Sarah Shelton was born about 1670, probably in England. Genealogy researchers of the Shelton family in America agree that Sarah Shelton, who married Richard Gissage and later Joseph Bickley, is of UNKNOWN parentage. Sarah Shelton was imported into King and Queen County in St. John's Parish in 1701. The record dated October 24, 1701 states that Lewis Davis transported Sarah Shelton into King and Queen County in St. John's Parish. Sarah Shelton was probably a young widow when transported into the Virginia Colony or Shelton may have been her maiden name. She did have a son named Ralph Shelton; the identity of his father has not been proved. Sarah Shelton must have married Richard Gissage about 1702. He was connected to the Lovelace-Gissage family of Maryland and Virginia. He was the Justice of King William County. They had a daughter, Christian (Kitty) in 1702. Richard may have had older children from a wife who died prior to 1701. He died prior to 1703. Sarah remarried, Joseph Bickley, an Anglican minister who had been the bookkeeper on the Gissage Plantation, on September 3, 1703. They were wed by John Morris. Sarah and Joseph went on to have several Bickley children. Sarah died on March 10, 1733 in Louisa County, Virginia. Joseph died between 1735 and 1740. There is no doubt that Sarah had a son Ralph, born about 1698, who used the last name of Shelton, so her first husband died after that date. Also, one of Sarah's children with Bickley was John, born 1713. Ralph Shelton, in his will of 1744, chose as his executor his "loving brother John Bickley".
Sarah Shelton was born about 1670, probably in England. Genealogy researchers of the Shelton family in America agree that Sarah Shelton, who married Richard Gissage and later Joseph Bickley, is of UNKNOWN parentage. Sarah Shelton was imported into King and Queen County in St. John's Parish in 1701. The record dated October 24, 1701 states that Lewis Davis transported Sarah Shelton into King and Queen County in St. John's Parish. Sarah Shelton was probably a young widow when transported into the Virginia Colony or Shelton may have been her maiden name. She did have a son named Ralph Shelton; the identity of his father has not been proved. Sarah Shelton must have married Richard Gissage about 1702. He was connected to the Lovelace-Gissage family of Maryland and Virginia. He was the Justice of King William County. They had a daughter, Christian (Kitty) in 1702. Richard may have had older children from a wife who died prior to 1701. He died prior to 1703. Sarah remarried, Joseph Bickley, an Anglican minister who had been the bookkeeper on the Gissage Plantation, on September 3, 1703. They were wed by John Morris. Sarah and Joseph went on to have several Bickley children. Sarah died on March 10, 1733 in Louisa County, Virginia. Joseph died between 1735 and 1740. There is no doubt that Sarah had a son Ralph, born about 1698, who used the last name of Shelton, so her first husband died after that date. Also, one of Sarah's children with Bickley was John, born 1713. Ralph Shelton, in his will of 1744, chose as his executor his "loving brother John Bickley".
