He always said he was born in 1822 and occasionally that this was in Bowling Bradford.

The Bradford baptisms are:

         Dates
Year   Bapt   Birth     Location          Parents

1821  28 Oct            Bradford York     James and Hannah

1822  25 Dec   31 Oct   Bradford          William and Nancy

1824  15 Aug            Bradford          Joseph and Hannah

While I think the third can be ruled out as too late, there is nothing obvious to prefer either of the first two.  The only thing that can be done is to look at the 1841 census:

1. A family at Clayton Heights, Bradford, Yorkshire (West Riding).  The sole adult was Sally Sharp, so does not agree with the above (but she could ha ve been a second wife.  William was born in 1821

2. A family of Moor End, Bradford, Yorkshire (West Riding).  The adults were James and Elizabeth.  Again this does not tie up with the above.  William was born in 1821

His baptism and thus his birth cannot be identified.  The only route is to get his marriage certificate which should give his age and his father’s name and job.
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In 1861 they had four children and were at 6, Ross Place, Hunslet, Yorkshire (West Riding:

First name(s)  Last name  Relationship  Marital status  Sex  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place
William          Sharp  Head  M  M  39  1822  Engine smith  Bowling, Yorkshire
Mary             Sharp  Wife  M  F  39  1822  -             Leeds, Yorkshire
Annie M          Sharp  Daur  -  F   9  1852  Flax carder   Leeds, Yorkshire
Martha Ellen     Sharp  Daur  -  F   6  1855  Scholar       Leeds, Yorkshire
Clara E          Sharp  Daur  -  F   4  1857  Scholar       Leeds, Yorkshire
Frederic Squire  Sharp  Son   -  M   2  1859  Scholar       Leeds, Yorkshire

Ref:
Archive reference  RG09
Piece number       3365
Folio              46
Page               25
Combined:          1861 ref: RG09, piece 3365, folio 46, p. 25
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In 1871 he and Mary and three children were at Goodman Street, Leeds, Hunslet, Yorkshire (West Riding):

First name(s)  Last name  Relationship  Marital status  Sex  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place
William    Sharp  Head  M  M  49  1822  Engine Fitter (foreman)  Yorkshire
Mary       Sharp  Wife  M  F  49  1822  -                        Yorkshire
Anne M     Sharp  Daur  -  F  19  1852  Bressmaker               Yorkshire
Frederick  Sharp  Son   -  M  13  1858  Shop boy                 Yorkshire
John       Sharp  Son   -  M   8  1863  Scholar                  Yorkshire

Ref:
Archive reference  RG10
Piece number       4511
Folio              111
Page               35
Combined:          1871 ref: RG10, piece 4511, folio 111, p. 35
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In 1881 they were at 14, Foster Street, Hunslet, Yorkshire & Yorkshire though his son’s birth place was not entered as the (correct) Mold, Flints reported in 1901:

First name(s)  Last name  Relationship  Marital status  Sex  Age  Birth year  Occupation  Birth place
William  Sharp  Head  M  M  59  1822  Engineer (e m)   Bradford
Mary     Sharp  Wife  M  F  59  1822  -                Leeds, Kent
John     Sharp  Son   S  M  17  1864  Machine fitter   Leeds, Kent

Ref:
Archive reference  RG11
Piece number       4487
Folio              12
Page               18
Combined:          1881 ref: RG11, piece 4487, folio 12, p. 18
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The children’s births are:

Name:                         Mother's Maiden Surname:
SHARP, HANNAH MARIA           GREEN  
GRO Reference: 1852  M Quarter in HUNSLET  Volume 09B  Page 297
SHARP, MARTHA ELLEN           GREEN  
GRO Reference: 1854  S Quarter in HUNSLET  Volume 09B  Page 305
  Clara  - not on GRO index, nor is her death indexed.
SHARPE, FREDERICK SQUIRE      GREEN  
GRO Reference: 1858  J Quarter in HUNSLET  Volume 09B  Page 285
SHARP, JOHN                   GREEN  
GRO Reference: 1863  M Quarter in HOLYWELL  Volume 11B  Page 296

Notes on the above children:
1. Annie was born as Hannah,
2. Clara’s birth cannot be found, neither on GRO nor on FindMyPast,
3. Frederick was registered with an ‘e’ at the end of Sharp,
4. John was registered in Holywell - Flintshire, county thanks to FindMyPast, and thereby corroborates his 1901 census entry for his birth place.
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His jobs:

1861  Engine smith
1871  Engine Fitter (foreman)
1881  Engineer (e m)
1891  Living on own means (and with his dau Martha Westmorland in Hunslet)
1901  Retired foreman mechanic

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In 1911 he was not to be found so died between 1901 and 1911.
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His death index:

First name(s)  William
Last name      Sharp
Gender         Male
Birth year     1822
Age            80
Death quarter  1
Death year     1902
District       Leeds
County         Yorkshire
Volume         9B
Page           268
Country        England
Record set     England & Wales Deaths 1837-2007
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His probate index:

1901
SHARP  William of 53 Dawlish-road York-road Leeds died 28 February 1902  Probate Wakefield 10 July to Frederick Squire Sharp sanitary-inspector and Thomas Westmorland cabinet-maker  Effects £49 18s.

Frederick was his son and Thomas his son-in-law.
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The only marriage that might be theirs, if any, is this in 1845:

Surname   First name(s)  District    Vol   Page
Marriages Dec 1845   (>99%)
Barnes    Felix          Droitwich   18    329
GREEN     Mary           Droitwich   18    329
JAMES     Sarah          Droitwich   18    329
PERRETT   Ann            Droitwich   18    329
PRICE     Thomas         Droitwich   18    329
SHARP     William        Droitwich   18    329
THOMAS    Thomas         Droitwich   18    329
Witts     Mary           Droitwich   18    329

The first question, if it was them, is what on earth were they doing down in Droitwich, Worcestershire?

The second question is whether the William Sharp of the males in fact married the Mary Green of the females, or did he marry one of the other three?

It needs a study of who was living with whom in the 1851 census.

In 1851 there is in Featherstone, Pontefract, Yorks one couple of William and Mary Sharp, both born in 1822 with three children, the eldest being Hannah born in 1848.  But the William is an Ag lab and not the technocrat found in subsequent censuses.  This could be the couple who married in 1845.  But it does not look like the couple of the 1861 and later censuses.

Also in 1851 there is at Tibthorpe Field, Driffield, Yorks another William and possibly Mary Sharp could but again he is an Ag lab and they do not look like the family of the 1861 on censuses.

And at Gas Street, All Saints, Northampton, Northamptonshire, there is a couple with two children and William was a Shoe Maker.  Again they don’t look like the 1861 on couple.

In sum I do not think the above marriage was theirs, there is too much uncertainty about the relationship with the couple of 1861 onwards.
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