In the 19th century, a circuit preacher named Henry O. Sheldon traveled 3000-4000 around Ohio on horseback each year . In his travels he collected the names and family connections that shared his surname and came up with a numbering system. It appeared that the Sheldon's came from 5 members that came to this country in colonial times. In 1939, the Sheldon Family Association (SFA) was created to connect people that descended from these individuals. About a year or so ago I had contacted SFA and I gave her Grandma Scanlan's name, and Grandma was in the database. She said we were from the John Sheldon S0013 line. I paid a small annual membership fee, and it got me access to a lot of history and information. I was also able to add some missing information to their database about the Odebolt Sheldon Family.
I would be the Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson of John Sheldon. You can shorten that to 10x Great or just call me a really Great Grandson. John Sheldon was born around 1630. At current time, there is no documentation as to where John came from and who is parents are. There are some clues, but nothing has been authenticated.
To give a little prospective of this time frame, the Pilgrams landed on Plymouth Rock in 1620 and the first Thanksgiving was in October 1621. The first record of John in the New World was in 1647 Rhode Island court records. Seems a Thomas Gould had a little party at his house and things got a little "disorderly". In 1647 there was less than 50,000 settlers in the New World. That is less than the population of Ames Iowa.
From what is known, John was married to Sarah (Palmer or Sherman) and they had one son, John Jr. John Died about 1704. Currently there are over 32,000 descendants of John and Sarah in the database.
If you would like to know more about the Sheldon's, follow the link below to go to their website. They have an annual meeting and in 2023 it is going to be in Fort Wayne Indiana where in 2014 the SFA donated a large volume of records to the Alen County Public Library for safe keeping. The ACPL is the 2nd largest Genealogy Research Center in the United States only behind the Family Search Center in Salt Lake City.
The below records about John were taken from the SFA
“John Sheldon Beinge by Recognzence bownd to this Court and by the Genrl Aturny indicted for an afray by Disorderly Carridges acted in and at Thomas Goulds howse on the 6th janr 1657. The jurry impanelled: upon the Traverce pleads not guilty And refferrs him Selfe to god and Cuntry for Tryall.
The jury returned and their answer is that the indictments came not Soe orderly to them as to justify them to give in A verditt because it had not beine passed on by A grand in quest before hand.
Thomas Gould Robert Griffin Edmund Audly John Sheldon and Thomas Winterton all of newptt Beinge bownd over to this Court for Disorders Done at Thomas Goulds house on Wedensday night the sixt of january last and the Court haveinge had A verry strict and a Searious hereinge and inquiry into the matter are convinced that the sayd persons in their then drinkinge helths intended nothinge against the dignity of his highnes the lord protector, & cr thay also Solemly Denyinge any indignity intended in the same, and also confesinge their sorrow for their Rude and unorderly Caridges at the afore-sayd time and place, and of makeinge soe much disturbance therby and promisinge every one of them to Endeavour to avoyd the licke Disorderly actions againe, the Court are pleased noe longer to continue the sayd persons to stand bownd but upon paying Fees due to officers of Court thay are Discharged by proclomation in open Court.”
From: (Rhode Island Land Evidences Abstracts, Vol. I, pp.229-230.) 4 July 1693. Henry Hall of Westerly, weaver, deeds to John Sheldon of Kingstown, planter, 200 acres northwest from John Sheldon’s dwelling house that Henry Hall purchased from Coganaquoant. (John Sheldon had previously purchased on 20 Oct. 1683 230 acres from Benjamin Congdon near the Pettaquamscutt Purchase (Austin, p.176), hence the reference to his dwelling house in this deed.)
Ibid, pp.6-7: 19 Jany. 1664. Indian chief Cogamaquoant sells two square miles of land in Narragansett Country to Richard Knight and Henry Hall, both of Newport, RI. (This was the Hall-Knight Purchase which bordered on the Pettaquamscutt Purchase.)
Ibid, p.76: 13 Oct. 1652. John Sheldon and Richard Knight witness a covenant between Peter Easton and Henry Stevens, both of Newport, RI.
From: (Colonial Records of RI, Vol. III, pp.58-60, J.R. Bartlett) 29 July 1679. A Petition of Narragansett Country inhabitants to King Charles II included John Sheldon and John Sheldon, Jr. – “that he would put an end to these differences about the government there, which had been so fatal to the prosperity of the place-anomosities still rising in peoples minds, as they stand affected to this or that government.” This petition was honored and granted and the area where John Sheldon lived was annexed to Kings rovince. At the signing of the above petition, S0013 John would have been about 49 years old – his son S0023 John – 17. In 1723 Kings Province became too large and the area was split into two towns — South Kingstown and North Kingstown. North Kingstown then became the older town and was given all of the early records. John Sheldon lived in the area that became South Kingstown. In 1899 Narragansett became a district and in 1901 it became a town. Prior to that time it was part of South Kingstown.
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