1816 - 1888
Father | John Sheldon |
Mother | Hannah Heathcote |
Wife | Mary Howard |
Children | Jane, Robert, John, Sarah Ann, James, George, Joseph, Thomas, Henry, Francis William, Edward |
Joseph was born in Ashford in 1816, the youngest of the eight children of John & Hannah, and baptised at Holy Trinity, Ashford on 17th November the same year (1).
Nothing else is known of him until, in 1837, he fathered an illegitimate daughter Jane, with Mary Howard, also of Ashford (2). He and Mary married soon afterwards, on 11th December that year in Bakewell (3). He worked as a Framework Knitter (3). His mother died a few months later, in March 1838 (4)
His son Robert was born in 1840 (5), so in the census of June 1841 (6), he and Mary were living in Ashford with their two children Jane and Robert. His next son John was born in 1843 (7), followed by a daughter Sarah Ann in 1846 (8), and sons James in 1848 (9) and George in 1851 (11). George was probably a very ill child, as he was privately baptised, then "received into church" at a later date (11).
In the census of March 1851 (10), the family are all living on Gunners Lane in Ashford with the exception of eldest daughter Jane, who was living with Mary Heathcote (an elderly relative of Joseph's mother) elsewhere in Ashford. Joseph was still working as a framework knitter. His father John died the following February (12).
His next son, Joseph, was born in 1853 (13). His daughter Sarah died in May 1854. (14). Two more sons then followed, Henry in 1858 (15), and Francis William in about March of 1861 (16), so that by April 1861, he and Mary were living on Narrow Lane in Ashford with eight sons and a daughter (17). Joseph had changed from being a framework knitter to an agricultural labourer sometime in the late 1850s (15)(16)(17), and he was still doing something similar at the time of his son John's marriage in 1864, when he was described as a gardener (18).
His last son son, Edward, was born just a month later in about September 1864 (19), when his job description changed to being simply "labourer". He was described thus in the next census of April 1871, by which time he and Mary had just 6 of their sons living with them (20). By the census of 1881 (21), two more children had left home.
Joseph died on 8th September 1888 aged 72 (22), having lived in Ashford all his life. His wife Mary survived him by just under a year (23).
Brief details of his children:
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
17th November [1816] |
Joseph Son of |
John Hannah |
Sheldon | Ashford | Frame Work Knitter |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
Oct 1st Born June 19 1837 |
Jane Sheldon daughter of |
Mary | Howard | Ashford | Singlewoman |
1837 Marriage solemnized at the Parish Church in the Parish of Bakewell in the County of Derby | |
When married | Name and Surname | Age | Condition | Rank or Profession | Residence at the time of marriage | Father's name and Surname | Rank or Profession of father |
Dec'r 11th [1837] |
Joseph Sheldon | of full age | Bachelor | Frame work Knitter | Ashford | John Sheldon | Gardener | Mary Howard | Minor | Spinster | Living with her Father | Ashford | Francis Howard | Frame Work Knitter |
Married in the Chirch at Bakewell according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Established Church after Banns |
in the presence of Benjamin Bradbury, Hannah Bradbury |
When and where died | Name | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of death | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
1838, March 18, Ashford | Hannah Sheldon | Female | 63 | Wife of John Sheldon, Gardener | Decline | The mark of Jane Downes, Grandaughter to the deceased, Ashford | 1838, March 28 |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
Oct 25 [1840] |
Robert son of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Frame work knitter |
Joseph Sheldon | 20 | F W Knitter |
Mary Do | 20 | Do |
Jane Do | 4 | |
Robert Do | 1 |
When and where born | Name | Sex  | Name and surname of father | Name, surname and maiden surname of mother | Occupation of father | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
sixteenth of August 1843 at Ashford | John  | Boy | Joseph Sheldon | Mary Sheldon, formerly Howard | Framework Knitter | Mary Sheldon, Mother, Ashford | fifth of September 1843 |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
May 24 [1846] |
Sarah Ann Daughter of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Labourer |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
