Page 3
CHAPTER II, AUTHENTICATION
In authenticating the
lineage as written in Chapter I, it is felt appropriate to first give credit to
the sources of all the data at hand.
The writer is indebted foremost to Mrs. S. A. (Maud Farmer) Casey,
great-granddaughter of James (8). Mrs.
Casey, deceased as of March 10, 1963, from her home in Lebanon, Missouri,
worked for many years to develop the Shelton lineage, and the correspondence
with her is a file of great worth, not only for the data contained, but also because
the letters reflect a charming lady.
Secondly, this writer
would give credit to Mrs. Joe M. Trotter, nee Jeanette Robertson, great great
granddaughter of James (8). Mrs.
Trotter, deceased as of October 5, 1970, was equally interested in family history,
and it was through her encouragement that this writer was able to develop the
data which led to membership in the Society of the Sons of the Revolution. She was an officer in the James White
Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Thirdly, this writer
would give credit to Grover H. Shelton of Abingdon, Virginia, great (4 times)
grandson of Roderick Shelton (7). A
Shelton historian, Grover was probably the most knowledgeable Shelton of the clan
as to family history, particularly with the antecedents and descendants of
Roderick (7), our mutual ancestor.
Conversations and correspondence with Grover have resulted in many
corrections and revisions to earlier editions of my book. He determined that John Shelton, son of Ralph
(5), was the father of Roderick (7), where this writer had assumed that John’s
brother James was his father. He was a
valued friend and cousin. Knowing him
and his wife, Elizabeth, has been a highlight for me and Virginia.
Fourthly, Colonel Lee
M. Shelton of Poulsbo, Washington, great (3 times) grandson of Roderick (7),
deceased as of April, 1986, was a family genealogist. He developed extensive data on the clan, much of which is being
introduced in this edition. He
contributed most of the information on Roderick’s son Lewis Shelton and Lewis’
descendants, particularly of Lewis’ son David and David’s descendants. A meeting with him and Grover at
Greeneville, Tennessee, in 1985 and extensive correspondence and phone
conversations have been invaluable in this work. Meeting him and Yolande was a highlight for me and my wife.
There are several
books and papers at hand that deal with Shelton genealogy: Margaret Campbell Whitaker’s book, The
Sheltons of England and America, 1941; Z. F. Shelton’s The Sheltons,
1962; a treatise, Ralph Shelton of Middlesex County, Virginia, and Some of
His Descendants, by his great-grandson Kenyon Stevenson in 1953; article,
“founding of Patrick County”, by James Martin in Journal of Roanoke Historical
Society, summer, 1955; a paper, Shelton Genealogy by A. P. Shelton, July
1957; a paper, The Shelton Family, by John Kendrick Shelton, 1948; The
Shelton Family, compiled by American Genealogical Research Institute, 1975;
The Sheltons, by Kathryn Morris Brown, 1981; The Sheltons, by
Clay Hensley, 1985, which contains extensive genealogical data on Shelton,
Haire, Hensley and Norton families and has proved a valuable reference in the
compilation of this latest edition of my book; The Kingdom of Madison,
by Manly Wade Norton, has interesting historical data.
Page 4
on Shelton Laurel; The
Victims, by Phillip Shaw Palladan has in detail a report on “The Shelton
Massacre”; letters from Kate Shelton Henninger, Laura Shelton Walker, Chapelle
Shelton, Grover H. Shelton, Colonel Lee M. Shelton, Dorothy Shelton Drumright,
Vicki Schneider, Mary Elizabeth Rivalto, Maude and Dewey Shelton, Vera Diehl,
Katherine Wallin, Naydeen Gandy, Kay Scott, Ruth Bock, Auda Stearns, Louise
Smith, Mildred Furbush, Jack Collins, Marla Shelton, Marla Shelton Mitchell,
Lelia Mitchell, Claud R. Bird and others; and other papers, among these notes
on Shelton kin in Rhea and Hamilton counties prepared by David N. (Red) Gray,
Fred Longhurst on the western migration, Reid W. Walker on the Walkers. Further, the writer has researched records
in the National Archives in Washington.
