William Sherwood (burgess)

William Sherwood (1641-1697) was a British attorney who also became a planter, attorney general and politician in the Colony of Virginia. During Bacon's Rebellion, Sherwood alienated both sides, and later served as the colony's Attorney General until disbarred for a previous felony. He represented Jamestown and surrounding James City County in the House of Burgesses (and also leased land and meeting space in Jamestown to the legislature), but also had considerable landholdings in Surry County across the James River. A shareholder in the Royal African Company until his death, Sherwood became its official representative in the colony. He also held local offices in James City County, Jamestown and Surry County.[1][2][3]

William Sherwood
Member of the House of Burgesses for James City, Colony of Virginia
In office
1688
Preceded byHenry Hartwell
Succeeded byHenry Hartwell
Member of the House of Burgesses for James City County, Colony of Virginia
In office
1682-1684
Preceded byWilliam White
Succeeded byposition eliminated
Personal details
Borncirca 1641
Whitechapel, London, England
Died1697
Governor's Land Colony of Virginia
Resting placeJamestown Churchyard, Virginia
SpouseRachel Codd James
ChildrenRichard James II (stepson)
Occupationattorney, planter, politician

References
  1. Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, ed. (1915). Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography. Vol. I. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 323.
  2. McCartney, Martha W. (2012). Jamestown people to 1800 : landowners, public officials, minorities, and native leaders. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Pub. Co. pp. 364–366. ISBN 978-0-8063-1872-1. OCLC 812189309.
  3. Cynthia Miller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 45, 47, 49. 54. 56
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