Ancesters and descendants of Philip Sherman of Portsmouth, Newport County, RI File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan W. Pieroth, (© 1997 Susan W. Pieroth) USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages are for the use of indivisual researchers, and may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. _____________________________________________________________ From: The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: Biograþhical, by the American Historical Society, Inc., 1920. For an unknown reason there are two coþies of the book with the same title þage, but with different contents. ______________________________________________________ From Pages 254-57 of HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND - BIOGRAPHICAL ALBERT KEENE SHERMAN In the important occupation of the "shearman," or cloth-shearer, is found the origin of the surname Sherman. The Shearmen, those who sheared the nap and dressed the cloth, formed a company in the York Guild. These guilds were all powerful in the mercantile fields in the centuries in which they flourished, and membership in them was highly prized. It was therefore natural that John, the Shearman, should, when the custom of using surnames obtained a practically universal vogue, adopt the name of his calling as his surname wherefore we have the name in its present form, Sherman. The Sherman family, in the period when the name had become hereditary, rose to a position of great importance and influence in England, and, supplied many noted men to the nation. The Shermans of Yaxley, of whom the American Shermans whose ancestry is traced through Philip Sherman, are descendants, were an honored and respected family there in the early years of the fifteenth century. The Sherman coat-of-arms is as follows: Arms Or, a lion rampant sable between three oak leaves vert. Crest A sea-lion sejant sable, charged on the shoulder with three bezants, two and one. Motto Mortem Vince Virtute. The progeny of Philip Sherman in America has numbered many noted men. The Rhode Island branch, of which the late Albert Keene Sherman, of Newport, R. I., was a member, has had such distinguished representatives as the Hon. Sylvester G. Sherman, lawyer, Representative, Speaker of the House, and a justice of the Supreme Court; Major-General Thomas W. Sherman, United States Army, and Hon. Robert Sherman, for many years a journalist of note in New England, and a former United States Marshal for the district of Rhode Island. (I) Thomas Sherman, the first of the direct line of whom we have definite information, was born about 1420, resided at Diss and Yaxley; England, and died in 1493. He married Agnes --. (II) John Sherman, Gentleman, was of Yaxley, where he was born about 1450, and died in November, 1504. He married Agnes, daughter of Thomas Fullen. (III) Thomas (2) Sherman, son of John and Agnes (Fullen) Sherman, was born about 1480, died in November, 1551. He resided at Diss, on the river Waveney, between the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. His will mentions, property, including the man-ors of Royden and Royden Tuft, with appurtenances, at Royden and Bessingham, and other properties in Norfolk and Suffolk. His wife Jane, who was probably not his first wife, was a daughter of John Waller, of Wortham, Suffolk. (IV) Henry Sherman, son of Thomas (2) Sherman, was born about 1530, in Yaxley, and is mentioned in his father’s wi11. His will, made January 20, 1589, proved July 24, 1590, was drawn at Colchester, where he lived. His first wife, Agnes (Butler) Sherman, was buried October 14, 1580; he married (second) Margery Wilson, a widow. (V) Henry (2) Sherman, son of Henry (1) Sherman, was born about 1555, in' Colchester, and resided in Dedham, County Essex, England, where his will was made August 21, 1610, and proved September 8 of the same year. He married Susan Hills, whose will was made ten days after his, and proved in the following month. (VI) Samuel Sherman, son of Henry (2) and Susan (Hills) Sherman, was born in 1573, and died in Dedham, England, in 1615. He married Philippa Ward. (The Family in New England). (I) Hon. Philip Sherman, immigrant ancestor and progenitor, was the seventh child of Samuel and Philippa (Ward) Sherman, and was born February 1610, in Dedham, England. He came to America when twenty-three years old and settled in Roxbury, Mass., where he was made freeman, May 14, 1634, standing next on the list after Governor Haynes. In 1635 he returned to England for a short time, but was again in Roxbury, November 20, 1637, when he and others were warned to give up all arms, because the opinions and revelations of Mr. Wheelwright and Mrs. Hutchinson have seduced and led into dangerous errors many of the people here in New England." The church record says that he was brought over to Familism" by Porter, his wife’s stepfather. In 1636 he was one of the purchasers on the island of Aquidneck, new Rhode Island, and on the formation of a government there in 1639 became secretary under Governor William Coddington. The Massachusetts authorities evidently believed that he was still under their jurisdiction, for on March 12, 1638, though he had summons to appear at the next court, if they had not yet gone to answer such things as shall be objected." He did not answer