He has visited county seats and examined deed, marriage and will records
in the following: Pittsylvania, Henry
& Patrick counties, Virginia; Buncombe, Madison and Yancey counties, North
Carolina; Greene, McMinn, Jefferson, Rhea and Claiborne counties,
Tennessee. He has studied records in
the libraries at Stuart, Virginia; at Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and
the public and Mormon Genealogical libraries in Atlanta. He has visited Shelton Laurel in Madison
County, North Carolina, and talked with Sheltons native to that area. The writer recently visited the courthouse
and library in Yancey County, North Carolina, at Burnsville, which county in
the years 1833-1850 included the area of present Madison County known as
Shelton Laurel.
To confirm the
generations as shown pages 1 and 2, each will be considered in a separate
chapter, beginning with Chapter III, James Shelton (8), and continuing through
Chapter X, James Shelton (1) and through Chapter XI, Miscellaneous
Addenda. Briefly, though, each
generation will be covered in one paragraph in Chapter II in the same order.
Records in his family
Bible at hand show that James Shelton (8) was born March 1, 1791 and that he
died October 9, 1879. It has also
records of his wives and children.
Record in the Third Auditors Office, Treasury Department, Washington, D.
C,. confirm the date and place of birth (the latter as Patrick County,
Virginia) and show that on December 20, 1813, at the age of 23 he enlisted in
the army for War of 1812 service at Greeneville, Greene County, Tennessee, for
a term of 6 months. He served from
January 6, 1813, to May 24, 1814. His unit
was Captain Thomas Wilson’s company of east Tennessee militia. Papers on record in the archives confirm
Captain Thomas Wilson as his company commander, and they show Col. Ewing
Allison as his regimental commander.
These papers state that he received an honorable discharge at
Washington, Tennessee, now a small village in Rhea County, on the Tennessee
River a few miles northeast of Dayton, then a town of some renown. Included among the papers are several
letters written by him in later years when he made application for pension for
service in the War of 1812. His role
consisted primarily of fighting the Creek Indians under General Andrew Jackson
at Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River in Alabama. This engagement will be enlarged upon anon in this book (page
13). It is perhaps worthwhile to note
here that James’ last wife, Catherine Winters Bell Shelton, drew a pension from
his service here. His pension was
approved on September 14, 1878, (certificate shown page 15) payable at
Knoxville, Tennessee, he having become eligible for pension of March 9, 1878,
just 19 months before he died. He never
received benefits personally, but
Page 5
his 4th wife, Catherine, received 8 dollars
monthly until she died in 1905. His
pension certificate was number 24173, approved by one J. A. Bently,
Commissioner, and at hand is the certificate of that approval. Catherine’s certificate was numbered 29040,
her claim being numbered 38622, both paid by the Department of the
Interior.
To authenticate Roderick Shelton (7) in the lineage, there
are not many official records to go on.
His grandson, Samuel W. Shelton, my father told me that his grandfather
was Roderick Shelton. A search at
Stewart, Virginia, county seat of Patrick County, disclosed only one record in
which Roderick was named. On December
3, 1795, he witnessed the marriage of one Benjamin Johnson to one Sally
Franklin, one of these perhaps being kin of Roderick (7). Nor is he named in the records of either
Pittsylvania or Henry counties. It is
not unlikely that he adopted the name Roderick – possibly his middle name – to
avoid being confused with so many of his common name like James or
William. There is some evidence that
Roderick migrated from Connecticut, though not substantiated. The name is familiar among Daniel Shelton’s
descendants there. One Roderic Sheldon
with a family consisting of himself, a son under 16, and 3 females in the
census of 1790 was in Hartford Township.
There is in the Mormon library in Atlanta a record showing Roderick in
Patrick County as the father of James Shelton born March 1, 1791, and another
showing him in Henry County as the father of Lewis Shelton, born September 15,
1785. This record shows his wife as
Nora as the mother of James (should be Ursa, perhaps) and shows Sarah Scruggs
as the mother of Lewis. These records
do confirm that he was in Patrick County and that he was the father of James
(8), born there in 1791. Deed records
in North Carolina in Buncombe County between 1790 and 1820 name Roderick
several times. Reportedly Roderick had
7 sons and 4 daughters, some remaining in North Carolina, others to Tennessee,
Kentucky and Missouri. Pertinent to
Shelton history are the following deed records in Buncombe County, North
Carolina:
On September 21, 1798, George Shelton was granted 50 acres
on Ross’ Creek, by the State of North Carolina, Grant No. 565, Will White,
Securer.
