Is there not still some debate about where Sheridan was born. There is a house in Killinkere with a sign claiming he was born there.Unfortunately the book that would prove it one way or the other is missing. The one before it is there as is the one after it.

According to the U.S. federal census of Ohio in 1850, Philip Sheridan was born in Massachusetts. Sheridan later gave NY and Ohio as his birthplaces, but this early census indicates otherwise. I hope this is helpful. Pat
Name:Philip H Sheeder
[Philip H Sheridan]
Age:23
Birth Year:abt 1827
Birthplace:Massachusetts
Home in 1850:Somerset, Perry, Ohio, USA
Gender:Male
Family Number:136
Household Members:
NameAge
John Sheeder45
Mary Sheeder40
Philip H Sheeder23
Mary Sheeder16
John N Sheeder13
Michael Sheeder9
Patrick Miner4
Source Citation
Year: 1850; Census Place: Somerset, Perry, Ohio; Roll: M432_719; Page: 329B; Image: 398
Source Information
Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Thanks for that Patricia. Adds to the mystery. The stone at the house in Killinkere says "The birthplace of General Philip H Sheridan 1830 to 1888 .The stone was erected by the department of Irish veterans of WW1 of the USA.Inc .23/6/1969.

I was told that he had harboured thoughts of running for President and if it had been confirmed he had been born in Ireland he could not run. My Father jokingly came up with the conspiracy theory that the church registray book has disappeared conveniently as it would have recorded his birth. The missing book would not only solve that mystery but help those of us with family from the area with a big gap due to the missing book.

Galoglas and Patricia, Thanks for the helpful information. We have had some debate on Facebook about this too. I am going to edit the original Chronicle to indicate that there is some uncertainty about Philip's place of birth and suggest your comments as valid routes of inquiry.

Laura