this summons, but remained in Rhode Island, where he continued to be a prominent figure in the affairs of the colony. He was made freeman, March 16, 1641, was general recorder, 1648 to 1652, and deputy from 1665 to 1667. He, was among the sixteen persons who were requested, on April 4, 1676, to be present at the next meeting of the deputies to give advice and help in regard to the Narragansett campaign. He was public-spirited and enterprising. After his removal to Rhode Island he left the Congregational church and united with the Society of Friends. Tradition affirms that he was a devout but determined man. The early records prepared by him still remain in Portsmouth, and show him to have been a very neat and expert penman, as well as an educated man. His will showed that he was wealthy for the times. In 1634 he married Sarah Odding, stepdaughter of John Porter, of Roxbury, and his wife Margaret, who was the Widow Odding at the time of her marriage to Porter, From Philip Sherman the line runs through six generations to Albert Keene Sherman, of Newport. (II) Samson Sherman, son of Philip and Sarah (Odding) Sherman, was born in 1642, in Portsmouth, R. I., where he passed his life, and died June 27, 1718. He married, March 4, 1675, Isabel Tripp, born 1651, daughter of John and Mary (Paine) Tripp. She died in 1716. (III) Job Sherman, son of Samson and Isabel (Tripp) Sherman, was born November 8, 1687, in Portsmouth, R. I., and died there, November 16, 1747. He married (first) Bridget Gardiner, of Kingston, and (second) Amie Spencer, of East Greenwich, R. I. (IV) Samson (2) Sherman, son of Job and Amie (Spencer) Sherman, was born July 23, 1737, in Portsmouth, where he spent his entire life, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and died in January, 1801. He married, December 9, 1761, Ruth Fish, daughter of David and Jemima (Tallman) Fish, of Portsmouth. (V) Job (2) Sherman, son of Samson (2) and Ruth (Fish) Sherman, was born in Portsmouth, R. I., January 21, 1766, and died in Newport, R. I., January 24, 1848. In 1796 he removed from Portsmouth to Newport, where he became the founder of the business which is now conducted under the firm name of William Sherman Br Company. He was a leader in the business and financial life of Newport in his day, and was one of the original trustees of the Savings Bank of Newport. He was a staunch Whig, and prominent in public affairs, supporting every movement of importance for the advancement of the welfare of the community. He was a member of the Society of Friends, and for many years served as trustee of the Society in Newport. Job Sherman married, December 9, 1795, Alice Anthony, who was born June 9, 1772, and died March 11, 1826, daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Anthony, of Portsmouth, R. I. (VI) Albert Sherman, son of Job (2) and Alice (Anthony) Sherman, was born in Newport, R. I., August 14, 1815. In early life he learned the trade of sailmaker, an occupation which he followed for many years in Newport and later at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he was engaged successfully in business until 1841. In that year he returned to Newport and established himself in the dry goods business on lower Thames street, in which field he was highly successful. Ill health forced him to lead a life of comparative retirement, and although he maintained throughout his life a deep interest in public affairs, he never aspired to public office. He was a Republican in political affiliation. Mr. Sherman was for many years a director in the Merchants’ Bank of Newport, and was active in the founding of the Newport Hospital, to which he was a generous donor throughout his life. He was a member of the Society of Friends. On September 2, 1841, Mr. Sherman married Sarah Catherine Marble, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah A. (Holt) Marble, of' Newport. Mrs. Sherman died September 15, 1889, aged seventy-two years. Their children were: 1. Alice Anthony, who died at the age of two years. 2. Albert Keene, mentioned below. Albert Sherman died at his home, June 30, 1884. (VII) Albert Keene Sherman, son of Albert and Sarah Catherine (Marble) Sherman, was born in Newport, R. I., March 17, 1844. He was educated in private schools in Newport, and in 1857 became a pupil in H. H. Fay's private academy there, where he studied far four years. In 1861, finding business fields more agreeable to his tastes than professional life, he secured his first employment in the grocery store of Captain Oliver Potter, with whom he remained as a clerk for about a year. On May 6, 1862. Mr., Sherman became connected with the dry goods estab1ishment of William Sherman & Company, which was founded by his grandfather in 1796. In 1866, on the death of David Sherman, he was admitted into partnership in the firm. Thomas G. Brown became a member of the firm in 1873, and in 1885, with the death of the senior partner, William Sherman, Albert Keene Sherman and Mr. Brown succeeded to the management of the business, which under their guidance was developed into one of the largest and most successful of its kind in the State of Rhode Island. The firm dealt extensively in a high grade line of foreign and domestic dry goods. Mr. Sherman was one of the foremost figures in business and financial circles in Newport