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BIRTH PLACE OF
SHELDON'S AND ALEXANDER'S PARENTS
On the 1850
census of Tampa, Sheldon's mother, Mary, is listed as being
from NC. The first U.S.
Census to record the birth state of each person's parents
was the 1880 census. By that time, Sheldon
Stringer was living in Hernando County, Brooksville, was
married and had two children. There was also a much
older brother, Alexander, widowed, living in their home on
this census. This census shows that Sheldon's and Alexander's
parents were both born in North Carolina.
1880 Census, Hernando
Co., Brooksville, Fla.
Sheldon and Alexander both
born NC, with both parents born NC.
If Alexander really
is his brother, there would be 19 years in between them and
time enough for several more siblings.
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Photo by Donna McPherson at Find-A-Grave |
While
Sheldon was living in Tampa, he bought a plot in
Oaklawn Cemetery. His mother Mary is buried there and
according to her tombstone, she was born "near
Wilmington" NC on Aug. 24, 1796. She died on
Aug. 22, 1874.
Alexander Stringer is buried in Lake Lindsey Cemetery
in Brooksville, FL. |
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His
tombstone shows he was born May 20, 1817 in Burgaw,
Alabama. This date is in agreement with his age
of 63 on the 1880 census. But Burgaw is not in
Alabama, it is in North Carolina, 25 miles north of
Wilmington in Pender County (which was formed from New
Hanover Co. in 1876.)
According to Alexander's birth date, his mother would
have been around 21 when he was born. He probably would
have been Mary and Mr. Stringer's first child.
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Photo from Find-A-Grave by Betty Lykes Stringer
Chapter 2407 UDC
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Why did they think Burgaw was in
Alabama? Perhaps Alexander came to Florida from
Alabama and being born in Burgaw, they assumed it was
in Alabama? |
From "The History of Tampa’s Oaklawn Cemetery" By THEODORE
LESLEY
Sunland Tribune, A journal of the Tampa Historical
Society, Volume XVII November, 1991 USF Digital
Collections
At the
outset, burial lots were sold by the county at 2 ½
cents per square foot, each lot being approximately
400 feet square. In January, 1853, the cemetery
appeared for the first time on a Tampa map, when the
city limits were extended to include the area. On
December 7, 1855, the county commissioners appointed
William S. Spencer sexton and superintendent of the
"public grave yard." He was authorized to charge and
collect $5 for each corpse buried by him. E. A.
Clarke, county treasurer, was ordered to sell lots
in the public grave yard. Said funds were to be kept
separate from other funds and be known as the "grave
yard funds." To this was to be added the amount
received by the corporation of the town of Tampa
(then a defunct organization) for lots heretofore
sold, which funds were to be entirely used to fence
and to keep in repair the grave yard. To this amount
was added a bequest from J. W. Brookbank, M.D., who
died in May 1854, and being without immediate family
left $50 towards fencing the public burial ground.
Many
pioneer Tampa families purchased burial lots at this
time, notably James McKay, William T. Brown, Andrew
H. Henderson, John T. Givens, Sheldon Stringer,
M. C. Brown, John P Crichton, M.D., Franklin Branch,
M.D., the Kennedys, Perkins, DeLaunays, Grillons,
Ghiras and others in subsequent years.
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POSSIBLE FATHER OF SHELDON STRINGER
On the 1840 census of
Madison County, FL, there is a Samuel Stringer listed along with other
families who became
early Tampa settlers--Joseph Moore and
Benjamin Drue (Drew). Samuel was age 40 to under
50 so he was born 1791 to 1800.
1840 Census, Madison County, FL
Of particular interest is
that the two males age 5 to under 10 could be Sheldon (15)
and Samuel (19) on the 1850 census in
Tampa. Sheldon would have been 5 and Samuel "Jr."
would have been 9 in 1840. Also,
Sheldon's brother Alexander would have been around 23 and
thus old enough to have moved out of his parents'
household--no male age 20 to under 30 is in the 1840
Stringer home.
