Earl of Market Harborough

[Maggie.]

Hi again Tazzie,

Tempting though it is to think Paul Sherard is the man I am after, it is not looking likely.  I investigated him yesterday and found that this Paul was killed in action in France on 21st March 1918.

I know my great uncle met and spent a convivial evening in the company of 'the man' in an army barracks in France the night before this man was killed, but as my great uncle did not enlist until 29th April 1918 in Vancouver, for the man to be this Paul Sherard the timing is out by 5 weeks.  Also other Sherard who was killed in WW1 was killed too early to have had a connection with my great uncle.

Where to go from here?  Perhaps Mathe and R H Sherard had other sons    - although there are only these 2 Sherards mentioned as having been killed.

Maggie

[MartinSherard]

Welcome,
I don't know why you think that your man is son of Robert Harborough-Sherard.
Last lord Harborough had four sons from two relationship (one of them was died in childhood and from mariage he had not any children), rev. Bennet Sherard had six children, I think that there is a chance that your man is son of one of another children of Bennet or grandson of last earl.
On early XX century was very many peoples with Sherard surname and some of them can by a descendants of last earl Harborough. So, your case is really difficult.  Illegitimative descendants of earl is not in any peerage on another register.

[Maggie.]

Hi MartinSherard and welcome to RootsChat.

Thanks for your reply to this and forgive me for what is probably a rather vague answer but it is some time since I thought about this particular family tale and as my researches of several years ago were based upon the recollections of a deceased elderly uncle it is difficult to prove anything, although in 2006 through RootsChat I thought I would give it a go.

The story as passed down to me relates that uncle of my father, when travelling in Mexico, saved the life of an Englishman man whom he found collapsed by the roadside close to death through starvation and thirst.  The Englishman refused to give his name.  Years later, whilst this uncle was fighting in France towards the end of WW2, he saw the man he saved and although he spent the evening in his company the man still refused to give his name.  The man was killed in action the following day and transported back to England in some style and the story goes that he was told it was a 3rd or 4th son of the Earl of Market Harborough.

It used to make a wonderful 'Boy's Own' story of adventure and derring-do when told to us children, particularly when my uncle got to the bit about how the man was found by the roadside so close to death that 'there were flies crawling in and out of his mouth', however I fear the story may have become embellished somewhat in the telling.

Perhaps it's time I locked this old thread.

Thanks folks.

Maggie