until the time of his death. As a shrewd and talented organizer, a keen, far-sighted and able executive, he was universally respected. Strict integrity and justice characterized his every transaction in business and financial fields. He was a director of the Newport National Bank; a trustee of the Savings Bank of Newport; a director of the Aquidneck Mutual Insurance Company; and a trustee of the Long Wharf of Newport. He was deeply interested in historical and genealogical research, and was a member of the Newport Historical Society, the Natural History Society, the Redwood Library, and the Athenaeum. A man of 'broad culture, he was well versed in literature and the arts, and his home was the center of a reined society. Mr. Sherman was a member of the Central Baptist Church of Newport (now the Second Baptist), and for many years was clerk of the church. He was active in the work of the Young Men’s Christian Association, and treasurer of the Newport Branch for a long period of years. His political affiliation was with the Republican party, and he was a staunch believer in all of its principles and policies. The welfare and advancement of Newport was always near his heart, and he was prominently identified with many movements toward this end. On September 3, 1874, Mr. Sherman married Mary Eliza Barker, daughter of Robinson P. and Julia Ann (Peckham) Barker, of Middleton, R. I., and a descendant of one of the most prominent branches of the early Barker family of Rhode Island. Mrs. Sherman survives her husband and resides at No. 12 Clarke street, Newport. She is well known in the best social circles of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman were the parents of three children: 1. Kate Robinson, born Aug. 16, 1875, died April 6, 1879. 2. William Anthony, born May 12, 1877; was graduated from Harvard College, class of 1899, with the degree of A. B.; Harvard Medical School, in 1902, with the degree of M. D.; immediately afterward he established himself in practice in Newport, where he has been highly successful and has risen to the highest rank in the medical profession. Dr., Sherman is a member of the medical staff of the Newport Hospital, and of the Medical Society; he is also a director of the Union National Bank of Newport. On June 25, 1902, Dr. Sherman married Katherine M. Kennedy, of Scranton, Pa., daughter of William and Amelia (Carter) Kennedy; they are the parents of the following children: William Albert, born May 12, 1903; Charlotte Carter, born June 20, 1911; Mary Elizabeth, born March 2, 1915; Lucius Carter, born March 2, 1915, died March 4, 1915; Ruth Anthony, born March 18, 1916. 3. Edward Albert, born July 16, 1879; was graduated from Harvard College in the class of 1901, with the degree of M. A.; Mr. Sherman is now treasurer of the Newport Trust Company, and a prominent figure in financial and public circles in Newport; he served for many years as a member of the school committee of Newport, and in 1906, at the first election held under the new charter of the city of Newport, he was elected a member of the representative council from the Third Ward for a term of three years; he married Hazel Erma Poole, daughter of George W. and Addie Emeline (Hanson) Poole, October 22, 1913. Albert Keene Sherman died at his home in Newport, R. I., December 30, 1915. From Pages 164-5 of HISTORY OF RHODE ISLAND - BIOGRAPHICAL WILLIAM ANTHONY SHERMAN, M. D. In 1915, Albert Keene Sherman, one of the substantial, influential merchants of Newport, R. I., closed his earthly career, leaving behind him an honorable record as business man and citizen. Quiet and unassuming, but the soul of courtesy and good breeding, he combined with his qualities of mind and disposition a charming personality which won for him many warm friends wherever he was known. As a partner in the long estab1ished dry goods store of William Sherman & Company, founded by his grandfather, Job Sherman, in Newport, in 1796, he represented the third Sherman generation in the business, and from 1862, when he began as clerk, until his death in 1915, he was connected with the firm, and from 1866 as a partner. He left two sons who honorably bear the name, Dr. William Anthony Sherman, and Edward Albert Sherman, the first a practicing physician of Newport, the latter lately treasurer of the Newport Trust Company, and now proprietor of the "Daily News." Seven generations of this Sherman family have been residents of Rhode Island, beginning with Philip Sherman, born in Dedham, England, in 1610, married Sarah Odding, in 1634, came to New England and settled at Roxbury, Mass., but getting on the unpopular side of some of the religious controversies, so abundant in that early day, came to Rhode Island, and became one of the purchasers of Aquidneck from the Indians. He was the secretary of this first organized government, and often thereafter held once in the colony. The line of descent is through the founder’s son, Samson Sherman, of Portsmouth; his son, Job Sherman, of Portsmouth; his son, Samson Sherman, of Portsmouth; his son, Job Sherman, of Portsmouth and Newport; his son, Albert Sherman, of Newport; his son, Albert Keene Sherman, father of Dr. William Anthony Sherman, of this review. Job Sherman, of the fifth generation, opened a dry goods store in Newport, in 1796, which in 1798 he