The
female under 5 could be Laura, who was born 1837 in GA and
would be around 3 or 4 in 1840. And finally, Sheldon's
mother Mary, who was born in 1796 (according to her
tombstone), to 1799 (according to her 1850 Census), would be around 44
to 41 and
can be the female age 40 to under 50. There are two
more females: one age 10 to under 15 and one age 15 to under
20. Nothing in this census would disqualify this
Samuel Stringer family from being the family of Dr. Sheldon
Stringer, Sr.
On Sept. 15, 1839,
Benjamin F. Drew married Mary Ann Stringer in Madison
County. The Drew 1840 census shows the only female in
Ben's home is age 20 to under 30, and would have been his
wife Mary Ann Stringer. No doubt Mary Ann was a daughter
of Samuel Stringer their neighbor. This would make 3 female
Stringer children age 10 to under 30 in 1840, or born
between 1810 to 1830.
The
1842 map at left from the University of Florida digital map
collection shows Madison county's eastern boundary was the
Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers, it's western boundary the
Ocilla River, northern boundary the Georgia state line, and
southern boundary its coast along the Gulf of Mexico.
Samuel Stringer's 1840 neighbors,
Benjamin Drue (Drew) and Joseph Moore both came
to Tampa with their families by 1850, as did carpenter John
Givens who arrived in Madison Co. in 1843.
Benjamin F. Drew is found in
Tampa on the 1850 census with his wife and 3 children; he
was a carpenter.
His son Octavus was 10 and the only male child in 1850.
On the Drew 1840 census of Madison Co., Octavus would have been the lone male child under 5
(and probably under 1 year old). Ben also had two daughters in 1850 in Tampa:
ages 8 and 6, thus they would not be on the 1840 census.
1850 Census, Hillsborough
County, Tampa (p.4)
Benjamin Franklin Drew
On the
Mar. 15, 1934 death record of Benjamin and Mary Ann
Drew's son Edgar Meredith Drew, Mary Ann is listed as Mary
A. Stringer, born in Wilmington, NC. (the same area Sheldon
Stringer Sr.'s mother was born according to her tombstone.)
Mary Ann Stringer Drew's
tombstone shows she was born Jan. 20, 1820. She
should have been 30 on the 1850 census, not 28 at listed
above. If Mary Ann Stringer Drew was Sheldon's sister,
she was named for her mother. If these conclusions are
correct, Samuel Stringer should be found living somewhere
around Wilmington in 1820.
(There seems to
be no connection between Benjamin F. Drew and John H. Drew
who was a successful developer and contractor in Tampa in
the late 1800s. John Higley Drew was born in Clark
Co., AL in 1864 and came to Clearwater at age 8 with his
parents around 1874. He moved to Tampa in Jan. 1893 after
having developed much of Clearwater. In two short
years he was a major force in the development of Tampa.
Drew Air Field was named for him, as well as the Drew Park
subdivision, which he developed.)
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Joseph Moore photo from Hillsborough Lodge No.
25 E &A.M. |
Joseph Moore, a
Fayetteville, North Carolina
native born in 1799 who came to Florida by 1830 from Sampson
County, NC to Magnolia, Leon County, FL. The
Moores moved to Madison County by 1840 and from Madison
County, he and his family came to Tampa in 1842 settling on
the west side of the Hillsborough River at what now is Hyde
Park. He was a founding member of Hillsborough Lodge #25
in 1850 and was elected the first Worshipful Master of
Hillsborough Lodge, serving for three consecutive years.
His family emigrated to this country from Ireland. He and his wife Elpenice Stanford had 11 children in all. In 1840, there
were 9 children left in their home, all under age 20.
Joseph and Elpenice Moore's daughter Maria Jane Moore
married Madison Post, who came to Tampa in 1849 and operated
the Kilgore Hotel. Post soon married Maria and opened
a general store and became Tampa's 3rd mayor in 1858.
