This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Ruah, Parks, Stone, Chastains, Middleton, Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/UeB.2ACI/1671.1845.1849.1.2.1 Message Board Post: I take it you have a copy of David Shelton's will where Wm. is named and so is the Sims? For a while I thought there might be a Wm. Shelton, Sr. and a William Shelton, Jr. father to S.P.C. and my ggg Joel Thomas Shelton plus others. There is a grave in the Waynesville Cem. called Old Billy Shelton and that is OUR William, I've been told. I e-mailed someone the other day that I found Wm. living in SC among Bates family members (check the neighbors). They parted due to her death or they got a divorce somewhere and he returned to NC. There he marr Lydia Parker; there are quite a few Parkers there. My ggg-Uncle John Stone married Mary Parker in Dalton GA. His Mother was Margaret (Peggy) Shelton Stone *b Haywood Co. to Joel & Mary, and Jasper Stone her husband. I believe diabetes MAY run through the Bates line. Have you by chance heard the quote of Sarah Shelton Chastain who says of William, "I was married at my father's home on the banks of the Tucksaseegee R..." She married Edward Chastain. We know Sarah was the daughter of Wm. and she claimed Lydia Par! ker was her Mother. She and Joel Thos., my ggg, were only a year or so apart. He married Mary Chastain Edward's sister. S. P. C. came to Texas in the 1870's though I've heard they came earlier. I have corresponded with a descendant Cecil Downey. He says some came later, 2nd, in the 1882-3's. His brothers Chastain and James Madison were with him, and they are buried in Ellis Co. TX cemeteries. Cecil's Grandfather was also called S.P.C.( different names though). Other Shelton brothers went to Brown Co.TX. Wm. went there and marr and they named their daughter Zephyr, after the town they lived in. They moved BACK to NC. She was A. Rogers, had large land holdings in Cullowhee NC ...later they gave land to Western Carolina Univ. (This must be the 2nd William.) Probably the cemetery records of Haywood Co. will tell the story. As far as their land deeds go, we went to the Haywood Co. Courthouse several times and found many Shelton deeds, some with the Indians who used their Indian names. You might be able to write the courthouse or they may be at the LDS. I have unbelieveable amounts ! of Shelton records and may take a while. I am still working on my files.