SHARP, John, Archbishop of York, was descended from the Sharps of little Norton, a family of Bradford Dale in Yorkshire; and was son of an eminent tradesman of Bradford, where he was born in 1644. He was educated at Cambridge, and in 1667 entered into orders. The same
year he became domestic chaplain to Sir Heneage Finch, then attorney-general. In 1672 he was collated to the archdeaconry of Berkshire. In 1675 he was installed a prebendary in the cathedral church of Norwich; and the year following was instituted into the rectory of St Bartholomew, near the Royal Exchange, London. In 1681 he was, by the interest of his patron, Sir Heneage Finch, then lord high chancellor of England, made dean of Norwich, but in 1686 was suspended for taking occasion, in some of his sermons, to vindicate the doctrine of the Church of England in opposition to Popery. In 1688 he was sworn chaplain to James II., being then probably restored after his suspension; for it is certain that he was chaplain to Charles II., and attended as a court chaplain at the coronation of James II. In 1689 he was declared dean of Canterbury, but never could be persuaded to fill up any of the vacancies made by the deprived bishops. Upon the death of Dr Lamplugh, he was promoted to the see of York. In 1702 he preached the sermon at the coronation of Queen Anne; and the same year he was sworn of the privy council, and made Lord Almoner to her Majesty. He died at Bath in 1713, and was interred in the cathedral of York, where a monument was erected to his memory. His sermons were collected after his death and published in seven vols. 8vo. A Life of Archbishop Sharp, written by his son, Dr Thomas Sharp, appeared in 2 vols. in 1829.