Sarah (Shelton) Henry
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Sarah (Shelton) Henry (1738 - 1775)

Sarah Henry formerly Shelton
Born in Rural Plains, Hanover County, Colony of Virginiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Wife of — married 1754 (to 19 Feb 1775) in Shelton House, Rural Plains, Hanover County, Colony of Virginiamap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 37 in Scotchtown, Hanover County, Colony of Virginiamap
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Profile last modified | Created 2 Jan 2011
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Contents

Biography

Sarah Shelton was born on 29 May 1736 in Rural Plains, Hanover County, Virginia], the fifth of eight known children and the oldest of three daughters of John and Eleanor Parks Shelton.
in 1754, when she was in her mid-teens, she married Patrick Henry. She bore him six children, three sons and three daughters:
  1. John Henry
  2. Martha Henry
  3. Elizabeth Henry
  4. Anne Henry
  5. Edward Henry
  6. William Henry.
On 19 March 1775, when she was in her later thirties, she died in Scotchtown, Hanover County, Virginia

Life story

In 1754 Sarah Shelton married Patrick Henry, reportedly in the parlor of her family house, Rural Plains. (It also became known as Shelton House.) As a wedding gift, her father gave the couple six slaves and the 300-acre (1.2 km2) Pine Slash Farm near Mechanicsville. With this marriage,Henry became a slaveholder and landowner. Henry worked with his slaves on the land because it was a small property; it was exhausted from tobacco cultivation and he could not gain profitable yields. After the main house burned, the couple moved for a short time with their two children into the 20 by 60 foot Honeymoon Cottage, a one-story building with attic. They later moved to the Hanover Tavern, owned by Sarah's father.
They sold Pine Slash Plantation in 1764, after Henry started working as a lawyer.
The Henrys had six children together, one of whom married a brother of the poet Thomas Campbell. In 1771 the family moved to Scotchtown Plantation, in Hanover County, along with their children: Martha ("Patsy"), Anne, Elizabeth ("Betsy"), John, William, and Edmund ("Neddy"). Sarah became mentally ill and "started to manifest disturbing behaviors which could not at that time be diagnosed or treated. Her mental condition deteriorated rapidly, and when she became dangerous to herself and others, she was clothed in a 'Quaker shirt,' an early form of strait jacket."
Following the general practice of the time, Henry's friends and his physician, Dr. Thomas Hinde, recommended she be moved to the public hospital in Williamsburg. But, after inspecting the facilities, Henry "saw that if he agreed, his wife would be locked into a windowless brick cell containing only a filthy mattress on the floor and a chamber pot. There she would be chained to the wall with a leg iron. Appalled by what he saw, he instead prepared a private, two-room apartment for her in the basement of Scotchtown. Each room had a window, providing light, air circulation, and a pleasant view of the grounds. The apartment also had a fireplace, which provided good heat in the winter, and a comfortable bed to sleep in."
Henry (or a domestic slave when he was away on business) took care of Sarah and "watched over her, fed her, bathed her, clothed her, and prevented her from harming herself." Sarah lived only a few years and died there in the spring of 1775.
"Because of her illness – then thought to have been caused by being 'possessed by the devil' – she was denied a religious funeral service or a Christian burial. Her grieving husband, 'bowed down and bleeding under the heaviest sorrows and personal distresses,' buried her thirty feet from the home they shared and planted a lilac tree next to her grave to remember her. The tree still stands there, a few steps from the door to her basement."
For the entry for Patrick Henry in Wikipedia,, click here.