On September 20, that year, George had been granted 50 acres
on Ross’ Creek by Nehemiah Gudger.
The George Shelton above is a cousin of Roderick (7) being
the son of James Shelton who was a brother to Roderick’s father, John Shelton
(6). He lived at Biltmore on the
Swannanoa River at what is now Biltmore.
He and his cousin James were cavalrymen in the Revolutionary War. This information was furnished by a Mrs.
Willingham of Sheffield, Alabama, descendant of George Shelton.
On August 27, 1800, Roderick Shelton was granted bond for
title to Middle and South Forks of Laurel, including mill and plantation, by
one John Strother. This land ostensibly
was part of a large tract of 326,000 acres originally granted to John Gray
Blount. He and his brother, William
Blount, noted in Tennessee history, a member of the legislature, set about to
make themselves immensely wealthy by dealing in the millions of acres of land
that were claimed by North Carolina west of the Appalachian Mountains. They succeeded in having the legislature
open up the western lands for sale at about 5 cents an acre. The land was later sold by the sheriff for
taxes, John Strother apparently representing the
Page 6
sheriff. Thus began what is now Shelton Laurel.
On December 10,
1801, David Shelton was granted 100 acres on Bald Mountain Creek by State of
North Carolina, Grant No. 931. Also on
that date, David Shelton granted to Roderick Shelton 100 acres on left hand
fork of Bald Mountain Creek. This is
the property shown above which the State of North Carolina by Grant No. 931 for
and in consideration of the sum of 10 pounds for a hundred acres granted to the
said Roderick Shelton, assignee of the said David Shelton, a tract containing
100 acres, to hold to the said Roderick Shelton, his heirs and assigns forever,
yielding and paying to the state such sums of money yearly or otherwise as the
General Assembly shall direct. Provided
always that the said grantee shall cause the grant to be registered …. The
above land was entered September 3, 1790.
(The above indicates the close relationship between Roderick and David,
the former being shown as the assignee of the other. They were likely cousins, David being a son of Roderick’s uncle
James Shelton.)
On October 19,
1803, George Shelton granted to William Whitson 50 acres on Ross’ Creek for 25
pounds. (This is the same George as
above, cousin of Roderick.)
On January 2,
1806, Roderick Shelton (7) granted to William Moore 100 acres on Bald Mountain
Creek and Cany River for 400 dollars.
On July 28,
1815, Lewis Shelton was granted 12 acres on Laurel Branch by John Strother,
witnessed by James Shelton (8) and Isaac Sumner. (This Lewis and James were sons of Roderick (7), the Lewis who
later went to Missouri and the James who went to Tennessee.) Also on July 28, 1815, Roderick Shelton
directed that John Strother convey to Roderick’s son, Lewis Shelton, 100 acres
in the Long Bottom, witnessed by Isaac Sumner.
(See special proviso page 241.)
On the same date
Roderick Shelton directed the same John Strother to convey to Roderick’s son
James Shelton (8) 100 acres including Roderick’s old plantation. Further, on the same date as above, David
Shelton was granted 30 acres on Laurel Branch by John Strother, this David
likely being another son of Roderick (7).
(p. 241)
On October 2,
1816, Martin Shelton was granted 80 acres on Laurel Creek by Alexander Amos.
On April 12,
1823, David Shelton was granted 418 acres on Laurel Creek by Alexander Amos.
On April 14,
1823, Martin Shelton was granted land by Alexander Amos. (One wonders whether Alexander Amos might
have been an executor of the estate of Roderick Shelton (7).)
The above named
James, Lewis, David and Martin are likely all sons of Roderick (7). The above concludes the deed records of that
era related to the Sheltons of Buncombe County. There were found no
marriage records in the county prior to 1850, nor any records on wills
prior to 1840.
Following are
the census records of the Sheltons in Buncombe County, North Carolina, for the
year 1800:
Page 7
On page 123 it
shows that in the household of Elizabeth Shelton there was one male between the
ages of 16 and 26, one female in the same age group and one female over 45.
On the same page
in the household of Martin Shelton there was one male between 16 and 26, 2
females under 10 and one female between 16 and 26.
On page 124 in
the household of Roderick Shelton, there were 2 males under 10, 2 between 10
and 16 and one over 45. There were2
females under 10 and one between 16 and 26.
