Research on the Shopland family of New Buildings, Sandford.
Recently the museum was visited by a lady resident of New Buildings near Sandford. She had received a letter from Glenda Clarke, who was researching the family tree of her father John Shopland. Glenda has established that her great x4 grandfather William Shopland lived at 5 New Buildings in 1775, and his father and grandfather also came from New Buildings. The Shoplands moved to London in the 1830s, and a descendant died in a workhouse there.
As the name Shopland has survived in two house names in New Buildings, Glenda is trying to find more information about the Shopland family's connection with the village. Did they once own property there?
Unfortunately we weren't much help. There is no useful information in the Downes archive on either New Buildings or the Shopland family. We have a copy of the censuses of Sandford taken by the then vicar, Rev George Bent at the end of the 18th century, and these show a number of Shopland households in New Buildings, but this is essentially confirmation of what Glenda already knew.
If anyone has any information which would help Glenda with her research, please contact us and we will forward it to her.