This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Shelton, Street, Hudson Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/wNHBAIB/2972.2.1.1.1.2 Message Board Post: Hi Joseph, It’s good that you clarify that your post is “a working descent” for this line. I notice that you have done a great deal of research and would like to help you on the Sheltons. I find only two references to a William J. Shelton in Wood’s book.– that is a William with the middle initial “J”. Once on page 383 where he is naming “ATTORNEYS OF THE ALBEMARLE BAR”. William J. Shelton was member in 1845. This is clearly not the William that married Lucy Harris. The other mention of William J. Shelton is on page 100. Woods is discussing Albemarle Newspapers and notes the “Central Gazette”. He says, “It then passed into the hands of Dr. Frank Carr, and was sold by him in 1830 to E. W. Reinhart. After an interval of some years it was under the control of William W. Tompkins and Alexander Moseley, the latter of whom afterwards became the distinguished editor of the Richmond Whig. Later it was conducted by Robert C. Noel, William J. Shelton and James C. Halsall, and still later it was edited successively by John L. Cochran and James C. Southall." Careful primary research by men and women who have been studying Shelton family history for decades has been coming together with scientific information gleaned from the Family Tree DNA Project – helping us to move Shelton Genealogy on the right track. Unfortunately there have been many well-meaning people seeking their family roots who have relied on authors of published genealogies who promoted themselves as authorities. Some of these authors on Shelton Genealogy were incorrect in many of their assumptions and led us on the wrong path for generations. Mildred Whitaker and even Rev. Woods in his "The History of Albemarle County, Virginia" have jumbled up the colonial Sheltons of Hanover, Louisa, Albemarle, Amherst and Goochland. This also includes the book entitled "The Sheltons, Lineal Descendants from Ancient, Medieval and Modern Kings from Fifteen Sureties for the Magna Charta" by Kathryn Morris Brown. Ms. Brown says in the preface to her book that her information was taken primarily from "The Sheltons of England and America" by Mildred Whitaker and "Magna Charta" by John S. Wurts. Research John S. Wurts and you will find that he was in the business of providing genealogies to many Americans who were seeking illustrious lineages that connected them to the royal lines of England. Large portions of his genealogies have been proven false. I view his “work” as having provided wealthy individuals a social club of false pedigrees. In truth there were probably many who spent money they could not afford so that he (Wurts) would produce a genealogy that would entitle them to membership into various “societies”. I have personal letters written in the 1960’s between female cousins of the Hanover, Rural Plains Shelton line. They were aghast to find that one of them had spent a considerable amount of money to be invited into the “The National Society of Magna Charta Dames” only to find that John Wurts had copied Mildred Whitaker word for word. One of my favorite teachers frequently used the expression, ”Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.” Obviously everything these authors wrote was not false. The problem is that their assumptions have been quoted and put down as fact for too long! We should be careful not to copy their mistakes and perpetuate incorrect genealogies. ~ ~ ~ William Shelton made his will July 13, 1802. The will names his wife Lucy and sons Weatherston, William Harris and Thomas. He named daughters Sarah, Agnes, Lucy Brown and Mourning the wife of Archibald Woods. He also named granddaughters Lucy, Susannah and Elizabeth daughters of his son Thomas, deceased. The executors of his will were Joel Harris, John R. Kerr and son Weatherston Shelton. Witnesses to the will were John Gillum, William Fretwell, William C. Maupin, Austin Shelton and William Davenport. The will was probated in Albemarle County, VA December 1803. (Note: Austin Shelton was the son of William’s probable brother Henry. Austin’s will was written January of 1806 and probated Albemarle County, in April of the same year.) Son of William, Thomas, moved to Madison County, KY (where his father had land on Drowning Creek) by September 25, 1787 when he and Archibald Woods were appointed guardians of Ann and William Woods Kavanaugh. Philemon Kavanaugh married Elizabeth Woods, sister to Archibald Woods, and as you know, Archibald Woods married Mourning Shelton sister to Thomas Shelton. After Kavanaugh’s death, Thomas Shelton married the widow, Elizabeth Woods Kavanaugh. Thomas was killed in 1793 or 1794. Two sources disagree on the year, but agree that Thomas Shelton and Nathaniel Haggard were killed by an ambush of Chief Doublehead on Little Richland Creek. They were Baptist ministers traveling to – or from Virginia. Please Note: Agnes Shelton – daughter of William and Lucy - did not marry Joseph Gentry. Her mother Lucy’s will, was written in 1816. See: Albemarle County, WB 6, page 181. Lucy names her daughter