page_title: Bennet Sherard, 3rd Earl of Harborough
section_title: Early life
hierarchical_section_title: Bennet Sherard, 3rd Earl of Harborough / Early life
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of Philip Sherard, 2nd Earl of Harborough (1680 – 20 July 1750)
context_page_description: Bennet Sherard, 3rd Earl of Harborough, styled Lord Sherard from 1732 to 1750, was a British aristocrat who inherited the earldom of Harborough.
context_section_description: Born on 3 September 1709, he was the eldest surviving of six sons and eight daughters born to Philip Sherard, 2nd Earl of Harborough by his wife, the former Anne Pedley (d. c. 1749). Among his siblings were brothers the Rev. Robert Sherard, Hon. John Sherard, Hon. Daniel Sherard, a Naval officer, and Lt.-Gen. Hon. Philip Sherard of the 69th Regiment of Foot. Among his sisters was Lady Dorothy Sherard, who married Rev. James Torkington of Great Stukeley (Rector of Kings Ripton and Little Stukeley). His father, a Member of Parliament for Rutland, succeeded to the earldom of his cousin, Bennet Sherard, 1st Earl of Harborough, in 1732. 
  His paternal grandparents were Bennet Sherard of Whissendine, and the former Dorothy Fairfax (a daughter of Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron). His aunt Margaret Sherard was the wife of The Most Rev. John Gilbert, Archbishop of York. Through his sister, Lady Dorothy, he was uncle to the political reformer and radical writer Ann Jebb, wife of reformer John Jebb.  His mother was the daughter and heiress of Nicholas Pedley of Washingley (son and heir of Sir Nicholas Pedley, Serjeant-at-Law) and the former Frances Apreece (daughter of Robert Apreece).
caption: Portrait of his father, the 2nd Earl of Harborough, by Frans van Stampart
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