Debunking the Myths about the O’Sheal Family
Myth # 1: David O’Sheal did NOT marry Elizabeth Maria Pugh. No documentation has surfaced proving the identity of David O’Sheal’s wife. (David O’Sheal, b. 1690)
Myth # 2: Jethro O’Sheals’ wife was NOT Sarah. No documentation has surfaced proving this claim.
Myth # 3: James Hewitt did NOT marry the daughter of Jethro O’Sheal. No documentation has surfaced proving this error.
Myth #4: James Hewitt DID NOT preach at the funeral of Jethro O’Sheal. James Hewitt moved to Georgia before 1845. Jethro O’Sheal died in December 1846.
Myth #5: John A. O’Sheal was NOT the nephew of Elizabeth Hewitt.
Myth #6: Lucretia O’Sheal was NOT the wife of John O’Sheal.
Myth #7: Pearl Parton Donehoo Waterfield did NOT leave boxes of old papers documenting the history of the O’Sheal family. She may have left some papers, but no one has ever viewed any important documents that were said to have come from this woman.
Myth #8: Pearl Parton Donehoo Waterfield did NOT receive a 3,000 plus word letter documenting the history of the O’Sheal family. Any reference to this has NEVER been proven. No original copies exist.
Myth #9: One Daniel O’Sheal was the brother of Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison and NOT Elizabeth Hewitt. (This Daniel was the son of Jethro O’Sheal.)
Myth #10: Elizabeth Hewitt did NOT have the middle name, APSLEY
Myth # 11: Some claim to have written an O’Sheal Record prior to 2003, this never happened. My research was used by a person(s) who has no conscience and lacks moral standards of decency.
The ONLY Documented History of the O’Sheal family during Colonial times in this country was published by me in 2003. My cousin and I researched, wrote, and published OSHEAL-CHUMLEY. Any person who claims to have published the Colonial American O’Sheal family history prior to my book is not telling the truth. Very few details were known about the O’Sheals in this country before my cousin and I completed the O’Sheal research. We traced David O’Sheal to his parents in London, England. From this point, we found more documents detailing members of the O’Sheal family as well as some family members who were loyal to King George III during the time of the American Revolution. Much of this information can be found on this website.
No family letters or memoirs or diaries or word of mouth information were passed down through the O’Sheal family in America. The declaration of such has proven to be simply concocted tales of fiction.
The court cases of David O’Sheal were researched, compiled, and written by J.V. Michael Motes. Michael did a great deal of research and writing on the origin of the O’Sheal name. This information have been placed on message boards and claimed as the research of others. These individuals lack integrity and should be shunned.
A now deceased friend and cousin, Lonnie O’Shields, researched and wrote about the descendants of Daniel O’Sheal, one of the sons of David O’Sheal. Lonnie’s book documented many descendants; however, his book did not detail the Colonial History of the O’Sheal family. Lonnie’s book is a great guide for those looking to find their O’Sheal connection.
If anyone wants further information about my 2003 book, feel free to email me, and I will give you all the details relating to any person masquerading as the official historian for the O’Sheal family. This person frequents genealogy websites with exaggerated tales while hoping to gain the reputation of a “Real” genealogist. This person simply copies from others. This person solicits information from others and then, uses the information as his/her research.
Myth # 12: Mitochondrial DNA tests have NOT been conducted showing Theresa O’Sheal as the mother of any female or male O’Sheal descendants. Any ridiculous story about Theresa O’Sheal is to be dismissed as pure hogwash!!!
Myth # 13: No documents exist proving Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison was the daughter of Theresa O’Sheal, and the male line ancestors of Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison cannot be proven through DNA research. Mitochondrial DNA tests through Elizabeth O’Sheal Harrison’s female line have NOT been conducted. All claims to this are to be dismissed as rubbish!!!
Myth # 14: Elizabeth O’Sheal Hewitt did NOT write or dictate her memoirs in 1866. Some researchers believe the 1870 census which records Elizabeth Cox in the household of Cassey Hewitt Cox and her husband, John Cox was actually Elizabeth Hewitt, the mother of Cassey Hewitt Cox. If this Elizabeth Hewitt was the same female age 84 living with Cassey Hewitt Cox and John Cox, the 1870 census record reports this Elizabeth Hewitt could neither read nor write. In regard to the husband of Elizabeth O’Sheal Hewitt, James Hewitt. James Hewitt was listed as Blacksmith in the 1850 census and Farm Laborer in the 1860 census records. There does not appear to be a record of James Hewitt as a minister. ( However, two ministers did live near the Hewitt and Cox families. They were William Fleming and Abraham Chastain.) James Hewitt who was named in the Minutes of the Friendship Baptist Church in the Spartanburg/Union Counies area of South Carolina does not appear to have been the same James Hewitt who moved to Gordon County, Georgia. There were at least three men named James Hewitt in the Spartanburg/Union Counties area in South Carolina.
Abraham Chastain was the most renowned Baptist minister in Gordon County, Georgia, during the period of time when James Hewitt inhabited Gordon County, Georgia. Abraham Chastain performed the marriage ceremonies for some of James Hewitt’s children. IF JAMES HEWITT WAS A BAPTIST MINISTER, HE WOULD HAVE PERFORMED THE MARRIAGE CEREMONIES FOR HIS OWN CHILDREN!!