Catalogue description SHARP FAMILY

For additional papers of the Sharp family see Gloucestershire Record Office D6919

The Sharp family papers span the late 17th-mid 19th centuries. They document four generations of the family, (beginning with John Sharp, Archbishop of York and ending with Mrs Catherine Sharp, his great-grandaughter) although the majority of items relate to the children of Thomas Sharp, Archdeacon of Northumberland. Geographically, the records reflect the Sharp family's two centres of activity: north east England and London. The family had its origins in Yorkshire and retained strong links with the north east (Durham, York and Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland). In the 18th century the family was also well established in London, focusing on three of Thomas Sharp's sons, William, James and Granville.

The Sharp family was remarkable in many ways, and three individuals, Archbishop John Sharp, his son Thomas, Archdeacon of Northumberland and his grandson Granville Sharp, philanthropist and pamphleteer, are noted in the Dictionary of National Biography. The family was not particularly wealthy, as Thomas Sharp, the Archbishop's youngest son, had a large family. His sons had to make their own way: John, his eldest son, followed his father into the church, becoming Archdeacon of Northumberland and also senior trustee to Lord Crewe of Bamburgh Castle; William and James were highly successful in their chosen careers of surgeon and engineer/inventor respectively and were sufficiently wealthy to support their brother Granville from 1779 (when he resigned his post in the ordnance office on a matter of conscience) until his death 34 years later.

The largest portion of the records in this section relate to Granville Sharp, perhaps the most famous member of the family. He is known chiefly for his devotion to the cause of the abolition of slavery, although as his correspondence and writings show, he campaigned on behalf of many other causes. Archbishop John Sharp, his grandfather, who has been called "one of the greatest ornaments of the Church of England" is also well represented in the archive as a large quantity of his official correspondence survives.

A small but interesting group of documents relate to the family's musical activities, which brought them into contact with high society, including King George III (who was also known to both William and James professionally). Brothers James, William and Granville were joint owners of a boat which sailed on the Thames with the family providing musical entertainment for the friends and acquaintances on board. The well known portrait of the family by the artist Johan Zoffany (now in the National Portrait Gallery) depicted the family holding their various musical instruments and gathered in front of the "pleasure barge" The archive also includes papers concerning the Sharp family's famous "cabinet", a collection of coins and related books which was started by Archbishop Sharp and added to by other members of the family

It is clear from their papers that the Sharps were a close-knit family, an illustration of this being the entertaining "common letters" (D3549/7/2/15 below) written to the family by absent members This strong sense of "family" is also apparent from their concern that the achievements of the more illustrious members should be acknowledged. Thomas Sharp, son of Archbishop John Sharp, wrote a biography of his father. Catherine Sharp, (daughter of James) devoted much time to overseeing a biography of Granville (written by Prince Hoare) which was published only five years after Granville's death. The concern that the Sharp family name should continue led Andrew Bowlt, husband of the said Catherine, to adopt the name of Sharp upon their marriage. Despite their efforts, the family name died out, as the couple had no children. However, the Sharp line continued through the children of Mary Sharp, heiress of William Sharp and wife of Thomas J Lloyd Baker of Gloucestershire.