I found no confirmation for the ancestry of your Thomas... "The Elwell Family - 17th and 18th centuries - Southern New Jersey" by Elmer Garfield Van Name: Dec. 15, 1799, Samuel and wife Rachel made a deed to the Trustees of Hopewell Baptist Church (Cumberland County Deeds 7:90). Rachel was the d/o DANIEL Sheppard. Thomas Sheppard Elwell, s/o Samuel, made a deed (Cumberland County Deeds 48:91) Descendants of Samuel and Rachel Elwell 1 Samuel Elwell d: April 16, 1815 +Rachel Sheppard d: 1819 2 Christiana Elwell +Cornelius Curry 2 Hannah Elwell +Andrews 3 Samuel E. Andrews 2 Thomas Sheppard Elwell 2 Samuel Blackwood Elwell 2 Martha Ann Elwell 2 Sarah Elwell b: August 17, 1814 d: August 14, 1888 +Benjamin Crispin b: 1797 m: 1838 d: April 8, 1877 -=- "A History of the Cohansey Baptist Church in Old West Jersey" by Charles E. Sheppard 1846 -1939: It is to be supposed that the members on the south side of the Cohansey were with the Greenwich people in favor of that place, because of the short distance they would have to travel after crossing the river in boats, while most of the others were favorable to a location at Roadstown or its vicinity. The next meeting, November 4th records: "Taking into consideration the subject of a new place of worship and find the diversity of opinions still subsisting, a variety of conversation was had on the occasion, meeting was dismissed without further order being made. Throughout the whole business appears the intention not to force the matter in the interest of any part of the field, but to wait until the Lord should unite the minds of the people. But the need of a new house was great, and the minds of the people were rapidly settling upon the noble location where the building now stands, and their minds crystallized on February 3rd , 1798, in the following: On Consideration had and motion made, resolved that a subscription be opened to obtain a sufficient sum of money to purchase a lot of land of Thomas SHEPPARD situate nearly opposite the schoolhouse at Roadstown in the township of Hopewell and to build a new meetinghouse thereon, and that our clerk draw a subscription for that purpose payable at four equal payments at such time as he shall think will best answer the purpose for which it is designed." 6 Title Delayed A note at the bottom signed by the church clerk, Isaac WHEATON, says: " A subscription was drew agreeable to the above resolution and a number of subscribers entered on the same, but by reason of death of Thomas SHEPPARD a title could not be obtained, therefore the above resolution rests withoout further proceedings therein. Thomas SHEPPARD, the owner, died May 1798. Nothing further was done until May 4th, 1799, when a resolution was passed reciting that of February 3rd, 1798, and the stopping of all proceedings under it, and now appointing a committee to find out the land could be had and a title obtained. This committee reported favorably on July 6th, 1799 and the trustees were ordered to purchase the lot. August 13th, 1799, a general meeting of the church and congregation was held and David GILLMAN and Isaac WHEATON were appointed a committee to complete the contract for the lot, and Uriah BACON, David SHEPPARD, Isaac MULFORD and Jonathan BOWEN, Esq. were appointed a committee to obtain subscriptions to pay for the lot and build a house of worship, to be payable in Four parts, on November 1st, 1799, May 1st and October 1st, 1800 and April 1st, 1801. The next day an agreement was made with Samuel ELWELL and wife Rachel for three acres of ground, which was consumated December 16th, 1799, by a deed from said parties for the lot, 20 perches front along the road and 25 perches deep for the sum of $120.00. -=- Malcolm Schalick Sharp sharp.rootsweb.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, May 28, 2005 8:08 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [NJCUMBER] Thomas Sheppard ELWELL, Stow Creek, 1830 My ancestor, Thomas S. ELWELL, died in Franklin Twp., Chester Co., PA in 1868 and is buried at the Kemblesville Methodist Church. From census data I know that he was born in NJ and that he was in Chester County (London Grove Twp.) by 1840. I believe that he is the same Thomas S. ELWELL who appears in the Stow Creek Twp., Cumberland Co. census in 1830. I also believe that he may be the Thomas Sheppard ELWELL who was the son of Samuel ELWELL and Rachel SHEPPARD of Cumberland Co. (who deeded the land for the Cohansey Baptist Church in Roadstown in Dec. 1799). Can anyone with knowledge of these families confirm these suppositions for me? Also, the land for the church evidently originally belonged to Thomas SHEPPARD, who had intended to sell it to the congregation but died in May of 1798 before the transaction came to fruition. The facts lead me to believe that Rachel (Sheppard) ELWELL may have been his daughter, and that she inherited the property from him. Any information or suggestions for research resources would be appreciated. Thanks. Fred Kelso Oxford, PA