Several books have been written about the Shelton family, including - The Sheltons, by Kathryn Morris Brown, tracing the family back to about 1100 in England. The Thomas Shelton Family in Early Virginia, by Frank H. Shelton, and A History of the Shelton Family in England and America, by Mildred Campbell Whitaker are all very useful in compiling the Shelton Family data. Mildred Campbell Whitaker traces the Shelton family from Virginia to Bermuda and back to England. According to her, the Sheltons were prominent in early English affairs, back to the time of the Barrons who forced King John to sign the Magna Carta, King William, the Conqueror, and beyond to one of the early Sheltons, Ralph Shelton of Norfolk, the Crusader. The Sheltons were definitely of English descent. My GtGrandmother was Sarah Angeline Shelton, daughter of Daniel Shelton and his 2nd of 4 wives, Mary Elizabeth Haislip. Sarah Angeline Shelton married William Allen Mills in 1869 in Fayette County and during 63 years of marriage, reared a family of 12 and two additional orphans. William Allen Mills, Sarah Mills, and Daniel Shelton, her father, are all buried in Wilberton Cemetery, Wilberton Twp., Fayette County. Daniel Shelton was the son of Rutherford Shelton and Elizabeth Mulliken, who married 1817, Gallatin County, KY. Rutherford Shelton married 3 times; his second wife was Elizabeth Cheshire whom he married in 1840, Fayette County, IL. There is a small long forgotten cemetery in Wilberton Township about a mile from the old Frogtown School... it sets out along the edge of a field... the Cheshire Cemetery. It probably holds about 20-25 stones still standing. It may have already been catalogued by the FCGS and published in earlier editions of Fayette Facts. When researching William Henry Harrison Shelton in Fayette... there were two. First, W.H.H. 1820-1898, son of Rutherford and Elizabeth Mulliken. This first W.H.H. married 1. Isabel Martin in 1843 in Fayette County, married 2. E.L. Matilda Sproull in 1877, Fayette County, IL, and he also had a brother... Daniel Shelton... noted above. The second W.H.H. Shelton 1859-1940, was a son of the Daniel Shelton noted above... and his 3rd of 4 wives... Catherine Elizabeth Shupe. This second W.H.H. married in 1882, Margaret Montgomery and was a 1/2 brother to my GtGrandmother, Sarah Angeline. This second W.H.H. Shelton died in Woods County, OK. This particular line of the Shelton Family probably came from England in the late 1600's and may be connected with further research with the aforementioned books. However, this Shelton direct line was first noted in Middlesex County, VA, then south into Pittsylvania County, VA, east to Gallatin County, KY, and then into Fayette County, IL. One connection of generations in VA/KY is lacking sufficient documentation to validate that Rutherford Shelton was the son of Daniel Shelton, Jr. and his wife, Martha Keatts, however, several of us researching this line over the years have come to the conclusion that he was the son of Daniel, Jr. Daniel Shelton Jr. 1764-1816 was the son of Daniel, Sr. and his wive Lettia Young, who married 1750 in Middlesex County, VA. Daniel, Sr. 1729-1809 was the son of Ralph Shelton 1685-1733 and Mary Crispen, who married approximately 1706, Middlesex County, VA. Ralph Shelton was the son of Peter Shelton 1664-1718 and his wife Susannah Jaxon (Jackson). The book The History of Pittsylvania County, VA holds a lot of data on this Shelton Family Line in the 1800's. Obviously, many of these generations of Sheltons had large families, multiple wives, etc... and named successive sons after themselves in later generations. Sorting out my own direct line of my GtGtGrandfather Daniel Shelton and his 4 wives in Fayette County took several months of effort and research. Anyone desiring additional info on these Fayette County, IL, Sheltons, cemetery directions, or some limited digital photos in Wilberton Township, can contact me via direct e-mail and I will provide a text file of the family in IL. Edward E. Mills, A Vandalia native now in Westford, MA. edemills@aol.com