On the same page
in the household of George Shelton there were 2 males under 10 and one between
26 and 45. There were 2 females under
10 and one between 16 and 26.
In Pittsylvania
County, Virginia, records in 1791, David and Elizabeth Shelton are shown as
grantors in a deed (page 292). In the
above census record Elizabeth is likely David’s widow. An earlier Pittsylvania County record shows
that one David Shelton wed Elizabeth Shields May 30, 1875. Another Virginia record shows David Shelton,
born 1736, who died in 1801, married Elizabeth Matlock. The census takers in those days were
sometimes more than a year behind, such that a person who died in 1801 might
not be in the 1800 census. The above
Martin is likely Roderick’s eldest son, while David is likely Roderick’s
cousin, son of his Uncle James.
There are a
number of letters at hand written by
Roderick’s descendants. One written
October 1, 1954, by Mrs. Thomas A. (Laura Shelton) Walker, granddaughter of
James Shelton (8), confirms that Roderick Shelton (7) was father of James
(8). The letter is here quoted in
part: “ … and my father’s grandfather
was Rod Shelton and the (original) Sheltons came from France to the United
States and settled in North Carolina, Buncombe County. I remember my father going back there one
time on a visit … I remember long time
ago Uncle Sam was at our house and he had a tree of the old Shelton ancestors and
on the main big tree was Rod Shelton and the limbs branched out and had the names
of the children and on down. He said
the tree was in Chattanooga. Don’t know
whether there is a bureau of information there or not. Possibly there might be one in the
courthouse.” Laura was a daughter of
William C. Shelton, former captain in the Union Army.
A letter written July 6, 1905, by John Shelton,
grandson of Roderick (7), lists Roderick’s sons and confirms that he served in
the Revolutionary War. It is here
quoted:
“After my best
respects to you, I can inform you that I am seventy-seven years old, was born
in Buncombe County, North Carolina, in 1828, and have lived in this county ever
since, though Buncombe has been divided until where I now live is Madison
County. My father told me that my
grandfather came England and first settled in Virginia, then migrated into this
country and died here. My father told
me that Grandfather Roderick was in the Revolutionary War. He had several sons. My father’s name was David Shelton. (I) had Uncle Martin, Uncle James, Uncle
Armistead, Uncle Lewis and Uncle William.
(Another copy of the letter extant shows John as one of the
Page
8
uncles.) Lewis moved to Missouri and died there. James moved to Tennessee and died there. Martin died here in this country, and he had a son Solomon Shelton who left this country about the time you state in your letter, but I was small and don’t recollect him. My information is that he went to Oregon Territory. We have large connections in Missouri, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. This Solomon Shelton was my first cousin. So this is all the Sheltons I have heard of in this country about that time. I will close by saying I remain your kindred until death.”
A
letter from William Bud Shelton to Mrs. S. A. (Maud Farmer) Casey, postmarked
Marshall, North Carolina, March 29, 1951, also confirms Roderick’s service in
the Revolution. William Bud, resident
of Shelton Laurel in Madison County, is a gr-gr-grandson of Roderick (7). A portion of the letter is here quoted:
“My
fathers name was John A. Shelton, whose father’s name was James whose father’s
name was David whose father’s name was Roderick who fought under George
Washington in the Revolutionary War. I
thought your great-grandfather might be a brother of David, the James who moved
from here to Tennessee.”
In
another letter to Maud Casey, who was a gr-gr-granddaughter of Roderick (7),
William Bud listed James, William, Thomas and Roderick as brothers and Merry as
their sister. But he had John of
Norfolk, who died in 1701 as Roderick’s father and Thomas who had arrived in
America in 1628 as his grandfather.
This would not be consistent, since Roderick (7) was still living in
Buncombe County in 1815.
A
letter from Chapelle Shelton, a minister, written on November 7, 1953, claims
to have his lineage a generation beyond Roderick. He too is a gr-gr-granddson of Roderick (7). The pertinent passages are here quoted:
“….
I am 66 years old. My father lived to
be 86 years old. He always took time to
tell us children about our people. His
father was James Shelton and James’ father was Dave Shelton and Dave’s father
was Roderick Shelton and Roderick’s father was James Shelton who settled at
Norfolk and fought under George Washington….
