My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM J. and JOHN SHEDDEN, residents of Green Tree borough, are the surviving sons of Capt. Thomas Shedden, who was born in the town of Beith, Scotland, and who entered the English army at the breaking out of the War between that country and France. He was sent to Spain, where he remained until the close of the war, having followed the fortunes of the “Iron Duke” from Corunna to Toulouse. After the battle of Waterloo, when peace was declared, his regiment, the 68th, was ordered on home duty, and during his stay at home he became acquainted with Miss Mary Doolan, of the County Down, Ireland, whom he married. The chances of promotion in the army after the war being small, he sold his commission and retired from the army. Shortly after he emigrated to Upper Canada, and purchased a farm near Toronto, where he died. He was buried at Oakville, on the shore of Lake Ontario, with military honors, and in charge of the Masonic fraternity, having been a Master Mason and a member of St. John’s Lodge, No.209, in the Grand Lodge of Scotland. After his death his widow and family emigrated to Pennsylvania, and settled in Allegheny county. Mrs. Shedden was a lady of superior education, and maintained her family by giving lessons in the French and Italian languages. She was on the widows’ pension-list of the British army for over half a century.

W. J. Shedden, the eldest son, learned the trade of machinist and steamboat engineer, which he followed on the western rivers for over forty years. He retired from active service in 1886. In 1851 he was married to Ann Ford, daughter of John Ford, of Allegheny City. John Shedden, the second son, like his brother, also learned the trade of engineer, and for over twenty years followed the river as clerk and engineer, when he retired and devoted his attention to the cultivation of fruit. John was married twice; first to Hannah, eldest daughter of Peter Bates, of Troy Hill, by whom he had seven children; the second time, in 1867, to Sarah, second daughter of James Carter, who emigrated from England about eighty years ago, and built one of the first brick houses on the south side of the river, in which John Shedden and family still continue to reside.