1607-1671

Sloade Lane, Ridgeway in 2011.

William Staniforth II was baptised at St. James, Norton and was the son of William Staniforth of Woodsette (later of Litfield, Ridgeway) and his wife Elizabeth Thorpe, daughter of Christopher Thorpe. He was baptised on the 16th September 1607.

He Married Elizabeth Hodgson, the daughter of Richard Hodgson of Jordanthorpe on January 30th, 1630. Her father was a sickle-smith who was already established before the founding of the Cutler’s Company in nearby Sheffield in 1624. There is record of Richard giving ‘a forghammer, an hand hammer, and two paire of tongs’ to an apprentice who had reached the end of his apprenticeship.

Following their marriage, on the 22nd of February 1640, the couple had a son named William Staniforth, baptised at Eckington. Elizabeth then passes away the following month, presumably, her death was related to the childbirth. It seems this led to William being largely brought up by his grandmother, Ann Hodgson (nee Waridine). This makes it very likely that William grew up around his grandfather Richard, at his smithy in Jordanthorpe. William remarries a woman named Dorothy Monk in Eckington on the 18th October 1642 and in 1654 he is mentioned on the apprenticeship record of his son William, where he is listed as father. William is apprenticed to his grandfather Richard Hodgson, and is described as being ‘Of Sloade Lane’.

With his second wife, he has a number of daughters, as well as a second son, Thomas Staniforth, who is described as being ‘of Sloade Lane’ throughout his life.

William was buried in Eckington on the 13th June 1671, his first wife Elizabeth Hodgson was buried on the 26th March 1641, and Dorothy Monk, the second wife is buried on the 22nd January 1673.