One of the "Sons of Liberty" implicated in the notorious Gaspee Affair, Christopher Sheldon was born in Providence to Dea. Joseph Sheldon and Lydia Arnold. On 7 Jan 1753, he married his 1st cousin, Rosanna Arnold.

Christopher began working for John Brown and his brothers, serving as Master aboard several of their ships, a vocation which he continued for most of his carreer. During the French and Indian War, he functioned as a privateer on two Brown-owned ships, the Dolphin, and the Rosanna, both of which were captured in 1764. After that time he served as master of the brig, "George", [1767-1771] which sailed between Providence and Paramaribo, Surinam for Nicholas Brown & Co.

Shortly after the Gaspee Affair, in 1775 he was one of two officers appointed to defend the town against possible invasion by the British; he was named as gunner for the Fox Hills battery which had a complement of at least six 18 pound cannons.

In 1777, Christopher was put in charge of the captured British ship Aurora until August of 1778 when he became a member of the Providence Town Council where he served until 1781. He then was named 5th Justice of the Inferior Court of Common Pleas and General Sessions of the Peace in and for the County of Providence. In spite of these appointments, it is unlikely that he had any formal education in law.

Providence Gazette, Nov 16, 1799, p. 3

On Thursday morning, very suddenly, Capt. Christopher Sheldon, in the 68th year of his age, much and deservedly lamented, he was for many years an able and experienced nautical commander, and had sustained many offices of trust, the duties of which he discharged with that integrity and benevolence which marked his character through life. He was universally esteemed as an honest man, a sincere Christian and a highly valuable and useful citizen. His funeral will be attended tomorrow afternoon, immediately after divine service, when the friends of the deceased, and citizens in general, are invited to attend.