Richard Sherman (bef. 1576 - 1660)

Born before 3 Mar 1576 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Alice (Cage) Sherman — married 1612 in England

Husband of Elizabeth (UNKNOWN) Robinson — married 1635 in Dedham, Essex, England

Descendants

Died 30 May 1660 after age 84 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts

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Richard Sherman migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 6, p. 294) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Richard Sherman was born before March 3, 1576/7 since that is the date of his baptism at Dedham, co Essex, England; his parents were Edmund Sherman^[1]and his wife Ann (Pellett) Sherman.^[2]Richard's brother was Edmund Sherman of Watertown.^[1]He had additional siblings who lived long; Ann (Sherman) Anger and Bezaliel Sherman and step siblings; Sarah (Sherman) Warner, Ann (Sherman) Backler Salmon, Samuel Sherman, John Sherman, Benjamin Sherman, and Mary (Sherman) Bacon.

Marriages

He married (1st) to Alice Cage on August 13, 1612 at Hingham, co. Suffolk, England. She probably died in Dedham, co Essex sometime after 1628, although this cannot be proved conclusively since there is a gap in the parish registers. Their children were:

1. Ann who was baptized at Dedham, co. Essex on November 21, 1613. At the time of her father's will she was living in England, unmarried. Buried at Dedham on June 26, 1665.
2. William was baptized at Dedham, co Essex on October 22, 1616. Died young.
3. Priscilla was baptized at Dedham, co Essex on September 27, 1618. She married Martin Garwood at Dedham, co Essex on March 25, 1658,^[1]after the death of his 1st wife. Martin was buried at Dedham on December 10, 1657 afterwards she married (2nd) William Smith of Dedham, clothier.^[2]
4. Samuel was born about 1621 and was named in the will of his uncle, Samuel Sherman, on June 14, 1643. He was not named in his father's will of April 7, 1660.
5. Alice was born about 1624. She married Thomas Spaule by 1644 as they had a daughter born at Boston in September 1644. He married (2nd) Mary Gutteridge
6. Martha was born about 1626. She married Edmund Brown by 1652 as they had a son John who was baptized at Dedham on August 5, 1649.
7. Abigail was born about 1628 and married in 1649 to John Damon as their oldest child was baptized in Dedham on August 5, 1649.^[1]She died at Reading, Massachusetts on April 8, 1708.^[2]

He married (2nd) to Elizabeth Robinson surname unknown. Whether he married her in England or New England depends on the accuracy of his migration date. If 1635 then they were probably married in England; if 1634 with his brother, Edmund, then they may have been married in New England. After Richard's death she married (2nd) Thomas Robinson by 1666. Richard and Elizabeth had one daughter:

1. Elizabeth who was born at Boston on December 1, 1635. She died at Boston on September 30, 1648 as reported by Governor John Winthrop in a letter to his son, "our neighbor Sherman his daughter died this day."

Migration

Anderson records on page 294 of Great Migration that he migrated in 1635 (since a daughter was born at Boston on December 1, 1635); residing in Boston. However on page 300 he says it was possible that he migrated with his brother, Edmund, in 1634.^[1]With him as he migrated were his three youngest daughters: Alice, Martha, and Abigail.^[2]

Lawsuit

Richard and his wife were embroiled in a famous lawsuit; known as "Goody Sherman's sow." The case had substancial constitutional consequences that has affected the bicameral legislature we are familiar with today. The story goes... that in 1636 the swine owned by Boston residents were brought back to the town from Deer Island. Robert Keayne lived neighbors to the Shermans and retained a sow that was not his, later butchering it. Elizabeth Sherman, with the assistance of George Story (since her husband was in England at that time) brought a law suit against Keayne. Eventually Keayne sued Elizabeth Sherman for slander, giving him damages of L20. This slander suit aggravated the deputies and general population since Keayne was known as a price-gouger. The lower house believed that the court was siding with the wealthy against a poorer Bostonian. Some believed that the case of Sherman vs. Keayne should be decided by combining the vote of the upper and lower houses with the majority deciding the case. leading ultimately to the larger lower house casting more of the votes in favor of acquittal. The magistrates, however, held out for what was called "the negative voice," wherein each house would vote separately, with a majority of each house being necessary to settle the matter; essentially what we have in our legislature today.^[1]

Church Membership, Land, Occupation, Education

Richard was a merchant and planter; an educated man, since he signed his deeds and his will. In 1639 Boston selectmen granted to "Richard Sherman a great lot for seven heads at Muddy River." In 1645 when Boston recorded the land owners, he held one parcel, "one house and garden and a parcel in the New Field." He became a member of the Boston church on April 16, 1654 as "Richard Shearman."

Estate, Will, Death

Richard Sherman died at Boston on May 30, 1660.

On April 1, 1658 he bequeated one parcel of land (1 acre, an orchard) to his wife Elizabeth; after her death to John Joyliffe of Boston, merchant, a friend who was to then pay 15 pounds of sterling to each of those mentioned below:

• Anne and Priscilla Sherman, his daughters in old England
• Martha Browne, his daughter in Dorchester
• Abigaile Damen, his daughter in Redding
• Mary & Elizabeth Spaule, the daughters of Thomas Spaule his grandchildren in Boston.