Roderick Shelton had 7 sons and settled in Virginia. My great-grandfather, Dave, was Roderick’s
son who settled in Madison County. It
used to be (part of) Buncombe County.”
The
statement in the above letter that James fought under George Washington is
probably intended to mean that Roderick fought under the General, for he wrote
in a letter a year earlier: “James
Shelton was born in Virginia, had several sons, and his father was Roderick
Shelton that fought under George Washington.”
Roderick’s father, now believed to be James’ brother, John (6), was a
son of Ralph Shelton (5). In his
letter, Chapelle wrote further that his great-grandfather, David, son of
Roderick and brother of James (8) stayed in Buncombe County, now Madison
County, and founded the Shelton Laurel branch of the family. This scribe believes that Chapelle is in
error also when he names James as father of Roderick (7). We now believe that James’ brother John (6)
was his father.
John
Shelton (6) son of Ralph (5) and Mary Daniel Shelton, was born
Page
9
about
1732 in Essex County, Virginia. He
moved with his father’s family to Amelia County when John was 13. He was one of 18 children, all but 4 of whom
were by his mother Mary Daniel Shelton, the 4 youngest presumably being by a
second wife. There was a tradition in
the family that the head of the clan in Virginia had 13 sons, and one of the
descendants, Mrs. Catherine Shelton Moser, devised a family supposedly headed
by James and Jencie Shelton that had exactly that number of sons. She named the 13 sons. However, none of the Shelton historians that
I have read from or worked with have been able to confirm this. I suspect that that tradition evolved from
the large family of Ralph (5), although there were only 10 sons, not 13, and 8
daughters. John, probably the eldest of
the children of Ralph (5) and Mary Daniel Shelton, was for reasons not
determined by this scribe written off in the will of his father. The family had moved on in 1763 to Pittsylia
[sic] County, the portion of which in 1791 became Patrick County.
It
might be well to note here the eventual evolvement of Patrick County from
Lunenburg County:
In
1752 Lunenburg County was divided to form Halifax County.
In
1767 Halifax County was divided to form Pittsylvania County.
In
1777 Pittsylvania County was divided to form Henry County.
In
1791 Henry County was divided to form Patrick County. This was the year that James Shelton (8) was born in Patrick
County.
In
1776 the western part of Pittsylvania County had become so well settled that a
number of residents petitioned the state to form a new county. John Shelton (6), his father, and 5 of his
brothers signed the petition. It was
dated October 9, 1776. This fact is
from the paper of Kenyon Stevenson, descendant of an uncle of John (6), which
paper he wrote in 1953.
In
1777 James Shelton, brother of John (6), was appointed captain in the Henry
County militia, and in 1779 another brother, Eliphaz, was also appointed
captain in that militia. This fact
being noted in Virginia Archives, was reported in Journal of the Roanoke
Historical Society, summer 1965, in an article entitled “Founding of Patrick
County”, by James H. Martin. The report
is primarily about Eliphaz Shelton, brother of John (6), Eliphaz having donated
the land for the county seat of Patrick County, the site of Stuart,
Virginia. The article states further
that the land was bounded on the south by the 400-acre tract owned by their
father, Ralph Shelton, Sr., and on the east by property of James Shelton, shown
as Captain James.
Further
with regard to the tradition in the family that the head of the tribe in
Virginia had 12 brothers would seem to be corroborated in a listing by Mrs.
Catherine Shelton Moser, said to be descended from Peter Shelton (3), which she
made in 1940: “James Shelton, brother
of Ralph who married Mary Crispen, was married to Jincie (last name unknown),
may have been my ancestor. He was born
in Middlesex County, Virginia in 1726.
James and Jincie had 13 sons:
Thomas, James, Joseph, John, Mark, Anderson, Frederick, Jarrett or
Garrett, Porter, George, William and David… the 13th not remembered,
something like Rawleigh. David was the
founder of Shelton Laurel branch of the family in the North Carolina
mountains.” But our research indicates
that at least some of the sons named by her are not those of this James
Shelton, born 1726, bro-
Page 10
ther of Ralph (4).
He may have had as many as 13 children.
