Notes for: James ("Jimmy") Sharp
I just started investigating the Sharp family in April of 2018. I have a feeling there might be some connection to the family of Thomas Sharpe and Margaret Elder of Cumberland County, PA, but that is just a feeling right now and needs more research. Other connections are mentioned just below.
The following was posted by Cheryl Cessna at http://www.kykinfolk.com/muhlenberg/fgs/familyS/sharp-cessna1802.htm.
James Sharp is believed to be a son of Joanna Culbertson and Robert Sharp. He was born March 3, 1779 and died August 8, 1860 and is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Muhlenberg. In April 1802, he married Miss Sallie Cessna, sister to Robert Cessna, also of Muhlenberg.
Children of James Sharp & Sallie Cessna:
- Samuel Sharp, born January 26, 1803; married Hester M. Glenn October 1832; died August 1, 1871; buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Muhlenberg.
- Robert C. Sharp, born October 7, 1804; married Hettie Milligan August 14, 1834; died July 9, 1880; buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Muhlenberg.
- William M. “McSharp”, born February 22, 1806; married Mary K. Davis; died January 22, 1858; buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Muhlenberg.
- Charles Culbertson Sharp, born April 22, 1808; married Joannah Milligan December 24, 1829; died July 16, 1889; buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Muhlenberg.
- John Nelson Sharp, born 1811; married Mary A. Usher, date and place unknown; died in 1855 (unknown source). Mrs. Mary Sharp married W.W. Chambers on July 26, 1864. She died September 26, 1864 and is buried at the South Carrollton Cemetery, Muhlenberg. Three stones away from her is a Footstone for J.N.S - John Nelson Sharp most likely. There are 2 other Footstones next to these, one for J.H.S. and M.A.S.; also, a headstone for Alfred R. Sharp, died January 4, 1854, age 5 days: these are most likely children of John and Mary Sharp.
Cheryl Cessna also posted about the following who look even more likely to be related to this family of James Sharp and Sally Cessna. The overlap of names with the Sharps and their relatives in Kentucky is very interesting:
James Sharp & Margery McConnell
A booklet, compiled by a Steve Sharpe of Witchita, Kansas in 1996, lists information on the family of Capt. James Sharp of Franklin Co., Pennsylvania. Capt. James Sharp was of Scottish descent. He was married to a Margery McConnell, daughter of Lt. Robert McConnell and his wife Rosana, last name not known.
Known children of James Sharp & Margery McConnell:
- Mathew Sharp married Elizabeth Lindsey Culbertson, widow of Robert Culbertson, a son of Samuel Culbertson of Culbertson Row and a brother to Agnes Culbertson Long of Christian and Muhlenberg Cos., Kentucky and to Joannah Culbertson Sharp of Muhlenberg.
- William Sharp married Jane McClintock, daughter of Alexander McClintock and Agnes Gamble.
- Robert Sharp, no known information but it's believed that this is the Robert Sharp that married Joanna Culbertson and fathered Nelson, James and Rosannah Sharp.
- Rosanna Sharp, no known information about her as of yet.
- Mary Sharp married Alexander Culbertson, a son of Capt. Alexander Culbertson of Culbertson Row and brother to Capt. John Culbertson of Muhlenberg
My guess is that our Muhlenberg County Sharp family came from the family of Robert Sharp and Joanna Culbertson. In fact, I just found another post by Cherly, dated August 7, 2017, that states as much:
Joanna Culbertson & Robert Sharp
Joanna Culbertson was a daughter of Samuel Culbertson and his wife Jennet Shields of Culbertson Row in Franklin Co., Pennsylvania. She was a sister to Agnes Culbertson Long, wife of William Long, one of the early families to settle in Muhlenberg; and Joanna was a first cousin to Capt. John Culbertson, another early settler of Muhlenberg. (He settled there in 1796.)
Joanna Culbertson married Robert Sharp. He was possibly the son of Capt. James Sharp and Margarey McConnell.
The Genealogy of the Culbertson Family, written by Dr. L.R. Culbertson, copyright 1923, states that Joanna first lived in Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania and later moved into Kentucky. The 1790 Census of Pennsylvania shows a Joannah Sharp with 2 sons under 16 and one daughter. Her husband Robert died before 1790.
It is the current thought by Sharp researchers that Rosannah Sharp (Mrs. Henry F. Glenn), James Sharp and Nelson Sharp were the three children of Joannah Culbertson and Robert Sharp:
- Nelson Sharp married a daughter of Capt. John Culbertson of Muhlenberg. (This daughter has been identified as Mary Culbertson. Capt. John Culbertson had 3 known daughters: Mary who married Nelson Sharp, Joannah who married Samuel Culbertson Long, and Elizabeth who married Robert Cessna.) Research has looked for a Nelson Sharp in Muhlenberg in the earliest records but no record for this person can be found. The earliest Sharp found in the tax records was a Samuel Sharp but the court records indicate that his wife was named Jane. A connection to this family has not been made.
- Rosannah Sharp, on January 30, 1837, Hetty Glenn Sharp wife of Samuel Sharp, Andrew Glenn, James S. Glenn, Nancy Glenn and Henry Glenn are listed as heirs of Rosannah Sharp, wife of Henry F. Glenn, “Rosannah, being one of the children of Robert Sharp, dec'd.” Henry F. Glenn was a son of Andrew Glenn and Nancy Ferguson, another early family into Muhlenberg from the Franklin Co., Pennsylvania area.
- James Sharp was born March 3, 1779 and died August 8, 1860. He is buried at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Muhlenberg. In April 1802, he married Miss Sallie Cessna, sister to Robert Cessna, also of Muhlenberg.
*****End*****
Eula Bodine's notes say "Jimmie Sharp's mother came from Germany. Father died in Germany." However, that just seems to be family folklore. Jimmy Sharp's mother is actually of Irish descent.
Ernest Fulkerson (EF) said they later discovered that James and Sally had a fifth son: John Nelson Sharp. He became a Presbyterian minister. He was born in 1811. He might be buried in South Carollton in a cemetery near some Shell station. Every one of these five brothers had a daughter they named Sally.
EF pronounces Cessna as "Cissney."
EF says Billy Ray Sharp who has a lot of genealogy info lives in Gas Light Park in Central City. Martha knows where it is. He might be about 55 in 2017. He is the last Sharp around here maybe and might have a lot of interest in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
EF says Betty Jean Humphrey might know something about Crescent Hill Cemetery in Cleaton. EF's daughter (Wanda?) has prisoners clean Mt. Olivet Cemetery maybe three times a year. The McClellans in Cleaton are in Crescent Hill and Betty is related to them.
EF has fixed up a cemetery with eight graves. It is across the river between EF's farm and the Bodine farm. EF called it the Faught-Matthew Cemetery. It's like in a cave at Turkey Run. It's EF's mother's family. EF's mother's maiden name was Virgina Frances Matthew. They had five children who lived.
Charles Bodine helped EF's family move some stock in the 37 Flood in the ferry boat owned by the Fulkersons. Charles grabbed his 20 gauge shotgun from the flooded house when he realized he had left it there. He had to navigate back there and wade through armpit-deep water to retrieve it.