James Sherard
| James Sherard | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1 November 1666 Bushby, Leicestershire |
| Died | 12 February 1738 |
| Nationality | English |
| Fields | |
| Institutions | Chelsea Physic Garden |
| Alma mater | Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood |
James Sherard (1 November 1666 – 12 February 1738) was an English apothecary, botanist, and amateur musician.
He was born in Bushby, Leicestershire to George and Mary Sherwood; it is unknown why his surname was changed. His older brother, William, also became a noted botanist. James Sherard may have been educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, which his brother attended, but his name is nowhere to be found in the published list of students. On 7 February 1682, apothecary Charles Watts, who served as curator of Chelsea Physic Garden, took him in as an apprentice. After honing his craft with Watts, Sherard moved to Mark Lane, London, where he started his own very successful business. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1706.
In time, Sherard came into contact with Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford through his brother, who had once served as a tutor in Russell's family. Sherard dedicated his first set of trio sonatas (1701, op. 1) to Russell. Printed by Estienne Roger in Amsterdam, the piece is based on Italian sonatas, perhaps those of Arcangelo Corelli. Sherard may have helped premiere the work himself, performing on the violin alongside the Duke's two Italian chamber musicians, cellist Nicola Francesco Haym and violinist Nicola Cosimi. One surviving copy of the work was owned by an apothecary named William Salter. He wrote commentary in the margins, including a note that Sherard was friends with George Frideric Handel; this is plausible considering the two's mutual acquaintance in Haym. Sherard published a second set of trio sonatas in 1711. Both sets are in da chiesa form. Sherard's extensive collection of manuscripts of vocal and instrumental music is preserved in the Bodleian Library, and includes unique copies of German church music among other items.
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