1850 Census, Hillsborough
Co., Tampa, p.9
Joseph Moore family
1850 Census, Hillsborough
Co., Tampa, p.8
John Givens family and the Stringer family
All the above circumstances
strongly point to Samuel Stringer as Dr. Sheldon Stringer
Sr.'s father, and that the Stringers probably came to Tampa
with the Moores and the Drews, sometime around 1842 to 1848.
SEARCHING FOR
SAMUEL STRINGER BEFORE 1840
1820 Census,
Sampson Co., NC - Doing the math
There is a Samuel
Stringer in Sampson County on the 1820 NC census.
Sampson,
Duplin, and New Hanover counties as they appeared in
1820.
In 1875
Pender County was formed from New Hanover County to
include Burgaw.
Place
your cursor on the map to see the present layout.
1820
Census, Sampson County, NC
Samuel Stringer family
Comparison with the
census of Samuel Stringer in 1840 repeated below for
convenience
The Samuel Stringer head of house on the 1840
Florida census was age 40 to under 50, so in 1820 he
should be 20 to under 30. He would also fit in
the 26 to under 45 group
(blue circle 1) and thus be 26 to under 30
if this is the same Samuel Stringer. His birth
year would be 1791 to 1794 so Samuel's data as the
head of house is consistent between the two
censuses. The two males in 1840 who were age 5
to under 10 would not yet have been born in 1820 and
are consistent with Sheldon b. 1834 and Samuel b.1831
of the Tampa 1850 census. The two males here who
are under 10 in 1820 (blue
circle 2) would have been born from 1811 to
1820 so in 1840 they would be from age 21 to 29, old
enough to be on their own. Alexander b. 1817 in
Burgaw, NC would be one of these. There are no males
in the 20 to under 30 group in 1840 so this is
consistent and thus, all the males are consistent and
Samuel could have had 4 sons, 3 of them being
Alexander b. 1817, Samuel b. 1831 and Sheldon b. 1834.
The
female in 1840 who was under age 5 would not have been
born yet in 1820 and is consistent with Sheldon's
sister Laura, found on the Stringer 1850 census of
Tampa, b. 1836-37 in Georgia. The female here in 1820
who is under 10 would be age 20 to under 30 in 1840
and although there is no female in the Stringer home
in that age group in 1840, she would be old enough to
be married and thus would qualify as Mary Ann Stringer
Drew who is listed in that group in the Benjamin Drew
household. So the female under 10 here in 1820
can be Mary Ann Stringer Drew. The two females
on the 1840 census who were age 10 to under 15
(b.1826-1830) and 15 to under 20 (b. 1821-1825) would
not yet have been born in 1820. So thus far the
females are consistent and Samuel could have had 4
daughters which includes Mary Ann b. 1820 NC, a
daughter b. 1821-1825, a daughter b. 1826-1830,
and Laura b. 1837 GA.
Finally, the female in 1840 whom is assumed to be
Sheldon's mother, Mary Stringer, in 1840 she is age 40
to under 50, so in 1820 she would be age 20 to under
30. She would be consistent in the 26 to under 45
group in 1820 if she was age 26 to under 30 in 1820
to fit in with both censuses. So the oldest
females of both censuses are consistent.
However, Sheldon's mother, Mary Stringer, has a birth
year of 1796 on her tombstone and at age 51 on her
1850 census, would have a birth year of 1799, thus
making her age 21 to 24 in 1820. In 1820, she already
had 3 children all under the age of 10.
Sheldon's mother should appear in the age 16 to under
26 group in 1820. If Sheldon's mother was 2
years older she would be consistent with all three
censuses, 1820, 1840 and 1850. Could she have
tried to appear a couple of years older in 1820 and
say she was 26? Could Samuel have thought she
was 26? Mary Stringer's age is rather
consistent for her remaining censuses: 63 in
1860, 73 in 1870, all calculating to a 1796-97 birth
year.
