John Holroyd the son of Isaac Holroyd and Dorothy Baker was born in Ireland on 21st December 1735. The name of Holroyd is of great antiquity in the West Riding of Yorkshire and is derived from the hamlet or estate of Holroyd (or Howroyd as it is pronounced in Bark-Island, six miles from Halifax). William de Howroyde possessed these lands in the reign of King Edward I. From him is descended John Holroyd's great grandfather Isaac Holroyde who went to Ireland in the reign of Charles II where he acquired considerable possessions. John's father Isaac was educated at Hackney school and afterwards at Doctor Sheridan's in Dublin before entering the University of Dublin and afterwards at the Middle Temple, London. Isaac married Dorothy , the youngest daughter of Daniel Baker of Penn, Bucks. In 1768 John Holroyd succeeded to the estates of his mother's brother, the Rev. Jones Baker, and took the name Baker before Holroyd.
John Holroyd entered the Marquis of Granby's regiment of light dragoons called the Royal Foresters in 1760 where he was Captain of a troop. When peace arrived in 1763 and the regiment was disbanded, John Holroyd travelled for three years across Europe. It was in Lausanne in September 1763 that he met the historian Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) who became a life-long friend and confidant. Gibbon wrote: "I have conceived a sincere friendship for Holroyd. He possesses great good sense and honourable sentiments, with a heart the best disposed in the world." When Gibbon died in 1794 he was interred at the Sheffield mausoleum in Fletching church and two years later John Holroyd edited and published the two volume Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Edward Gibbon, Esq.
Throughout his adult life Holroyd was active in politics and wrote extensively on the issues of the day. He entered parliament as M.P. for Coventry in 1780, for Bristol in 1790, and in 1809 he was admited to the Privy Council and Board of Trade, a position he held until his death in 1821
In 1769, John Holroyd purchased Sheffield Park from Lord de La Warr for £31,000. He commenced on extensive changes and developments of the property and its surrounding 120 acres of woodland park. In 1776 he engaged the architect James Wyatt (1746-1813) to enlarge and modernise the 16th century house in a Gothic style. He also engaged first Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716-1783) and then Humphrey Repton (1752-1818) to landscape the gardens.
John Holroyd married in 1767, Abigail Way daughter of Lewis Way and Abigail Lockey, and they had three children, John William, Maria Josepha and Louisa Dorothea. After Abigail's death in 1793, he married, in 1794, Lucy Pelham daughter of Thomas Pelham, 1st Earl of Chichester, and Anne Frankland. After her death in 1797, he married, in 1798, Ann North the daughter of Frederick North 2nd Earl of Guilford, and Anne Speke in 1798 and they had two children, George Augustus Frederick Charles (who later became 2nd Earl of Sheffield) and Anne Frederice Catherine.
Sheffield Park was the principal residence of the Holroyds but they also had property in London at Portland Place where, at the age of 86, he died on 20th May 1821. His body was interred at Fletching Church in June where the memorial inscription on the decorated screen in the Sheffield mausoleum is immediately above the inscription for his close friend Edward Gibbon
William Holerode | m: c 1570 | Alicia Crosley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c 1550 | b: c 1550 d: March 1590 Yorkshire bur: 15th Mar 1590 St.Mary, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George | James | Thomas | Abraham | Agnes | Susannah | Maria | Unnamed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1572 Yorkshire ch: 3rd Mar 1572 | b: 1574 Yorkshire | b: 1577 Yorkshire | b: 1580 Yorkshire ch: 19th Feb 1580 | b: 1585 Yorkshire ch: 13th Sep 1585 d: June 1602 Yorkshire bur: 25th Jun 1602 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | b: 1586 Yorkshire ch: 12th Feb 1586 d: February 1608 Yorkshire, infant bur: 5th Feb 1608 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | b: 1587 Yorkshire ch: 16th Jun 1587 d: July 1605 Yorkshire bur: 24th Jul 1605 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | b: 1588 Yorkshire d: 15th Mar 1588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Holroyde | m: 12th Jul 1602 Rishworth, Yorkshire | Isabella Haig | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1572 Yorkshire ch: 3rd Mar 1572 | b: 1574 d: September 1660 Yorkshire bur: 20th Sep 1660 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Paul | Nathan | Joseph | George | Benjamin | Isaac | Gracia | Jacob | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1603 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 7th Mar 1603 | b: 1605 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 13th Sep 1605 d: January 1675 Yorkshire bur: 5th Jan 1675 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | b: 1608 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 20th Mar 1608 | b: 1609 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 18th May 1613 | b: 1615 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 14th Jan 1615 d: July 1664 Yorkshire bur: 17th Jul 1664 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | b: 1618 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 8th Nov 1618 | b: 1629 Elland, Yorkshire | b: November 1621 Elland, Yorkshire d: December 1621 Yorkshire bur: 3rd Dec 1621 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 25th Oct 1603 Elland, Yorkshire d: February 1685 Yorkshire bur: 20th Feb 1685 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Holroyde | m: 8th Jul 1634 St.Mary's Church, Elland, West Riding, Yorkshire | Susan Whiteley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1609 