Carter County Tennessee Sheffield connection

Fact 01: Whitney Sheffield was in court in Febuary 1829
Source: TRANSCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES OF TENNESSEE
Minutes of the County Court
Carter County
1826-1829
Prepared by the  Tennessee Historical Records Survey
Division of Community Services Programs
Work Projects Administration
March 1942
www.mountainpress.com

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February 1829
book page 183
Original document page: 310

State vs E. Snider
The attorney General with leave of the court enters a nolle prosequi and thereupon Whitney Sheffield comes into court and assumes upon himself the costs of this prosecution It is therefore considered by the court that the state recover of the said Whitney Sheffield the costs of this prosecution and that the Execution may issue against him for the same
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My interpretation of the above court data: The state has decided that it will proceed no further (nolle prosequi) Then Whitney enters the court and assumes court cost to proceed with the prosecution of the said E. Snider. I suspect the E. Snider referenced could very had been one of his in-laws since his wife was a Snider. Since the state decided it had no case and not worth proceeding, one would only suspect that Whitney was mad at E. Snider and was mad enough to assume costs to proceed in prosecution. Since the state decided that it had no case Whitney probably lost. I highly suspect that this was the reason Whitney and family left Carter County for Washington Co VA and first appears on the on 1830 census Washington County VA.

Fact 02: Whitney's wife was Mary Jane Snider. Information from different elder cousins state that Mary Jane was from Carter County TN. In fact there were lots of Sniders in Johnson and Carter County.

Since establishing that Whitney was in Carter county I decided to take another look at a possible connection. Over the years I have pretty much focused my research on Washington County VA where I have yet to find any persons listed in any document or census that could have been Whitney's parents. Carter county does offer some likely candidates.

James Shuffield: I am 99% certain that James Sheffield was the father of Whitney Sheffield. James is on the 1830 and 1840 census Carter county, see below. James is also on a land deed dated December 1797 where he purchased 100 acers for $100.00 from a James Douglas. On this land deed includes a witness Sarah Shouffield. Please note that the spelling on the land deed for James and Sarah was, Shouffield. Who was Sarah? Mother? Wife? Some postings for James state that he was born 1774 North Carolina, however I have no documentation.

1830: click here to view original census image

1840: click here to view original census image
also note that on same page as James include Alfred and George

Martha Shuffield: is listed on Carter County TN census as stated below:

1850:  -  click here to view original census image
dwelling 53 Martha is listed with her son-in-law and daughter, Wiley Cooper and wife Ellen Martha is listed age 65
dwelling 54 George Shuffield, Martha and James son
dwelling 50 at top of the page is a continuation for Martha's son Alfred Shuffield family: John C, Elizabeth M, Fanny, Nancy J, Eliza, Amanda
             from previous page dwelling 50 Alfred, Hilla and William S.
             Also note that there is some confusion on John C. Shuffield in regards as to was he son of George or Alfred, if the 1850 census for dwelling 50
             is correct then John C. was son of Alfred. Also note that George is on the continuation page for Alfred and list George's son John on same page as John C.

1860:  - click here to view original census image 
dwelling 625 Martha is listed with her daughter Elizabeth Cable. Martha list her age as 82
dwelling 626 Martha's son George Shuffield and family
dwelling 684 Martha's daughter Mary and John Kenich and family

1870:  - click here to view original census image
dwelling 76 Martha's daughter Elizabeth Cable. Martha is listed age 92

While I have no documented source (Bible list etc) the list below was compiled from various postings. To date this is who I have listed as children of James and Martha Shuffield:

1)  Whitney Sheffield - born March 1801 - not proven but highly probable that Whitney was the son of James and Martha
2)  George Sheffield - born 1805 died 1881 married Elizabeth Sneed
3)  Elizabeth Sheffield - born abt 1809 dod not verified married Daniel Cable
3)  Alfred Sheffield - born 1812 dod not confirmed married Hilla Woodby
4)  John Sheffield - born 1818 died abt 1865 married Mary Morely in 1838 and married Nancy Stout in 1848 lived in Johnson County
5)  Mary Sheffield - born abt 1819 married John Kinnick
6)  Elender Sheffield - born 1822 dod 10-June-1892 Carroll county Missouri married Wiley Cooper

Note: there is also a John D. Shuffield listed in same area and is probably related to the Sheffield's listed above. He was born in 1794 North Carolina. Perhaps John was son of James?

One interesting note brought to me by a fellow Sheffield researcher, perhaps the Sarah Shouffield listed on the James Shuffield 1797 Land Deed was the 1st wife of James Shuffield?
If so then perhaps John D. Shuffield and Whitney were sons of Sarah. Also note that Whitney's oldest child was named Sarah Ann born 3-Nov-1822.

Glenn K. Sheffield
Louisville, KY
Last updated: November 30, 2009