1840 Census, Madison County, FL
Putting all the children together:
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1. Alexander |
b. 1817 |
Burgaw, NC |
In the 1820 home |
Moved out by 1840 |
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2 son |
b. 1817** to 1820 |
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In the 1820 home |
Moved out or dec'd
by 1840 |
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3. Mary Ann |
b. 1820 |
Wilmington, NC |
In the 1820 home |
Married out in
1839 |
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4. daughter2 |
b. 1821 to 1825 |
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In the 1840 home |
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5. daughter3 |
b. 1826 to 1830 |
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In the 1840 home |
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6. Samuel |
b. 1831 |
NC |
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In the 1840 home |
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7. Sheldon |
b. 1834 |
NC |
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in the 1840 home |
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8. Laura |
b. 1837 |
GA |
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In the 1840 home |
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**#2 son
statistically could have been born from
1811-1820 but his mother's age and her probable
marriage year at age 21 restricts him to 1817 at
the soonest. |
SO WHAT
COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO THE SENIOR SAMUEL STRINGER
BETWEEN 1840 AND 1850?
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Dr. Sheldon Stringer "was left
fatherless when he was only eleven." Using
his 1834 birth year which is consistent with his
tombstone and 1850 census, he father would have
died in 1845. It would appear that if his
father was Samuel Stringer, and if he traveled
back to Wilmington for any reason, he met with a
most tragic end.
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ALEXANDER
STRINGER IN TEXAS - IS THIS THE SAME ONE AS DR. STRINGER'S
BROTHER IN BROOKSVILLE?
The best
candidate to be Sheldon's brother Alexander before 1880 is one found in
San Antonio, TX in 1850. This Alexander Stringer, age
30, is found on a page where just about all are men serving
as "wagoner, qtr. master depot" for their occupation.
Also, the men's birth places vary from all over the country
and Europe. This goes on for quite a number of pages
and is apparently a military installation from the
Mexican-American war. Alexander is listed as born in
South Carolina. Just after him is a Charles Stringer,
age 19, born in North Carolina. They could be
brothers. Could this Alexander be Dr. Sheldon Stringer's
brother if we assume either his Florida census or his Texas
census is a mistake regarding his birth place?
1850 Census, Bexar Co.,
San Antonio, TX
The Texas Alexander Stringer was born c1819-20 in SC according
to this record. The one in Brooksville on the 1880
Census was born in North Carolina c1817. Listed after him is
a 19-year-old Charles Stringer, born in N. Carolina c. 1831.
They may be related.
The Alexander
Stringer in Texas would marry Elizabeth (Jane) Wilson in
1861. Below, her 1860 census:
1860 Census, Nueces Co.,
Corpus Christi, TX
Elizabeth Wilson, age 25, born
in Illinois c1835.
Also in the home is a 40-year-old
James Morgan and a 10-year-old Louisa Wilson, probably
somehow related.
Nov. 10, 1861
Marriage of the Texas Alexander Stringer and
Elizabeth
Jane Wilson
No census record found
for Alexander Stringer in 1860.
Images from Internet Archive
An Alexander Stringer is mentioned in Vol. 5 of Series 3 in
the above publication about the Civil War.
Alexander
Stringer is found on the 1870 Census of Corpus Christi, TX
with his wife Elizabeth. Of particular interest is that
in 1870 he is a carpenter, whereas in the account of "The
affair at Corpus Christi," Alexander is described as a
(tax?) assessor and collector. His age on the 1870 census is
55 (calculated birth year circa 1814-15) and again shows SC
as his birth place. Using Alexander's Florida age in
1880, he should have been 53 on the 1870 census. If he
is the same Alexander Stringer from the 1850 census in San
Antonio, he should have been 50 in 1870. It also shows
he was born in SC like the 1850 Texas Alexander Stringer.
Of particular importance is that they had a son named
Sheldon and this is a very good indicator that Alexander is
Dr. Stringer's brother.
