Oscar Smith Sheffield

Notes:

After graduating from The Academy at Belleville, NY, Oscar taught school for one year. He then engaged in the mercantile business in Mannsville, NY, under the firm name of O. Sheffield & Co. He continued in this business for four years, during which time he also served as Village Postmaster. Around 1849 he switched careers and went into the business of sheep handling. When Oscar and his wife Adeline moved to Wisconsin, he became a farmer and also taught instrumental and vocal music for a number of years.

In the 1880 Federal Census, Oscar & Adeline are living at Spring Prairie (District 234), Walworth Co., WI. They are near John & Martha Middleton, Oscar's sister and brother-in-law, and their mother Hannah (Smith) Sheffield who is living with the Middletons. A Hattie Sheffield age 17 is a servant in the household of Frank & Hattie Palmer and their baby girl Mabel. I am making an assumption that Hattie Sheffield is a daughter of Oscar & Adeline. County records confirm that they did have a daughter Harriet, known as Hattie.

According to the Walworth County Historical Society, Oscar Smith Sheffield came to Troy, Walworth County, in 1856; his obituary says he came in 1855. The family moved to Spring Prairie in 1860, and to Elkhorn in 1884. It is also noted that he lived at Lafayette.

Oscar was nearly 92 when he died. Even in his old age he was known to be an avid reader, and kept well informed on current events. (source: obituary in The Elkhorn Independent of Walworth County, Wisconsin)

Oscar married Adeline Chamberlin 15 May 1850. Adeline (daughter of Solomon Chamberlain and Lillian Glazer) was born 30 Nov 1833, Adams, Jefferson Co., NY; died 23 Jan 1913, Elkhorn, Walworth County, WI; was buried , Hazel Ridge Cemetery, Elkhorn, Walworth Co., WI. [Group Sheet]

1. Alice Louise Sheffield was born 5 Nov 1851, Mannsville, Jefferson Co., NY.
2. Antoinette "Nettie" Lillian Sheffield was born 23 Jun 1853, Mannsville, Jefferson Co., NY.
3. Nellie Bly Sheffield was born 6 Aug 1856, WI; died 12 Aug 1905, Spring Prairie, Walworth Co., WI.
4. Willis Sheffield was born 23 May 1858, Spring Prairie, Walworth Co., WI; died 1 Jul 1924, Clinton, IA.
5. Minnie Sheffield was born 28 Jan 1860, Spring Prairie, Walworth Co., WI.
6. Harriet "Hattie" Julia Sheffield was born 14 Apr 1863, WI; died Aft Jan 1916.
7. Cora Belle Sheffield was born 16 Oct 1875; died 19 Apr 1878.

Notes:

In the 1850 Federal Census, Jeremiah & Hannah are living at Ellisburgh, Jefferson Co., NY, with their four children; two others have died by then. Jeremiah is a farmer, age 48. His son Oscar, age 26, is shown as a merchant, while Daniel, 18, is "farming." The family is next door to Allen & Palmyra Remington and their two children, Lois 17 & Oscar 13. Even though he is younger, Allen Remington age 46 is actually Jeremiah's uncle, youngest brother of Jeremiah's mother, Martha (Remington) Sheffield.

On 1 April 1860, Jeremiah & Hannah signed a deed selling a parcel of land to Gardner Marsh, Jr. This deed was written and witnessed by Edmund Remington, Justice of the Peace, and was recorded by the town clerk on 17 May 1860 at 2 PM. Edmund Remington was Jeremiah's first cousin, being a son of Jonathan Remington, brother of Jeremiah's mother Martha. The land defined in the deed had been previously bought by Martha (Remington) Sheffield on 8 March 1825, from the Wardwells and the Manns. It consisted of 71 acres, and was purchased by Martha for $599.60. When she died in August 1828, Jeremiah took possession of this land, and lived on it with his family from that time until he sold it in 1860. (A copy of this deed is recorded at Jefferson County, NY, Deed Book 142, pp. 335 & 336; a photocopy of these pages was kindly furnished by Mary Jones of Graeagle, CA, a descendant).

Jeremiah married Hannah Gardner Smith 1823. Hannah (daughter of Willard Smith and Amy Gardner) was born 17 Nov 1803, MA; died 26 Jul 1898, Spring Prairie, Walworth Co., WI. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Berkshire Probate Court records show that Martha Remington was married to and divorced from Elisha Sheffield. However, her son's death record names his father as John Sheffield. She may have married John, then he died, and Elisha married her.

Elisha married Martha Remington Abt 1801. Martha (daughter of Allen Remington, I and Diadama Unknown) was born 1782, Hancock, Berkshire Co., MA; died Aug 1828, Mannsville or Ellisburgh, Jefferson Co., NY; was buried , Maplewood Cemetery, Ellisburgh, Jefferson Co., NY. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Berkshire Probate Court records show that Martha Remington was married to and divorced from Elisha Sheffield. However, her son's death record names his father as John Sheffield. She may have married John, then he died, and Elisha married her.

Willard — Amy Gardner. Amy was born , Hancock, Berkshire Co., MA. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Allen & Diadama were on the membership list of the First General Baptist Church of Richmond, RI, on 17 Sept 1810. (source: James N. Arnold's "Vital Records of RI," Church Records, p. 411) However, this is confusing because Allen was already widowed by 1809, and probably married his second wife Margaret about this time. Perhaps the church leaders had not heard that Diadama had died by then, and retained the names on the list of members.

Allen, probably born at Portsmouth, RI, appears to have married or at least had children in MA. However, Allen and his first wife may have been back in RI at some point and had some association with the Baptist Church in Richmond. (see above). Their children probably married in MA; at least some of them moved westward.

"A Scattered People: An American Family Moves West" by Gerald W. McFarland, p. 81 (Google Books) says that Allen Remington and his father had briefly lived at Exeter, RI; Allen came to Hancock, MA, from RI after the Revolution.

Boyd Scott Remington includes a second son named William born in 1820, but I don't think it is accurate, as there was already another son named William. Allen's estate documents mention one son named William.

Allen died intestate, and the numerous legal documents pertaining to the settlement of his estate in Berkshire Co., MA, mention the names of his children and stepchildren, as well as his second wife Margaret, who died not long after Allen did.

Allen married Diadama Unknown 1781. Diadama was born Abt 1763; died Between 1803 and 1809. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

I am not sure when or where Diadamia actually died. Although she and Allen are listed on the membership roll of First General Baptist Church of Richmond, RI, in 1810, supposedly Allen married a second wife in 1809. It may be that the church leaders in southern RI had not heard that Diadama had died, until after the membership rolls were updated.