November 26 [1848] |
James son of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Frame work knitter |
Joseph Sheldon | Head | Mar | 34 | Framework Knitter | [Derbys], [Ashford] |
Mary Sheldon | Wife | Mar | 32 | . | Hants, Stoke |
Robert do | Son | U | 10 | At Home | Derbys, Ashford |
John do | do | U | 7 | do | do, do |
Sarah do | daur | U | 4 | do | do, do |
James do | Son | U | 2 | do | do, do |
George do | do | U | 1 | do | do, do |
private | When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
April 17 [1851] |
George | Joseph and Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Frame work knitter | |
Received into church [......] |
When and where died | Name | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of death | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
Twenty sixth February 1852 Ashford | John Sheldon | male | 81 years | Framework Knitter | Old age, no medical attendant | The mark of John Sheldon, Present at the death, Ashford | Twenty seventh February 1852 |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
July 17 [1853] |
Joseph son of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Frame - work knitter |
Name | Abode | When buried | Age |
Sarah Ann Sheldon | Ashford | June 1st [1854] |
8 |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
Dec 26 [1858] |
Henry son of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Labourer |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
April 7 [1861] |
Francis William son of |
Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Labourer |
Joseph Sheldon | Head | Mar | 44 | Labourer Ag | [Derbys], Ashford |
Mary do | Wife | Mar | 41 | . | Hampshire, Stoke |
Jane do | daur | un | 23 | . | Derbys, Ashford |
Robert do | Son | un | 20 | Labourer M. Masons | do, do |
John do | Son | un | 17 | Marble Polisher | do, do |
James do | Son | un | 12 | Marble Polisher | do, do |
George do | Son | un | 10 | Scholar | do, do |
Joseph do | Son | un | 7 | . | do, do |
Thomas do | Son | un | 4 | . | do, do |
Henry do | Son | un | 2 | . | do, do |
Francis William do | Son | un | 1 mo | . | do, do |
1864 Marriage solemnized in the Independent Chapel, Bakewell in the District of Bakewell | |
When married | Name and Surname | Age | Condition | Rank or Profession | Residence at the time of marriage | Father's name and Surname | Rank or Profession of father |
Twenty Second August 1864 | John Sheldon | 20 years | Bachelor | Labourer | Ashford | Joseph Sheldon | Gardener | Nancy Bramwell | 20 years | Spinster |   | Cressbrook Litton | George Bramwell (deceased) | Joiner |
Married in the Independent Chapel Bakewell according to the Rites and Ceremonies of the Wesleyan Methodists |
in the presence of William Harrison, Ann Jackson |
When baptized | Child's Christian Name |
Parent's Christian Name |
Parent's Surname |
Abode | Quality, Trade or Profession |
Sept 25 [1864] |
Edward | Joseph & Mary |
Sheldon | Ashford | Labourer |
Joseph Sheldon | Head | Mar | 54 | Labourer | [Derbyshire], [Ashford] |
Mary do | Wife | Mar | 51 | Hamps, Stoke | |
George do | Son | Unm | 20 | Marble Inlayer | Derbyshire, Ashford |
Joseph do | Son | Unm | 17 | Scholar | do, do |
Thomas do | Son | 14 | Marble Polisher | do, do | |
Henry do | Son | 12 | Scholar | do, do | |
Francis Wm do | Son | 10 | do | do, do | |
Edward do | Son | 6 | do | do, do |
Joseph Sheldon | Head | Mar | 64 | Genl labr | Derbyre, Ashford |
Mary do | Wife | Mar | 61 | - | Hamps, Stoke |
Joseph do | Son | unm | 27 | Genl labr | Derbys, Ashford |
Henry do | Son | unm | 22 | Marble Polisher | do, do |
William do | Son | unm | 20 | Genl labr | do, do |
Edward do | Son | unm | 16 | do do | do, do |
When and where died | Name | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of death | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
Eighth September 1888, Ashford | Joseph Sheldon | Male | 72 years | Garden Labourer | Old age. Certified by Philip S Fentern | Joseph Sheldon, Son, Present at the death, Ashford | Twelfth September 1888 |
When and where died | Name | Sex | Age | Occupation | Cause of death | Signature, description and residence of informant | When registered |
Twenty ninth August 1889, Ashford | Mary Sheldon | Female | 69 years | Widow of Joseph Sheldon a General labourer | Old age. Certified by Philip S Fentern MD | Jane Grant; Daughter; Present at the death; Stoke, 'near Tideswell | Twenty ninth August 1889 |
Any bastardy papers relating to Jane in 1837?