Sherwood, William (c.1401–1482), bishop of Meath, chancellor, and deputy lieutenant of Ireland, was a native of the diocese of York who studied canon law at Bologna (D.Cn.L., Oct. 1457). He returned to England, where he held some minor benefices and served as papal chaplain and minor penitentiary before being provided to the diocese of Meath (26 March 1460). Sherwood emerged as a vocal opponent of Thomas fitz James FitzGerald (qv), 8th earl of Desmond, while Desmond was deputy lieutenant, as he championed the Palesmen's distrust of Desmond and his ‘Irish’ policies. The disputes escalated till nine of Desmond's men were killed by Sherwood's supporters, and the bishop and the earl were summoned to England. Sherwood agreed to serve as deputy chancellor for John Tiptoft (qv), earl of Worcester, in January 1464, holding the post till Worcester's death in October 1470. As bishop of Meath, Sherwood was active in the defence of the region, and in 1471–2 he was one of the committee to have oversight of the defences and supervision of taxation in Meath. He also joined with magnates such as Desmond, Worcester, and Roland FitzEustace (qv), Lord Portlester, to found chantries and fraternities.
Sherwood was appointed to replace Thomas fitz Maurice FitzGerald (qv), 7th earl of Kildare, as deputy lieutenant (April 1475) in the wake of the visitation to Ireland of the king's messenger Sir Gilbert Debenham. Sherwood's administration was severely hampered by a lack of finances but he pushed through reforms in the parliament of 1476 and abolished the Guild of St George, a military fraternity that had been set up by Kildare in 1474. Faced by the O'Donnells' growing power in the north-west and disturbances in Munster, he went to England in 1477 to plead for more money and troops, and returned with a force of 200 archers. His period as chief governor ended with the attainder and execution of the lieutenant of Ireland, George, duke of Clarence. He was appointed chancellor in October 1479, held that post until his death (December 1482), and was buried in Newtown abbey, near Trim, Co. Meath.