removed to Nos. 135 and 137 Thames street, its location ever since. When he passed to his reward in 1848, his sons, William and David, continued the business under the firm name, William Sherman & Company. Job Sherman was one of the original trustees of the Savings Bank of Newport; was a member of the Society of Friends, and a man held in high regard. He married Alice Anthony, born June 9, 1772, died March 11, 1826, daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Anthony, of Portsmouth. Albert Sherman, son of Job Sherman, was born in Newport, R. I., August 14, 1815, died June 30, 1884. He was a sailmaker by trade, and for several years conducted a sailmaker’s loft in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1841 he returned to Newport and opened a dry goods store on Lower Thames street, which he conducted very successfully. He was also a director of the Merchants Bank of Newport, interested in the founding of Newport Hospital, a Republican in politics, and a consistent member of the Society of Friends. He married, September 2, 1841, Sarah Catherine Marble, who died September 15, 1899, aged seventy-two years, daughter of Benjamin and Sarah A. (Holt) Marble. They were the parents of a daughter, Alice Anthony, who died aged two years, and of an only son, Albert Keene. Albert Keene Sherman, son of Albert Sherman, was born in Newport, R. I., March 7, 1844, died in his native city, December 30, 1915. His education, begun in private schools, was continued until the age of seventeen years, when he completed his studies in the H. H. Fay School. His first business position was as clerk in the Captain Oliver Potter Grocery Store, but a year later he entered the employ of his uncles, William and David Sherman, proprietors of the dry goods business of William Sherman & Company. Four years later David Sherman died, and in 1866 Albert K. Sherman was admitted a partner. In 1873 Thomas G. Brown was admitted, and in 1885 the business was again disrupted by the death of William Sherman, son of Job Sherman, the founder. Albert K. Sherman and Thomas G. Brown, the surviving partners, then became sole owners, and until the death of Albert K. Sherman, in 1915, he continued active in the management of this ancient house which has no superior in the strictly retail dry goods business of New England. While essentially a merchant and always deeply concerned in store management, Mr. Sherman had other important interests outside the mercantile world. He was a director of the Savings Bank of Newport, director of the Aquidneck Mutual Insurance Company, trustee of Long Wharf of Newport, member of Newport Historical Society, Natural History Society, Redwood Library, The Athenaeum, treasurer for several years of the Young Men’s Christian Association, member of Central, now the Second Baptist Church, and in politics a Republican. He was thoroughly liked and respected by all who knew him, and with that respect went confidence and trust. He was broadminded and liberal, public spirited and progressive, a lover of home, and there was at his best. Mr. Sherman married, September 3, 1874, Mary Eliza Barker, daughter of Robinson P. and Julia Ann (Peckham) Barker, of Middletown, R. I. They were the parents of a daughter, Kate R., who died aged four years, and of two sons, Dr. William Anthony and Edward Albert Sherman. Dr. William Anthony Sherman, of the eighth American generation of his family, eldest son of Albert Keene and Mary Eliza (Barker) Sherman, was born in Newport, R. I., May 12, 1877. He prepared in the schools of Newport, R. I., then entered Harvard University, when he was graduated A. B., class of 1899. Deciding upon a professional career, although heredity should have led him into the business world, he prepared in Harvard Medical School, receiving his degree M. D., with the graduating class of 1902. He at once opened an office in Newport, and for seventeen years has practiced his profession in the city of his birth. He has achieved professional success and won public confidence through a close attention to his professiona1 duty and a sincere desire to bring relief and health to those he serves. He is a member of the surgical staff of Newport Hospital, member of the County and State Medical societies, and is held in high esteem among his professional brethren. Dr. Sherman is a trustee of the Savings Bank of Newport, director of the Newport National Bank, is a Republican in politics, and under the new charter is a member of the Newport Representative Council. He has also served his city as a member of the school committee, board of health commissioner, and as trustee of the Henderson Home. Dr. Sherman married, June 25, 1902, Katherine M. Kennedy, of Scranton, Pa., daughter of William De Witt and Amelia (Carter) Kennedy. Dr. and Mrs. Sherman are the parents of four children. These children are of the ninth American generation of the family founded in Rhode Island by Philip Sherman. When a student, Dr. Sherman was fond of athletics, and was a member of the baseball team. He still retains his interest in sports of the out-of-doors, but his automobile furnishes him with the best liked recreation. His medical practice is confining, and in addition thereto he does a great deal of surgical work. He is widely known in his section and equally well liked and esteemed.