From Cavaliers & Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Grants:

Vol. III, p. 55, covering patent book 9: Lewis Davis, 320 acres in King & Queen County, St. John's Parish, in Pamunkey Neck on John Davis' spring branch to the mouth in the Acquinton Swamp, to Thomas Herbert's corner, dated 24 oct 1701, original book page 418, for importation of 7 persons, Lewis Davis & his wife Anne, John Pore, Elizabeth Dode, SARAH SHELTON, John Saxon, Thomas Coakes.

Note that the land tha Lewis Davis chose for this patent was on Pamunkey Neck, the same general area as the land owned by Richard Gissedge.

The History of Pittsylvania Co VA mentions Sarah Shelton and her marriage to a Richard Gassage of New Kent. It also mentions Ralph Shelton who kept his mother's maiden name but does not state a reason. I agree with you that it is probably due to legacy from the Shelton family. It also mentions that Sarah brother's name was Richard Shelton and [that they] were the emigrant children of a ship's captain who was drowned in the English channel in 1691. It also mentions that Joseph Bickley was the first sheriff of Louisa Co VA.1255

Another take on Sarah Shelton’s descent:1256

“It might be interesting in these days of equal rights for women, to mention an ancestress, Sarah Shelton, daughter of Charles Shelton, a commander in the British Navy, who was lost with his ship, the Coronation, in the English Channel, in September, 1691. Tradition says that Sarah came with her brother, William, to Virginia, where she married Richard Gissage, a merchant from London, who settled in New Kent, now King William county. She must have been a most impressive person, as her second son, Ralph, took as his surname, the maiden name of his mother, being known as Ralph Shelton, of St. Mary's Parish.”

This legend was commented on by Hildred Shelton in 2004:1257

“That story about the sea captain and the shipwreck has been assigned to the families of both Ralph of King & Queen (later King William) and the Middlesex line. I have yet to see anyone who can tie it to fact and it appears to me to be one of those genealogical tales that a descendant 100 or 200 years after the fact likes to spin.”

One family web site asserts that Sarah Shelton (Skelton) was the daughter of Dr. James (Skelton) Shelton and Jame Meriwether.1258

Coronation was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, built at Portsmouth Dockyard as part of the '30 great ships programme' of 1677, and launched in 1685.

Coronation was commissioned on 14 February 1690 under Captain John Munden, as flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Ralph Delavall, under whom she took part in the Battle of Beachy Head on 30 June 1690. On 29 October 1690 Captain Charles Skelton took command. Coronation was dismasted and wrecked in a storm off Rame Head on 3 September 1691; approximately 600 men drowned, including Skelton. Only 20 survived.1259 See also.1260

One online family tree gives the date of birth of Richard Gissage as 25 Sep 16781252 and another gives it as 1782.1253 However, these cannot be right as Richard owned land in New Kent Co VA as early as 1 June 1678, as shown by references in Cavaliers & Pioneers, Abstracts of Virginia Land Grants:

Vol II, p.187, covering patent book No. 6: “Thomas Carter, 1000 acres in New Kent County, VA, St. Stephen's Parish, dated 1 June 1678, book page 651, land is bound by branches of Apostecoque Creek & Timber Branch, Mr. Richardson by Cheescake Path, in sight of Abbot's plantation, by GIZAGE'S line, to Maj William Wyatt, to Mr. Bird's path….?

Vol II, p. 255, covering patent book 7: “Mr. Thomas Plunkett, 582 acres in New Kent Co, St. Stephen's Parish, dated 16 Apr 1683, original page 238, bound by RICHARD GIZAGE, by Richason's (cf. Richardson above) line, by Chescurack (cf. Cheescake above) Path, Nicholas Abbot to William Burch (cf. Bird above)...”

[In 1691, King & Queen County was formed in a redistrict of lands from New Kent County, and it appears that Richard Gizage (Gissedge) was rezoned so that his property was in new King & Queen Co.]

Vol III, p. 2, covering patent book 9 : Col Richard Johnson, 3285 acres in King & Queen County in Pamunkey Neck on both sides of Goodwin or Monkewin Swamp, next above Thomas Bray, RICHARD GISSEDGE & James Minge, dated 25 Oct 1695.

