| ![Show Contents]() Shelden History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Shelden is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from a family once having lived in various places named Sheldon including Derbyshire, Devon, Warwickshire and the West Midlands. The first portion of the surname Shelden is derived from the Old English scylf meaning shelf. The second portion was originally derived from the Old English dun meaning hill. The surname simply referred to the hill with a flat top. 1 Early Origins of the Shelden familyThe surname Shelden was first found in Worcestershire where "John Sheldon, of Abberton, in the reign of Henry IV" 2 is generally believed to be the progenitor. However, the Warwickshire "ancient house of Sheldon, of Sheldon is a matter of doubt, but not improbable. 2 For it is in Warwickshire that the family rose in prominence when William Sheldon purchased the manor of Beoly from Richard Neville in the reign of Edward IV. 2 The family held this estate as their principal seat until it was destroyed by a fire in the Civil Wars of the 17th century. "[Beoley, Worcestershire] belonged successively to the noble families of Mortimer, Beauchamp, and Holland, of whose ancient castle the mound and moat still remain; and in the reign of Charles I. the manor was the property of Ralph Sheldon, a distinguished royalist, whose mansion was burned by the family themselves, to prevent its falling into the possession of the parliamentarians. Attached to the church is the chapel of 'Our Lady,' formerly a private chapel of the Sheldon family, to whom it has a very handsome monument: underneath the chapel is the vault." 3 Over in the parish of Temple Grafton, another branch of the family was found. Originally held by Knights Templar (hence the prefix "Temple"), the property was purchased by the Sheldon family in the Dissolution of the Monasteries between 1536 and 1541 by Henry VIII. 3 The Selden, Seldin, Seldon and Seldom variants originate in Devon at Seldon in Hatherleigh or at Selden Farm in Patching Sussex. 4 West Tarring, Sussex is where the famous lawyer John Seldon (1584-1654) was born. Early rolls give a glimpse of the many spelling in use over the years: Roger de Seldon was registered in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1196; William de Selkedon in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Robert Selden, Selkeden in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1525. 4 Early History of the Shelden familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Shelden research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1584, 1598, 1599, 1610, 1642, 1654, 1660, 1663, 1677 and 1687 are included under the topic Early Shelden History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Shelden Spelling VariationsThe English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Shelden has been recorded under many different variations, including Sheldon, Shelden, Seldin, Sheldyn, Sheltan and others. Early Notables of the Shelden familyDistinguished members of the family include John Selden (1584-1654), an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution; Edward Sheldon (1599-1687), an English translator of Catholic works; and Gilbert Sheldon (1598-1677), Bishop of London in 1660, Archbishop of Canterbury in 1663, eponym of the Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford.Richard Sheldon (d. 1642?), was an English divine, probably...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Shelden Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Shelden family to Ireland
Some of the Shelden family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 34 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Shelden migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Shelden or a variant listed above:
Shelden Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- M Shelden, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
| Shelden migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Shelden Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- Nathan Shelden, who landed in Canada in 1839
| Contemporary Notables of the name Shelden (post 1700) | + |
- Raymond Shelden, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 1948 6
- Ezra Shelden (b. 1828), American politician, Member of New York State Assembly, 1828, 1830, 1848 (Monroe County 1828, 1830, Monroe County 1st District 1848) 6
- Charles E. Shelden, American politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Putnam, 1908 6
- Carlos Douglas Shelden (1840-1904), American Republican politicianMember of Michigan State House of Representatives from Houghton County 2nd District, 1893-94; Member of Michigan State Senate 6
- Burdette Shelden, American politician, Member of South Dakota State Senate 13th District, 1959-60 6
- Alvah Shelden, American Republican politician, Postmaster at El Dorado, Kansas, 1878-85; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kansas, 1888 6
- Shelden Zenner, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Illinois, 1972 7
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Optimum pati
Motto Translation: To suffer is best.
- Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Shelden migration to the United States 
Shelden migration to Canada 
England
Ireland
