Thomas Sheldon jnr. (Paarl)

Born: circa 1841 (Source: The Genealogy of the De Villiers Family in South Africa, Ancestry24.co.za) or 4 March 1852 (Source: The Sheldons of Paarl Family Bible) or circa 1850, according to Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, which give his age at the time of his death as 75 years old. He was born in Somerset, England (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives). According to the 1861 British Census, Thomas Sheldon jnr was born c.1851, Banwell, Somerset, England (Source: 1861 British Census, Neale Sheldon, Sheldon Family History)

Died: 10 May 1925, General Hospital, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, England (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

See also: Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s profile on Geni.com

Thomas Sheldon jnr. was the son of Thomas Sheldon snr. and Louisa Sheldon. (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

Occupation: Trader. (Source: The Genealogy of the De Villiers Family in South Africa, Ancestry24.co.za) According to Thomas' death certificate, his occupation was "of Apple Farm, Westwich, Banwell, and Tin Mine, Owner (Retired)." (Source: Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)In 1861, Thomas was living with his parents and siblings in 8 West Street, Banwell, Somerset, England. (Source: 1861 Census, FreeCen.org.uk)Thomas was living in Paarl in 1878, according to the 1878 Voters' List (Source: Cape Colony Publication Vol 11\1\7, Ancestry24.co.za). Its not known when exactly his mother, Louisa, and sisters, Annie and Ellen, joined him in South Africa, but it was probably around this time.On 2 October 1879, Thomas married Elizabeth Margaretha de Vaal in Paarl. (Source: The Genealogy of the De Villiers Family in South Africa, Ancestry24.co.za and The Sheldons of Paarl Family Bible)

During the Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902), Thomas Sheldon rose to the rank of Captain and organized the Paarl District Mounted Troops, which included his son, Thomas Alfred Sheldon.

"Mr. Sheldon did good service during the war in his own district the Paarl - and enjoyed the rank of Captain," according to his associate Thomas Johnson Anderson in a 20 June 1906 letter. (Source: KAB GH 35/242 Ref: 261, Cape Town Archives)

Thomas Sheldon himself wrote: "Dear Mr. Anderson: In reply to your inquiry, I organized the Paarl District Mounted Troops, over 300 men and commanded them until their disbandment, previous to that, at the request of a high authority, I had <illegible> the railway by night (a section of 20 miles for 6 months). I sent my two sons to the front in charge of troops of mounted men. Yours faithfully, T. Sheldon." (Source: KAB GH 35/242 Ref: 261, Cape Town Archives)

Elizabeth Sheldon nee de Vaal died 18 May 1906. (Source: Elizabeth's gravestone, eGGSA Library)

From 1906 to 1908, Thomas Sheldon and his associate, Thomas Johnson Anderson, petitioned His Majesty's Government for their "rightful and moral" ownership of a Tin Mine in Swaziland, also known as the Albus and Davis Concession. A Barbara Jacoba Murison was also involved, possibly as a co-owner or by providing funding. During their petition Thomas Sheldon was advised to go to England in order to present his case before HM Government; the Earl of Selborne was motivated to write a letter in support of Sheldon and Anderson. (Source: KAB GH 35/242 Ref: 261, Cape Town Archives)

In 1909 the petition was granted, and the "Deed of lease between the Imperial Government and Messrs Anderson and Sheldon over mineral rights at the Albu and David concessions in Swaziland" can be found in the British National Archives.

Thomas's ownership of the Tin Mine is described under "immovable property" in his Liquidation and Distribution Account: "A half share in a mineral concession in the district of Mvobane, Swaziland, known as No.42M, which is held jointly by the deceased with Thomas Johnson Anderson of the Quarter Deck, Kalk Bay. The Concession has no immediate value as it cannot be disposed of - whether it will be of any value and if so how much it is impossible to say." (Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

"Bond hypothecating the Concession was passed by the deceased and Thomas Johnson Anderson jointly in favour of Jane Bell (deceased) for £700 and is registered in Swaziland in the register of mineral concessions, book 1, pg.141." (Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

Thomas re-married to Agnes Helena Perrit in Banwell, Somerset, England. (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

In 1922, Thomas, of 3 Croxteth Road, began court proceedings against the Estate of the recently deceased J. Brown Lawrence, husband of his late sister, Annie, and the Cape Hospital Board. Thomas was suing over a single line in Lawrence's Will: "All the other movable property shall be sold by auction and the proceeds shall be equally divided between the following persons namely: Alicedale Stewart, Sarah Wiley, James Lawrence, Thomas Sheldon, Ellen Parker." Earlier in Lawrence's Will he had set aside some money to set up a fund at the Cape Hospital; Thomas believed that these two actions - the fund and the auctioning of the movable property - contradicted each other, and that he should be entitled to a share of the fund money.

The final judgement in the case was in favour of Thomas Sheldon; he and his sister, Ellen, were to receive £200 per annum for the rest of their lives, while Thomas' daughter, Alicedale, received £600 per annum for the rest of her life. (Source: KAB CSC 2/1/1/980 Ref: 1085, Cape Town Archives)

At the time of his death, Thomas was dividing his time between homes in Franch Stoek, Cape Town and Banwell, Somerset, England. In his Last Will and Testament, Thomas describes himself as "of Westwiche Worle Somerset." (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

Thomas died 10 May 1925 in the General Hospital, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, while on a trip to England: "Mr. Thomas Sheldon of one time of the Paarl, but recently of Sea Point, died on the 10th Ultimo at the General Hospital, Weston-Super-Mare, whilst on a visit to England." (Source: Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives) Thomas' possible entry in FreeBMD: Age:74; death registered: June 1925; district: Axbridge; Volume: 5c; page: 527.

Agnes Sheldon was at Thomas' bedside when he died. She chose to remain in England. This decision and her lack of interest in the Tin Mine would cause much back and forth between lawyers as to what should be done with the Concession; ultimately it appeared that Thomas Anderson might be prepared to buy up his deceased partner's shares but Thomas Sheldon's Estate Papers never stated what eventually happened. (Source: Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s Estate Papers, Cape Town Archives)

Thomas Sheldon jnr.'s Death Notice was filled out by his son, Gilbert Percy Sheldon. Thomas' second wife, Agnes, was his executrix.

Children with Elizabeth Sheldon nee de Vaal

Alicedale Sheldon (b. 10 September 1880)

Thomas Alfred Sheldon (b. 5 March 1882)

Gilbert Percy Sheldon (b. 11 April 1883)

Edith Mabel Sheldon (b. 29 January 1885)

Cecil Stanley Sheldon (b. 4 July 1886)

Algernon Victor Sheldon (b. 6 March 1888)

Children with Agnes Sheldon nee Perrit

Herbert Milner Sheldon (b. 29 October 1909)

Olive Sheldon (b. circa 1913)