WILLIAM SAWDON, farmer, Washington Township.  Prominent among the names worthy of honorable mention, is that of William SAWDON, a native of Yorkshire, England, born December 24, 1811.  His parents, William and Martha (BODDY) SAWDON, were natives of England, her father born March 21, 1786.  On account of his mother's poor health, his parents started for America, but in June 1830, while on the voyage, she died, and was buried in the bosom of the ocean.  the father located in Dearborn County in 1830, and married Miss Mary LIDDLE, who was born October 16, 1807.  He farmed all his life, and died November 27, 1870.  Mr William SAWDON, Jr., came to America with an uncle, who raised him, so that he knew but little of his parents.  He learned the shoemaker's trade in Cincinnati, Ohio, and came to Dearborn County after the flood of 1832, and has resided in the county ever since.  He was married, March, 4, 1835, to Hannah CORNFORTH, daughter of Robert and Jane CORNFORTH.  Her father died August 18, 1835, in his fifty-ninth year; her mother died September 4,1855, aged seventy-three years.  Mr. and Mrs. SAWDON had eight children: Thomas H., Robert C., Sarah J., Martha A., Mary E., George W., Hattie E., and Emma H.  Mrs. SAWDON was born April 27, 1815, in England, and died in Dearborn County December 29, 1874.  Mr. SAWDON remarried March 26, 1876 Mrs. Eliza Ann SHOUP, who was born near Wilmington July 15, 1826, and had by her first marriage three children:  Edward, Thomas and James.  Mr. SAWDON was a justice for eight years, also township trustee for a period.  He is a member of Pleasant View Grange No. 237.  He and his wife belong to Mount Tabor Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he was steward for twenty years, and is class leader at present.  He has always been a friend to any public improvement, and ever willing to extend the hadn of charity in time of need.  His life has been one that is well worthy of emulation.  His son, George, was a member of Col. Lucas' regiment in the late war.

HISTORY OF DEARBORN AND OHIO COUNTIES, INDIANA-1885

SUBMITTED BY: Jackie DeCamp


JOHN FRANKLIN SKELTON was born Aug 8, 1841 in Hendricks Co. In. His mother was Elizabeth. Father is unknown and was possibly dead by 1850. He had a brother James and a sister, Susan. Not much is known about them. In 1860, John was living at Lawrenceburg in Dearborn County with his Mother and siblings.

At age 19, John was 5'7" tall. He was light complected with light brown hair and blue eyes. It was at this time he enlisted in Co G 16th Reg't In Inf on April 23, 1861 for one year. He was mustered out on May 23, 1862. Three months later John enlisted in Co E 68th IN Regt Inf and stayed until he was mustered out on Sept 1, 1865. Two of the Battles he fought in, were the Chicamunga and Missionary Ridge according to his Civil War papers #669855.

John married Sarah Ann BOLTON McCullough circa 1865 in Hamilton Co Tn. Sarah was the widow of B R McCollough who was a Confederate Soldier, who had died April 15,1864 at Camp Morton in Indianapolis and was burried in Confederate Mound in Crownhill Cemetery. He and Sarah had a daughter, Ellen who was born July 15, 1861 in Hamilton Co. TN.

John and Sarah Skelton had two boys and three girls.

James born July 29, 1866 in TN. Elizabeth (Betty) born April 13, 1869 in TN. Frank born May 22, 1871 in White Co Arkansas. Susan born Sept 7, 1873. Minerva who was still- born Dec 8, 1878 and Sarah died one week later on Dec 12, 1878. The two girls and Sarah are burried in White County AR.

John and Sarah's first move from Tennessee was to Batesville, AR in 1870 where they lived in Fairview Township. Their next moved was to Jackson Township in 1871 in White Co. John farmed at this time.

The 1880 census shows John and Children still living in Jackson Township.

In 1881 Ellen McCollough moved to Indianapolis In to live. She had a daughter, Sally born on Sept 4, 1881. Then on Jan 19, 1882, she and John Skelton were married in

Hamilton Co TN.

To this union four children were born.

John Auston born Jan 26, 1884. Nellie Viola born Jan 17, 1887. John Franklin Jr. born Dec 24, 1889 and William Young born Sept 13, 1894. On July 11, 1889 on Stringers

Ridge Ellen Skelton died. She was burried in White Oak Cemetery at Chattanooga.

John signed up for a Pension and received 12.00 per month. He was paid $30.00 on Feb 4, 1918 before his death on April 5, 1918 in Rome, Georgia. At this time, John was living with his daughter, Nellie and Gustave Duncan at 119 Calhoun St. He was burried in Oakland Cemetery there.