There are ten shown attributable to him pages 325-326, but the names
James, William and Thomas are the only ones included in both lists. It is noted that Roderick (7) is not
included in either list. However,
William Bud Shelton of Shelton Laurel, mentioned page 8, listed those three as
brothers of Roderick and named Merry Shelton as a sister. Our research indicates that Roderick was
descended from Ralph (4), father of this James, being the grandson of Ralph
(5), son of John (6). George and David,
as well as Roderick, are shown in deed records in Buncombe County, North
Carolina, between 1798 and 1803. And
George and Roderick appear in the Buncombe County census for 1800. An Elizabeth Shelton, possibly the widow of
David above, also appears in this census.
Martin Shelton, shown as the head of a family in that census is likely
Roderick’s son, born1785, probably his eldest.
Others of the above listed names appear in deed, marriage and census
records reported later in this book. A
number of brothers of John Shelton (6), including James, Eliphaz, Palatiah,
Roger and Ralph Jr. and their father, Ralph (5) are all shown as being property
owners in Henry County in the years 1782 to 1787, showing the number of voters
and number of slaves in each family.
John (6) was not shown in this group.
Shown as a large property owner in Henry County was one James Shelton,
b. abt 1714, son of Ralph and Mary Pollard Shelton, owned 2000 acres on Mayo
River at its confluence with Horsepasture Creek. To his sons William and Samuel and son-in-law Gregory Durham, who
wed his daughter Elizabeth, he gave each a farm from this acreage. (See page 299.)
Ralph Shelton (5) was born in Middlesex County, Virginia, in
1709. This is shown in several records
at hand. In the early 1730’s he settled
in Essex County, Virginia. He was shown
in Essex County in 1740 presenting to the Essex County Court a certificate for
taking up a runaway slave. Shortly thereafter,
in 1745, he moved to Amelia County.
Then in June, 1749, he was granted 400 acres in Lunenburg County, but he
retained his residence in Amelia. He
sold his Amelia land in 1763, and in July that year he bought 400 acres both
sides of South Fork of Mayo River in Halifax County. This land was successfully in Halifax, Pittsylvania, Henry and
Patrick Counties, located not far from the present county seat of Patrick
County, Stuart, Virginia. Ralph and his
large family moved to this land the year he bought it, 1763, or soon
thereafter.
The first tax lists of Pittsylvania County, which were made
in 1767, show Ralph and three of his sons, Eliphaz, Palatiah and one other,
probably James. In 1776 the population
of Pittsylvania had grown and extended
to the far reaches of the county. The
citizens
Page 11
in the western part petitioned the state to form a new
county. Ralph (5) and three of his sons
are shown as signers of the petition.
The sons were Eliphaz, James and Roger.
Then in 1780 the tax list included Ralph (5) and seven of his sons,
namely Eliphaz, James, Palatiah, John, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Azariah. The county by now had been divided, the new
county being Henry, formed in 1777.
On April 23, 1787 Ralph Shelton (5), signing his name as Ralph
Shelton, Sr., made out his will. Those
mentioned in his will in the order named were as follows: John Shelton, Aesop Shelton, Abbigail
Shelton, Mary Shelton, Liberty Shelton, Ralph Shelton, Palatiah Shelton,
Eliphaz Shelton, James Shelton, Ezekiah Shelton, Jeremiah Shelton, Azariah
Shelton, Roger Shelton, Kathern [sic] Rutherford, Sara Robertson, Elizabeth
Arnold, Rina McGehe and Susannah Jones.
These are not in the order of their ages, John having been named first
because he was to be cut off with five pounds, then the next four having been
at that time minors. The last five were
apparently married daughters.
Ralph Shelton (4) is said to have been the son of Peter
Shelton (3). This Ralph was born in
Middlesex County, Virginia in 1685. In
1708 Ralph (4) was a witness and a beneficiary to the will of one Thomas
Meriwether. This was in Middlesex
County, the will conveying to Ralph (4) 65 acres in Essex County, the land
bordering on the Essex-Middlesex county line.
It remained in the Ralph Shelton (4) family until 1763. Ralph Shelton (4) lived on an adjoining
tract in Middlesex County until his death in 1733. He had 11 children, all but the first three of whom had their
births recorded in Christ Church Parish.
The children in order of birth were as follows: Thomas, Ralph, Elizabeth, Crispin, Reuben,
Mary, Catherine, John, Benjamin, James and Daniel.
Ralph Shelton (4) died in 1733. His will was dated March 10, 1733. In the will he mentions sons Ralph, Thomas and Crispin, his
daughter Elizabeth Davis and his wife Mary.
