Joseph Sheffield
Joseph Sheffield | |
|---|---|
| 27th Attorney General of Rhode Island | |
| In office 1704–1706 | |
| Governor | Samuel Cranston |
| Preceded by | Nathaniel Dyre |
| Succeeded by | Simon Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 August 1661 |
| Died | February 1706 (aged 44) Portsmouth, Rhode Island |
| Spouse | Mary Sheriff |
| Children | Joseph, Mary, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Edmund, William, Elizabeth |
| Parent(s) | Ichabod Sheffield and Mary Parker |
| Education | considerable, based on his committee positions and selection as Attorney General |
| Occupation | Deputy, Assistant, Attorney General |
Joseph Sheffield (1661–1706) was a resident of Portsmouth in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations during the late 17th century. He held several significant public offices within the colony, including Deputy, Assistant, and Attorney General. Sheffield was twice appointed as Rhode Island’s agent to England, although he never appears to have served in that capacity due to the indecision of the General Assembly. He was actively involved in colonial governance during a period when Rhode Island faced potential revocation of its Royal Charter as a result of “irregularities” cited by the English Board of Trade. Sheffield died in 1706 at the age of forty-four, leaving a widow and several minor children.