THE HISTORY OF NONCONFORMITY IN PLYMOUTH. 
81 
THE OLD NONCONFORMIST REGISTERS. 
Sherwill commences his part of the register with the words, "Bap- 
tized by mee Nicholas Sherwill," and his first entry is, " Nov 28 1662, 
Mary daughter of Mr George and Mrs Mary Lapthorne who was borne 
Oct 31st." From 1662 to 1676 he baptized in all thirty, the highest 
number in any one year being four. After this latter date the baptisms 
are more numerous, and reach to as many as fifteen in 1690, averaging 
ten annually. The last entry is on the 7th of May, 1696, and he died 
suddenly on the 15th. There are three entries of marriage : " Marry ed 
by mee Nicolas Sherwill 1662 Sept 17 Mr Walter Trowt and Mrs 
Katharine Crampron at Stonehouse. 1663 July 15 Matthew Greet and 
Ruth Hingston at Brixton. 1670 May 3 Mr Abraham Sherwill and 
Mrs Joanna Fortescue of Spridleston at Plymton Morris." Interments 
took place of course in the parish churchyard, and there are no entries 
of burials. There are, however, entries of " funerall sermons preached 
by mee Nicolas Sherwill." The first was on the 15th August, 1662, the 
week before Bartholomew-day, at Staverton or Harberton. The next 
was on February 12th, 1670, and thence they continue down to Sep- 
tember 8th, 1695. It is very evident that Sherwill was a man of note 
in those days. In 1672 he preached a funeral sermon for Walter Trowte 
at Exeter; in 1677 (September 21st) that for his friend the Rev. Thomas 
Martyn ; on the 29th May, 1692, for the Rev. Mr. Henry Flamank at 
Tavistock ; and on June 11th of the same year for Samuel Martyn at 
Liskeard. The text for the two Martyns was Daniel xii. 3 ; that for 
Flamank Hebrews xiii. 7. 
Thomas Martyn commences his register of baptisms in the same book 
as Sherwill, but in a preceding page, June 12th, 1672, with the baptism 
of " Benjamin ye son of William and Mary Woodmason ; " and of 
twelve baptisms down to the 11th September of that year, most are 
stated to have taken place at " Greene House neare Charles Church 
in Greene Street." I have little doubt that this was Sherwill's private 
residence, as I have discovered that he lived in this exact locality. The 
entries in Martyn's handwriting cease in September, 1673, but are con- 
tinued in another hand down to February 3rd, 1675. It has been 
generally supposed that Martyn died in 1673 ; but there is the evidence 
of his funeral sermon by Sherwill that he died in 1677. As the book 
in which Martyn and Sherwill made their entries is marked " Register 
booke 1672," it is quite probable that at that date Martyn copied in his 
previous baptisms from another record. 
VOL. VI. 
