SHERWIN, John (c.1527-89), of Chichester, Suss.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. c.1527. m. ?Agnes, at least 1s.

Offices Held

Alderman, Chichester, mayor 1570.

Biography

After he had been chosen as Chichester’s Member of Parliament, Sherwin agreed, ‘upon the tedious suit’ of one George Stoughton, to give up his place to Thomas Lewknor, a local gentleman and no freeman. The mayor vetoed this, but the incident must have rankled, for Sherwin in his turn objected to the return of the outsider Valentine Dale in 1572. In 1584 Sherwin favoured the popular candidate, James Colbrand. In June 1577 ‘divers gentlemen’ witnessed a document, stating that the bishop of Chichester ‘was not drunk at the dinner at Mr. John Sherwin’s house, as by some he was unjustly slandered’. Sherwin died in 1589, his will being proved at Chichester the same year.

Vis. Hants (Harl. Soc. lxiv), 188; Chichester City Charters (Chichester City Council, Chichester Pprs. iii), 23; St. Ch. 5/C23/37 (where the election dispute is incorrectly attributed to Elizabeth’s first Parliament); Neale, Commons, 261-4; Chichester Wills (Brit. Rec. Soc. Index Lib. lxiv), 261. The Star Chamber case established Sherwin’s age as about 59 in 1586.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: J.J.C.

Notes