SHELDON
Coat of Arms from the Warwickshire SHELDON Tapestry
Since my presentation in 2015 at the SHELDON Family Association Annual Meeting in Sacramento we have made some progress regarding SHELDON origins in England. We have confirmed that the John (8) of Pawtuxet & Providence RI, Richard (22) and Godfrey (4) SHELDON of Maine & MA indeed originate in Derbyshire, England (referred to as Group A).However the origins of the John (13) of Kingston, RI and DNA related Isaac SHELDON (5) of Windsor CT have been more elusive (referred to as Group B). GROUP B SHELDONs are not genetically related to the John (8), Richard (22) and Godfrey (4) GROUP A. Note: This means that Isaac (5) is NOT a Descendant of of the Derbyshire SHELDONs!
While not related to Group A John (13) and Isaac (5) are related to each other. In 2017 a trip to explore SHELDONs and a SHELDON place name (now called SHALDON) in Devon yielded no fruit. The early SHELDONs that lived in Devon were transplants from Warwickshire. We have the origins of TWO SHELDON villages both going back to the 12th or 13th C. These are the origins of two major (unrealted) SHELDON families, one in Derbyshire West of Bakewell and the other in Warwickshire a parish of Eastern greater Birmingham. This map shows how one might be misled as to the origins of SHELDONs. The greatest concentration is in Staffordshire which is where branches of both the Derbyshire (in north Staffs. ) and Warwickshire SHELDONs (in southern Staffs.) settled.
SHELDON IN DERBY
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson’s Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Sheldon like this:
SHELDON, a township-chapelry in Bakewell parish, Derby; 3 miles W of Bakewell r. station. Post town, Bakewell. Acres, 1,033. Real property, £1,079. Pop., 178. Houses, 40. The manor belongs to the Duke of Devonshire. The living is a p. curacy in the diocese of Lichfield. Value, £90. Patron, the Vicar of Bakewell. The church was rebuilt in 1865. There are a Primitive Methodist chapel, and charities £15.
SHELDON IN WARWICKSHIRE
In 1870-72, John Marius Wilson’s Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales described Sheldon like this:
SHELDON, a parish, with a village, in Meriden district, Warwick; 1 mile SW of Marston-Green r. station, and 4½ SW of Coleshill. It has a post-office under Birmingham. Acres, 2,514. Real property, £4,891. Pop., 434. Houses, 90. The manor belongs to the Rev. J. W. Digby. S. Hall was formerly the seat of the Devereux family, and is now a farmhouse. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Worcester. Value, £500* Patron, G. W. Digby, Esq. The church is tolerable. There are a good library, an endowed school with £36 a year, and charities £36.
SHELDON HALL, Sheldon, Warwickshire
SHELDON St Nicholas Church, SHELDON, Warwickshire
SHELDON St Giles Rector 1342 Nicholas de SHELDON
SHELDON ETYMOLOGY
From the Derbyshire original spelling we have Schel means to shell or scale or alternatively a shelf and hadun (Haddon) is a hill of heather (heath). Together Schel + Hadun (haddon) might mean to scale a hill of heather or a Heather covered shelf of a hill. In Bakewell we find Haddon Hall which lends some credence to this. The Warwickshire and simpler version from the Old English scylf meaning shelf + dun meaning hill.
DERBYSHIRE
Scelhadun 1086
Schelehaddon’ 1230
Sceladon 1250, 1272
S(c)heladon(e), Shelladon(e) c. 1250, 1262 , 1275 et passim to, 1476
Shelledon 1278
Scheudon 1282
Shellatone 1330
Sheldon 1355, 1364, 1610
WARWICKSHIRE
Scheldon(e) 1189 et freq to, 1403
Seldon 1232, 1262
Sheldon c. 1240 et freq to, 1428
Sceldona 1247
Sheldene 1261
Scheladon 1275
Sheldone Ansel 1235
Sheldon 1250
SHELDON RESOURCES
Derbyshire & North Staffordshire SHELDONS
Warwickshire, Worcestershire & South Staffordshire SHELDONS
Sheldons prior to 1700 by E. Hortense Sheldon full text
John Sheldon of Providence by Keith M. Sheldon 1984
Kelly Wheaton Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.
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