I've collected a considerable amount of data on early Shields families of the greater New York City area and would be happy to correspond with anyone that can connect themselves to one such early Shields family.

The data I've collected shows the Shields surname present in New York City as early as 1718 with a small group of families existing into the early 1800's. From there, these families become difficult to track due to the influx of numerous persons with the Shields surname during the mass immigration waves of the nineteenth century. Because of this, I can only be of help if your Shields family came to New York before the 1830's. Most of my information covers Shields families who were "native" born, Protestant, and lived in the greater New York City area (mostly Manhattan and Staten Island, but some Westchester, Dutchess, Long Island, and Brooklyn) prior to the 1850's. If you have a research subject that fits that bill, I'd be happy to share anything I may have.