NOTE: This is a "brainstorming paper," put up on my website to stimulate discussion. If you have any ideas about these people, or want more information on them, please contact me.
I. INTRODUCTION
Matthew HAYWARD married Margaret SHELDON in Nova Scotia or New
Brunswick about 1818. Within a few years, they and Matthew's brother,
Henry HAYWARD, were in eastern Ohio. Matthew and Margaret later
moved their family to southwestern Ohio, then on to northwest
Ohio. Information on their descendants, and on Matthew Hayward's
ancestry, is covered on my HAYWARD webpages.
According to censuses and family records, Margaret SHELDON was
born in Nova Scotia, and came to Ohio via Maryland. I haven't
been able to determine how Matthew and Margaret reached Ohio,
but the time between them leaving New Brunswick and arriving in
Ohio is probably too short for them to have actually lived in
Maryland. A possible explanation of the family record is that
they sailed from Maritime Canada to Baltimore, Maryland, and went
overland to Ohio from there. Coincidentally, a family of SHELDONs
arrived in Baltimore in 1824, which is within a year or two of
when I believe the HAYWARD brothers reached Ohio. The names and
ages of the Baltimore-arriving Sheldons closely coincide with
those of a SHELDON family provided me by another researcher -
one that I have tentatively identified as the family of Margaret
[SHELDON] HAYWARD.
II. ORIGIN OF THESE MARITIME PROVINCES
SHELDONS
SHELDONs came to Maritime Canada as Loyalists, displaced by the
American War of Rebellion. They also came as New England "planters,"
arriving in Nova Scotia around 1760. The earliest names I have
found of those who appear to have been Loyalists are:
-Joseph SHELDON petitioned for land in Saint John County, New
Brunswick, 1786 (details on PANB microfilm F1032). He received
a land grant of 200 acres - Conway Township, Sunbury Co., New
Brunswick [in Vol. 1, p. 21, grant #6 - Nova Scotia registration
7 July 1784; New Brunswick registration 30 Dec 1784. He (or another
Joseph SHELDON) received a land grant of 74 acres - Waterborough
Parish, Queens Co., N. B. [in Vol. B, p. 30, grant #105; N. B.
registration 15 Feb 1787]
-John SHELDON received a land grant at Parr Town, Sunbury Co.,
N. B. [in Vol. A, p. 39, grant #70; Nova Scotia registration 14
Aug 1784; New Brunswick registration 2 Jan 1785]
Three early names are associated with the "planter"
movement from New England to Nova Scotia:
--Moses SHELDON from Durham, Connecticut, was a grant petitioner
[where?] 2 April 1760 [cited in Smith and Smith "Nova Scotia
Immigrants..."]. NOTE: A Moses SHELDON married 20 April 1749
in Durham, CT, Elizabeth GROVES/GRAVES.
--William SHELDON was on a list [1760 or 1761] of Providence,
Rhode Island, "subscribers for the township lying on the
Tantimar River" [Cumberland County, Nova Scotia] [cited in
Huling "The Rhode Island Emigration to Nova Scotia"].
--Nathaniel SHELDON is cited as being in Cumberland 1764 and Sackville
1786 [in "Planters and Pioneers;" no further details].
I haven't done enough research on any of
these people to select one as the head of Margaret SHELDON's line
in Canada. However, I favor one of the "planters," for
the following reasons:
(1) It doesn't appear that the Loyalist Sheldons stayed in New
Brunswick for any length of time. I haven't been able to find
them in later censuses, tax rolls, land records, etc. They may
have gone back to "the States" early.
(2) William and Nathaniel are names that appear later in my family
of Sheldons who went to Ohio.
(3) It appears that the original connection between Matthew Hayward
and Margaret Sheldon may have been in Hants County, Nova Scotia.
(4) When some of the Sheldons returned from Ohio to Maritime Canada,
they went to Nova Scotia.
III. A TENTATIVE FAMILY FOR MARGARET
(SHELDON) HAYWARD.
I have put together the following family from a variety of sources,
detailed on my Sheldon references
webpage. At this stage in my research, I have done considerable
speculation. I would be very pleased to have anyone correct, question,
or add to the following.
1. SHELDON (probably a New England "planter")
2. Sarah SHELDON b. ca 1770 in Nova Scotia; m. Samuel MARSHALL ca 1790;
living in Yarmouth, Yarmouth Co., Nova Scotia. They separated,
but not before they had 5 children. Sarah apparently stayed in
Yarmouth, died after 1830. [Samuel Marshall b. 1757, died 1813.
