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The Family of Philip and ? (?) SHEETS
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106__Philip SHEETS
     b. 17 Oct 1738
     child of:
     d. 30 Dec 1793
     Buried: Lutheran Graveyard, Shepherdstown, Berkeley County, West Virginia.

107__Juliana Eckhart
     b. 1750
     child of:
     d. 16 May 1809
     Buried:

Other Marriages:
Juliana m2. Henry Eckhart

Children:
106.1 George SHEETS
           m.   20 Nov 1788 Cynthy SEAMON
106.2 Lewis SHEETS
106.3 Jacob SHEETS
           m. ? (?)
           Children: William M. SHEETZ
                           m. ? (?)
                           Children: Bessie SHEETZ
                                           Katie SHEETZ
106.4 John P. SHEETS
106.5 Catherine SHEETS     b. 15 Sep 1777, Frederick County, VA
           d. 23 Apr 1834, Wilmington, Clinton County, OH (See #52/53)
3 other boys and 4 other girls

Synopsis:

NOTE: Siblings and even the father is not confirmed. We know George SHEETS was the surety for the marriage of Jonas and Catherine and that he married Cynthy SEAMON who could be Jonas's sister. George is probably Catherine's brother.

PHILIP AND JULIANA (ECKHART) SHEETS RESEARCH RECORD

BIRTH/BAPTISM/PARENTS/CHILDREN RECORDS

DEATH/OBITUARY/CEMETERY RECORDS

MARRIAGE/DIVORCE RECORDS

FAMILY BIBLE/RELIGION AFFILIATIONS RECORDS

EMPLOYMENT/MILITARY/ORGANIZATIONS RECORDS

WILL/ESTATE/DEEDS/COURT RECORDS

CENSUS/CITY DIRECTORIES/TAX LIST RECORDS

MIGRATION/CHRONOLOGY/MAP REFERENCE RECORDS

INTERVIEW/ARTIFACTS RECORDS

WRITINGS/HISTORIES/NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINE RECORDS

Prominent Men of Shepherstown by A.D. Kenamond: Philip SHEETZ - Philip SHEETZ, 1738-1793, was in the forefront of those German artisans who settled here during the early life of the town. Few, if any, names from those early years, other than that of the family of Thomas SHEPHERD, the town's founder, have been so widely known as that of SHEETZ. The SHEETZ guns and SHEETZ tavern have perpetuated his name. Cary's American Firearms Makers may have had proof that Adam, Henry and Philip SHEETZ, brothers, were making flintlock muskets for the Virginia Militia and doing general gunsmithing here in 1768. In a recently discovered original document dated May 28, 1776, Thos. WORLEY, Philip SHEETZ and Henry SHEETZ subscribed themselves as gunsmiths of Mecklenburg in the County of Berkeley and agreed to make, and deliver, at their shop twenty-four good and well fixt Rifle guns per month. Adam SHEETZ was not a party to the agreement, having joined Captain Hugh STEPHENSON's company of riflemen in the summer of 1775. No records have been found that would locate either a 1768 or 1776 gunshop. Both Philip and Henry SHEETZ bought lots in and out of town, holding them for short periods, but it has long been assumed that the gun shop was on Lot 1 at the northwest corner of King and German streets, where Mr. PALMER now has a restaurant. Possibly it was there in 1776. However, the will of Henry BEDINGER dated December 13, 1771, has Philip SHEETZ then living on one of his lots. And it was not till May 17, 1788, that Philip SHEETZ got a deed to Lot 1 from Abraham SHEPHERD who said it was left to him by his father, Thomas SHEPHERD, the town's founder. The deed doesn't say that Philip SHEETZ should "erect" a building there, but only "keep on Dwelling House" on the lot. So, Philip SHEETZ may have held the place under a lease and been operating a gun shop on the lot in 1776. After his death son Jacob SHEETZ bought out the other heirs and son John P. SHEETZ was "tempering steel and making varnish for gun stocks." Jacob SHEETZ was succeeded by his son, William M. as owner of the lot. W.M. SHEETZ in 1830 was advertising that he made "guns with any type of lock." In the county there are a few owners of SHEETZ guns, one stamped J. SHEETZ and another W.M. SHEETZ. Philip SHEETZ had a German Bible in which were entered in German script the birth and death dates of Philip SHEETZ and his wife, Juliana ECKHART, and the birth dates of their five daughters and five sons, the first born in 1770, and the last in 1790. Wife Juliana was Philip's junior by twelve years, and a little more than three years after his death married Henry ECKHART, whom she also outlived, dying on May 16, 1809. That a tavern was operated on Lot 1 by Henry ECKHART, then by his widow Juliana SHEETZ ECKHART, and later by her son Jacob SHEETZ is well authenticated. When Jonathan EDWARDS VIII called on his distant relatives, the daughters of William M. SHEETZ, Misses Bettie and Katie, then about 85 years old, to receive the gift of a well-preserved SHEETZ gunstock, the thin partition between the brick part and the adjoining stuccoed part was noted. The explanation was that the tavern guests dined in the stuccoed structure, which they entered from the brick part. Recorded deeds have the name as Philip SHEETZ but his tombstone here in the Lutheran graveyard bears the name Philip SHIZ, with a German inscription showing that he was buried December 30, 1793, aged 55 years, 2 months and 2 days.

Historic Shepherdstown: SHEETZ, Adam. SHEETZ had quite an eventful career. He first enlisted in Captain STEPHENSON's company. Next in Captain SHEPHERD's company. Taken prisoner, but soon exchanged, he was drafted out of Captain SHEPHERD's company, Jan. 1, 1777, into another rifle company. Again, in December, 1778, he was drafted into Company No. 4 of Morgans Riflemen, under Captain Charles PORTERFIELD. The SHEETZes came to Shepherdstown fro York, Pa., about the year 1762. Their descendants still live in the house built by the father of Adam SHEETZ. It was long used as a tavern. Afterwards Adam SHEETZ had a famous gun-shop there.

END OF RESEARCH RECORD

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