{{short description|American politician (1841–1904)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Titus Sheard | image = Titus Sheard (1884) (cropped).png | alt = | caption = Sketch of Sheard in an 1884 newspaper | state_senate = New York | district = 23rd | term_start = 1890 | term_end = 1891 | predecessor = Frank B. Arnold | successor = John E. Smith | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1841|10|4}} | birth_place = Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England | death_date = {{death date and age|1904|4|13|1841|10|4}} | death_place = Little Falls, New York, U.S. | resting_place = | party = Republican | spouse = {{marriage|Helen M. Waite|1863}} | children = 2 | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|Businessman|politician}} | signature = }} '''Titus Sheard''' (October 4, 1841 – April 13, 1904) was an American businessman and politician. He served as a member of the New York State Assembly from 1878 to 1879, and in 1884. He also served as a member of the New York State Senate from 1890 to 1891.
==Early life== Titus Sheard was born on October 4, 1841, in Batley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.<ref name="nystate">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_tH0_AAAAYAAJ/page/n29/mode/2up |title=New York State Men: Biographic Studies and Character Portraits |last=Hills |first=Frederick S. |publisher=The Argue Company |year=1910 |page=30 |via=Archive.org |access-date=2024-08-19}}{{Open access}}</ref> After his parents died, he came to the United States in 1856, and settled first in Mottville, New York, later in Little Falls.<ref name="nystate"/><ref name="obit">{{Cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1904/04/14/100468288.pdf |title=Titus Sheard Dies Suddenly |date=1904-04-14 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2024-08-19}}</ref>
==Career== In Little Falls, Sheard began working at a wool factory, and in 1864 became sole owner of the Eagle Knitting Mill, and in 1876 he organized the Little Falls Knitting Mill Company and he was elected president.<ref name="nystate"/>
He was a member of the New York State Assembly, representing Herkimer County, in 1878, 1879 and 1884, and was elected Speaker in 1884 after defeating Theodore Roosevelt in the Republican assemblymen's caucus. He was a delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention.<ref name="nystate"/><ref name="obit"/>
He was a member of the New York State Senate (23rd D.) in 1890 and 1891.<ref name="nystate"/> He lost in his quest for renomination in the Republican State Convention at Utica, New York in October 1891 as the candidate of the Miller faction, when his adversary John E. Smith, the candidate of the Platt faction, was nominated on the 937th ballot.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1891/10/10/103340991.pdf |title=Platt Carries His Point |date=1891-10-10 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2024-08-19}}</ref>
Sheard served as president of the Utica Herald Company for one term.<ref name="nystate"/>
==Personal life== On July 22, 1863, Sheard married Helen M. Waite, daughter of Emily C. (née Tucker) and Lorenzo D. Waite, of Little Falls. They had two daughters, Edith Isabel and Martha Talbot.<ref name="nystate"/><ref name="obit"/> He was a member of Little Falls Methodist Church and was superintendent of its sunday school for 25 years.<ref name="nystate"/> He traveled extensively, including to Asia and Africa.<ref name="obit"/>
Sheard died on April 13, 1904, at his home in Little Falls.<ref name="nystate"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-times-titus-sheard-dies-sud/153581221/ |title=Titus Sheard Dies Suddenly |date=1904-04-14 |newspaper=The New York Times |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=2024-08-19}}{{Open access}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{commons category-inline}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ny-hs}} {{succession box | title = New York State Assembly <br>Herkimer County | years = 1878–1879 | before = Myron A. McKee | after = William D. Gorsline }} {{succession box | title = New York State Assembly <br>Herkimer County | years = 1884 | before = George W. Smith | after = John M. Budlong }} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before = Alfred C. Chapin | title = Speaker of the New York State Assembly | years = 1884 | after = George Z. Erwin}} {{s-par|us-ny-sen}} {{succession box | before = Frank B. Arnold | title = New York State Senate <br>23rd District | years = 1890–1891 | after = John E. Smith}} {{s-end}}
{{SpeakerNYAssembly}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheard, Titus}} Category:1841 births Category:1904 deaths Category:People from Batley Category:People from Little Falls, New York Category:Politicians from Herkimer County, New York Category:Speakers of the New York State Assembly Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Category:Republican Party New York (state) state senators Category:British emigrants to the United States Category:19th-century American businesspeople Category:19th-century members of the New York State Legislature