Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 52.djvu/84

  ‘Cabinet Library,’ 1830–2, the first volume passed through three editions, and the second through four. In 1837 he published his final essay in fiction, a tale of the civil war of Charles I's reign, entitled ‘The Broken Font’ (2 vols.). It was somewhat coldly received. In 1838 he issued his latest publication, a volume of extracts from his earlier works, named ‘Imagery of Foreign Travel.’

Though warmly attached to his profession, Sherer had little taste for garrison life, and retiring from the army about 1836, took up his abode at Claverton Farm, near Bath. A brevet majority was all that rewarded his long service. For many years, though changing his residence, he clung to the same neighbourhood. Subsequently a nervous disease required that he should be placed in medical hands. He never completely recovered, but survived to the winter of 1869. He was buried in Brislington churchyard.



SHERFIELD, HENRY (d. 1634), puritan, probably resided in early life at Walhampton 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 (, Orig. Jurid. pp. 255, 264 et. seq.). Shortly before 1614 he received the appointment of recorder of Southampton, and he was elected to represent the borough in parliament in 1614 and 1621. In January 1623–4 he was chosen as member of parliament by both Southampton and Salisbury. In March of the same year he became recorder of Salisbury, and he elected to sit for that city. He retained his seat until the dissolution of 1629. He first rendered himself conspicuous by his attacks on Buckingham (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1627–8, p. 23). He embittered the situation in 1629 by calling attention, on 7 Feb., to the fact that [q. v.], bishop of Winchester, had inserted words into the pardons of Richard Montagu [q. v.] and others which freed them from the penalties of erroneous and unorthodox opinions. The dissolution of parliament on 2 March 1629 alone 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 (ib. 1628–9, p. 556). But he himself was soon to be brought to account. He had returned to his home at Winterbourne Earls in Wiltshire, and resumed the duties of his office of recorder. Hitherto he had appeared to be a churchman of ordinary opinions. He had been accustomed to kneel for the communion, and to punish separatists. But the revival of ritualism under 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. 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 the fitting penalty. Laud was on the side of severity, and so, naturally enough, was Neile. The sentence finally fixed was a fine of 500l. 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 2,000l. (ib. 1631–3 p. 588, 1633–4 p. 542). 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 (ib. p. 551).



SHERIDAN, CAROLINE HENRIETTA (1779–1851), novelist, wife of Tom Sheridan, and daughter-in-law of  [q. v.], was second daughter of Colonel James Callander (afterwards Sir, 1745–1832 [q. v.]), by his third wife, Lady Elizabeth Helena (d. 1851), youngest daughter of Alexander Macdonnell, fifth earl of Antrim. Miss Callander, one of the beauties of her day, was married in 1805 to Tom Sheridan, the younger son of R. B. Sheridan, and by him she was mother of ‘the three beauties,’ the Hon., Lady Dufferin, and the Duchess of Somerset. The