Philip Sherard, 5th Earl of Harborough

Philip Sherard, 5th Earl of Harborough (10 October 1767 – 10 December 1807), styled Lord Sherard from 1770 to 1799, was a British peer and politician.

The Right Honourable The Earl of Harborough DL
Member of Parliament for Rutland
In office 1795–1796 Serving with Gerard Edwardes
Preceded by	Gerard Edwardes John Heathcote
Succeeded by	Gerard Edwardes Sir William Lowther
Personal details
Born	Philip Sherard 10 October 1767
Died	10 December 1807 (aged 40)
Spouse(s)	Eleanor Monckton ​ ​ (m. 1791; his death 1807)​
Children	8
Parents	Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough Jane Reeve
Education	Harrow School
Alma mater	Clare College, Cambridge

Early life

Sherard was the eldest son of Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough and his wife Jane Reeve.[1]

He was educated at Harrow School in 1780 and Clare College, Cambridge in 1786.[2]

Career

Upon the death of John Heathcote in 1795, Lord Sherard was chosen by the Earls of Exeter and Gainsborough as a suitable representative for Rutland. (Gainsborough's interest was represented by his first cousin Gerard Edwardes; Exeter lacked suitable relatives to occupy the seat.) Sherard's father had a minor electoral interest in Rutland, and Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 4th Baronet, who was also interested in the position, was in any case debarred that year by being High Sheriff of Rutland.[2][3] Sherard was not active in Parliament and stood down at the 1796 British general election; Heathcote took a seat at Lincolnshire, while Sir William Lowther stood together with Edwardes.[2] On 26 February 1797, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Leicestershire.[1]

Philip became Earl of Harborough in 1799 in succession to his father, but was no more conspicuous in the Lords than he had been in the Commons.[2]

Personal life

On 4 July 1791, Sherard married Eleanor Monckton (1772–1809), daughter of Col. Hon. John Monckton of Fineshade Abbey and granddaughter of John Monckton, 1st Viscount Galway.[4] They had one son and six daughters, including:[2]

• Lady Lucy Eleanor Sherard (1792–1848), who married Henry Lowther, the second son of William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale,[5] in 1817.[4]
• Lady Anna Maria Sherard (1794–1848), who married William Cuffe in 1818.[4]
• Lady Sophia Sherard (1795–1851), who married Sir Thomas Whichcote, 6th Baronet in 1812 and subsequently William Evans-Freke, 8th Baron Carbery in 1840.[4]
• Robert Sherard, 6th Earl of Harborough (1797–1859)[4]
• Lady Jane Sherard (1799–1856)[4]
• Lady Charlotte Sherard (1801–1856), who became insane in 1825.[4]
• Lady Susan Sherard (1802–1864), who married General John Reeve, of Leadenham House, in 1821.[4]

He died in December 1807 and was succeeded by his son Robert.[1]

Descendants

Through his daughter, Lady Lucy, he was a grandfather of seven, including Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale,[5] and diplomat William Lowther.[6]

References

1. Doyle, James William Edmund (1886). The Official Baronage of England, v. 2. London: Longmans, Green. p. 110.
2. Thorne, R. G. (1986). "SHERARD, Philip, Lord Sherard (1767-1807), of Stapleford, Leics.". In Thorne, R. G. (ed.). The House of Commons 1790-1820. The History of Parliament Trust.
3. Thorne, R. G. (1986). "Rutland". In Thorne, R. G. (ed.). The House of Commons 1790-1820. The History of Parliament Trust.
4. "Harborough, Earl of (GB, 1719 - 1859)". www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
5. "Lonsdale, Earl of (UK, 1807)". cracroftspeerage.co.uk. Heraldic Media Limited. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
6. Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. Burke's Peerage Limited. 1921. p. 1408. Retrieved 27 July 2020.