62nd Meeting

Photos of 2002 Annual Meeting

Click on thumbnails to see full size photos

Gilbert Stuart's birthplace

Marie, Clara & Rose

Roadside marker

Stuart house & gristmill

Sheldons and docent

Marker on Stuart house

Sheldons entering Stuart house

Bedroom with copy of unfinished Washington portrait

Dining area in kitchen

Fireplace in kitchen

Sheldons admire bedroom

Millstones in gristmill

At Duffy's Tavern

Jeanne Jeffries admonishes Sheldons

Finger lickin' good

Virginia Sanders speaks of Seabees while ...

... Sheldons listen

President Robertson doffs his hat

Sheldons board the bus after lunch

More Photos >>

Our 63rd Family Reunion!

by Wayne E. Nelson

Hosts Jeanne and Peter Jeffries planned an excellent program for the 63rd annual meeting of the Sheldon Family Association. Sheldons gathered at the Johnson & Wales Inn and Conference Center in Seekonk, Massachusetts, located across the SeeKonk River about 15 minutes East of Providence, Rhode Island.

The first scheduled event was dinner at Darling's Restaurant followed by the Board of Directors meeting. The Board approved reports from the various committee chairs and transacted other business coming before it. President Robertson announced that the Sheldon Family Association was incorporated under the laws of the state of Maine on April 1, 2002. The Association's attorney had revised the Bylaws to conform with Maine law and the Board and others attending the meeting spent considerable time reviewing the proposed Bylaws.

Promptly at 8:45 a.m. the next day, Friday, our coach was loaded and ready for our first day of adventure. We drove down Route 114 through Bristol (oldest 4th of July parade in the country) across the Newport Bridge to Jamestown on Conanicut Island and then across the Jamestown Bridge to the West side of Narragansett Bay.

We headed to the Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum near Saunderstown, Rhode Island. Gilbert Stuart was one of 18th century America's master portrait artists. Stuart is best known for his portrait of George Washington which has been the identifiable image on the U.S. dollar for over a century. In addition to Washington, Stuart painted the portraits of the next four Presidents: Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe, as well as other socially prominent men and women.

The grambrel-roofed house where Stuart was born was built in 1751 and has been carefully restored. Next to the house is a restored (but as yet not operative) gristmill. A waterwheel turned granite millstones that were once used to make the famous Rhode Island Jonny Cakes.

We headed up Route 1 to the outskirts of Wickford Village, in North Kingstown for lunch at Duffy's Tavern. The buffet consisted mainly of local shellfish soups and dishes, but there was scrod and chicken wings for the confirmed landlubber. After lunch, Virginia Sanders spoke to us about the origin of the insignia and name for the Construction Battalions or "Seabees" of World War II fame.

We continued up Route 1 to Smith's Castle at Cocumscussoc. Smith's Castle (actually a large white house) is the site of 17th century trading posts established by Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, and Richard Smith. The original house was destroyed by fire during King Philip's War. There is a marker to the forty colonial soldiers interred in a mass grave near the castle. The house was rebuilt by 1678. During the 18th century, it was developed into one of the great plantations of New England encompassing more than 3,000 acres worked by tenant farmers, indentured servants and slaves. By the end of the 18th century, the era of great plantations came to an end. During the 19th century, parcels of land were sold off from time to time until only 300 acres were left. In the early 20th century the former plantation was transformed into a modern dairy farm. By the 1940's the historic home fell into neglect and the castle seemed doomed for demolition. The Cocumscussoc Association was formed in 1948, they purchased the property and Smith's Castle remains for our enjoyment today.

We boarded the bus and returned to our Inn. A buffet dinner was served promptly at 6:30 p.m. After dinner speakers were James Wheaton who told us of his efforts to record the graveyards of Rhode Island, and Quaker Minister Marnie Miller-Getsell spoke on Quaker practices and records.

The next morning we boarded our bus to a familiar refrain from host Jeanne Jeffries: "Please wear you badge on your right shoulder." We traveled up Sheldon Street and Benefit Street to Main Street, admiring the beautifully restored houses overlooking the city's historic waterfront. We passed the First Baptist Church in America founded by Roger Williams in 1638. The present building dates from 1775.

Our first destination was the Roger Williams National Memorial. The memorial commemorates the life of the founder of Rhode Island and a champion of the ideal of religious freedom. The memorial is located on a common lot of the original settlement of Providence and includes 4.5 acres of landscaped park. Our guide was Jack Whittaker of the National Park Service. He advised us Roger Williams National Memorial is the smallest park administered by the National Park Service. We roamed the grounds and sought relief from the heat in the visitor center.

We traveled up North Main Street and paused at the entrance of North Burial Ground. Jeanne Jeffries pointed to a monument to the 100 Sheldons whose graves were moved here in 1844 from the old Sheldon Burial Ground. (The bus was unable to negotiate the roads in the cemetery so we viewed the monument from a distance.)

We traveled down the Great Road and saw "stone ender" houses -- one end of the building is made of stone, the other three sides of wood. Apparently the fireplace is on the stone end and having the entire end made of stone reduces the chance of fire. We arrived at Arnold Mills where Ken Jencks and his daughter boarded the bus to tell us about the town, the Masons and cemeteries.

Lunch was at the Sorella Ristorante, a delicious buffet of mostly Italian dishes.

A brief ride took us to The Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket. The Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of French Canadian immigrants who left Quebec to come to work in the mills and factories of Woonsocket. The museum includes walk-through displays, movies, interactive audio presentations and hundreds of interesting photographs. Some of the more disturbing photographs showed children as young as eight years old working in the mills.

We returned to the Inn for our buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. After dinner, Peggy Jones spoke of her search for her John Sheldon of Kingston descendants and reported she has been able to walk on the ground of farms belonging to all of her Sheldon ancestors.

The annual business meeting followed. Reports were presented and approved by the Secretary, Treasurer and Publications Chair. President Robertson read a report by the Genealogist. Nominations for four Board seats were made and approved: Mary zurBurg, Martha Bradley, Shirley Bemis Martin and Debra Saucier. President Robertson reported that the Sheldon Family Association was incorporated as a non-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Maine. Secretary A. Keith Sheldon reviewed the Articles of Incorporation and gave an update on IRS tax-free status. Wayne E. Nelson presented revised Bylaws conforming to Incorporation and Bylaws were accepted unanimously, subject to further negotiation between President Robertson and Secretary Sheldon with the Association's lawyer.

The meeting concluded with singing "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" and "God Bless America."

Our thanks are due Jeanne and Peter Jeffries for their hard work in planning the details to make this 63rd meeting a success. Helen and George Reed are organizing our 64th annual meeting next year in the Cody, Wyoming. See you there.