1870 Census, Nueces Co,
Corpus Christi, TX - Enumerated June 17
NOTE:
This is not Dr. Sheldon Stringer of Tampa/Brooksville
Alexander Stringer age 55,
born c1814-15 SC
Elizabeth (Wilson) Stringer 37, born c1832-33,
Illinois.
Sheldon M. Stringer born c1864-65 in Texas.
Listed out of chrono order is Sarah M. Wilson, age 19, born
1851 Illinois. Her being listed out of chrono order
(if not a mistake) would indicate she is not a daughter of
the head of house. She could be a daughter of
Elizabeth Wilson from a prior marriage in Illinois.
Elizabeth Wilson would have been 18 when Sarah M. Wilson was
born.
1880 Census, St. Louis, MO,
814 N. 18th St., enumerated June 8 by E. L. Loucks
NOTE: This is not Dr. Sheldon Stringer of
Tampa/Brooksville
In the same year Alexander is
in Florida with his brother Sheldon, Elizabeth J. Stringer
was enumerated in St. Louis, MO, age 48, born c1832-33,
consistent with her 1870 census.
The census only asked for the birth state, but St. Louis, MO was
recorded. Clearly this is the wife of Alexander
Stringer from the 1870 Corpus Christi census.
Here she states she was widowed. Alexander in Florida
on his 1880 census with Sheldon says he was widowed. Situations such as this are
indicative of a divorce. (Unless we're looking at two
different Alexander Stringers.)
The same Sarah M. (or L.)
Wilson from the Stringers' 1870 Census in Corpus
Christi is in the home, but her age is inconsistent with her
1870 Census. Her age here points to an 1855 birth
year. Consistent with her 1870 Census, Sarah M. was
born in Illinois, with father and mother born Illinois.
This is consistent with Elizabeth having a prior marriage to
a Mr. Wilson in Illinois and Sarah being a daughter from
that marriage. From this info, Elizabeth would have
been 23 when Sarah was born. If John Wilson, Jr. is her son,
she might be the IL marriage record of an Eliza Jane McGowen
who married John Wilson on Oct. 7, 1855 in Morgan Co., IL.
Sheldon M. Stringer's age is
consistent with his 1870 Census in Corpus Christi. At
15, he has an occupation of "Painter." He is suffering
with chills and fever. Born Texas, with father born
SC, which is consistent with Alexander's 1850 and 1870
censuses.
1880 Census, St. Louis, MO,
814 N. 18th St., enumerated June 9 by Joseph Hargate.
NOTE: This is not Dr. Sheldon Stringer of
Tampa/Brooksville
Apparently, two enumerators
covered the same area of St. Louis on consecutive days,
listing Elizabeth Stringer twice. This time Elizabeth is 2
years younger. Situations like this usually mean
someone other than the head of house provided the info.
Here is a 25-year old Louisa listed as her daughter.
Born in Illinois, she appears to be the same person as Sarah
Wilson in her previous day's census at the same
address. If Sarah was Sarah L. Wilson instead of Sarah
M. Wilson then Louise could be her middle name. She
can be traced back through every one of Elizabeth's censuses
under somewhat inconsistent ages and alternating between
Louisa and Sarah.
As previously covered,
Alexander Stringer shows up on the 1880 Census in Tampa,
also indicating he was widowed.
1900 Census, St. Louis, MO.
Sheldon M. Stringer, wife Annie and children Leo, Harry
and Eunice
NOTE:
This is not Dr. Sheldon Stringer of Tampa/Brooksville
Sheldon went on to marry
around 1887. On the 1900 census he was a musician, but
the birthplace of his father would change with almost every
census; . Here his father's birth place was listed as
Missouri. In 1910 his father from Florida. In
1920, Sheldon was a music teacher shows he was from Missouri
and both his parents are from "United States,"
In 1930, Sheldon was born in Texas, with father Texas and
mother Illinois--a possible indicator that he never really
knew where his father was from or Annie provided the
information and did not know. In 1930 Sheldon was a cutter
of art glass.
Apparently, Alexander Stringer
and Elizabeth Wilson wanted to keep their separation from
public knowledge.
