H. O. Sheldon, Sheldon Magazines, DNA, “John Sheldon" and so on...
I want to positively support what are known as the Sheldon Magazines, touch on who Henry Olcott Sheldon was and how independent genealogies and DNA work currently underway has supported much of his work, and then I’ll talk about deciphering the many “John Sheldon” names of our Colonial ancestors.
SHELDON MAGAZINES
Deciphering early generations, it is extremely helpful to view the pages of the Sheldon Magazines, published in 1855 to 1857 by Rev. Henry Olcott Sheldon (1799 - 1882, SFA Numbering System S5124).They are now out of print.
A visual inspection shows the very intricate work that was performed while compiling generations of genealogical material. Attempting to sort out the names, such as with many individuals named “John Sheldon,” is otherwise difficult.
While it is implied that this work does not have merit, by no means was it either carelessly compiled or that the compiler was uneducated.In the defense of this work, and having worked with it for many years, it is obvious that it is not the result of simply throwing a bunch of names and dates down on paper, all the while making assumptions about relationships and succession of generations.Instead, there is much support to the contrary.
The premise that the work of Henry Olcott Sheldon was not credible or that the Sheldon Magazines may contain a large number of careless errors is without support.I have been intimately using these booklets of genealogy for over 7 years, not only for my personal genealogy, but for a multitude of researchers.
With confidence pulling them off my bookshelf time and time again, I have helped many link their work and most often independent family records into his work, by identify a name and then an “S-number” in their lineage and then going back into previous generatons.I have used his work in conjunction with the US Federal Census, cemetery records, vital records, family Bibles, and other highly credible resources, and find they were compiled with a high degree of accuracy.
HENRY OLCOTT SHELDON
While Henry Olcott Sheldon was a genealogist and compiler of the information, he was also known as a pioneer Methodist preacher, and a well known educator and lecturer.He was documented as "an early advocate and promoter in the founding of Ohio-Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, Baldwin Institute."He was also "...fore runner of Baldwin-Wallace College at Berea and Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio,” where he is buried in a local cemetery there.
Interestingly, Oberlin is located in Lorain County, Ohio, where my ggg-grandparents Sheldon migrated in approximately 1848 by covered wagon from Kortright, Delaware County, New York.
In compiling the information, he traveled thousands of miles and worked from well over 3,000 letters.It is fairly well known that vital record keeping was not a matter of law for town, county, and or state, until approximately 1885 (some eastern counties / states had kept records priot), and that many records prior (especially from the results of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812) were lost, destroyed, or simply not in existence.Even when we have the luxury of being able to access a will here and there from the 1700’s, or from church records, it was still imperative that families maintained much of their own record.It was in our case a family Bible that linked our family to the Sheldon Magazine, in the handwriting of my gg-grandfather David Franklin Sheldon.
In his work, H. O. Sheldon was also instrumental in establishing the backbone of the order of names and generations, which was a complex but very clever numbering system, albeit not necessary to explain here.While in messages here on Genforum they may seem not make sense, this system becomes important when keeping families and information straight, and especially for later reference.
Using the SFA numbers assist especially in comparing the exact given names for those with surname Sheldon, such as “John Sheldon,” and deciphering whether a referral is made to John of Providence S0008 or John of South Kingstown S0013.This numbering system actually makes it very easy to move about the 6 volumes of the Sheldon Magazines.
SHELDON MAGAZINES and INDEPENDENT RECORDS
From his work, I was able to link our family Bible into Sheldon Family Association records by identifying my ggg-grandfather Benjamin F. Sheldon S6161 (1791 - 1870) directly in the work of H. O. Sheldon, and then finding preceding generations back to John S0013.In our line that is Jeremiah S2545 m. Susan Johnson, Benjamin S0864 m. Mary Briggs, Thomas S0301 m. Harriett Winters, Isaac S0080 m. Susannah Potter, John S0023 m. Susan Cleremont, and John S0013 m. Sarah whose last name remains unknown.
Notice that as the generations go backward in time so do their SFA numbers become smaller.I have observed also that when a maiden or surname may not have been known, he left blanks with typed underlines.I am only one of many people who have made their link in support of the preceding generations as documented in the Sheldon Magazines.
SHELDON MAGAZINES and SHELDON DNA PROJECT
It is a proven fact that another colleague and I have an exact 25 Allele DNA match back to S0023 John, the only known son of John S0013.While I descend from his son Isaac S0080 my colleague descends from his brother Joseph S0075.While there may not be “documentary evidence” in these earlier generations, we have proven the link from the pages of the Sheldon Magazine by medical science, both in his succession of generations through the pages and mine.
