William Shapard - (Chapter 6) County Line District - Granville County, North Carolina - 1785-1790

Chapter 6

THE NEXT GRAND ADVENTURE:

COUNTY LINE DISTRICT– GRANVILLE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

1785 - 1790

 

In 1746, Granville County, North Carolina was formed from the western section of Edgecombe County. It was located in the north-central portion of North Carolina, bordering the Virginia state line. In the 1780s, Granville was bounded on the north by Mecklenburg and Halifax counties, Virginia; bounded on the east by Warren and Franklin counties; bounded on the south by Wake County; and bounded on the east by Orange and Caswell Counties. In 1791, Caswell County was divided in half and its eastern portion, which bordered Granville, became Person County. In 1881, divisions of counties, once again, altered the borders and boundaries of Granville. Durham County was created from the eastern portion of Orange County that bordered Granville; and, Vance County was created from the eastern section of Granville County and portions of western Warren and Franklin counties.

Settlers, mostly from Virginia, had been attracted to Granville due to opportunities arising from the superiority of soil, inexpensive land, abundance of wild animals and quality of water. Many settlers only briefly resided in Granville County before moving on to other areas which were newly opened for settlement. Tobacco became the main crop produced in Granville County, which was perfectly suited for the rich soil.  In 1764, the State Assembly established the county seat at Oxford, located on a portion of Representative Samuel Benton’s plantation known by that same name.  The Granville County Courthouse was built at Oxford and regular sessions were held there after 1772. When the Shapards arrived in 1785, Granville County held a population of about 6,000 inhabitants.  In 1790 there were 6,504 residents, and by 1830, the county population had reached 9,430. Residents entertained themselves through diversions, such as, cockfights, horse racing, church activities and attending court sessions.

 

 

In August or September of 1785, the Shapard family loaded their wagons and ventured 80 miles from Cumberland County, Virginia, to their new home site in North Carolina. They settled in the northwest corner of Granville County, within the County Line District.  This district was bounded on the north by the Virginia state line; bounded on the east and south by the meanderings of the Grassy Creek; bounded on the south by the Hico Road, which ran east to west across the county; and bounded on the west by Caswell County (becoming Person County in 1791).

 

 

From 1785 to 1787, the Shapard family lived on approximately 220 acres of land in the upper middle portion of the County Line District, about five miles due north of the present-day town of Oak Hill.  It appears that William Shapard bought this land, paying it out over five years before the deed was released to him. Five years later, this land was deeded to William Shapard by William Gill of Granville County: “This indenture made this – day of – anno Domini 1790 between William Gill of the County of Granville and state of North Carolina of the one part and William Shapard of the same county and state of the other part. Witnesseth that the said William Gill for and in consideration of the sum of forty pounds Virginia money to him in hand paid…he doth hereby…granted, bargained sold aligned enfoffed released and confirmed unto the said William Shapard one certain tract or parcel of land situate lying and being in the County of Granville and bound as the followeth: Beginning at Puryears and James Yancys corner, thence west to James Yanceys corner white oak, thence north on his line  to Bohannons Corner white oak thence west  to Wades corner pine in the crab orchard, thence south on Wades line to his corner pointers, thence west along Wades line to his corner white oak, thence south on Charles Harris’ line to a pond, thence east on Harris and Shapard line to a pine, thence north to an oak, thence east on Shapards line to a red oak in Puryears line, thence north to the beginning.” Interestingly, William Shapard would give this same land to his son Lewis Shapard in 1806. Lewis sold this land to his brother Thomas Shapard in 1807; whereby, Thomas finally sold the property to John Puryear in 1811.

In the year 1786, Granville County, North Carolina, recorded “the number of inhabitants in the County Line District.” The Shapard family was listed on this census, and their household consisted of: two white males from 21 to 60 years old; six white males under the age of 21 years and/or over the age of 60 years; four white females of all ages; six blacks between 12 years to 50 years old; and three blacks under the age of 12 years and/or over the age of 50 years. From this record, it is evident that the Shapard household encompassed Mr. and Mrs. Shapard (age 45 and age 40) and their children: Samuel (age 23), Elizabeth (age 19), James (age 17), William, Jr.  (age 15), Booker (age 13), Lewis (age 11), Thomas (age 9), Mary “Polly” (age 7), John S. (age 4) and Anne (age 2). Mrs. Shapard was pregnant with their son Robert at the time of the enumeration.