Researcher Ken Shelton has drawn the following reasonable conclusion: “This places Richard Gissege / Gissedge as being born prior to 1657 realistically to be a landowner in right by June 1678. This would make him most likely in his 40's or more around the time of his marriage to Sarah Shelton, and being a landowner for at least 22 years prior, she is most likely a second or more marriage.”1254

According to an article on the Gorsuch famiy in “Notes and Queries,” Gossage is the provincial pronunciation of Gorsuch. The author of the note recites several entries in the Parish Register of Holy Cross, Shrewsbury. These include:

20 Oct 1664: Rowland, s. of Richard and Jane Gossage
15 Aug 1667: Rowland s. of Richard Gossage, bur.
25 Mar 1669: Richard, s. of Richard Gossage, bap; bur. on 28th
1 Jun 1671: John, s. of Richard Gossage, bap.
1 May 1674: Elizabeth, d. of Richard Gossage, bap.
16 Sep 1700: Richard Gossage, poor laborer, bur.
10 Mar 1716: Widow Gossage, pauper, bur.

Virgina Land Records, Some King William County Records, that pertain to Sarah Shelton Bickley.1255

There are four such records that mention Joseph Bickley (also Beckley) as her husband and that Sarah is the relict of Richard Gissedge. One record is a fragment of will or obligation to Ralph Shelton and if he should die to Sarah Shelton Bickley, relict of Richard Gissedge. There is also a bond for 2 years of education made by Bickley for Ralph Shelton, also mentioning Sarah. Then in 1705 there is a land transaction between Bickley and Sarah Shelton Gissedge Bickley and Wm Noyes. One of the references mentions that Richard Gissedge lately deceased and that his relict, Sarah married Joseph Bickley.

Early VA record “a bond for 200 pounds in King William County dated Sept. 30, 1703, entered into by Joseph Bickley of King and Queen County with Major John Waller of King William to cover two years schooling for Ralph Shelton son of Mrs. Sarah Gissage, whom Bickley contemplated marrying soon. Bickley had been bookkeeper to Sarah' s recently deceased husband. Bickley also contracted to pay Ralph Shelton, on his reaching 21, a young working negro man, 3 cows with calves, four killable hogs, a sow and pigs, a horse ,a steer, and enumerated household equipment. According to Ellis family records, this Ralph Shelton was born Sept. 25, 1698 in King and Queen County, a son of Sarah Shelton who married Richard C. Gissage, merchant from London who settled at Acquinton, St. Peters Parish, New Kent County. Sponsors at the christening were Vincent Gage, Ralph Pea and Lydia Searcy. Just why Ralph took his mother' s maiden name instead of his father's surname is not explained, but he grew up to marry Mary Pollard, daughter of Robert Pollard of King William County, on Dec. 5, 1722, and had six children: Elizabeth, born Aug. 16, 1724; Mary, born Aug. 1, 1726; Richard , born Aug. 14, 1728, married 1746 Mary Wright, left will in Amherst County dated Nov. 3, 1814; Jane, born May 22, 1730, married Henry and James Sandidge; William,born Nov. 3, 1732; and John, born April 25, 1734.1266

“Joseph Bickley, grandfather of Mary Anne Carter, was the 5th son of Sir Francis Bickley, third baronet, of "Attleborough Hall." County Norfolk, England, and his second wife. [Mary, daughter and co-heir of Sir Humphrey Winch. Bart. This is proven by the fact that Joseph and Sarah Gissage Bickley's eldest son, William Bickley of Virginia, succeeded to the baronetcy in 1752 upon the death of his uncle, Rev. Sir Humphrey Bickley, Bart., and rector of St. Mary's Attleborough. Joseph Bickley removed from King and Queen County to that part of Hanover which in 1743 became Louisa County, and was the first sheriff of the new county as well as a justice in 1754. His father. Sir Francis Bickley, 3rd baronet, was buried at St. Mary's, .Attleborough, June 19, 1687, and was the eldest son of Sir Francis, 2nd baronet, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Maw, sheriff of Norwich in 1649. etc., etc. See account of the Bickleys in William and Mary Quarterly, Vols. V. and X.”1272