Sarah O’Shields, 1841, was NOT the wife of Jethro O’Shields
I have written several rebuttals to the preposterous claim Sarah O’Shields was the wife of Jethro O’Shields. These rebuttals can be found on rootsweb and genforum.
I wish now to add one more reason Sarah O’Shields named in the Minutes of Friendship Baptist was NOTt the wife of Jethro O’Shields, who was born between 1761-1762. In 1841, Jethro was about 80 years of age. If this Sarah O’Shields was the ONLY woman who married Jethro O’Shields, this would mean she was at least 70 years of age in 1841. IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY A WOMAN OF 70 YEARS PLUS would have left her 80 year old husband, especially in the years 1841-1842, Spartanburg, South Carolina, when life for most was a daily struggle, and most women were worn out by the age of fifty.
According to one family researcher, Jethro O’Shields and his wife, Sarah, had a daughter, Elizabeth, and this Elizabeth married James Hewitt. This researcher has stated Jethro married only one time to Sarah, but NOW that same researcher is trying to retract that statement by saying he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Jethro’s first wife was NOT named Sarah. In that case the Sarah he claims was the mother of Elizabeth, he is now claiming was NOT the mother of Elizabeth. He can’t have it both ways. AGAIN, if Sarah O’Shields in the Minutes of Friendship Baptist Church was really the wife of Jethro and the mother of Elizabeth, this Sarah had to have been 70 years of age. If she was not the wife of Jethro and mother of Elizabeth, then this person can no longer say Jethro O’Shields married Sarah, and they had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married James Hewitt.
The records show Elizabeth, the wife of James Hewitt, was born sometime between 1790-1793. Her mother would had to have been born no later than 1774. By 1841, Elizabeth’s mother would had to have been near 70 years of age, just as I stated. Therefore, back to my conclusion. Sarah O’Shields, 1841-1842, recorded in the Minutes of the Friendship Baptist Church was not the wife of Jethro O’Shields. She was the wife of Henry O’Shields. Henry reported his wife, Sarah, left him and was NOT reporting HIS OWN MOTHER HAD DESERTED HIS FATHER. The very notion is beyond comprehension. Henry O’Shields and his wife, Sarah, moved from South Carolina to Texas. It is possible this couple moved to Texas as a result of their family problems. I doubt we will ever know.
It appears that common sense is no longer alive and well in this country. Anyone who can be talked into believing a 70 year old woman in 1841 left her husband and reportedly for no good reason…Well, what can I say. Since Nancy Pelosi can get away with calling the CIA liars, nothing should surprise me.
To those of you who have been fed lies and believed these lies about our O’Sheal family: You have been duped by someone who has worked to destroy my research, especially the Colonial research of the O’Sheal family. I find lies have been placed on the internet continuing to say someone else is the author of the O’Sheal research. This person is full of hatred and anger for me. In October 2003, this person stole my book and send it to a lady in SC and said my book belonged to him/her. My attorney sent a “cease and desist” letter to this person. After receiving the letter, this person’s anger and rage increased to a point of constant harassment of me on genealogy boards on the internet; telling lies about me on the internet and in phone calls; lies about my research and my cousin’s research on the internet and phone calls; CALLING my former employer and saying I stole his/her book.
This same person claims to have written the Colonial History of the O’Sheal family. This lie is as convoluted and absurd as the stumbling, bumbling, arrogant words spewed from the mouth of Nancy Pelosi. The truth remains I published the O’Sheal Colonial History of David O’Sheal in 2003.