According to the census, the only one of William Shapard’s children who did not settle with the family in Granville County, North Carolina, was his eldest daughter, Mildred Shapard (age 21). On December 18, 1786, Mildred married Anderson Williams in Cumberland County, Virginia. Anderson was the grandson of Thomas Williams who was born in Wales in 1712, and married Susannah Anderson. Thomas and Susannah lived in Cumberland County, Virginia, from the 1760s, until his death around 1794. Thomas’ son was Samuel Williams who was born September 18, 1744, and died in 1823, in Cumberland County, Virginia. Samuel married Susannah Ligon in 1766, and they had ten children: Anderson (born circa 1767), William (born circa 1771), John (born circa 1773), Charles (born circa 1775), Reuben (born circa 1777), Polly (born circa 1779), Samuel (born 1781), Robert (born 1786), Joseph (born 1789).

Anderson Williams and his wife Mildred (Shapard) migrated from Cumberland County, Virginia, to Granville County, North Carolina, in the early 1790s. They resided near the land of Mildred’s father, William Shapard, in the Island Creek District.  By 1798, Anderson and Mildred had migrated to Caswell County, North Carolina, and resided there until 1806, when they settled in Campbell County, Virginia. Anderson Williams was listed in the Campbell County, Virginia, census of 1830, his occupation being a ‘Wheelwright.’ It appears that Mildred died between 1840 and 1850, as she was not listed on the 1850 census of Campbell County; however, Anderson was listed as living with his daughter Susanna Taylor. Mildred was 75 to 85 years old at the time of her death. Her gravesite is unknown. In 1860 Anderson was living with his daughter Elizabeth Garrett in Campbell County, Virginia. Anderson Williams died sometime after 1860. Anderson and Mildred had seven children: Elizabeth (born circa 1786) and married Joesph Garrett, Susannah “Suckey” (born circa 1794 and married John Taylor), Nancy (married George Fox), Mary (born circa 1804 and married James Collins), Daughter (born circa 1806 – died circa 1810), Daughter (born circa 1808 – died circa. 1810), and Anderson (born circa 1810 and married Martha Finch in Campbell Co., Virginia).

Dr. John F. D. Smythe, who traveled near Granville County just before the Revolutionary War, offers us a glimpse of what life was like for the Shapard family. “A planter raises his own meats, beef and bacon, his own corn and bread, his drink, cyder, and brandy, his fruit, apples, peaches, etc. and a great part of his clothing, which is cotton. He has no market to repair to but the nearest store; which chiefly supplies him with finery, besides the useful and necessary articles for agriculture, and what little clothing his slaves requires, for which he pays his crop of tobacco, or whatever else may be his staple produce, and is always in arrear. The houses here are almost all of wood, covered with the same; the roof with shingles, the sides and ends with thin boards, and not always lathed and plastered within; only those of the better sort are finished in that manner, and painted on the outside. The chimneys are sometimes of brick, but more commonly of wood, coated on the inside with clay. The windows of the best sort have glass in them; the rest have none, only wooden shutters.”

On June 14 1787, William Shapard greatly expanded his land holdings, when he acquired, from Mr. John Angus, the neighboring 700 acre tract of land adjoining his 220 acre property. Just as he had done with his previous property, William Shapard bought the land yet paid it out over five years. Mr. Angus officially deeded the land to Mr. Shapard five years later: “This indenture made this fourteenth day of June 1792 between John Angus of Prince George County and State of Virginia of the one part and William Shapard of County of Granville and state of North Carolina of the other part. Witnesseth that the said John Angus for and in consideration of the sum of twenty thousand pounds of inspected crop tobacco at Petersburg to him in hand paid…he doth hereby…granted, bargained sold aligned enfoffed released and confirmed unto the said William Shapard one certain tract or parcel of land situate lying and being in the County of Granville on the Grassy Creek and bounded as the follows: Beginning at a pine Parsons corner – now Stovalls [going]thence by his line north 180 poles to two red oaks, thence west 172 poles to two red oaks, thence by Harris line south 378 poles to a pine his corner, thence by his other line east 172 poles to a pine, thence on his line south 124 poles to a red oak by Johns line east 117 poles to a red oak, thence by Roysters line north 232 poles to a pine, thence his line east (?) 70 poles to a white oak, thence north 96 poles to a white oak, thence by Parsons line –now Stovalls- west to the beginning.”

