suc. fa. 15 Jan. 1700 as 3rd Bar. Sherard [I]; cr. 19 Oct. 1714 Bar. HARBOROUGH; cr. 31 Oct. 1718 Visct. SHERARD; cr. 8 May 1719 earl of HARBOROUGH
First sat 21 Mar. 1715; last sat 7 May 1731
MP Leics. 1701 (Dec.); Rutland 1713
b. 9 Oct. 1677, 2nd but o. surv. s. of Bennet Sherard‡, 2nd Bar. Sherard of Leitrim [I]. m. lic. 30 Apr. 1696, Mary (d.1702), da. and coh. of Sir Henry Calverley‡ of Eryholme, co. Dur., 1s. d.v.p. d. 16 Oct. 1732; will 27 May-27 July 1732, pr. 2 Nov. 1732.1
Ld. lt. Rutland 1700–12, 1715–d.; warden and c.j. in eyre, N. of Trent 1719–d.
Associated with: Stapleford, Leics.
Sherard was a prominent landowner in Leicestershire and an unswerving Whig. Following the accession of George I he received a British barony on the eve of the coronation, adding to and eclipsing his inherited Irish title. He first sat as Baron Harborough in the 1715 Parliament. His career will be discussed in detail in the second part of this work.
M.C.K.- 1 TNA, PROB 11/654.