died 1661

John Staniforth's Arms, as published in Staniforthiana (1860)

John Staniforth was the eldest son of John Staniforth and Jane Lewys, and was the heir to his fathers will. Although it is difficult to determine when exactly John was baptised, it is very likely that he is the John that appears on the St. Peter and St. Paul Parish register on February 2nd, 1602. There seems to be a mystery surrounding this family group, as John also had a number of siblings, including Dorothy mentioned in her father's will in 1633 as being the wife of George Pearson, however no baptism record exists for a Dorothy, daughter of John Staniforth.

John is recorded as being 'Of Darnall' and likely lived in the original Darnall Hall, John was the Principal agent for the Earl of Arundel.

When the Attercliffe Chapel was consecrated on St. Matthias's Day, 1630 (February 24th), John contributed 10s annually towards the endowment. Only two other land owners gave largers sums, and only one matched hsi sum.

Both Joseph Hunter, the famous Sheffield Antiquarian, and Frances Margery Hext, author of the 1860 book Staniforthiana, note that John Staniforth married Mary Gower, the daughter of Rev. Stanley Gower, who at the time was rector of the new Attercliffe Chapel. However once again no marriage record exists, however in the letters and paperwork collected by the Wilson family of Broomhead Hall, letters between Stanley Gower and John Staniforth still exist, with Stanley refering to John as his son-in-law.

During the start of the English Civil War, John Staniforth obtained a 'protection' from the Earl of Newcastle in May of 1643 which stated:

"It is my expresse pleasure and command that no officers or soldiers of his Majesty's army under my commany presume at any time hereafter to plunder, moldest, or trouble the person, house, family, goods, or chattels of John Staniforth of Darnall in thie county, without particular order and special warrant therein. And hereof none of the m may fayle at theire perills. Given under my hand the XVIIIth day of May 1641. Wil. Newcastle."

John Staniforth had seven children with his wife Mary, four sons and three daughters:

  • John
  • Griffith “of Sheffield”
  • William “of Bakewell”
  • Mark "of Leeds" married Phoebe Milner, and decsendents still lived in Leeds in the 20th Century
  • Mary, married a man named Dixon and had son Dixon Staniforth in 1676
  • Sarah
  • Ruth. died unmarried in 1668

John Staniforth died in 1661 and was buried on August 27th of that same year, his wife survived him a further fifteen years, and her will is dated 13th October, 1676. All four sons are named in the mother's will.