Archbishop John Sharp 1645-1714

On 16th February 1645 Archbishop John Sharp was born.

In 1681 Archbishop John Sharp [aged 35] was appointed Dean of Norwich.

John Evelyn's Diary. 25th June 1686. Now his Ma* [aged 52], beginning with Dr Sharp [aged 41] and Tully, proceeded to silence and suspend divers excellent divines for preaching against Popery.

John Evelyn's Diary. 8th September 1686. Dr. Compton, Bishop of London [aged 54], was on Monday suspended, on pretense of not silencing Dr. Sharp [aged 41] [NOTE. Assumed to be the subsequent Archbishop?] at St. Giles's [Map], for something of a sermon in which he zealously reproved the doctrine of the Roman Catholics. The Bishop having consulted the civilians, they told him he could not by any law proceed against Dr. Sharp without producing witnesses, and impleaded according to form; but it was overruled by my Lord Chancellor [aged 41], and the Bishop sentenced without so much as being heard to any purpose. This was thought a very extraordinary way of proceeding, and was universally resented, and so much the rather for that two Bishops, Durham [aged 53] and Rochester [aged 51], sitting in the commission and giving their suffrages the Archbishop of Canterbury [aged 69] refused to sit among them. He was only suspended ab officio, and that was soon after taken off. He was brother to the Earl of Northampton, had once been a soldier, had traveled in Italy, but became a sober, grave, and excellent prelate.

In 1689 Archbishop John Sharp [aged 43] was appointed Dean of Canterbury.

John Evelyn's Diary. 30th January 1689. The anniversary of King Charles I's MARTYRDOM; but in all the public offices and pulpit prayers, the collects, and litany for the King [aged 38] and Queen [aged 30] were curtailed and mutilated. Dr. Sharp [aged 43] preached before the Commons, but was disliked, and not thanked for his sermon.

In 1691 Archbishop John Sharp [aged 45] was appointed Archbishop of York.

On 12th December 1693 [his son] Archdeacon Thomas Sharp was born to Archbishop John Sharp [aged 48]. He married 19th June 1722 Judith Wheler and had issue.

John Evelyn's Diary. 1st April 1694. Dr. Sharp [aged 49], Archbishop of York, preached in the afternoon at the Tabernacle, by Soho.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy

The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.

Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.

John Evelyn's Diary. 26th April 1696. Dr. Sharp [aged 51] preached at the Temple. His prayer before the sermon was one of the most excellent compositions I ever heard.

On 2nd February 1714 Archbishop John Sharp [aged 68] died in Bath, Somerset [Map].

Vesta Monumenta. 1731. Corrected versions of the tables of gold and silver English coins first created by John Sharp, Archbishop of York, in 1697. Engravings by George Vertue [aged 47] after Sharp's original tables.