William Sharp or Sharpe

William Sharp was sixteen years old from St. Andrews. He was the son of Sir Alexander Sharp, Baronet. of Scotscraig, merchant, and great-grandson of Archbishop Sharp. "A very young man and influenced by bad company".—P.C, 68.

The Professors of St. Leonard's College, St. Andrews, appealed for mercy for him. When tried at York he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death, but was reprieved.

On 20th August 1747 the Privy Council recommended a free pardon for him. After his reprieve he was left in Carlisle jail till August 1747, when he escaped.

He served in the French and Portuguese armies, and became Major-General in the latter. He was pardoned by Royal Warrant on the 3rd of April 1769, and succeeded his father in the baronetcy soon after. —Macbeth Forbes, ii.; P.C., 68, 374 ; S.P.D., 100-29, 100-65, 109-24; Baga, lxix. 189; Cockayne, iv. 322.

William had been a student at the University of St. Andrews when he joined Elcho's Life Guards. At his trial at Carlisle the judges stated that he was an 'object of mercy,' and the sentence of death was not carried out.

A petition was submitted on his behalf on 18th August 1746 by Thomas Tullideph, Principal, and Professors John Craigie, Henry Rymer, David Young, and Ninian YToung of St. Andrews University, in which it was stated that he was a 'modest assiduous boy, had a good genius for learning and made considerable progress, but in vacation time was unfortunately seduced.'

He was reprieved in November 1746 and remained in Carlisle. His case, along with that of his fellow-prisoner, Robert Wright, was considered by the Attorney-General and the Council and it was decided to pardon him. He, however, ignorant no doubt of what was going on and expecting that he would be transported, succeeded in escaping from Carlisle prison, to which he had been transferred from the Castle. He went abroad and rose to high rank in the Portuguese army. In April 1769 he received a pardon by Royal Warrant and returned home, succeeding in 1770 to the family baronetcy of Sharp of Scotscraig. (Cockayne, iv. 323.)