Conclusions from Alexander
Stringer
The records indicating this Texas Alexander was born in SC
and the Brooksville, 1880 Alexander showing NC tend
to indicate that his 1880 census is inaccurate in that
regard, OR, we're looking at two different men. And if
the latter is so, Elizabeth (Wilson) Stringer could have
been widowed and so could have Sheldon's brother in 1880.
Either way, the latest marriage year of Sheldon's parents
are limited by Alexander's birth year if he is Sheldon's
brother. Considering everything we know about
Alexander of all the records, Sheldon's parents would have
married any time from 1815 to 1816, and Sheldon's mother
Mary Stringer would have been as young as 18 at the time.
SAMUEL STRINGER (the younger)
It would appear that Samuel
Stringer who was in Tampa at age 19 on the 1850 census never
married; he turns up on the 1885 state census of Iowa in
Jackson, Adair County, with no occupation listed and in the
home of Jacob Shrader, a railroader, along with a handful of
other seemingly unrelated men. Samuel's age is
consistent with his 1850 census in Tampa.
1885 State Census of
Jackson, Adair Co., Iowa
1900 census in Buffalo
Town, Johnson Co., Wyoming
Fifteen years later, Samuel
was a mail carrier and had a servant.
No other records
have been found for Samuel, except that he appears to be
this same
Samuel Stringer at Find-A-Grave:
THE SHERIDAN
ENTERPRISE - September 23, 1905 Obit provided by Karylyn
Petrie
Death brought to an end a notable life when Sam Stringer
passed away at the state hospital Sunday afternoon at the
age of 74 years. Mr. Stringer, before the war was a
teamster in the employ of the government at a Texas fort.
When the war broke out he followed the commanding officers
and troops who joined the Confederacy. Before the war was
over, he came north and again became a teamster at Fort
Leavenworth, on the union side. He served in all the posts
along the line from Leavenworth, including old Fort
Kearney in Nebraska, Fort Laramie and Fort Bridger. In
1866 he was assigned to Gen. Carrington's command in the
expedition that built Forts Reno, Phil Kearney, and C. F.
Smith on the old Bozeman road. During the later part of
that year he was located at Fort Phil Kearney. When the
Indian fight that is known as the Fetterman massacre
occurred on December 21, he was ordered to the battlefield
with his teams to bring in the dead a few hours after the
deed was done. The massacre occurred along about noon and
about 8 o'clock in the evening he returned, bringing in
the bodies of Capt. Fetterman and Capt. Brown in his own
wagon. When he obeyed the order of his officers he said he
never expected to get back alive as he thought the Indians
would get the balance of the command.
After remaining in the service for several years, he
resigned and ever since has be interested in mail and
stage contracts in this section. He never tired of
telling of the advantages of Northern Wyoming over every
other place. He took part in all the Indian wars in
Wyoming. He joined the Masons in the early days while
located at Fort D. A. Russell at Cheyenne. The funeral was
held under the auspices of the Masons in Sheridan and
interment was made in Mount Hope Cemetery.
There was also an obit in the
Sheridan Post, Sept. 19, 1905 page 1. Most of the info is
the same with a few additional facts.
For many years he has
been running state line, and at the time of his death,
which resulted from chronic dysentery, he had a mail
contract running south from Buffalo. The deceased came to
the hospital at Sheridan nearly a month ago. Little or
nothing is known of his family connections. Just before he
died, he tried to tell the nurses something but he waited
too long, until his whispers could not be heard or
understood. It is said that he had a niece, somewhere in
the east. Those who knew the deceased say he led a clean,
honorable life.
Find A Grave,
database and images (https://www.findagrave.com :
accessed 02
October 2018),
memorial page for Samuel Stringer (unknown–17 Sep 1905),
Find A Grave Memorial no. 119599708,
citing Sheridan Municipal Cemetery, Sheridan, Sheridan
County, Wyoming, USA ; Maintained by Marsha Hanson Dillon
(contributor 46953066).
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