Elland, Yorkshire ch: 18th May 1613 | b: c 1610 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Benjamin | George | Isaac | Joseph | Nathaniel | Susan | John | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c 1643 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | b: c 1645 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | b: c 1647 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire d: 1706 Dublin, Ireland | b: c 1649 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | b: c 1651 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | b: c 1653 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | b: c 1655 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st marriage | Isaac Holroyde merchant | m: c 1675 | Mary Holroide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c 1647 Rishworth, Elland, Yorkshire d: 1706 Dublin, Ireland | b: 1654 Cockcroft, Yorkshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John | Mary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1680 d: 1729 | b: c 1685 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Holroyde | m: 18th Sep 1707 St. Catherine's Church, Dublin, Ireland | Sarah Elwood | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 1680 d: 1729 | b: c 1685 daughter of William Elwood and Sarah Tomlinson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Isaac | Mary | William | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 22nd Jul 1708 Dublin, Ireland ch: 16th Aug 1708 St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin d: 11th Mar 1778 Bath, aged 70 years bur: 20th Mar 1778 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 1709 Dublin, Ireland ch: 30th Jun 1709 St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin | b: 1712 London d: 1768 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Isaac Holroyd | m: 5th Apr 1733 Ely, Cambridgeshire | Dorothy Baker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 22nd Jul 1708 Dublin, Ireland ch: 16th Aug 1708 St. Peter and St. Kevin, Dublin d: 11th Mar 1778 Bath, aged 70 years bur: 20th Mar 1778 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 1704 Penn, Buckinghamshire, daughter of Daniel Baker of Penn, Bucks. And Martha Mellish d: 29th Aug 1777 Fletching, Sussex, aged 73 years bur: 4th Sep 1777 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Isaac | John Baker | Daniel | Sarah Martha | Elwood | Unnamed | Martha | Dorothy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: c 1734 Ireland d: c 1742 aged 8 years | b: 21st Dec 1735 Ireland d: 20th May 1821 Portland Place, London, aged 86 years bur: June 1821 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: c 1738 Ireland d: 30th Jul 1762 Battle of Havanna, West Indies, killed in action bur: after 30th Jul 1762 The glacis of Moro Fort, Havanna, West Indies | b: 1739 Ireland d: January 1820 Somerset bur: 22nd Jan 1820 St. Swithin, Walcot, near Bath, Somerset | b: c 1740 Ireland d: c 1745 died young | b: c 1742 Ireland d: c 1742 died soon after her birth | b: c 1744 Ireland d: c 1750 died young | b: 1746 Ireland d: March 1770 Fletching, Sussex, aged 25 years bur: 10th Mar 1770 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1st marriage | John Baker Holroyd 1st Earl of Sheffield, Baron of Dunamore, Co. Meath, Ireland and Baron of Roscommon | m: 26th Apr 1767 Richmond, London | Abigail Way | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 21st Dec 1735 Ireland d: 20th May 1821 Portland Place, London, aged 86 years bur: June 1821 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 1746 daughter of Lewis Way, of Old Court, Richmond, Surrey, and Abigail Lockey d: 3rd Apr 1793 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John William | Maria Josepha | Louisa Dorothea | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 4th Apr 1768 Greave Hall, Yorkshire ch: 10th Apr 1770 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex d: July 1772 Fletching, Sussex bur: 18th Jul 1772 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 3rd Jan 1771 ch: 31st Jan 1771 St. James, Westminster, London d: 1st Nov 1863 Holmwood, Shiplake, near Henley, Oxfordshire bur: after 1st Nov 1863 St. Mary's Church, Alderley, Cheshire | b: 1st Sep 1776 Fletching, Sussex ch: 7th Oct 1776 St Andrew & St Mary Church d: 14th May 1854 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2nd marriage | John Baker Holroyd 1st Earl of Sheffield | m: 26th Dec 1794 | Lady Lucy Pelham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 21st Dec 1735 Ireland d: 20th May 1821 Portland Place, London, aged 86 years bur: June 1821 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 23rd Feb 1763 daughter of Thomas Pelham, 1st Earl of Chichester, and Anne Frankland d: 18th Jan 1797 bur: after 18th Jan 1797 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum |
3rd marriage | John Baker Holroyd 1st Earl of Sheffield | m: 20th Jan 1798 | Lady Anne North | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 21st Dec 1735 Ireland d: 20th May 1821 Portland Place, London, aged 86 years bur: June 1821 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | b: 8th Jan 1764 daughter of Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, and Anne Speke d: 18th Jan 1832 bur: after 18th Jan 1832 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex, Sheffield mausoleum | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
George Augustus Frederick Charles | Anne Frederice Catherine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
b: 13th Mar 1802 d: 5th Apr 1876 aged 74 years bur: 13th Apr 1876 St Andrew & St Mary Church, Fletching, Sussex | b: 25th Dec 1804 Fletching, Sussex ch: 19th Jan 1805 St Andrew & St Mary Church d: 31st Aug 1829 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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