He was a Loyalist from New York, but may previously have been
in North Carolina]. Children were christened in 1796 at Christ
Church, Shelburne Co., N.S.
3. MARSHALL
3. MARSHALL
3. MARSHALL
3. MARSHALL
3. MARSHALL
2. Benjamin
SHELDON born Nova Scotia ; married Jane ________
(b. ca 1774 Nova Scotia); came to Ohio probably 1824, first to
Clermont or Clinton County, then to Brown County, where they both
died at advanced age.
3. Nathan SHELDON b. ca 1794 Nova Scotia. NOTE: It's possible that
Nathan and Matthew were the same person.
3. Nancy SHELDON b. ca 1796 Nova Scotia
3. Matthew SHELDON b. 1797 (or 1794?) Nova Scotia; came to Ohio with
his parents, stayed there a few years, then moved back to Nova
Scotia (Hants Co.?) ; married Jane
TURNER in Nova Scotia; they were in
Hants Co. 1838; later moved to Wisconsin with son Leader; died
in Fond du Lac Co., Wisconsin after 1880.
4. Leander SHELDON b. ca 1842 Nova Scotia; christened at Christ Church,
Shelburne Co., N. S.; moved to Fond du Lac Co., WI with father;
m. Amanda _____ (b. ca 1850, Wisconsin; father from Canada,
mother from Wisconsin)
5. Benjamin SHELDON b. ca 1869 Wisconsin
5. George SHELDON b. ca 1871 Wisconsin
5. Julia SHELDON b. ca 1873 Wisconsin
4. Son SHELDON
4. Son SHELDON
4. Julia SHELDON
3. Margaret SHELDON ca 1798 Nova Scotia; m. Matthew HAYWARD ca 1818.
Their history and family are detailed on my Hayward
webpages.
3. Rebecca SHELDON b. ca 1799 Nova Scotia
3. Mary Ann SHELDON b. ca 1803 Nova Scotia
3. Sarah SHELDON b. Nova Scotia
3. Benjamin SHELDON b. ca 1805 Nova Scotia. NOTE: May be the same as
William B. Sheldon, below.
3. William (Benjamin?)
SHELDON b. ca 1809 (ca 1812?) Nova Scotia;
in school in Hants Co. 1823; with parents to Ohio.
3. Catherine Jane SHELDON b. 9 April 1813 Nova Scotia; came with parents
to Ohio; m. 25 Dec 1832 or 1833 in Clermont Co., OH, to Peter GARVER,
son of Abraham GARVER and Catherine _____ . She died 3 Nov 1881,
age 69, and was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Washington Co., Iowa.
Peter GARVER was b. 1811 Hamilton Co., OH. He and Jane were in
Clay Township, Decatur Co., Indiana at 1850 census; in the 1860
census, they were of English River Twp., Washington Co., Iowa.
He d. 13 Dec 1897, age 87; buried Woodlawn Cemetery, Des Moines,
Polk Co., Iowa
4-Catherine Jane GARVER. Born Ohio ca 1834 (from 1850 census); m. 27 Jan
1853 Matthew DARBY in Indiana (Indiana marriage records)
4-Barbara GARVER b. ca 1836 Ohio; not with her parents in 1860 census.
4-Mary GARVER b. ca 1841 Ohio; m. May 1858 in Washington Co.,
IA, Ephraim N. BELL
4-William GARVER b. ca 1843 Ohio; at home with parents in Iowa for
1860 census; m. 12 Sept 1865 in Washington Co., IA, Maria LANE
. He enlisted in Union Army 24 Aug 1861; severe hip wound 16 May
1863 at Champion Hills, Mississippi; mustered out at Kingston,
Georgia 28 Sept 1864 4-Peter GARVER b. ca 1845 Ohio ; at home
with parents 1860 census. He married Martha Jane Garver 20 Feb
1866 Washington Co., Iowa .
4-Abraham GARVER b. 12 Sept 1846 Ohio; with parents in Indiana and
Iowa for 1850 and 1860 censuses; d. 20 May 1872 Washington Co.,
Iowa .
4-Sarah E. GARVER b. ca 1849 Decatur Co., Indiana; with parents for
1850 and 1860 censuses; married 1870 Robert GROFF in Washington
Co., Iowa.
4-Rebecca GARVER b. ca 1857 Decatur Co., Indiana; with parents in
Iowa for 1860 census;
4- Benjamin GARVER b. ca 1857 probably Decatur Co., Indiana ; with
parents in Iowa for 1860 census.