The exact DNA match proves our direct relationship descending from the same male with astronomical odds.It is by no coincidence that our genealogies, spanning independent generations over some 300 and more years through the pages of the Sheldon Magazines, meet on Page 1 at the same source, and not to mention before the time of Henry Olcott Sheldon.
These are only two examples of DNA trails being documented back to colonial times and in the exact order without breaks in the lines as documented in the works of H. O. Sheldon and others.There are other Sheldon lines that are likewise proven via DNA and again in agreement with preceding generations throughout the pages of H. O. Sheldon’s work back to John S0008 or Isaac S0005 and Godfrey S0004.
JOHN SHELDON
Using Jody McKenny Thompson’s nicely compiled explanation, SFA Numbers are added for assistance, as well as a couple of other John Sheldon names.I did not verify her work (i.e. most dates), but just added the SFA numbers and a few comments.In Volume I of the Sheldon Magazines alone, just scratching the surface of a few early generations, there are 25 John Sheldon names.
According to Jody’s message, she wrote “…There were a number of John Sheldon individuals living more or less contemporaneously in Colonial New England.Here is a run-down on six various John Sheldon individuals and their wives.The three family groups are probably separate and likely unrelated families:
[Jack notes there are 5 main colonial progenitors followed by the Sheldon Family Association, S0005 Isaac, S0008 John, S0013 John, S0004 Godfrey, and S0022 Richard.]
Jody continues... "The first group (1 – 3) of three John Sheldon individuals is related father-to-son-to-grandson. [Jack adds SFA numbers and comments]:
1. John Sheldon (S0013), b. about 1630 and is first found in records in Newport, Rhode Island in 1654. He married Sarah unknown. He later settled in the region that is now Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island along with his son, also named John Sheldon.The parents of John Sheldon (S0013) are presently unknown.[This is Jack's colonial progenitor.Jack notes that the settlement of “Kings Towne” was eventually broken into North Kingstown and South Kingstown].
2. John Sheldon (S0023), b. ca 1660 was a son of John Sheldon (S0013) & Sarah of Newport and South Kingstown.He m. Susan Cleremont.John wrote his will in 1704 and proved in 1706 Kingstown.He also had a son named John Sheldon.[Jack removed the “possibly” notations. Jody has provided some reasons why the maiden name “Cleremont” may not be true, however her notations are unproven at this point in time.I agree that the only reference as far as I am aware is in the historical SFA Magazine, albeit - this is our only reference years after HO Sheldon compiled his notes; hopefully we can resolve this question someday].
3. John Sheldon (S0073), b. ca [Jack notes 1685] 1690 in Kingstown was the son of John Sheldon (S0023) & Susan Cleremont.He m. Herodias Watson.
The second group (4 & 5) of two John Sheldon individuals is related father-to-son. [and yet another...]
4. John Sheldon (S0008), probably b. ca 1630 in England, d. 1708 in Pawtuxet, Rhode Island. He m. Joanna Vincent who was b. 16 Sep 1632 in Amesbury, England and d. 1708 Pawtuxet, RI.They had a son also named John Sheldon.
5. John Sheldon (S0017), b. ca 1660 Providence, RI or Pawtuxet, RI, son of John Sheldon and Joanna Vincent.He m. Sarah Kingsley.They had 8 children: Ezekiel, Roger, [yet another] John (S0054 b. 1685), William, Edward, Patience, Deliverance, and Sarah.This John Sheldon d. 16 Sep 1741 in Providence, RI, British Colonial America.
And a third (item 6) John Sheldon Family is cited as follows [Jack notes, and more!]:
6. Another John Sheldon (S0035), b. 1658 was a son of Isaac Sheldon (S0005) & Mary Woodford.He m1 Hannah Stebbins; and m2 the widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Pratt.This John Sheldon Family (S0035) lived in Deerfield, MA, British Colonial America [Jack adds “…for part of his life.They also had a son named John (S0108) b. 1681.]
Jody continues..."There may be other John Sheldon persons that research has missed. But those are the individuals who seem to get rolled into one man.It would be so nice to someday untangle them and give each his proper place in history!"
[Jack adds that S0004 Godfrey Sheldon, the fourth Colonial Progenitor studied by the Sheldon Family Association, also had a son named John, S0004x4, and he, too, had another son named John S0029.S0029 Deacon John Sheldon had yet another son named John S0081].
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Re: H. O. Sheldon, Sheldon Magazines, DNA, u201cJohn Sheldon" and so on...
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