxley Newsletter Articles.

The Sherman Family Tree

The main line of descent for this web site is:

  • Philip Sherman and Sarah Odding
  • Edmund Sherman and Dorcus Hicks
  • David Sherman and Abigail Hathaway
  • Jacob Sherman and Margaret Faunce
  • David Sherman and Lydia Staples - He fought as a soldier in the American Revolution. Six children have been identified, all sons.
  • David Sherman and Hannah Curtis - Nine of their children have been identified. The two main lines of descent are through their son David and daughter Susannah. The Vermont Historical Gazetter (No. VII, pg 819) gives the following description of Hannah and David Sherman: "...Those persons who, as inhabitants of the town in their day, were most remarkable for their personal appearance were first.... and, second, David Sherman, Jr. who was remarkable for having scarcely any neck, his head appearing as if set immediately upon his shoulders, so that he often went by the nickname of Shortneck Sherman; his wife Mrs. Hannah Sherman, was noted, too, for having been in her palmiest days the largest woman in town, weighing over 300.
Guy Sherman and Melissa Phillips Family Bible