Richard Sherman made his will on April 7, 1660 which was proved July 13, 1660. His wife was named sole executrix and to receive the residue of his estate after the following legacies:

• daughters: Ann Shearman & Prissilla [sic] Garett, the wife of Martine Garret - L10
• daughter: Martha Browne - L10
• daughter: Abigail Damine - L10
• grandchildren: Mary & Elizabeth Spawle - L5

An inventory was taken June 26, 1660 and totaled L105 10s. 6d. with debts of L10. This total included the real estate which included the dwelling house with the outhouse and 1/3 of an acre was L60.

Will

Samuel Damon provides the following transcription of his will:^[3]

I RICHARD SHEARMAN being weake in body but by ye mercy of God Retaineiug my understanding and memorie doe make and ordaine my last will and testament m forme as followeth my soule I doe Comend unto ye Lord God my Redeemer hoping for salvasion only through ye meritts and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ my savior. And for my temporal estate I order and bequeath as followeth viz. I give and bequeath unto my two daughters Ann Shearman and Prisilla Garett the wife of Martin Garet to each of them tenne pounds also to my daughter Martha Browne tenn pounds and to my daughter Abigail Damine teuu pounds all which Legacies I doe appointe to be pjiyd out of my Estate that shall remaine after the decease of my wife Elizabeth Shearman within sixe moneths after her decease by my overseers hereafter nominated. Provided that if my said wife shall see cause with ye advise of \\ij overseers to sell je dwelling house and ye ground adjoyning to it during hir life time then ye said Legacies shall be payd within six moneths after such sale made the two ten pounds to my daughters in England into ye hands of my couseine Mr. Auger of Cambridge to be sent unto my daughters if then liveing or else to ye child or children of them, if either should dye without issue before ye time mentioned then ye survivor of hir child or chiklren to receive it, if both should die before ye time above mentioned then leaving no issue -m\ will is yt ye whole fortie pounds should be disposed of to my two daughters Martha and Abigail or to their children at ye discretion of my overseers. 1 do further give and bequeath unto Mary and Elizabeth Spawle my grand children to each of them live pounds upon same termes as ye Legacies of my daughters above specifyed to be all payd by my wife or her successors in some currant pay of New England.

In consideration of all such I doe hereby acquitt and discharge my wife Elizabeth Shearman from ye paymt of fifteene pounds mentioned in a deed of sale whereby I have made over my orchard to my said wife, the said deed beareing date the 2oth day of August 1658 and I doe hereby confirme ye said deed of late to my said wife, such deed was made to me John Joyliffe on hir behalf who is hereby discharged also, from ye said i^ajant of tifteene pounds, further 1 doe make and appointe my loving wife Elizabeth Shearman sole Executrix of this my last will and testament : I doe alsoe appointe my loving friends and kinsman me Edmund Anger and John Lovermore of Watertowne overseers of this my last will. In witnes of all which above written I have hereuato set mv hand this seventh day of Aprill 1660.

Leaving all ye rest of my Estate unto my said wife and Executrix.

Signed and delivered by Eichard Shearman with ye clause on ye margent on ye other side in ye originall will in pr'nce of us ye clause being in these words. Leaving all ye rest of my Estate unto my said wife and Executrix.

RICHAED SHEARMAN.

Witnes : William Baktholomew, John Joyliffe.

At a Countre Court held at Boston 31th July 1660, William Bartholomew deposed faith that haveing subscribed his name as a witnes to this will was prsent when Eichard Shearman signed and published this as his last will and testament and yt he signed and published this as his last will and testament and yt he was of a sound disposeing minde when he signed it o his best knowledge.

Eeg. of Probate, Vol. 1st, page 336. Co. Suffolk, Mass.

Damon memorial : or, Notices of three Damon families who came from old England to New England in the XVIIth century (1882)

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. Featured Sketch of Richard Sherman. pp 294 - 302.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "The Earliest Shermans of Dedham, Essex, and Their Wives" by Michael Johnson Wood. Vol. 168, p. 18.
3. ↑ Samuel Chenery Damon, Damon Memorial, (Honolulu, H.I.: s.p., 1882), 115; images, Internet Archive, (https://archive.org/details/damonmemorialorn00damo : accessed 11 Dec 2022).

• Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. Featured Sketch of Richard Sherman. pp 294 - 302.subscribers$

• The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "The Earliest Shermans of Dedham, Essex, and Their Wives" by Michael Johnson Wood. Vol. 168, p. 18.link for subscribers$
• Death:The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, Vol. 18 (1864)

See Also:

• Sherman, Roy V. "The New England Shermans" published Palo Alto, Calif 1974. not available online.

• Sherman, Thomas Townsend. "Sherman Genealogy Including Families of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk England, Some Descendants of the Immigrants Captain John Sherman, Reverend John Sherman, Edmund Sherman and Samuel Sherman and the Descendants of Honorable Roger Sherman and Honorable Charles R. Sherman" (New York, 1920, see pp 111 - 113.see at archive.org