The following seems to be about all that is known of the Shelp family in America, and can be traced as below. Henry Shelp, the founder, was born in Holland, August 3, 1754, died in the town of Glen, New York, August 28, 1817. With his brothers, Joseph and John F., and a sister Margaret (who it is thought married a Mr. Gibson) he came to the colonies between 1760 and 1770. After his arrival in this country, Henry Shelp married Catherine Conley, of the town of Florida, where the Shelp family first settled. She was born August 20, 1756, possibly in Ireland, but at least was of Irish ancestry, and her death occurred November 18, 1847. Henry Shelp and wife settled in the town of Glen, on what was known as leased land, then owned by George Clark, an English proprietor. Children:
- Christian, born January 10, 1778; married.
- Elizabeth, born August 15, 1780, died June 2, 1850; married, ———— Quackenbush; resided in the town of Glen, where their deaths occurred.
- Patrick, born August 14, 1785; he went west and his history was nearly lost, though it is thought he died there.
- Hugh, born January 20, 1787, died August 28, 1854; married, and had three children: Henry, Jerome and a daughter.
- Henry Jr., see forward.
(II) Henry (2), son of Henry (1) and Catherine (Conley) Shelp, was born August 30, 1789, died October 5, 1869. He married Lydia Parks, born September 9, 1794, died July 19, 1837. Children:
- James Nelson, born December 4, 1811; see forward.
- Catherine M., born July 21, 1814, died November 11, 1863; married Garrett P. Serviss; children: John H., Anna, Lydia C. and Garrett P. Jr.
- Sarah A., born July 22, 1816, died September 10, 1884; married Christopher J. Serviss, now deceased; children: William and Marian.
- David, born January 22, 1818, died September 25, 1830.
- Caroline, born January 16, 1820, died February 28, 1898; married Jeremiah Van Buren, deceased; child:
- Mary, widow of John V. Putnam, deceased.
- Mary A., born July 22, 1821, died January 31, 1894; married Jacob Stowitts, deceased; children:
- Philip, Howard, D.D.S., of Amsterdam;
- Irving and
- Arthur.
- Harriet, born May 12, 1823, died July 4, 1897; married Staley Blood, deceased; child, R. Simon, of Amsterdam.
- Lydia, born May 29, 1825, died March 16, 1856; married William Tallmadge, deceased; left a family.
- Henry, born October 20, 1827, died April 11, 1904; married Rachel Winnie, deceased; children:
- Jacob W.,
- Dr. James H. and
- Harvey D.
- William, born July 15, 1829, died November 14, 1909; he was a well-known and respected citizen of Mill Point, Glen; married Sarah J. Winnie, born November 17, 1844, and still survives; children:
- Henry W., born March 30, 1852; unmarried;
- Eugene, born September 29, 1854; married Adaline H. Baird, born May 15, 1860; children:
- E. Florence, born January 6, 1879, at home;
- Blanche B., born November 14, 1883, librarian of New Paltz, New York, Normal School;
- Sarah A., born June 16, 1862, died 1890; married Benjamin Buchanan, of Amsterdam; children: William J. and Sheldon G.
- David, born December 18, 1831, died December 3, 1885; married Annie Wood; living at the present time; children: Schuyler N., Edward, deceased, and Jennie.
- Elizabeth, born April 20, 1834, died March 6, 1893; married Schuyler Van Horn, living at the present time; children: Cornelius S., Alvin and Howard.
(III) James Nelson, son of Henry and Lydia (Parks) Shelp, was born in the town of Glen, New York, December 4, 1811, died April 20, 1894. He was a farmer all his life. He married (first) Elizabeth Mount, who died in Glen, leaving four sons and daughters. One of the sons, Lemuel, is still living, a farmer of Glen. He married Anna Vrooman and has daughters Nellie and Bertha, one of the daughters, Anna, also survives, the widow of Charles Patton, residing in Amsterdam, New York. Another daughter, Lydia, married Jacob Dievendorf, residing in Currytown, town of Root, Montgomery County, New York. James W. Shelp married (second), Mrs. Gazena Pruyn, born in Glen in 1815, died 1891, widow of James Pruyn. Her maiden name was Van Schaick. By her first marriage she has a daughter Anna, who married Welcome L. Bass, a veteran of the civil war, and a well-known teacher of dancing in Utica, New York. By his second wife Mr. Shelp had:
- Kizzie, born 1857, married Edward Van Horne, of Fonda, New York.
- Wilson, born March 27, 1859, married Lizzie Argersinger, and has a son Howard; this family resides in Glen.
- Nelson, twin of Wilson, see forward.
(IV) Nelson, son of James Nelson and Gazena (Van Schaick Pruyn) Shelp, was born on the homestead farm March 27, 1859. He was reared to farm labor and received a good practical public school education. He worked the home farm until 1897, when he purchased the old Alonzo McClumpha farm near the Hudson and the Erie canal in Florida, Montgomery county, which he has since successfully operated, making a specialty of dairy farming. He is a member, with all his family, of the Reformed church of Amsterdam, and with his sons gives allegiance to the Republican party. He married, in 1882, Mary Alice, born in Glen, September 12, 1863, daughter of David and granddaughter of Joel Faulknor, an old settler of the town of Glen, where he died an old man. He was of Dutch ancestry. His son, David Faulknor, is now a resident of Amsterdam, at age of eighty-two (1909). David married Henrietta Blood, who died in Glen, in 1869, aged thirty-six. Children: (Surname Faulknor):
- John, a resident of Amsterdam, married ————, and has Gilbert and Louis.
- Allen, married Annie Shelp, and has a son, David H.
- Frank, married Dora Parsons.
- Mary Alice, (Mrs. Nelson Shelp);
and had two others, deceased. Nelson and Mary Alice (Faulknor) Shelp are the parents of:
- Lizzie, born August 29, 1883, died May 22, 1892.
- Frank, born September 1, 1885; unmarried.
- Daniel Creighton, born July 16, 1887.
- Henrietta, born May 15, 1889, died May 15, 1892.
- Clara, born November 3, 1891, died November 20, 1895.
- Edward, born January 14, 1894.
- Anna Bass, born October 14, 1894.
The surviving children are all part of the home circle; none are married, and all are workers.