Henry Sherman the Elder of Colchester

  General Notes:

I've revised the information on my Sherman line to follow the new information from The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 166:245-258, 167:35-54, 167:149-156 167:213-224, 167:275-284, 168:16-33, which corrects the previous incorrect information from the Sherman Genealogy. Research has proven that Henry Sherman of Dedham, father of Edmund Sherman, also of Dedham could not possibly be the son of Thomas Sherman and Jane Waller. The dates and ages found in documents for Henry Sherman of Yaxley and our Henry Sherman of Dedham, show that it was impossible for them to be the same man. ^708,1558

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁵⁵⁸
Henry Sherman was born, possibly in Essex, about 1512. (He was 62 in 1574.) He settled in Dedham, Essex about 1534 and later in Colchester, Essex about 1584. Henry was a prominent clothier in Dedham. Henry died, probably in Colchester, between 26 Feb 1589/90, the date of a codicil to his will and 25 Jul 1590, the date his will was probated.

Henry married his first wife, Agnes, about 1539. Agnes appears to be have been the mother of most, if not all, of Henry's children. She was the mother of his sons, Henry and Edmund, the progenitors of the New England Shermans. Agnes may have been the daughter of Robert Perpoynt of Dedham. Land that was held by the Perpoynts was given to Henry, which leads one to believe that Henry was somehow related to the Perpoynt family. The most likely scenario is that Henry Sherman's first wife was the sister, and in her issue the heiress of Henry and Stephen Perpoynt, and daughter of Robert Peropynt. She was buried in Dedham on 14 Oct 1580.

On 5 Jun 1581, Henry married a second time to Marion ____, the widow of Thomas Smythe and Edmund Wilson. She may have been the Mrs Sherman buried 4 Aug 1584. Henry's third and last wife was Margery ____, who was living when he made his will.

Henry Sherman, "the elder," of Colchester, Essex, England left a will dated 20 Jan 1489/90, with a codicil dated 26 Feb 1589/90, and proved in London 25 Jul 1590. The will named his son Henry Sherman and Henry Jr.'s children: Henry, Samuel, Daniel, John, Ezechiel, Phebe, Nathaniel and Anne Sherman; son Edmonde Sherman and his children: Edmonde, Richard, Bezaliell, Anne and Sara Sherman (all under age; sons under 22, daughters under 21), son-in-law William Petfield and his children: Richard Susan and Elizabeth Petfield (all under age); wife Margerye; son Robert & his underage daughters Jane and Anne Sherman; daugter Judith Petfield; son-in-law Nicholas Fynce; the wifes of sons Edmond, Henry and Robert; the poor of All Hallows; and the poor of Dedham and the free school of Dedham. Henry asked to be buried in Dedham and his executors were to be his sons Henry and Edmond.

Children:
Alice, b about 1540; bur. Dedham 20 Oct 1589 as Alice, wife of Nicholas Fince.
Judith, b about 1543, bur. Dedham 1 April 1601 as Judith, wife of William Petfiled whom she married in Dedham 27 Jun 156.
Henry Sherman, b. abt 1545; m. Susan Lawrence.
Edmund Sherman, b. abt 1548; m. 1st Ann Pellett and 2nd Ann Clere.
John Sherman, b. abt 1551; bur in Dedham 16 Oct 1576. Unmarried
Thomas Sherman, b. about 1555; bur. Dedham 16 Mar 1563/4. Most likely the Thomas Sherman "godson of Thomas Butter."
Robert Sherman, bp. Dedham 6 Feb 1559/60; bur. St. Stephen Coleman Street, London, 14 Jan 1602/3. He was educated at Cambridge University and became a Fellow of the College of Physicians in 1599. He married 1st in Dedham 9 Dec 1583 Barbara Browne, and 2nd to Bridget Jenney. Robert's will was dated 10 Jan 1602/3 and proved 20 Jan 1602/3.

"The Earliest Shermans of Dedham, Essex, and Their Wives," NEHGR, Vol. 166, pp. 245-258

Henry married Agnes Perpoynt in 1544 in Dedham, Essex, England ^406,708.^,1558 (Agnes Perpoynt died before 14 Oct 1580 in Dedham, Essex, England ^708,1558 and was buried on 14 Oct 1580 in Dedham, Essex, England.)