Ghost of Sarah Shelton Henry

Sarah and Patrick were childhood sweethearts. They married when Patrick was eighteen and Sarah was sixteen. It was this connection that would bring Patrick the most joy and most sorrow in his life. The tragedy that surrounded Sarah’s last few years has resulted in a haunting that has lasted over two centuries.
When Patrick married he was already a “failed merchant” but Sarah’s dowry included a 600-acre farm, a house, and six slaves. So the two newlyweds became planters. But in three years time a fire destroyed the Henry’s plantation. Patrick again became a merchant but for a second time he failed as a businessman. In 1766 he studied law and in this venture he succeeded. The now prosperous lawyer bought one of the largest mansions in colonial America, Scotchtown, a 10,000-acre plantation located in Ashland, Virginia.
Just months after the Henrys moved in, Sarah gave birth to their sixth child, a son. Shortly after this she started to exhibit signs of a mental illness. Her condition worsened steadily and resulted in her death in 1775, just four years later. Few records of Sarah’s condition survived but some believe she suffered from “puerperal psychosis” which is a mental illness that often occurs after childbirth. It was during this time that Patrick had to make a difficult decision.
He viewed a public hospital in Williamsburg and was so horrified at what he saw that he decided to keep his wife at Scotchtown where he could make sure she received the attention she needed. In the last year of her life Sarah’s condition worsened to the point where the family decided to keep her confined in two of the basement rooms at Scotchtown. It is said during this period she exhibited a “strange antipathy” toward her family. A servant was first assigned to monitor her behavior but when she started to inflict bodily harm upon herself a special “straight-dress” similar to today’s straight-jacket was used to restrain her.
Patrick remained loyal to his wife to the end. He made attempts to keep his wife’s condition secret. He even used a secret stairway in the back hall of Scotchtown when visiting his wife in the basement. But despite his discretion, word spread quickly around the large plantation about the mistress’s condition. In colonial American people who suffered from mental illnesses where misunderstood. People didn't view it as an illness but rather as being possessed by “evil spirits.” This is probably the main reason Patrick tried to keep Sarah’s illness secret. But as word spread across the plantation many servants, slaves, and workers refused to come near the mansion.
When Sarah died in February of 1775 she was buried in an unmarked grave on the plantation. It was a custom at the time to bury people with mental illness in secret. This again was connected to the belief that the mentally ill where possessed by demons. To this day the location of Sarah’s final resting place is not known. In 1777 when Patrick Henry was elected the first governor of Virginia he sold Scotchtown because it held too many sad memories for him. But it seems Sarah’s ghost remained.
A number of strange things have occurred at Scotchtown over the years. The house itself was abandoned and allowed to slowly deteriorate. During this time many neighbors saw lights at the windows, which looked like candlelight. A female ghost wearing a long flowing white dress was seen by a group of children and adults floating along the back of the house. This same spirit was seen making its way from the basement of the house to one of the outer buildings that housed the servants.
Patrick Henry’s great-great-great granddaughter felt the house was haunted and would not stay overnight. When she was a child, Mary Adams lived at Scotchtown (1933 to 1940) she frequently heard unusual noises. She and a group of her young friends saw a woman in a long, white gown inside the house, the figure disappeared in front of them. She and others heard chains being dragged across the attic floor.
In 1958 the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities purchased and restored Scotchtown
Since that time, a cradle used by the Henrys that is kept on the first floor has moved on its own. A tea caddy and the top of a teapot were moved while the house was empty. A candle that dates from the Henrys' time in the house was moved during the night when the house was closed. The door to the basement is never locked but sometimes it will not open. Witnesses state it is as though someone is holding it on the other side.
In recent times more strange activity has been witnessed. On Halloween night in 1990 a policeman took a report from a neighbor who witnessed a candlelight in the window after the mansion had been closed for the day. This female witness reported that as she entered the grounds the candlelight disappeared but that she then saw a transparent figure of a woman walk past one window holding a candle. The police are often called to the estate because the alarm system and motion detectors are set off without explanation.
During tours of the house, visitors have also experienced strange activity. One docent took her group into the room directly above the basement rooms where Sarah was confined. As she told the visitors about Sarah’s last tragic years they all heard a loud shrill scream coming from the rooms below. The group scattered quickly. Visitors have also reported feeling as if someone is watching them or standing behind them while they are in the basement.
A portrait of Joseph Shelton (Shelton was Sarah’s maiden name) hangs at Scotchtown. Many people have reported that the eyes of this man seem to follow them while they are in the room. In the attic strange swarms of wasps and flies have collected at one window.
Another odd phenomenon at Scotchtown is connected to the two basement rooms were Sarah died. Ever since the mansion was renovated there have been attempts made to paint the walls in this area. Professional painters have been hired, top quality paint has been used but regardless the paint will not adhere to the walls. It is stated the paint literally “burns” off the walls and there is no scientific reason that this should occur. So even today the walls in these two rooms are dreary and in need of fresh paint.[1]

Sources

  1. Story Courtesy of: [1]

See also:

  • Shelton-818 was created through the import of McClanahan-20121014.ged on Oct 15, 2012 by Anonymous McClanahan.
  • Thank you to Patricia Hickin for creating WikiTree profile Shelton-963 through the import of P_McC_BEATIE-Rachel ancestors 20130124.ged on Jan 24, 2013.
  • "Pine Slash Farm", Historic Markers Database, accessed 20 April 2012,
  • Richard N. Côté (2005). Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison. Corinthian Books. pp. 47–48.
  • Family Data Collection - Individual Records Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. Note: APID: 1,4725::0
  • U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived Note: APID: 1,7836::0
  • Family Data Collection - Births Author: Edmund West, comp. Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2001. Note: APID: 1,5769::0
  • U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls Note: APID: 1,2204::0
  • Ancestry Family Trees Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members. Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. Page: Ancestry Family Trees Note: Data: Text: http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=37075963&pid=1256
  • "Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:3Z9L-S3Q : accessed 14 December 2019), entry for William /Henry/; "Gennis Gonzalez" file (2:2:2:MMD5-68C), submitted 14 June 2016 by GennisHGonzalez1 [identity withheld for privacy].

Acknowledgments

  • This person was created through the import of indygrandma.ged on 02 January 2011.




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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Sarah by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Sarah:

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Comments: 3

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Is there a source for Sarah’s death? There is currently an inconsistency in that date in this profile.
posted by Jack Schaffer Ph.D.
Shelton-118 and Shelton-2047 appear to represent the same person because: Based on birth/death dates, believe this to be a match.
posted by A. Bower
The wife of Patrick Henry is Sarah Shelton-118. This Sarah, born 1738, may be wife of Captain Henry Woodward.
posted by Sandi Wiggins

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Categories: Virginia Ghosts