Background
A younger son of John Sharp, archbishop of York, he was born on 12 December 1693.
A younger son of John Sharp, archbishop of York, he was born on 12 December 1693.
At the age of 15 he was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1712, Master of Arts
In 1716, and was elected to a fellowship. He was also prebendary of Wistow in York Minster (29 April 1719), appointed rector of Rothbury, Northumberland in 1720, and collated archdeacon of Northumberland on 27 February 1722/3. He was created Doctor of Divinity at Cambridge in 1729.
On 1 December 1732 he was installed in the tenth prebend of Durham Cathedral at Durham, and in 1755 he succeeded Thomas Mangey as official to the dean and chapter of the cathedral.
Sharp married, on 19 June 1722, Judith, daughter of Sir George Wheler (she died on 2 July 1757), and had fourteen children.
Sharp became chaplain to Archbishop William Dawes, a prebendary of Southwell Minster, and a member of the Gentlemen"s Society at Spalding.