Richard Sherlock (clergyman)
Encyclopedia
Richard Sherlock was a seventeenth century English clergyman.
, then a village in the Cheshire
peninsula of Wirral
, on 11 November 1612, and was baptised at Woodchurch
on the 15th of that month. His father, William, a small yeoman
, died while Richard was still young, but his mother gave him a learned education. (Note that alternative sources suggest Sherlock's father may have been John Sherlock; the matter is of some interest in establishing Sherlock's relationship with Thomas Wilson
, Bishop of Sodor and Man
)
He was first sent to Magdalen Hall, Oxford
, whence he was removed, to save expense, to Trinity College, Dublin
There he graduated M.A. in 1633. Having entered holy orders
, he became minister of several small united parishes in Ireland
, where he remained till the breaking out of the rebellion of 1641
. Upon the Marquis of Ormonde's
truce with the rebels (15 September 1643), Sherlock returned to England as chaplain of one of the regiments sent by the marquis to aid the king
in his struggle with parliament. He was present at the Battle of Nantwich
on 25 January 1644, in which Fairfax
completely defeated Byron
and captured many prisoners. Among these was Sherlock, who, on regaining his liberty, made his way to Oxford
, where he became chaplain to the governor of the garrison, and also a chaplain of New College
. In consideration of several sermons that he preached, either at court or before the Oxford parliament
, the degree of B.D.
was conferred upon him in 1646.
Expelled from Oxford by the parliamentary visitors about 1648, he became curate of the neighbouring village of Cassington
, where he dwelt in the same house as the mother of Anthony à Wood
, and made the acquaintance of the future antiquary, then a youth of seventeen. On being ejected from Cassington in 1652, Sherlock became chaplain to Sir Robert Bindloss, a royalist baronet
residing at Borwick Hall, near Lancaster
. Here he remained some years, courageously remonstrating with his patron when he gave scandal by his conduct, yet preserving his attachment to the end. While at Borwick, Sherlock entered into controversy with Richard Hubberthorne, a well-known quaker
, publishing in 1654 a book entitled The Quaker's Wilde Questions objected against the Ministers of the Gospel.
In or about 1658 Sherlock was introduced by Sir R. Bindloss to Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby
, who appointed him his chaplain at Lathom
. At the Restoration
he was placed by the earl on a commission for the settlement of all matters ecclesiastical and civil in the Isle of Man
. He fulfilled his part of this task 'to the entire satisfaction of the lord and people of that island', and returned to Latham. In 1660 he was nominated to the rich rectory of Winwick
in Lancashire, but, through a dispute as to the patronage, he did not get full possession of it till 1662. Here he remained at St Oswald's Church
for the rest of his life, ‘so constantly resident that, in an incumbency of nearly thirty years, he was scarcely absent from his benefice as many weeks; so constant a preacher that, though he entertained three curates in his own houses, he rarely devolved that duty upon any of them; such a lover of monarchy that he never shaved his beard after the murder of Charles I; so frugal in his personal habits that the stipend of one of his curates would have provided for him; and so charitable that, out of one of the best benefices in England, he scarcely left behind him one year's income, and that for the most part to pious uses’. He exhibited so much zeal for the church of England
that he was ‘accounted by precise persons popishly affected’. His fidelity to the Anglican church is clearly evidenced by his works.
Remaining unmarried, his rectory became a kind of training-school for young clergymen, among whom was his own nephew, Thomas Wilson, afterwards bishop of Sodor and Man. Sherlock, who proceeded D.D.
at Dublin in 1660, died at Winwick on 20 June 1689, and was buried in his parish church. In his will he left bequests to the poor of several of the parishes with which he had been connected.
Early life
Sherlock was born at OxtonOxton, Merseyside
Oxton is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Originally a village in its own right, it became part of the Municipal Borough of Birkenhead upon its creation in 1877...
, then a village in the Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
peninsula of Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, on 11 November 1612, and was baptised at Woodchurch
Woodchurch
Woodchurch is an area of the Wirral Peninsula, in England, which is sometimes considered a suburb of Birkenhead. Administratively, Woodchurch is within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and the parliamentary constituency of Wirral West...
on the 15th of that month. His father, William, a small yeoman
Yeoman
Yeoman refers chiefly to a free man owning his own farm, especially from the Elizabethan era to the 17th century. Work requiring a great deal of effort or labor, such as would be done by a yeoman farmer, came to be described as "yeoman's work"...
, died while Richard was still young, but his mother gave him a learned education. (Note that alternative sources suggest Sherlock's father may have been John Sherlock; the matter is of some interest in establishing Sherlock's relationship with Thomas Wilson
Thomas Wilson (bishop)
Thomas Wilson was Anglican Bishop of Sodor and Man between 1697 and 1755.He was born in Burton and Ness, in the Wirral, Cheshire, in December 1663. Having studied medicine at Trinity College, Dublin, he was ordained priest in 1689...
, Bishop of Sodor and Man
Bishop of Sodor and Man
The Bishop of Sodor and Man is the Ordinary of the Diocese of Sodor and Man in the Province of York in the Church of England. The diocese covers the Isle of Man. The see is in the town of Peel where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of St German, elevated to cathedral status on 1...