 

Mr. William Shapard was quickly becoming a significant and respected landholder in the County Line District, and, as such, began to play an active role in the infrastructure of his community. In November of 1787, a new road, from Thomas Mutter’s old store by Ambrose Barkers to the County Line, was ordered to be surveyed and constructed in the County Line District. Mr. William Shapard, who owned land in that area, proposed an alteration in its course, attempting to bring the road through his property. In February of 1788, a petition, signed by many prominent landowners of the vicinity whom were in support of Mr. Shapard’s proposal, was delivered to the County Court, stating; “…it is our opinion that the new way proposed by Mr. Sheppard to turn the said road is a good and convenient way and will be no disadvantage to the public and of great advantage to the said Sheppard….(signed) Ambrose Jones, foreman, Chas. Harris, Wm. Royster, John Stovall, Booth Harrell, Robert Puryear, Joel Chandler, James Yancy, Philip Yancy, Charles Wade, Jos. Chandler, Thomas Appling.” As a result of the petition, the Granville County Court was agreeable to the change; and, in February of 1788, assigned William Shapard to be the overseer of the new road and to be in charge of the laborers appointed in its construction.

One cannot over emphasize the importance of roads for planters, like William Shapard.  It was financially critical that the produce from their crops reach market in a timely fashion, and if the roads were in poor repair or were at a great distance, the planter’s success would be jeopardized. During this era, Petersburg , Virginia, was the main commercial market where cotton, tobacco and goods were bought, sold and shipped. The majority of goods produced in Granville County, North Carolina, were shipped by wagon up through Mecklenburg County, Virginia, by way of Taylor’s Ferry, on its way to Petersburg, some 70 miles away.

Taylor’s Ferry was the main crossing point out of Granville over the Roanoke River in Virginia. The land north of the ferry in Mecklenburg County, Virginia was owned by Thomas Anderson (after 1750). The land south of the ferry in Mecklenburg County, Virginia was owned by James Mitchell, who sold it to Edmund Taylor. Thomas Anderson sold his land across the river to Edmund Taylor in 1762, after which, the ferry became known as Taylor’s Ferry. This was a crucial crossing point for supplies and men during the Revolutionary War, and a warehouse was built there to store military supplies. When General Gates marched south under instructions from General Washington, Gates found that the ferry could not support the weight of his 12 pound cannons and left them at the ferry. The cannons were utilized thereafter for the defense of the ferry. British General Cornwallis considered Taylor’s Ferry to well defended to attack during the war. Today the site of Taylor’s Ferry is below the waters of Bugg’s Island Lake, having been deliberately flooded as a reservoir.   

The Shapard plantation was located about one mile south of the Virginia/North Carolina County Line and 5 miles north of the present-day town of Oak Hill where John Webb owned a 306 acre plantation. Mr. Shapard and Mr. Webb continued to foster a fruitful business relationship and personal friendship, and, Mrs. Shapard was able to visit her sister Amy (Booker) Webb often. In addition, their children developed a lasting relationship with one another. In fact, many years later, from 1815 to 1821, two of their children, William Shapard, Jr., and his cousin Lewis Webb, developed a business partnership in Richmond, Virginia, as commission merchants, under the name of ‘Shapard & Webb.’

Religion remained an important aspect of life for the Shapard family in Granville County. William Shapard and John Webb attended the Grassy Creek Presbyterian Church located about 7 miles east of Oak Hill, which was presided over by Rev. Henry Patillo; Whereas, Mary Shapard may have briefly attended the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church, near the Webb plantation by Oak Hill, with her sister, Amy Webb, who joined the congregation in 1787 and remained a member until 1835.

Prior to the American Revolution, all of Granville County was under the jurisdiction of the Church of England, which had outlawed all other religions. Nevertheless, in 1755, the first Baptist and Presbyterian ministers arrived in Granville County. These religions were tolerated by the by the authorities of the Church of England, due to the fact that their congregations were small and, despite their religious preference, their members were still required to tithe and attend the Church of England or else suffer fines. In 1761, the Presbyterians had established a congregation in Granville County at Grassy Creek, and, by 1765, had established another at Nut Bush. Throughout the 1760s, as the colonists began calling for religious freedom, the Presbyterians and Baptists began gaining influence. This caused a backlash from the Church of England in the form of imprisonment of ministers and persecutions in the 1760s and 1770s. However it was too little too late, and the American Revolution sealed the fate of the Church of England, while exalting the Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. Rev. James Criswell was the first full-time Presbyterian minister at Grassy Creek and Nutbush Presbyterian congregations, followed by Rev. Henry Patillo in 1774. 

