Andrew Sheets

Andrew Sheets was born about 1774 in North Carolina. He married Mary Shearer in 1794 in Rowan County, NC or Ashe County, NC.

Andrew Sheets b. abt. 1776 was the son of Martin Sheets and Anna his wife. Andrew married Mary "Mollie" Shearer. He lived his adult life in Ashe County, NC. Andrew was one of the founding members of the Peak Creek (Ashe County, NC) Church of the Brethren, which was an off-shoot of the earlier Flat Rock Church of the Brethren. The Peak Creek Brethren began by holding church services in the homes of the members, but eventually they moved into the Peak Creek shoal house, and finally, they built a church. Andrew Sheets and numerous of his descendants were leaders in the Brethren congregations in Ashe County, NC.. Andrew Sheets was the minister of the church.

Two men named Andrew Sheets were listed in the 1850 census of Ashe County North Carolina. Andrew Sheets bought 100 acres of land from George Bavier Jan 6, 1795 in Ashe County North Carolina, and was the son of Martin Sheets of Rowan County North Carolina. Reference Elder Clayton B Miller, Warrensville North Carolina 1958. The1800 Federal Census for Ashe County North Carolina; Andrew Sheets Males age 0-10: 2 Females age 0-10: 1 Males age 26-45 : 1 Females age 10-16: 1 Males age 45+: 1 Females age 45+: 1 1810 Federal Census for Ashe County North Carolina; Andrew Sheets Males age 0-10: 3 Females age 0-10: 1 Males age10-16: 2Females age 10-16: 1 Males age 45+: 1 Females age 26-45: 1 Ashe County North Carolina; 1815 Tax List: (The oldest surviving Ashe County Tax List. The original is in the North Carolina Archives in Raleigh North Carolina.) Page numbers coincide with typed, un-alphabetized version by Mrs. W O Absher & Mrs. W C Sidden (undated) d

Children 1. Catherine Ann SHEETS b: 1795 2. John Banks SHEETS b: 1797 in Ashe Co. NC 3. David SHEETS b: 23 Nov 1805 in Ashe Co. N.C. 4. Andrew Sheets JR. b: 1812 5. Adam SHEETS b: 12 Jul 1815 in Ashe Co. NC 6. Jesse SHEETS b: 4 Sep 1818 in Ashe County, NC 7. Joseph SHEETS 8. Mahala SHEETS 9. Mary SHEETS 10. Jacob SHEETS 11. Soloman SHEETS 12. Susie SHEETS 13. Tane SHEETS

History of the Church of the Brethren.

The Church of the Brethren traces its roots back over 300 years to 1708. Eighteenth-century Europe was a time of strong governmental control of the church and low tolerance for religious diversity. Nevertheless, there were religious dissenters who lived their faith in spite of the threat of persecution. Some of these dissenters found refuge in the town of Schwarzenau, Germany. Among them was Alexander Mack, a miller who had been influenced by both Pietism and Anabaptism..

Though the early Brethren shared many beliefs with other Protestants, a number of issues separated them from the state churches. Relying on the New Testament as their guide, these men and women believed that Jesus had intended for his followers a different kind of life—one based on peaceful action, plain and compassionate living, and a shared search for truth. They also shared their faith enthusiastically with others, sending evangelists to other parts of Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands..

Moving to America Due to growing persecution and economic hardship, Brethren began emigrating to North America in 1719 under the leadership of Peter Becker. Most Brethren left Europe by 1740, including Mack, who brought a group over in 1729. The first congregation in the New World was organized at Germantown, Pa., in 1723. Soon after its formation, the Germantown congregation sent missionaries to rural areas around Philadelphia. These missionaries preached, baptized, and started new congregations. Their zeal, honesty, and hard work drew many new members into the Brethren faith community through the 1700s. New congregations were formed in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. With the promise of inexpensive land, they moved into Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri after the Revolutionary War. By the mid-1800s Brethren had settled in Kansas and Iowa and eventually the West Coast. Expansion across the continent and changes due to the Industrial Revolution caused strain and conflict among the Brethren. In the early 1880s a major schism took place resulting in a three-way split. The largest branch after the schism was the German Baptist Brethren, who changed their name to the Church of the Brethren in 1908.