Chasing the Elusive: Lewis Sheets

I am really working on another one of my illustrious ancestors, Jacob Sheets (which is taking awhile, hence lack of blog posts lately - I am also working on another project as well research wise, so my time is divided).  But in doing research on him, I have been thoroughly researching each of his children as best as I can, and came across a dead end in a few of his children, most noticeably Lewis F. Sheets.

Let's start at the beginning:

Lewis F. Sheets was born 9 Sept 1833 in Philadelphia, according to an affidavit his elder brother swore to.  He was the youngest child of Jacob Sheets (also Sheats), a Philadelphia boat builder, and his second wife Mary (likely with the surname Kelty).  Lewis was just fourteen years old when his father died in 1847, and his guardianship was awarded to one Samuel Kelty, who may have been a brother to Lewis' mother.

Note here: There are many variations in spellings for his names. Most notably on his first name it appeared throughout his life that he used Lewis and Louis interchangeably.  His last name was spelled a variety of phonetically correct ways.  Since spelling of names was not standardized in the time he lived, it can arguably be stated that any of the spellings is the correct one.

There is a great deal of family lore surround Lewis' father, which I will eventually get to when I finally write Jacob Sheat' blog post, but there is one major tale of lore that affects Lewis that I can share now.  it is said that Jacob Sheats was a gambling man and went so deep into debt that the youngest four children were farmed out to others for care since he could not afford to take care of them.  While I have not been able to find documents to support this family story entirely, I do know that one Catherine Field did raise Lewis' older sister Helen for a bit, which lends some credence to the story.

I have not been able to find him on the 1850 census.  His elder brothers (Joseph B. and Jacob S.) were enumerated in Upper Alloways Creek, Salem County, New Jersey and Northern Liberties, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania respectively.  His two surviving sisters (Deborah C. Sheets Whiteside and Helen M.D. Sheets) were both in Philadelphia County on the census, in Northern Liberties and Passyunk respectively.  It is not known who Lewis lived with though, and if he was enumerated with his own name or the name of the family he lived with.  It is something I keep searching for.

Around 1858, he married Evalene Hocker, who was born about 1837 to Charles and Mary Hocker.  The couple made their home in Philadelphia's 11th Ward near Pier 31, living at 155 Dana Street for much of

their married lives.  It was in this area that the couple had ten children; George, Mary H., Abraham Lincoln (who died young), a stillborn daughter, Charles Barnecoat, Edward M. (who also died young), Richard E., Jacob M., Francis and Emma H.

As a young man, Lewis worked briefly as a policeman, but spent more of his adult life as a stove moulder and then as an inspector at 20 South Seventh.  Newspaper articles form the time indicate the address was the Philadelphia City Gas Works,and an article regarding the company in April 1884 referred to one"Inspector Sheetz" giving a meter reading that was in excess.  The company for which he worked is still in existence today, and is still city run.

In 1886, he purchased a grave loot deed number 9160 at Odd Fellow Cemetery in Philadelphia.  His son Edward was removed to this plot, as he had died 21 October 1870.  Also noted as being removed to the plot were children Jacob and Lewis Miller, who were Lewis' young nephews via his sister Helen.

In September 1896, son Charles was involved in a fight just outside the Eleventh Ward Republican Club which resulted in a man's death.  He, along with two others, were charged with the death of Francis X. "Frank" Hollweck, but at the Court of Oyer and Terminer on 19 January 1897 the three men were found not guilty.

1901 was the last city directory in which Lewis Sheets was listed in Philadelphia, still living at 155 Dana (which was 155 Nectarine at this point, having had a street name change around 1897/1898), but working as a "collector."  The neighborhood in which the Sheets lived in was left to the wreckers sometime before 1923, and is now part of Interstate 95.

It appears that sometime after this point, Lewis and Evalene made the move to Cape May County, New Jersey, where they lived with daughter Mary and her husband Francis Hoffman.  On 8 August 1904, Evalene died in Rio Grande, a census designated area in Cape May County.  Her body was brought back to Philadelphia, where it was interred in the family plot at Odd Fellow Cemetery after a funeral at son Jacob's home at 143 Nectarine. (Daughter Emma was buried in the same plot just three years prior, having died from pyaemia following mastitis at the age of 20).

Lewis continued to live with his daughter and son-in-law after Evalene's death, having been enumerated with them in both the 1905 New Jersey State Census and the 1910 Federal Census.  