Rev. Henry Patillo was born in Scotland in 1726 and immigrated to Virginia approximately 1740. He married Mary Anderson in 1755, and was licensed as a Presbyterian minister about the year 1759. He migrated to Orange County, North Carolina, in 1765, then to Bute County in 1774 and finally to Granville County in 1780. He was the second Presbyterian minister to assume the pulpit at the Grassy Creek and Nut Bush communities in Granville County, beginning in 1774. Due to the rigors of his job and concern over the well-being of his family, his congregation gave him 300 acres of land in the Island Creek District upon which to live, provided that he remain in Granville as their pastor. He began the ‘Henry Patillo Nut Bush Seminary’ in 1788, which was renamed to the ‘Williamsboro Academy’ in 1790. Rev. Patillo died in 1801. The location of his gravesite has been lost through the ages.

Over time, Mr. John Webb became aware of William Shapard’s Deed of Gift of all his property to his son Samuel B. Shapard for his service during the war. John expressed concern to William, foreseeing the circumstance of William’s wife and other children being left without support after his death. Shortly after that conversation in 1788, Mr. Shapard and his son Samuel discussed the situation and thought it best to invite Mr. Webb to William’s home to help counsel both parties to more favorable terms. Through Mr. Webb’s mediation, Samuel released all claim to his father’s property, which was given to him by the Deed of Gift, and, in return his father was to give him two hundred acres of land, south of the road, out of the tract where he lived, as well as, “a likely sound healthy Virginia born negro boy between the ages of twelve and twenty-five.”

Financially, Mr. William Shapard had numerous persons back in Cumberland County, Virginia, who owed him money from various business dealings. Mr. Shapard made an arrangement with his son Samuel B. Shapard to travel back to Virginia to collect what was owed. For his efforts, Samuel was allowed to keep a portion of the money. It appears that Samuel traveled back and forth between Granville County and Cumberland County from 1785 through 1788. It appears that Samuel chose to permanently reside in Virginia about the year 1788. 

On November 2, 1788, Samuel married eighteen-year-old Susanna Holman in Cumberland County, Virginia. Susanna was the daughter of Judge John Holman (b. 1731 - d. 1818) and Susanna Yancy, whom were former neighbors of the Shapards when they resided in Virginia.  Under Judge Holman’s guidance, Samuel continued his education and learned the law, eventually becoming a lawyer, circa 1795, when he was about 32 years of age. In 1810 the first formal law school was established in Virginia; however, prior to this, law students learned their profession through apprenticeships. Interestingly, due to Samuel’s superior education

and scholastic training, he, for a brief time, established schools and taught in Cumberland County. One school begun by Samuel was at Brown’s Church which was located about two miles north of Raine’s Tavern on John Randolph Road in Cumberland County, near the old Shapard Plantation. In 1797, Samuel traveled to Kentucky to tend to some real estate legal matters for his friend Miller Woodson, who appointed him as his attorney. Miller Woodson was either the brother (who married Mary DeGraffenreidt) or nephew of “Poplar Foot” John Woodson (husband of Joanna Booker).

Over the next few years, Samuel was active in numerous real estate legal transactions, especially dealing with land bounties assigned to colonial soldiers. In one instance, veteran soldier Francis Ramsey, assigned (sold) his land warrant, being one hundred acres, to Samuel Shapard. In 1798, Samuel had the Geographer of the United States survey his one hundred acres out of one of the districts appointed for satisfying the bounties of land due to veterans of the Revolutionary Army of the United States. This land appears to have been located in Kentucky. Later that same year, 759 acres were surveyed out for Samuel in Montgomery County near Rock House. From 1802 to 1805, it is believed that Samuel resided in South Carolina, thereafter moving to Russell County, Virginia, where he purchased 100 acres on Copper Creek from his uncle, John Woodson. After Samuel sold this land in 1807, he and his wife Susanna returned to Cumberland County, Virginia. In 1811, Samuel Shapard was listed as having “no fixed residence,” implying that he traveled frequently and for extended periods of time. In 1814, Samuel is residing in Buckingham County, Virginia, where he and his brother-in-law, John Holman, Jr., sell some jointly owned land in Cumberland County. The last known record of Samuel Booker Shapard is dated March 4, 1815, and simply states that he (at 52 years of age) “had gone to parts unknown.” No truer words could express his whereabouts, historically speaking, as he and his wife literally vanished from the records after this date. Thus far, it is unknown if Samuel and his wife had children, though the probability of a continuation of his line is high, and hopefully will be located by a future researcher. [Update: Samuel Shapard's children located! See 2021 post entitled "Samuel Booker Shapard (1863-1836) and Buckingham County, Virginia."]