Agnes Shelton. Apparently Agnes didn’t marry and neither did the daughter Sarah. See: Albemarle County WB 4, page 255: Ordered 1, February and recorded 2, July 1807: Appraisement of the Estate of Sarah Shelton deceased taken at the home of Lucy Shelton this first day of January 1807 agreeable to an order of court to us directed. [Her brother William (Harris) Shelton and Pleasant Gillum were witnesses.] Agnes Shelton – the wife of Joseph Gentry is believed to be William’s sister and not his daughter as shown in your post. You show Agnes, the daughter born in 1755. She could not have been Joseph Gentry’s wife. The following two Lunenburg Co. deeds show this. 1756, October 29 – Joseph Gentry and Agnes his wife to William Shelton of Albemarle Co. VA 274 acres on Reedy Creek for Ł77 Witness: Geo. Walton, Simon Gentry, Nicholas Gentry (Lunenburg County, VA Deed Book 4, pg. 335) 1762, Feb 2 – William Shelton of Albemarle Co. VA. to Tyree Glen of Lunenburg Co. VA 274 acres for Ł100 . . . a tract Joseph Minor purchased of one Mackie and said Minor sold to Joseph Gentry and said Gentry sold to William Shelton. Witness: Nathaniel Williams, William Smithson, Jeremiah Glenn. (Lunenburg Co. Va Deed Book 7, pg. 149) Joseph Gentry and Tyree Glenn moved first to Lunenburg County, VA and then to Surry County, NC. with their wives Agnes Shelton Gentry and Sarah Shelton Glenn. William Shelton who was married to Lucy Harris (her parents being Robert Harris and Mourning Glenn Harris) is shown by a preponderance of evidence to have also had siblings Eleanor Shelton who married Charles Stratham; Peter Shelton who married Frances Nuckolls; Henry Shelton who married 1st Eleanor and 2nd Mary – and David Shelton who married 1st Elizabeth Matlock and 2nd Susannah Vaughn. Many documents as well as DNA evidence tie this family group together and data seems to indicate that their father may have been Thomas Shelton who lived in Louisa County, VA on Long Creek (aka. Hickory Bear Creek). However, this Thomas could not have been as you propose. You propose: 1 Thomas SHELTON ........ 2 James SHELTON .............. +Mary UNKNOWN ................... 3 John SHELTON 1649 - ......................... +Jane CHILTON .............................. 4 Colonel William SHELTON 1676 - 1734 ..................................... +Hannah ARMISTEAD 1690 - .......................................... 5 William SHELTON II 1717 - 1801 ................................................ +Patience CARY 1720 - ..................................................... 6 [66] William J Shelton 1709 - 1797 ........................................................... +[4] Lucy Alber Harris 1734 – 1803 I don’t mean for this to sound combative or negative at all – but there is no proof whatsoever for the above descent. William Sheldon who married Hannah Armistead had no issue. Two early references state that their marriage license was issued December 10, 1698 and that they did not have children. William and Mary Quarterly Volume 6, Page 227 “Armistead Family” states that Hannah died without issue and that William Sheldon married Katherine Nutting daughter of Thomas Nutting. She too left no issue and William devised his property to a relative of the second wife. My own primary research in the records at Library of Virginia proves that William had no son. See: York County, VA Book 17, Page 449, 460, 461 He died in 1727 and left a will signed “William SHELDON”. His wife Katherine was executrix and filed inventory of his estate on the 16th of June 1727. She was lent his estate during her lifetime and his only other legatee was his nephew, William Sclater. William Sheldon was appointed sheriff of York County several times. As sheriff, he has many records and they all indicate that his name was Sheldon and not Shelton! This fact alone completely upsets Mildred Whitaker’s genealogy. Shelton researchers should realize this fallacy of William and Hannah once and for all. He was not a Shelton and cannot be included in any Shelton family tree! You propose: *2nd Wife of [66] William J Shelton: ........................................................... +[84] Elizabeth Rogers 1717 - 1740 ................................................................ 7 [85] William J. SHELTON 1731 - 1802 ...................................................................... +[4] Lucy Alber Harris 1734 - 1803 Elizabeth Rogers was the first wife of William Shelton (of Hanover, Rural Plains Line). Mildred Whitaker mistakenly gives her as a second wife to this William and then she completely mixes him up with the elder William Shelton who lived in Albemarle and filed will in 1789.These two Williams were different men and clearly not related in any way. There is a possibility that the two Williams of Albemarle were related – but they are definitely not related to William Shelton whose father is said to have built Rural Plains. I’ve seen a study of St. Paul’s Vestry in regard to the Anderson Family. I don’t know if that’s your study. If so, great work and thanks for the information. Let’s keep the Sheltons straight! If other researchers notice mistakes or typos in this post - corrections welcome! Sincerely, Victoria Toms