Here is where he gets elusive.......  He completely disappears off the radar after the 1910 Federal Census.  Mary and Francis Hoffman are enumerated without any mention of him in the 1915 New Jersey State Census, and since death record indices for New Jersey from that time period have been "lost", finding any record of his death remains elusive.  He was NOT buried in the Odd Fellow Cemetery plot with his wife per the cemetery records available, nor have searches of available online newspapers at my disposal (on Newspapers.com or Genealogy Bank) revealed a death notice.

So the search continues, and until then, he will remain an "elusive" to chase.....

Sources Used

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Louis Sheetz and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 10 District 32 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1395, Page: 563B, and Family History Library Film: 552894; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Louis Sheet and household, Year: 1900, Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 11 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Page: 2, Enumeration District: 0196, and FHL microfilm: 1241456; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Francis Hoffman and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Middle Cape May, New Jersey, Roll: T624_870, Page: 2A, Enumeration District: 0092, and FHL microfilm: 1374883; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Affidavit of Joseph B. Sheets regarding descendants of Jacob Sheets, sworn 6 Feb 1852 in front of Robert Guestner, Justice of the Peace for Salem County, New Jersey, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas' Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis; citing War of 1812 Pension and Bounty land Warrant Applications, Record Group 15, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.

Affidavit of Samuel Kelty, guardian for Lewis F. Sheets (minor) affirmed 6 Feb 1852 in front of Robert Guestner, Justice of the Peace for Salem County, New Jersey, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas' Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Lewis Scheetz and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1172, Page: 453B, and Enumeration District: 190; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C

"City Directories for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania," online database with images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 18 May 2020), various years and entries recorded; contact blogger for more details.

"Death Follows a Blow," The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 25 September 1896, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 September 2020).

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 4 April 1901, page 14; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2020). entry for Emma Sheets Brady.

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 10 August 1904, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 May 2020). entry for Evalene Sheets.

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 8 February 1907, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 May 2020). Entry for Jacob M. Sheets.

"Gas Trust Committees," The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 24 April 1884, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"Held for Trial," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 27 September 1896, page 17; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"New Jersey State Census, 1905," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 20 May 2020), Entry for Louis F Sheets in household of Frances Hoffman, , Cape May, New Jersey, United States; p. 14, line 17; FHL microfilm 1,688,593; citing Department of State, Trenton.

"Notes of the Court," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 20 January 1897, page 12; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2020), PA-Philadelphia> Philadelphia> Not Stated> Odd Fellows Cemetery, 22nd and Diamond Streets > Image 1100 of 1345, entry for Lewis Sheets, deed 9160, dated 1 June 1886; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Abrm. Lincoln Scheets, 18 July 1862; bk 4 p 144; FHL microfilm number 1289307; citing Board of Health. Department of Records.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Chas. Barnecoat Sheets, 16 Oct 1865; bk 1865 p 275; FHL microfilm number 1289310.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch, Entry for Edward Sheitz, 12 Nov 1868; bk 1868 p 303; FHL microfilm number 1289312.

"Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950," database online, FamilySearch, Entry for Francis Sheets, born 19 Jan 1877; FHL microfilm number 2195605.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Richard E. Sheetz, 21 Mar 1871;bk 1871 p 41; FHL microfilm number 1289313.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 February 2020), Entry for Edward M. Sheets, 19 Feb 1870; FHL microfilm 1,994,724; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 February 2020), Entry for Jacob M. Sheets, 06 Feb 1907, FHL microfilm 1,319,490.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch, Entry for Sheets, 01 Mar 1864; FHL microfilm 1,986,424.

Petition to the Honorable L. Piraldo, Commissioner of the Pension Office for issue of bounty warrant to guardian of Lewis F.Sheets by W. L, Allans, dated 27 August 1853, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas'Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Petition to the Pension Office regarding eligibility of claim of Helen F. Sheets as a minor child of Jacob Sheets, deceased filed by W. L. Weaver, esq. of Salem, New Jersey 5 June 1852, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas'Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network Interactive Maps Viewer (http://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/ : accessed 5 June 2020), viewed the area around 155 Dana on several maps, including present time map.

Taylor, Frank H. "In Nectarine Street," digital image, Library Company of Philadelphia (https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A67899: accessed 22 May 2020), Information on Dana Street, where Lewis Sheets lived; citing Frank H. Taylor Collection.

Chasing the Elusive: Who was Catherine Field?

