Christopher Sharpe, Esq.

Biography

https://cybergata.com/roots/3127.htm

JOHN SHARP married Janne daughter and coheir of Thomas Staunton of Essex and his wife Katherine. Their children were:

4. CHRISTOPHER SHARP esq., Duchy of Lancaster Receiver for Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 26 Nov 1460 succeeded by Straunge in 1496 (Somerville 596), escheater for Yorks 5 Nov 1468 (Cal.Fine rolls) until 16 Mar 1472 (Cal.Pat.).

Their children were:

• 1. Edward of Coggeshall, joint auditor of the Warrewikers landes, Salesburyeslondes and Spencerslondes 13 Sep 1507 (Cal.Pat.), Will dated 20 Oct 1509 pr 27 Feb 1509/10 his brother in law Hugh Edwards was his executor, he left his property held of Coggeshall Abbey to his wife Isabel (PCC 26 Bennett), she was widow of William Tey esq. of Layre de la Hay,
• 2. Christopher, probably messenger of the Duchy of Lancaster and usher or keeper of the council house 6 Feb 1478 during pleasure as from Mich. 1478 succeeded by Neleson 1483 (Somerville 459),
• 3. Sir John, in 1525 "The bailiff is ordered to distrain the lands, tenements, and tenters in Poyntell Street called Gulles late of Sir John Sharp Knight, deceased, and before that of Christopher Sharp his father held of the Lord by the rent of 1:8s:10d per annum" (Beaumont 128), as gentleman usher he had a legacy of 100 from Henry VII, engraver of the Kings dies for gold and silver coinage and keeper of the change and exchange, knighted at Tourney in the church after the king came from mass under his banner 25 Sep or Dec 1513, steward, receiver, surveyor & feodary of Wormegay honor 21 Apr 1515, Duchy of Lancaster Steward of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 16 Oct 1518 (Somerville 595), he died 22 Jan 10 Hen VIII (1519), Will dated 7 Jun 1518 when he held a lease of a mansion and lodging at Coggeshall Abbey, mentions his three married sisters, pr 12 Feb 1518/9 (PCC 13 Ayloff), I.P.M. Norfolk 27 Sep 12 Hen VIII (C 142/79 no 219, E 150/623/15),
• 4. Isabell, married Robert Browne Esq. of Northants, Chancellor of the Exchequer, married secondly by 1518 John Turner,
• 5. Jane, married one Roydon,
• 6. Anne, married Hugh Edwards.

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Notes

SHARP PRACTICE: AN EXPOSÉ OF THE SHARPE PEDIGREE FROM THE 1558 VISITATION OF ESSEX by Rosie Bevan1. Foundations (2020) 12: 55–88 © Copyright FMG and the author (document attached)

ABSTRACT

This article investigates the accuracy of the Sharpe pedigree from the Visitation of Essex 1558 against historical sources. As a result of the investigation the pedigree is deemed to be largely fabricated, but some surprising discoveries are made, including the true ancestry of Agnes, wife of Nicholas Sharpe, and her identity as mother of Robert Fabian, the notable chronicler of the fifteenth century.

... Additional problems exist with the pedigree containing simple errors in family details, such as John Cotton’s great grandmother named as Cecily, and not Joan. Also missing from the Sharpe pedigree is the name of Christopher, father of Sir John Sharpe - the most distinguished member of the family and the only one recorded to have borne the arms associated with the Sharpe pedigree. We can only suspect the omission was deliberate. (page 73)

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Source: Sharp Practice: An Expose of The Sharpe Pedigree from the 1588 Visitation of Essex. (page 74) (document attached).

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REFERENCES

1. Beaumont, G.F. "History of Coggeshall in Essex", 1890
2. Metcalfe, Walter C.(ed.) "The Visitations of Essex", Harleian Soc. vols 13 & 14, 1878
3. Metcalfe, Walter C.(ed.) "The Visitations of Northampton", 1887
4. Palmer, W.M.(ed.) "Monumental Inscriptions and Coats of Arms from Cambridgeshire", 1932
5. Public Record Office "Calendar of Inquisitions post mortem, Henry VII", 3 vols, 1898-1955
6. Somerville, Robert "The History of the Duchy of Lancaster", 1953

J.C.B.Sharp
London