SHELTON.
Samuel Shelton was settled in the county from the beginning.
In 1745 he purchased five hundred and fifty acres of
the twelve hundred acre tract on James River, granted to
Thomas Goolsby in 1732; the endorsement on the conveyance
of this land made in 1788, expressly mentions the
destruction of the records by the British in 1781. Samuel
Shelton died in 1793. His wife's name was Judith, and his
children were Clough, Joseph, Samuel, David, Elizabeth,
the wife of John Tindall, and the wife of John Lewis, who
lived near Scott's Landing. Clough was a Captain in the
Revolutionary army, and was taken prisoner at the surrender
of Charleston. He died about 1833. His children were
Nelson, Maria, the wife of Robert Anderson, Cicely, the
wife of a Walker, and William A. Samuel in the early part
of the century was engaged in business in Warren. In
partnership with William Walker and John Staples, under
the style of Samuel Shelton & Co., he conducted a large mill
and distillery at that place. In 1810 he purchased from Governor
W. C. Nicholas the Boiling Spring plantation, which
he soon after sold to John Patterson, the Governor's son-in-law.
He died in 1826.
A William Shelton, who died in 1789, lived on Mechum's
River, not far from the present Depot. His wife's name was
Elizabeth, and his children were John, Gideon and Thomas.
In 1794 Thomas, his wife Mary, and his mother Elizabeth,
conveyed what seemed to be Thomas's portion of the estate
to Tarleton Woodson, and likely removed from the county.
The relation of this family with others of the name cannot
be ascertained.
In 1749 William Shelton, of St. David's parish, King and
Queen, purchased land on Byrd Creek, in what is now
Fluvanna County. His wife's name was Patience, and he
had a daughter Sarah, who was the wife of Augustine
Shepherd. It is thought he was also the father of Henry
and William. Henry lived in the northeast part of the
county, on the Barboursville Road. He died in 1799. It is
said his wife was a Long, a sister of the wife of Thomas
Garth Sr., and his children were Susan, the wife of Thomas
Smith, Ann, the wife of Jacob Powers, who removed to
Harrison County, Kentucky, Jane, the wife of Jeremiah White,
Martha, the wife of Samuel Mansfield, Mourning, the wife of
John White, Ann, the wife of Achilles Barksdale, Thomas
L., Mildred, William and Austin. Austin settled on
Mechum's River, above the Depot, and died unmarried in
1806. He was succeeded by his brother Thomas L., who
also purchased in 1812 from the trustees of Menan Mills his
mill, and the tract belonging to it, which he bought in 1789
from John Black. Thomas L. died in 1859. He married
Susan, daughter of James Ballard, and his children were
Martha, the wife of Martin Baker, Stapleton, Austin G.,
Dr. Thomas W., who recently died in Augusta County,
Mary, the wife of David Jeffries, James H., and Lucy, the
wife of George C. Omohundro.
William, son of William, owned land on both sides of
Mechum's, near the Depot. His home was on the north side
of the Staunton Road, on the place now owned by Charles
H. Price. He died in 1815. He was twice married, first to
Lucy, daughter of Robert Harris, and secondly to Sarah
—. His children were William Harris, Mourning, the
wife of Archibald Woods, Elizabeth, the wife of Richard
Mobbery, Dabney, Sarah, Lucy, the wife of Elliott Brown,
Agnes, Weatherston and Thomas. The first three emigrated
to Kentucky. Dabney and Thomas, who sold their part of
the estate in 1817 to Francis McGee, were living at the time
in Augusta County. Weatherston, who married Elizabeth,
daughter of Richard Harrison, sold the same year to Benjamin
Hardin the interests of himself and his deceased sisters,
Sarah and Agnes, and removed to Mason County,
Virginia.