Early in 1789, William and Mary Shapard received notice that Mary’s brother, Lewis Booker, was going to be in Cumberland County, Virginia. Lewis had recently married Miss Judith Dudley of Gloucester County, Virginia and the Shapards had yet to meet the new bride. Plans were finalized and in February of 1789, Mary Shapard and her son Samuel B. Shapard traveled by wagon from their home in Granville County, North Carolina, to Cumberland County, Virginia. There they visited with old friends before meeting up with Mary’s brother. In addition, Samuel engaged in some unresolved business for his father while in Cumberland County. From there Mary and Samuel traveled with Lewis Booker to Essex County to visit Mary’s elderly father, James Booker, and meet Lewis’ new bride. The group quartered for the duration of their visit at Laurel Grove, the plantation owned by Mary’s father. After visiting for many days they began the 160 mile trip back home. This may have been Mary’s last time to see her father, as he passed away a few years later in 1793.

After returning back home to Granville County, Mary Shapard was overjoyed by the announcement of the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth, to Mr. Francis “Frank” Royster (1768 – 1818). Francis was the son of William Royster (1730 – 1794) and Elizabeth Clarke (1735 - ?). Francis and Elizabeth seemed to have lived an affluent life in Granville County. By 1803, they had acquired 680 acres of land in Granville County, and possessed eleven slaves, which they grew to eighteen slaves by 1810. They were blessed with many children whom survived to adulthood: Banister, Robert, Willey, Lily, Martha, Stella, Mary B., Marcus, Emily and William. Francis Royster developed a close friendship with Elizabeth’s brother, Thomas Shapard, as well as, earned the trust and respect of Elizabeth’s father. As evidence of this trust and respect, William Shapard, Sr., elected Francis Royster, along with Thomas Shapard, to be the administrators of his entire estate prior to his death in 1807. Francis and Elizabeth remained in Granville County for the duration of their lives. Francis died in 1820, and his wife, Elizabeth, survived him for an additional 22 years, passing away in August of 1842, at age 75, having never remarried. The gravesite of Francis and Elizabeth Royster in Granville County remain unknown.

In 1789, a major change occurred with the government of the United States. After the states declared their independence, they established a new government, under the Articles of Confederation in 1777.  The Articles established a loose union (confederation) of sovereign States, each with their own constitutions, and governed by a Congress of representatives from each state. It became apparent that this first form of government was too weak to function effectively and was overthrown in 1789, by the implementation of the Constitution of the United States, which had been ratified in 1788. The Constitution formed a stronger Federal government while weakening the powers of the individual states; however, as a compromise, the Bill of Rights, being the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, was ratified in 1791, in an effort to protect the rights of the citizens against tyranny in this more powerful centralized government. The new Constitution established, for the first time, the office of President. George Washington, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and Founding Father of the United States served as America’s first president from 1789 to 1797. Interestingly, only about one percent of the estimated three-million population of the United States voted in the first election in 1789 and the second election in 1792. This clearly illustrates that Americans living in such a vast and sparsely populated country, had little awareness or need of anything beyond their local government.

Around the same time as the implementation of the Constitution and the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the Shapard family also pursued some monumental changes. William Shapard had become enticed by the vast business and social opportunities developing around the newly formed town of Williamsboro, in the upper east section of Granville County, in the Island Creek District. In 1790, Mr. Shapard engaged in negotiations and purchased from Mr. Robert Burton a large estate about a mile and a half north of the town. This new adventure of living near a town would have been very exciting for the Shapard family, and would prove to be especially bountiful for the Shapard children.