William Sherwood

William Sherwood

Bishop of Meath, d. at Dublin, 3 Dec. 1482. He was an English ecclesiastic who obtained the see by papal provision in April, 1460. Of his earlier life nothing is known. He soon came into conflict with Thomas Fitzgerald, eighth Earl of Desmond, who was deputy to George, Duke of Clarence, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. The earl accused the bishop of instigating the murder of some of his followers, and in 1464 both went to England to lay their grievances before the king. Edward IV upheld the earl, who was supported by the Irish parliament, and acquitted him of all charges of disloyalty and treasonable relations with the Irish people. But when in 1467 he was disgraced, and succeeded by the Earl of Worcester, Bishop Sherwood was suspected of leading the opposition, which finally brought the earl to the scaffold. Some years after his rival's death, Sherwood himself was appointed deputy, but his own rule was so unpopular that in 1477 he was removed from office, having governed for two years. He held the Chancellorship of Ireland from 1475 to 1481. He lies buried at Newton Abbey near Trim.

Annals of the Four Masters (Dublin, 1848-51); GILBERT, Viceroys of Ireland (Dublin, 1865); KINGSFORD in Diet. Nat. Biog. Register of St. Thomas Abbey, Dublin (R.S. London, 1889) gives text of an agreement between Sherwood and the abbey.

EDWIN BURTON