William Shapard - (Chapter 9) Death, Estate, Heirs -1807

Chapter 9

LIFE AFTER DEATH – WILLIAM SHAPARD’S ESTATE AND HEIRS

 

 

After William Shapard, Sr., died circa October of 1807, Thomas Shapard and Francis Royster attempted to fulfill their duties as trustees in settling his estate and distributing the remaining property between the heirs. However, a heated dispute arose between Samuel B. Shapard and the other heirs. Samuel claimed that the money he received in 1797 as payment for his service to his father during the war, being the value of 200 acres of land and slave, should not have been considered an advancement upon his inheritance, and that he should also receive an equal portion of the remaining estate. The other heirs objected, claiming Samuel’s position was contrary to what was stipulated by their father in the 1807 Deed of Trust. Samuel countered by pointing out that many of the heirs had received land or chattel from their father prior to his death, and yet, that property was not being deducted from their expected portion of the inheritance.

Unable to resolve the matter, a Bill of Complaint was filed in the Granville County Court of Equity by the heirs in 1811. After numerous depositions and court appearances, the case was finally settled on March 4, 1815. It was determined that William Shapard’s remaining estate had a value of £3,084.0.4, of which £593.8.10 had been used in the payment of debts, leaving a balance to the heirs in the amount of £2,490.11.6. It was also determined that William Shapard had conveyed property, in the form of land, slaves and livestock, in the amount of £1,272 to his children prior to his death. As a settlement, the judge ordered that all property conveyed by William Shapard to his children prior to his death, was to be considered an advancement upon their respective inheritance and thus to be deducted from each heir’s specific claim on the remaining estate. When all was said and done, each heir received a total inheritance valued at £396.0.10, which roughly equates to about $40,000.00 per heir by today’s standards (2016).