The Herling Connection

Although she had already given birth to two children Mary Jane Shaw was apparently still single. Her world was about to change and late in 1896 at the age of 36 she married George Henry Milward Herling at St John's, Knutsford, he was a much younger coachman from an army family. George was born in Colchester in 1875, presumably where his father was stationed at the time. His siblings were all born in army garrison towns, from Ireland to India, all part of the British empire at the time. This photograph is probably of George Henry Milward Herling aged 40, taken in 1914 shortly before he died.

After Mary Jane Shaw married and became Mary Jane Herling her son William Shaw changed his name to William Herlingshaw. It is not known exactly when, but it was probably between 1896 and 1906 as he seems to have joined the army for 7 years in February 1906 using his new name. This is how he looked during that army period.

William's sister Alice was listed as Alice Shaw Herling in the 1901 census, although her marriage record from 1911 incorrectly records her as Alice S Kerling.

Mary Jane and George Herling had several children including James Leslie, born 1897, George Millward, born 1899 and Annie Frances Millward, born 1902. Both of their boys also joined the army but they probably had little choice thanks to WW1. This photograph is probably of James Leslie Herling in September 1914 when he was about to enlist to serve in WW1.

For several generations most of this Herling family used Milward (or Millward and sometimes Millwood) as a middle name and it seems that this was to reinforce their connection to John Milward, a royalist civil war colonel, diarist and member of parliament who is commemorated at St Helen's church in Darley Dale, Derbyshire - where many of Mary Jane Shaw's ancestors were baptised, married and buried. James Leslie Herling is unusual in that he does not appear to have the Milward middle name.

A Mary Jane Shaw married George Broadbent in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1881. Another married John Pendlebury in Runcorn in 1888. Yet another married James Lumb in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1890 and another married James Stevens in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1888. But there are no known indications that our Mary Jane Shaw married before George Herling.

A Mary Shaw, daughter of John Shaw, married a John Milward, son of Robert Milward in Derby in May 1853.

    








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