The evidence for the existence of
Richard Sherwood is a mention in the
Visitation of London1 where he is listed (as the father of Mary Sherwood who married Thomas Gipps of London) as
Richard Sherhood [sic] of Ludlow in co. Salop
There are records for the marriage of a Richard Sh
irwood and a Margery Patchett in Ludlow on 22 April 1598, and also a burial record for a Richard Sh
irwood on 8 July 1587. Clearly the latter person cannot be the same one who married Margery Patchett. And Margery cannot be the mother of Mary Sherwood (who was born in 1572). So either
a) Richard married first ___ and had Mary in 1572; then married second Margery Patchett in 1598; or
b) Richard married first ___ and had Mary in 1572 and then possibly died around July 1587 and is not the same person who married Margery Patchett
We can find the following possible children of Richard, using the
Shropshire Parish records:
- Mary, b. 1572 (and eldest child?), who married Thomas Gipps of London
- Jane, b. 1573
- Richard, b. 1574 (and who poss. died Jul 1576)
- William, b. 1577
- Katherine, b. 1579
If Mary was the first child, then it's possible that she was named after her mother, just as the first son, Richard, was named after his father. However, I have found no trace of a marriage in Ludlow between Richard Sherwood and a Mary ___.
Footnotes
[1] Visitation of London 1633, 1634 and 1635, by Henry St George; Vol. 1, page 315
