Philip Sherard (MP)

Sherard went abroad with his brother shortly before the Civil War, where he became a captain in the Dutch army. He enjoyed field sports and settled at the family estate of Whissendine, Rutland, holding no local office until the Restoration.^[6]

In 1660, Sherard was elected Member of Parliament for Rutland in the Convention Parliament. He was one of those proposed as Knight of the Royal Oak, and his estate had a yearly income of £600. In 1661, he was re-elected MP for Rutland in the Cavalier parliament, probably without a contest. He was re-elected in the two elections for the First and Second Exclusion Parliaments and again in 1681.^[6]

In 1682, he was removed from local office, and took no further part in politics, his son Bennet replacing him as knight of the shire in the Convention.^[6]

In 1645, Sherard was married to Margaret Eure, widow of both John Pulteney of Misterton, Leicestershire, and a Cavalier Col. Hon. William Eure of Old Malton (son of Lord Eure), and daughter of Sir Thomas Denton of Hillesden, Buckinghamshire.^[1][7] Margaret converted to Protestantism. Together, they were the parents of three sons and one daughter, including:

• Bennet Sherard (1649–1701), who was also MP for Rutland.^[6]
• Philip Sherard, who married and had issue.^[5]
• Denton Sherard.^[5]
• Abigail Sherard (b. 1652), who married John Pickering, Esq. (1654–1703) and had issue.^[8]

Sherard died at the age of 71 and was buried at Whissendine on 4 March 1695.^[6]

Through his son Bennet, he was a grandfather of Philip Sherard, 2nd Earl of Harborough, (c. 1680–1750), who inherited the Harborough earldom through special remainder,^[9] and Margaret Sherard, the wife of The Most Rev. John Gilbert, Archbishop of York.^[10]