The will was proved on April 2, 1734.
In his will he stated that in case his son Thomas should die he wished
that his sons Ralph and Crispin should take care of the younger children. Thomas died five years later and left five
small children of his own.
Peter Shelton (3), born in Virginia or Bermuda in 1664, had
three sons whose births were recorded in the Christ Church Parish register, and
there were other sons. Those named in
his will were Peter, William, Thomas and Zebulon. A fifth son, as noted in the parish register, Henry, died
early. At hand are two histories that
list Ralph (4) and Susannah as well as Peter as children of Peter (3). They are Z. F. Shelton in his book “The
Sheltons”, which he wrote in 1962, and
Mildred Campbell Whitaker’s book “The Sheltons in England and America”, which
she wrote in 1941. Peter Shelton (3)
made his will in 1718.
Ralph Shelton (2), born in England in 1610, may never have
come to Virginia, having lived in England and Bermuda. He is on record as son of James (1) and
brother of Thomas. No record of his
having been in mainland America was found by this writer. He was father of
Page 12
Peter (3) and son of James (1).
James Shelton (1), Gent, son of Sir Ralph, 26th
Lord of Shelton, came to America in June 1610 with his relative, Lord Delaware
and was a resident of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1620. He was a member of the first courts of America in 1619 and
1624. He moved to Bermuda in 1630 when
trade was opened up. He died in
Barbados in 1668. His father was Sir
Ralph Shelton, member of the London Company for the settlement of
Virginia. The wife of James Shelton (1)
was Anne ____, and he had a brother named Thomas. James (1) and Ann’s children were James, Stephen, John, William,
Richard, Thomas, George and Ralph (2).
Gabriel Shelton (6), fourth son of Crispin and Letitia
Shelton, was born in Essex County, Virginia about 1737. He moved to Halifax County to the portion
which in later dividings became in succession first Pittsylvania County, then
Henry and lastly Patrick, with his father’s family. He wed Elizabeth Shepherd on March 24, 1762, in Essex County,
then Mary Beuford in 1794 in Pittsylvania County. He was Captain of Militia in Henry County, having been appointed
to that position on September 7, 1775.
On the same date his brothers Beverly and Spencer were appointed
Lieutenants and brothers Vincent and Armistead as Ensigns. Gabriel and Vincent marched their company to
Guilford Court House in North Carolina and fought against the British on March
15, 1781. Gabriel resigned his
commission in 1789 and Beverly was appointed in his place. He had eleven children by his first wife,
including Reddick (or Roderick) who reportedly married one Nancy Brown on
December 7, 1802. Gabriel was on first
tax lists of Pittsylvania County in 1767.
He lived on Panther Creek at Chalk Level. He made his will on April 21, 1803, and probated June 6, 1803,
executors sons Gregory, Beverly, Lemuel and Gabriel, Jr.
Crispin Shelton (5), third son of Ralph (4) and Mary Crispin
Shelton, was born in Middlesex County, Virginia on April 1, 1713. He wed Letitia (probably Beuford) about
1734. He moved first to Essex County
and after 1742 moved with his brother Ralph (5) to Amelia County. Then in August in 1764 he received a grant
of 1515 acres on Panther Creek in Halifax County, the portion of which later
became Pittsylvania County. Crispin and
Letitia had eight sons and three daughters.
Six of his sons were in the Revolution, and he himself held a captain’s
commission. He served as a member of
the Committee of Safety, Court Judge, and as a member of the Commission on
Peace. His will made on October 29,
1787, was probated on August 17, 1794, listed his 11 children and wife Letitia
as legatees. He had accumulated much
property and many slaves.
Having thus developed the lineage of James Shelton (8) of
McMinn County, Tennessee, back to his earliest antecedent in America, the same
order will be followed in compiling by chapter the data at hand relative to the
families in the eight generations, Chapter III being on James Shelton (8) and
his descendants.
The reader may question the lineage shown back beyond
Roderick (7). The fact is that this
writer in his research has not established to his complete satisfaction the
authenticity of his forebears as shown.
Although there is some reason to doubt, there is more reason to believe
it. In any case the line begins with
James (1) however and the material shown in between him and Roderick (7) does
not go for naught, it being factual and invaluable to many who would wish to
trace their antecedents in America.