William Sheppard (barrister)

William Sheppard (died 1674) was an English barrister, known as a legal writer.[1]

Life

Sheppard was baptised at Whitminster, Gloucestershire, at the end of 1595, and entered the Middle Temple in 1620; he was called to the bar in 1629.[1] He lived in Horsley and enjoyed a large country legal practice.[2]

About 1653 Sheppard was invited to London by Cromwell, and made one of the clerks of the upper bench. In 1656 he became a serjeant-at-law, and was nominated with three others to prepare the charters granted to town corporations.[2] In September 1659 he was appointed chief justice in North Wales, by the Rump Parliament.[2]

After the Restoration of 1660 Sheppard was deprived of his offices and left public life. He had six children: John (a clergyman), Elizabeth, Sarah, Samuel, Anne, and Dorothy.[2]

Works

Sheppard wrote legal and religious works:[2]

He also published the Touchstone of Common Assurances (1641); tradition said he had found it in manuscript in Sir John Doddridge's library, but a connection with Doddridge is no longer accepted. The eighth edition of this work, by Edmond Gibson Atherley, was published in 1826. Sheppard wrote a second part, published with the first, Law of Common Assurances (1650).[2][6]

A Collection of Choice Declarations (1653), attributed to Sheppard in the first edition of the Dictionary of National Biography, was by William Small.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Matthews, Nancy L. "Sheppard, William". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25349. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Sheppard, William (d.1675?)". Dictionary of National Biography 52. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  3. Nancy L. Matthews (8 July 2004). William Sheppard, Cromwell's Law Reformer. Cambridge University Press. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-521-89091-5.
  4. Blair Worden (5 May 1977). The Rump Parliament 1648-53. Cambridge University Press. pp. 120–. ISBN 978-0-521-29213-9.
  5. Orr, D. A. "March, John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/18030. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. Ibbetson, David. "Doddridge, Sir John". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7745. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1897). "Sheppard, William (d.1675?)". Dictionary of National Biography 52. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 

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