)
He was first sent to Magdalen Hall, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, whence he was removed, to save expense, to Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
There he graduated M.A. in 1633. Having entered holy orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, he became minister of several small united parishes in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, where he remained till the breaking out of the rebellion of 1641
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
. Upon the Marquis of Ormonde's
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde
James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde PC was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the second of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom. He was the friend of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, who appointeed him commander of the Cavalier forces in Ireland. From 1641 to 1647, he...
truce with the rebels (15 September 1643), Sherlock returned to England as chaplain of one of the regiments sent by the marquis to aid the king
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in his struggle with parliament. He was present at the Battle of Nantwich
Battle of Nantwich
The Battle of Nantwich was fought during the First English Civil War, between the forces of Parliament and of King Charles I, northwest of the town of Nantwich in Cheshire on 25 January 1644...
on 25 January 1644, in which Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
completely defeated Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron
John Byron, 1st Baron Byron was an English Royalist and supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War.-Life:...
and captured many prisoners. Among these was Sherlock, who, on regaining his liberty, made his way to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where he became chaplain to the governor of the garrison, and also a chaplain of New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. In consideration of several sermons that he preached, either at court or before the Oxford parliament
Oxford Parliament (1644)
The Oxford Parliament was the Parliament assembled by King Charles I for the first time 22 January 1644 and adjourned for the last time on 10 March 1645, with the purpose of instrumenting the Royalist war campaign.Charles was advised by Edward Hyde and others not to dissolve the Long Parliament as...
, the degree of B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
was conferred upon him in 1646.
Expelled from Oxford by the parliamentary visitors about 1648, he became curate of the neighbouring village of Cassington
Cassington
Cassington is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire about northwest of Oxford. The village lies on gravel strata about from the confluence of the River Evenlode with the River Thames. The parish includes the hamlet of Worton northeast of the village and the site of the former hamlet of...
, where he dwelt in the same house as the mother of Anthony à Wood
Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood or Anthony à Wood was an English antiquary.-Early life:Anthony Wood was the fourth son of Thomas Wood , BCL of Oxford, where Anthony was born...
, and made the acquaintance of the future antiquary, then a youth of seventeen. On being ejected from Cassington in 1652, Sherlock became chaplain to Sir Robert Bindloss, a royalist baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
residing at Borwick Hall, near Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
. Here he remained some years, courageously remonstrating with his patron when he gave scandal by his conduct, yet preserving his attachment to the end. While at Borwick, Sherlock entered into controversy with Richard Hubberthorne, a well-known quaker
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, publishing in 1654 a book entitled The Quaker's Wilde Questions objected against the Ministers of the Gospel.
Winwick and the connection with the Earl of Derby
Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby
Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby , an English nobleman, was the only son of James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby and Charlotte de La Trémouille....
, who appointed him his chaplain at Lathom
Lathom
Lathom is a village and civil parish in Lancashire, England, about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk. It is in the district of West Lancashire, and with the parish of Newburgh forms part of Newburgh ward...
. At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
he was placed by the earl on a commission for the settlement of all matters ecclesiastical and civil in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. He fulfilled his part of this task 'to the entire satisfaction of the lord and people of that island', and returned to Latham. In 1660 he was nominated to the rich rectory of Winwick
Winwick, Cheshire
Winwick is a village and civil parish in the borough of Warrington in Cheshire, England. Historically within Lancashire, until 1 April 1974, Winwick was administered as part of Lancashire with the rest of north Warrington. It is situated about three miles north of Warrington town centre, near...
in Lancashire, but, through a dispute as to the patronage, he did not get full possession of it till 1662. Here he remained at St Oswald's Church
St Oswald's Church, Winwick
St Oswald's Church, Winwick, is in the village of Winwick to the north of Warrington, Cheshire, England. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Liverpool, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the...
for the rest of his life, ‘so constantly resident that, in an incumbency of nearly thirty years, he was scarcely absent from his benefice as many weeks; so constant a preacher that, though he entertained three curates in his own houses, he rarely devolved that duty upon any of them; such a lover of monarchy that he never shaved his beard after the murder of Charles I; so frugal in his personal habits that the stipend of one of his curates would have provided for him; and so charitable that, out of one of the best benefices in England, he scarcely left behind him one year's income, and that for the most part to pious uses’. He exhibited so much zeal for the church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
that he was ‘accounted by precise persons popishly affected’. His fidelity to the Anglican church is clearly evidenced by his works.
Remaining unmarried, his rectory became a kind of training-school for young clergymen, among whom was his own nephew, Thomas Wilson, afterwards bishop of Sodor and Man. Sherlock, who proceeded D.D.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
at Dublin in 1660, died at Winwick on 20 June 1689, and was buried in his parish church. In his will he left bequests to the poor of several of the parishes with which he had been connected.
Works
His works are:- 1. The Quaker's Wilde Questions objected against the Ministers of the Gospel, and many Sacred Gifts and Offices of Religion, with brief answers thereunto. Together with a Discourse of the Holy Spirit his impressions and workings on the Souls of Men, 1654. This book was reprinted and enlarged in 1656, with two additional discourses on divine revelation, mediate and immediate, and on error, heresie, and schism. This work was animadverted on (remark or comment critically, usually with strong disapproval or censure) by George FoxGeorge FoxGeorge Fox was an English Dissenter and a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends.The son of a Leicestershire weaver, Fox lived in a time of great social upheaval and war...
in The Great Mystery of the Great Whore unfolded, 1659. - 2. The Principles of the Holy Catholick Religion, or the Catechism of the Church of England Paraphrast, written for the use of Borwick Hall, 1656; this work was often reprinted.
- 3. Mercurius Christianus: the Practical Christian, a Treatise explaining the duty of Self-examination, 1673. This, Sherlock's principal work, was greatly enlarged in subsequent editions. To the sixth edition, which appeared in 1712, was prefixed a ‘Life’ of the author by Bishop Wilson. The four parts into which the work was divided were sometimes published separately.
- 4. Several Short but Seasonable Discourses touching Common and Private Prayer, relating to the Publick Offices of the Church, 1684. This includes The Irregularity of a Private Prayer in a Publick Congregation, first published in 1674.
External links
- The Practical Christian, including a short account of the life of Sherlock by Thomas Wilson, at Google Books
- The Forebears of Bishop Wilson