In 1996 a Tombstone was applied for from the Government and John's six Great Grandchildren, Forrest, Ivelyn, Evelyn, Danny, Thomas and Wiliam paid to have it set.

They descend down from John and Sarah's son, Frank who married Mary Etta Ferguson in White Co. Arkansas and Frank and Mary Etta's son, Raymond Avril Skelton who married Minnie Oneida JAY in Caddo County, Oklahoma.

I am Evelyn Skelton Sell, Franks Granddaughter. I have worked on our Skelton family for many years. My sources comes from Civil War Records. Census Records. Cemetery Records. Obituaries, Personal interviews from Johns grandchildren by his second wife. , Courthouse Records. Marriage Records. Personal Family Records.

Evelyn Skelton Sell P.O. Box 744 Chowchilla, CA 93610

esell@inreach.com

Submitted by Evelyn Skelton Sell <esell@inreach.com> on Tue, 30 May 2000


A Notable Gentleman Dies

Archibald Shaw, grand old man, native son of Indiana and for many years a leading citizen of Lawrenceburg, passed away at the age of 93 years at Helena, Ark. On Tuesday night, July 30th.

Mr. Shaw was born August 7, 1847, near Vevay, Indiana, and was the eleventh of twelve children, being the last survivor. His parents were William and Linda Rous Shaw, Scotch-English couple. William Shaw was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1802. He came with his parents to Philadelphia in 1816; went by wagon to Pittsburgh, then by boat to Cincinnati, where they remained for six months, then on to Vevay where they took up land in 1817. Linda Rous, Mr. Shaw's mother, came to this country in 1812. Her father preceded his family, having left hurredly because of political utterances and fear of being arrested. His wife and seven children came later, a six months voyage without losing a child. The father was a printer and worked at Pleasant Valley, NY, then and now a small village. His family joined him there and after a few months left for the Ohio valley because of the war and wanting to get away from the coast. Mrs. Shaw died in 1924.

Mr. Shaw spent the greater portion of his life in Lawrenceburg and ranked as one of the states leading, intelligent and most progressive citizens. He was a merchant and a farmer and for several years was the editor and publisher of The Lawrenceburg Press. He was an ardent republican and a loyal party leader. He was postmaster for eight years and served as secretary of the selective service board during the World War. He organized the Dearborn County Historical Society and wrote a history of Dearborn county. At the request of the Indiana State Library, he spent several years in preparing and writing the genealogy of his family. He was active in church, civic and political life of the community. He was a life-long active member of the Methodist Church. He taught the Men's Bible Class and was Sunday School superintendent.

He was a Mason, K. of P., member of the Indiana State Historical Society. He was an intensely zealous advocate and worker for measures in which he believed to be for wholesome public welfare and was ever ready to give response when called upon.

Mr. Shaw has made his home in Helena with his daughter, Miss Ella Shaw, since 1929. He has been quite active there in his new home, attended church, walked over the hills, read at the library and took a decided interest in the affairs of life. He worked as a volunteer helper in Red Cross work during the drought relief, doing filing and other work appurtenant thereto. He kept active and useful up to the time of his distressing hip fracture suffered in a fall in November 1937.

He had eight children - four are living: Harris F. Shaw, attorney, Los Angeles, Cal. Edward R. Shaw, Accountant, Kimball, W. Va. , John A. Shaw, Architect, Hong Kong, China, Ella M. Shaw, dietician, Helena, Ark. Also 12 grandchildren; 4 nephews and 3 nieces.

Judge Charles A. Lowe, a lifelong intimate friend an benefactor of Mr. Shaw, gives this brief summary as to his many superb qualities, which is concurred in by this people as a whole: "Every once in a while Nature seems to delight in bestowing her gifts upon certain individuals. Such was the case with Mr. Archibald Shaw.

"He was possessed of a calm, equable and kind disposition, a brilliant intellect, studious, capable and conscientious. But above all and over all, he was a true, loyal and faithful friend. To have know such a man and to have been intimately connected with him in the various walks of life, has been one of the grand experiences of my life."

The body of Mr. Shaw, accompanied by his daughter, Miss Ella Shaw, and other relatives arrived here Thursday morning about 10:30 over the B & O, and was conveyed to Fitch Bros. Funeral Home. Funeral services were conducted at Hamline Chapel Methodist Church in the afternoon at 2:30, Rev. H. R. Page officiating. The interment was beside his wife in Greendale Cemetery.

Submited by his g-g-granddaughter, Patricia Abdallah
From The Lawrenceburg Press, Friday August 2, 1940