Many years ago, I received a copy of a fifty page letter written in 1965 that contained the genealogical memories of a woman named Dicky Kane, who wrote the letter to her nephew.  These memories centered around the family of Jacob Sheats (whose name was spelled a variety of phonetically correct ways: Sheets, Sheetz, Scheets, Sheetze, etc.), who worked along the waterfront of Philadelphia in the early part of the 19th century.  Among the many stories she shared about Jacob Sheats and his descendants pertained to my maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Helen D. M. Sheats, in which Dicky Kane stated that Jacob "gave the daughter Helen away to a Catholic family and she was reared in the Catholic faith."

I didn't think much of that sentence at the time, because proving who she was given away to would be difficult to do, or so I thought, so I filed the information away.

In doing my periodic research on each of my ancestors and their families, I stumbled across Helen Sheets in the 1850 census.  This was important to me because she married Jacob Miller just four months after this enumeration.  In 1850, Helen, listed as Ellen Sheetz, was living in the home of Catherine Fields in Passyunk, which at the time was a township near Philadelphia and in 1854 was consolidated into Philadelphia.  

Source: Ancestry.com, "1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Entry for Catherine Fields and household, Year: 1850, Census Place: Passyunk Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_820, Page: 60B, and Image: 129.

Even with this document, which I found over two years ago, I still had no idea who was the family she was given away to.  After all, on the census, Helen was almost of legal age (21 at the time) and could have been living with Catherine Field by choice, as Jacob Sheats had died in 1847.  I didn't have much to go on, so once again I just filed the information away.

Recently, Find My Past was having one of its free weekends.  Since it is one of the genealogical websites in which I don't have a subscription, I usually wait for such weekends to mine what I can from the site.  This past Veteran's day was such a weekend, and I knew that I wanted to search the Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Records.

There I stumbled upon Helen Sheats' baptism record.  She was baptized 30 April 1848 at Saint Philip Neri Church in Philadelphia, the same church in which she married Jacob Miller.  While no sponsor was listed for her as she was baptized as an "adult," this document made me giddy as it did lend some credence to the family story that she was raised by a Catholic family.  

However, what made me connect all of the dots was her eldest daughter's baptism record.  Catherine Elizabeth Miller, the eldest child of Jacob Miller and Helen Sheats is my blood link to these two, as she was my maternal grandfather's grandmother. She was born nine months after her parents had married and was baptized exactly one month later, on 7 October 1851 at Saint Philip Neri Church by the same priest who married her parents.  On her baptism record, listed as her sponsor (godmother) was Catherine Field.

Source: "Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms," database online with images, Find My Past, Catherine Field, sponsor, in entry for Catherine E Miller, baptized 16 October 1851; referencing St. Philip Neri, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania baptisms, page 80, entry 238, film number 132.01.

This discovery, as well as the discovery that Catherine Field was also listed as the godmother for two more of Helen's children, Daniel in 1865 and Jacob in 1867, led me to believe that this Catherine Field was more important that I first thought.  After all, she's listed as the godmother of three of Helen's children AND Helen was living with her in 1850.  So I went back and took a look at the 1850 census once more, and using that and the info from the baptisms I tried to search for more information on this Catherine Fields.

Unfortunately there wasn't a great deal, and what I did find could be pure speculation.  Catherine appears in the 1860 Federal Census as living in the First Ward of Philadelphia, Division One, as a 55 year old woman born in Philadelphia and having $1000 in personal real estate.

Source: "1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Entry for Cathrine Fields in household of Jno Fields, Year: 1860, Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 1 Division 1 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1151, Page: 3, and Family History Library Film: 805151.

After that, she becomes fairly elusive. There is a possibility she died in 1875 in Philadelphia and was buried in Frankford, but further research must be done.

There's also chasing down any deeds she might have had. After all, she did own property according to both the 1850 and 1860 census enumerations. So there is a chance that she owned a great deal of land, but accessing the deeds for Philadelphia online means traveling to my nearest Family History Library, as most of them are locked to viewing at home.

And there also is researching the other Field people that reside with her on the 1850 and 1860 census enumerations. One of them in particular stuck out; the Elizabeth that shows up in both enumerations. One Elizabeth Field was listed as the godmother of Helen's son George in 1857, and Helen's eldest daughter was named Catheirne Elizabeth... was it for both Catherine and Elizabeth Field?

So on I go, chasing down the paper trail of clues to discover if this truly is the Catholic family who fostered Helen Sheats Miller.