Infant sons of Mark Staniforth & Isabella Ward in Beighton Churchyard

Over the generations, we find situations where brothers from one family would marry sisters from another, one interesting example of this comes from Hackenthorpe where we find the Staniforths marrying into the Ward family multiple times.

William Ward married Catherine Hibbard at Handsworth on June 25th 1794 and they had multiple children,

John Ward, born 1802 married Martha Staniforth daughter of Thomas Staniforth II of Hackenthorpe.

William Ward, born 1800 married her sister Sarah Staniforth of Hackenthorpe

Catherine Ward married John Birks of Woodhouse, brother of Peter Potter Birks.

On the next generation, Sarah Staniforth and William Ward again had multiple children, one of which, Isabella Ward born 1826 at Hackenthorpe, married Mark Staniforth of Hackenthorpe. Mark Staniforth was the son of Thomas Staniforth III of Hackenthorpe. This was actually a first cousin marriage, as Thomas Staniforth III was the brother of Isabella’s mother Sarah Staniforth.

Looking back to Catherine Ward that married John Birks, as mentioned he was the brother of Peter Potter Birks of Woodhouse. Peter married Sarah Staniforth of Woodhouse, daughter of John Staniforth and Mary Hurt, this again is a line of Staniforth’s that traces back to the same Hackenthorpe line.

It should also be added here that over in Sheffield, the famous Thomas Asline Ward was the grandson of William Asline and Mary Younge. Mary’s brother John Trevers Younge married Elizabeth Staniforth, daughter of Samuel Staniforth and Alethea Macro of Darnall Hall. Although there is no clear link between Thomas Asline Ward and the Wards of Hackenthorpe and Handsworth, it is interesting to see the same surname cropping up elsewhere.