Henry Sherfield
Encyclopedia
Henry Sherfield was an English lawyer, a Member of Parliament for Salisbury
(Sarum) in 1623 and 1626. Of Puritan
views, he was an iconoclast
, and was taken through a celebrated court case.
in Hampshire
. He chose the law as his profession, and entered at Lincoln's Inn
. He was reader in 1623, and from 1622 to his death served as one of the governors. Shortly before 1614 he received an appointment as recorder of Southampton
, and he was elected as an MP to represent the borough of Southampton
in parliament in 1614 and 1621. In January 1624 he was chosen as member of parliament
by both Southampton and Salisbury, but in March of the same year he became recorder of Salisbury and elected to sit for Salisbury
. He retained his seat until the dissolution of 1629.
He made himself conspicuous by his attacks on George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
. He inflamed the situation in 1629 by calling attention, on 7 February, to the fact that Richard Neile
, bishop of Winchester
, had inserted words into the pardons of Richard Montagu
and others which freed them from the penalties of erroneous and unorthodox opinions. The dissolution of parliament on 2 March 1629 prevented the institution of proceedings against Neile.
Sherfield's stepson, Walter Long
, was among the seven members arrested after the dissolution, and Sherfield was one of the counsel employed in his defence. He returned to his home at Winterbourne Earls
in Wiltshire
, and resumed his office of recorder. The revival of ritualism under William Laud
discomposed him. In the parish church of St. Edmund's, of whose vestry he was a member, there existed a painted window in which God the Father was portrayed as a little old man in a red and blue cloak, measuring the sun and moon with a pair of compasses. To this window some of the people were accustomed to bow. In February 1630 Sherfield obtained leave of the vestry to remove the painting and replace it by plain glass. John Davenant
, bishop of Salisbury
, forbade the churchwardens to carry out the order. After some delay Sherfield, in defiance of this decree, went into the church by himself, and dashed his stick through the window.
In February 1632–3 he was summoned to answer for his conduct before the Star chamber
. He was unanimously adjudged in fault, but there was considerable difference as to a fitting penalty. Laud was on the side of severity, and so was Neile. The sentence finally fixed was a fine of £500 and a public acknowledgment of his fault to Davenant. Sherfield made the acknowledgment on 8 April 1633, but he died in January 1634, before paying his fine. His house at Winterbourne Earls had been burned in March 1633, and his loss was estimated at £2,000.
About 1616 he married Rebecca, daughter of Christopher Bailey of Southwick
, North Wiltshire, and widow of Walter Long of Whaddon, Wiltshire. He left one daughter.
Attribution
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
(Sarum) in 1623 and 1626. Of Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
views, he was an iconoclast
Iconoclast
An iconoclast is someone who engages in iconoclasm—destruction of religious symbols or, by extension, established dogma or conventions.Iconoclast may also refer to:...
, and was taken through a celebrated court case.
Life
He probably lived in early life at WalhamptonWalhampton
Walhampton is a small village in the New Forest National Park of Hampshire, England. It lies approximately 1.2 miles north-east from Lymington, on the opposite bank of the Lymington River....
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He chose the law as his profession, and entered at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. He was reader in 1623, and from 1622 to his death served as one of the governors. Shortly before 1614 he received an appointment as recorder of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, and he was elected as an MP to represent the borough of Southampton
Southampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Southampton was a parliamentary constituency which was represented in the British House of Commons. Centred on the town of Southampton, it returned two Members of Parliament from 1295 until it was abolished for the 1950 general election....
in parliament in 1614 and 1621. In January 1624 he was chosen as member of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
by both Southampton and Salisbury, but in March of the same year he became recorder of Salisbury and elected to sit for Salisbury
Salisbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Salisbury is a county constituency centred on the city of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, by the first past the post voting system....
. He retained his seat until the dissolution of 1629.
He made himself conspicuous by his attacks on George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham KG was the favourite, claimed by some to be the lover, of King James I of England. Despite a very patchy political and military record, he remained at the height of royal favour for the first two years of the reign of Charles I, until he was assassinated...
. He inflamed the situation in 1629 by calling attention, on 7 February, to the fact that Richard Neile
Richard Neile
Richard Neile was an English churchman, bishop of several English dioceses and Archbishop of York from 1631 until his death.-Early life:...
, bishop of Winchester
Bishop of Winchester
The Bishop of Winchester is the head of the Church of England diocese of Winchester, with his cathedra at Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire.The bishop is one of five Church of England bishops to be among the Lords Spiritual regardless of their length of service. His diocese is one of the oldest and...
, had inserted words into the pardons of Richard Montagu
Richard Montagu
Richard Montagu was an English cleric and prelate.-Early life:He was born during Christmastide 1577 at Dorney, Buckinghamshire, where his father Laurence Mountague was vicar, and was educated at Eton. He was elected from Eton to a scholarship at King's College, Cambridge, and admitted on 24...
and others which freed them from the penalties of erroneous and unorthodox opinions. The dissolution of parliament on 2 March 1629 prevented the institution of proceedings against Neile.
Sherfield's stepson, Walter Long
Walter Long
Walter Long may refer to:*Walter Long , English knight of South Wraxall and Draycot, Wiltshire, friend of Sir Walter Raleigh*Walter Long , his son, English knight of Wiltshire*Sir Walter Long, 1st Baronet Walter Long may refer to:*Walter Long (1565–1610), English knight of South Wraxall and...
, was among the seven members arrested after the dissolution, and Sherfield was one of the counsel employed in his defence. He returned to his home at Winterbourne Earls
Winterbourne Earls
Winterbourne Earls is a village in Wiltshire, England, near Salisbury. It adjoins Winterbourne Dauntsey.-Facilities:*The anglican parish church is dedicated to St Michael and All Angels.*There is a primary school for boys and girls up to the age of 11....
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and resumed his office of recorder. The revival of ritualism under William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
discomposed him. In the parish church of St. Edmund's, of whose vestry he was a member, there existed a painted window in which God the Father was portrayed as a little old man in a red and blue cloak, measuring the sun and moon with a pair of compasses. To this window some of the people were accustomed to bow. In February 1630 Sherfield obtained leave of the vestry to remove the painting and replace it by plain glass. John Davenant
John Davenant
John Davenant was an English academic and bishop of Salisbury from 1621.-Life:He was educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, elected a fellow there in 1597, and was its President from 1614 to 1621...
, bishop of Salisbury
Bishop of Salisbury
The Bishop of Salisbury is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset...
, forbade the churchwardens to carry out the order. After some delay Sherfield, in defiance of this decree, went into the church by himself, and dashed his stick through the window.
In February 1632–3 he was summoned to answer for his conduct before the Star chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
. He was unanimously adjudged in fault, but there was considerable difference as to a fitting penalty. Laud was on the side of severity, and so was Neile. The sentence finally fixed was a fine of £500 and a public acknowledgment of his fault to Davenant. Sherfield made the acknowledgment on 8 April 1633, but he died in January 1634, before paying his fine. His house at Winterbourne Earls had been burned in March 1633, and his loss was estimated at £2,000.
About 1616 he married Rebecca, daughter of Christopher Bailey of Southwick
Southwick
-Places:India* Southwick, Ooty, a suburb of Ooty town in the state of Tamil Nadu.England* Southwick, Hampshire , a village in the county of Hampshire* Southwick, Northamptonshire, a small village* Southwick, Somerset, a small village...
, North Wiltshire, and widow of Walter Long of Whaddon, Wiltshire. He left one daughter.
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Attribution