Last week, we followed Eliphaz Shelton’s son Claiborne and his descendants all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This week, we will look at Eliphaz’s children that remained in Patrick County.
Eliphaz and Nancy Asher’s second child, Philapenia was born in 1776; she married Robert Sharp of Patrick County on the 17th of August 1796. Philapenia and Robert had two daughters, Lucinda “Lucy,” born in 1799 and Frances “Frankie,” born in 1812. Robert Sharp served with the Virginia Militia in the War of 1812 and died on the 16th of June 1814 in Norfolk, Virginia. According to the National Archives record #11450, Philapenia received a war widow pension for Robert’s service in the war. Philapenia passed away on the first of February 1857 and was buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
Philapenia and Robert’s daughters both married men from the Wayside community of Stuart. Lucy married Samuel Lafayette Gilbert on the 5th of March 1823, and they raised at least eight children near Wayside Community church. Lucy and Samuel are buried at the cemetery at Wayside Church. Frankie married Armistead “Street” Newman on the 10th of January 1837, and they also had eight children. Frankie and Street are buried at the Mitchell, Beasley, Rodgers Cemetery in the Peters Creek community.
The third child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Archibald, born in 1777. Archibald married Miss Rhoda Nowlin on the 28th of November 1797. Rhoda was the daughter of James Edmund Nowlin and Ursula Patterson Nowlin of Stuart. Archibald served in the 6th Virginia Regiment during the War of 1812 and was able to return to Patrick County, but he died in 1816, leaving Rhoda with at least five young children to raise on her own. Rhoda died on the 28th of July 1854, and she was buried with Archibald at the Eliphaz Shelton Cemetery.
Eliphaz and Nancy’s fourth child, Hannah was born in 1778. I was unable to find any marriage records for Hannah; in the 1850 and 1860 census records, she was living in the town of Stuart with her niece, Nancy Newman Fitzgerald and her husband, James, who was the town blacksmith. Hannah died at the age of 82 and was buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
The fifth child of Eliphaz and Nancy, Olive Amanda Shelton was born in 1780. Olive married Samuel Nowlin on the 19th of January 1809 in Patrick County. Samuel was also the son of James Edmund Nowlin and Ursula Patterson Nowlin. I’m starting to see a lot of double first cousins here! Olive and Samuel moved west and settled in the township of Little York in Washington County, Indiana.
Eliphaz and Nancy’s sixth child, Sarah “Sallie” was born in 1781. Sallie married Rhoda and Samuel Nowlin’s brother, Francis Nowlin, on the 19th of February 1801. Sallie and Francis had at least five children before Sallie passed away in 1818. Sallie was also buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
The seventh child of Eliphaz and Nancy, Frederick, was born in 1784. Frederick married Miss Winifred Jones in Patrick County on the 6th of February 1809. Frederick also fought in the War of 1812 but returned to Patrick County where he passed away in December of 1813. Frederick was also buried in the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery.
Nancy Shelton was the eighth child born to Eliphaz and his wife, Nancy. Daughter Nancy was born in 1785 and married Elam Newman in Patrick County on the 16th of February 1804. Nancy and Elam Newman were the parents of Armistead “Street” Newman mentioned earlier in the column, along with at least six more children. Nancy and Elam’s daughter, Nancy Newman Fitzgerald was the one who took care of her aunt Hannah Shelton.
The youngest child of Eliphaz and Nancy Shelton was Hudson, born in 1790. Hudson also served in the War of 1812 in Captain Abraham Staples company of Virginia Militia. Hudson married Miss Lucy Murphy on the 9th of February 1813; the couple raised their eight children in Patrick County. This week’s photo is Hudson’s great granddaughter, Annie Jane Shortt who married John Peter Woody of Franklin County.
In reference to the whereabouts of the Eliphaz Shelton cemetery, two local folks called this week and shared the cemetery was unearthed in October 2009, when the Main Street bypass was built. According to both these separate sources, the remains were taken to Patrick Memorial Gardens.
Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
