John Shelton

  Noted events in his life were:

• Residence: From 1840 Census, 1840, Jackson, Alabama. John Shelton
United States Census, 1840
Name: John Shelton
Event Place: Not Stated, Jackson, Alabama
Page Number: 28
Affiliate Publication Number: M704 , Affiliate Film Number: 7 , GS Film number: 0002333 , Digital Folder Number: 004410610 , Image Number: 00587

• Biography. JOHN SHELTON (1) is the oldest known Shelton ancestor of the authors. Two of his sons, Nathaniel Shelton (2) and William Shelton (1.5), are direct ancestors of the authors. Nathaniel's son, William Martin Shelton (3), married his first cousin, Martha Adeline Shelton (1.5.7), daughter of William Shelton (1.5). The 1830 and 1840 censuses indicate that John was born between 1780 and 1790. According to a Family Bible, John Shelton and his wife, Catherine, were married on September 15, 1805 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. According to notes that were annotated in a book written by Pauline (Jones) Gandrud (located in the Scottsboro Public Library), John Shelton married Catherine Messer, daughter of Christian Messer. The 1830 census indicates that Catherine was born between 1780 and 1790. For additional information on the descendants of Christian Messer, see the sketch of Christian Messer (41).

John Shelton appeared in the Scott County, Virginia Personal Property Tax lists in the following years: 1815, 1818, 1822, 1824, 1826 and 1828. Scott County, Virginia was formed from Washington, Russell and Lee Counties in 1814. No Sheltons appear in the Washington County, Virginia personal property tax lists in the following years: 1782, 1783, 1784, 1786, 1804, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1809, 1810, 1811, 1812, 1814 and 1816. On September 19, 1816, a Joseph Shelton married Polly Coles in Washington County, Virginia. Joseph's relationship to John Shelton, if any, is not known. On February 12, 1827, Joseph Shelton purchased 150 acres from John Coles in Washington County, Virginia. This land was located on on a branch of the South Fork of the Holston River, called Groses Creek.

In 1790, a Ralph Shelton was granted 200 acres of land in Hawkins County, North Carolina (later Tennessee) in land grant number 2635 on south side of High Bluff, south side of Holstein. Ralph's relationship to John Shelton, if any, is not known. Ralph is probably the son of Ralph Shelton and Mary (Crispen) Shelton. On September 6, 1790, Jesse Riggs conveyed to Polly Shelton of Hawkins County, Tennessee and State of North Carolina (now Tennessee) 245 acres, on the north side of the divide that divides French Broad River and Holston River. Polly's relationship to John Shelton, if any, is not known. On December 7, 1814, John Clayton conveyed a tract of land to Hezekiah Shelton in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Hezekiah is probably the son of Ralph Shelton and Mary (Crispen) Shelton.

From 1820 to 1830, John and Catherine Shelton were enumerated in Scott County, Virginia census. On October 22, 1827, John Shelton was granted forty-two acres in Scott County, Virginia. In 1832, John Shelton signed as a witness on the will of Peter Wininger in Scott County, Virginia. In 1833, John Shelton of Scott County, Virginia sold twenty-five acres of land to David Wininger of Scott County, Virginia. This land was originally claimed by Samuel Allsup in the Treasury Warrant Number 14129 on September 6, 1782 in what was then Washington County, Virginia. On May 19, 1814, twenty-five acres of the original Allsup claim was assigned and granted to Solomon Potter. This twenty-five acres was located on Opossum Creek, a branch of the north fork of the Holstein River. Apparently, John Shelton acquired this land after 1814 and eventually sold it to David Wininger in 1833. According to History of Jackson County, Alabama, John Shelton came from Virginia to Maynards Cove in 1830. Since John Shelton of Scott County, Virginia sold land in 1833 in Scott County, Virginia, he probably moved to Jackson County, Alabama in 1833. According to the Family Bible, John and Catherine Shelton were the parents of ten children:

............Nathaniel Shelton (2), b. September 15, 1806, Virginia

............Martin Shelton (1.2), b. October 31, 1807, Tennessee

............Sabra Shelton (1.3), b. January 9, 1809, Tennessee

............John Shelton, Jr. (1.4), b. July 21, 1810, Tennessee

............William Shelton (1.5), b. December 27, 1811, Virginia

............Catherine Shelton (1.6), b. October 16, 1813, Virginia

............Noah Shelton (1.7), b. January 28, 1815, Virginia

............Sarah Shelton (1.8), b. December 2, 1817, Virginia

............Elizabeth Shelton, b. September 8, 1819, Virginia

............Crissey Shelton, b. May 16, 1821, Scott County, Virginia

According to the Family Bible, Catherine (Messer) Shelton died on April 1, 1834 in Jackson County, Alabama. The 1840 census shows that John Shelton was still living in Jackson County, Alabama. According to the Family Bible, John Shelton (1) died on July 27, 1840 in Jackson County, Alabama. According to the Family Bible, a John Shelton married Manurva Harper on January 21, 1836. The Family Bible further lists a Manurva Carline Shelton that died on December 1, 1854 in Jackson County, Alabama. These two references of Manurva are probably the same person. It is most likely that John Shelton, Jr. married Manurva Harper prior to his marriage to Isabel Bynum. However, there is some probability that John Shelton, Sr. married a second time to Manurva Harper.

References:
1) 1820 and 1830 Censuses, Scott County, Virginia;
2) Deed, John Shelton to David Wininger, 1833, Scott County, Virginia;
3) 1840 Census, Jackson County, Alabama;
4) Family Bible of John Shelton in possession of Eva (Wininger) Shelton;
5) Notes on 1850 Census of Jackson County, Alabama copied by Pauline (Jones) Gandrud, 1953, located in Scottsboro Public Library;
6) History of Jackson County, Alabama, Page 148;
7) Treasury Warrant Number 14129, Samuel Allsup, Washington County, Virginia, 1782;
8) Washington County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1782 through 1816, not all years;
9) Scott County, Virginia Personal Property Tax Lists, 1815 through 1828, not all years;
10) Land Grant Book 66, Page 285, Solomon Potter, Washington County, Virginia, 1814;
11) Marriage Record, Washington County, Virginia, Joseph Shelton and Polly Cross, 1816;
12) Land Grant Book 76, Page 405, Scott County, Virginia, 1827;
13) Partial Census of 1787 to 1791 of Tennessee as taken from North Carolina Land Grants, by Lucy Kate McGhee, Page 126;
14) “A History of the Shelton Family,” by Mildred Whitaker, 1941, contains following references: Deed Book 1, Page 59, Jesse Riggs to Polly Shelton, 1790, Hawkins County, North Carolina (later Tennessee); Deed Book 3, Page 329, John Clayton to Hezekiah Shelton, 1814, Hawkins County, Tennessee; Deed Book 9, Page 360, John Coles to Joseph Shelton, 1827, Washington County, Virginia; Sketch of Ralph Shelton and Mary (Crispen) Sheltons children, Ralph Shelton, Hezekiah Shelton and Azariah Shelton, Pages 203 - 211

John married Catherine Messer on 15 Sep 1805 in Hawkins, Tennessee. (Catherine Messer died on 1 Apr 1834 in Jackson, Alabama.)