Sheldon, Ralph, 1623-1684 (antiquary)
Dates
- Existence: 1623 - 1684
Biography
Ralph Sheldon (1623-1684), antiquary, was born into a wealthy gentry family at Beoley, Worcestershire, on 1 August 1623. He lived in France and Italy, 1642-1647, marrying soon after his return to England. The family estate was sequestrated by the parliamentary army during the civil war. However, after the Restoration, Sheldon was rewarded for his loyalty to the royalist cause by a nomination to the putative Order of the Royal Oak. Following the death of his wife in 1663, he pursued an interest in genealogy, heraldry and antiquities, compiling a library at Weston, Long Compton, Warwickshire. He died at Weston on 24 June 1684.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Ralph Sheldon: Catalogue of the nobility of England
'A catalogue of the nobility of England since the Norman Conquest, according to their severall creations by every particular king.' There are one hundred and nine numbered pages, containing the names of nobles and their coats of arms. At the end of the volume is an index.