LEWIS SHAPARD (Chapter 5) 1796-1798 Caswell County, North Carolina - Richmond District

Chapter 5

CASWELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

RICHMOND DISTRICT

1796-1798

In the year 1796, Lewis Shapard left St. David’s District and relocated to the Richmond District located in the northeast section of Caswell County. This was the most populated district of the county, containing approximately two thousand inhabitants, which was double the population of his former residence in St. David District. The allure of this area of Caswell County was due to the fact that all of the main towns in Caswell County resided within the boundaries of the Richmond District: First and foremost was Leasburg, located in the southeastern portion of the district, being the county seat from 1777 until 1792. The town of Milton, situated to the north along the Dan River, was growing and incorporated in 1796. Caswell Courthouse (Yanceyville), in the southwest corner of the district, was the final town of substance during the 1790s. Since it held the new county courthouse, it was the most promising for future growth. It must be noted that all of these towns, during that time, were no more than a few shops, a tavern and a dozen homes, more or less. 

Interestingly, the same year that Lewis Shapard moved to the Richmond District, his older brother James left Granville County and joined him in Caswell County. James Shapard was born circa 1769 in Cumberland County, Virginia. He was educated in his youth and pursued carpentry in his early twenties. In 1792, he had apprenticed Robert Potter in the “mastery of the carpenters’ trade.” It is quite probable that Lewis Shapard, and his brother James, worked in construction around the developing Caswell Courthouse or Leasburg area. Both men also had vast experience in agriculture and plantation management, for which they too may have been employed. Records show that neither brother owned land or slaves in the year 1796; however, both men were bachelors of upper-class society with an honorable name. In the late 1790s, their father, William Shapard of Granville County, North Carolina, was at the pinnacle of his wealth and status a planter, which would have bestowed a great deal of worth to his sons, both financially and through reputation.

About August of 1796, Lewis Shapard met and courted Martha (Paine) Nicholson (November 17, 1773-1813), widow of Michael Nicholson. Martha, affectionately known as “Patsy,” came from one of the finest families in North Carolina. She was the daughter of Capt. Robert Paine, Esq., (March 3, 1748-January 2, 1808) and Elizabeth Miller (September 8, 1755-February 27, 1788), and was the eldest of eight children. Her siblings were: James Paine (March 18, 1776-1840) married Mary Williams in 1799; Sarah (February 13, 1778 - July 1835) married William B. Brooks in 1796; Mary “Polly” (December 27, 1779-1844) married Edmund Shelton in 1798; Sophia (August 6, 1781 - January 25, 1782); Thomas (May 29, 1783 - January 18, 1807); Robert (May 18, 1785 – 1846) married Mary Cocke in 1808; and Solomon (March 30, 1786 – February 12, 1858) married Polly Turner in 1813.

Martha’s father Robert Paine was among the patriots of the Revolutionary War, and was a captain of a company. He acquired over 2,000 acres in St. James District, a few miles south of Roxboro, of what was initially Caswell County, yet would become Person County, North Carolina. In 1786, he was elected as a Justice of Caswell County, and from 1788 to 1790 he represented Caswell County as a State Senator. He and his brother John Paine, established “Paine’s Tavern” near their land, which served as Person County’s first courthouse from 1791 until 1793, after its creation from Caswell County. In 1792, he became the first Clerk of the Court of Person County. After the death of his first wife, Robert married Agatha Marr (1756-1847). As early as 1787, he attended Flat River Baptist Church near his home where he was baptized in 1791. Robert Paine was described as a sensible, pious and generous-hearted Christian gentleman, who was universally honored and respected.

In 1790, when Martha Paine was sixteen years old, she married Michael Nicholson. It appears that Mr. Nicholson came from the Nicholson family of Warren County, North Carolina. Martha Paine’s uncle, Col. James Paine, Esq., (1746-1808), was well established in Warren County, owning over a thousand five hundred acres in the Six Pound District and twelve slaves. Over the years, James was elected to numerous public offices in Warren County, including Justice in 1787, Sheriff in 1789 and Senator in 1790. He married Esther Walker, circa 1770, and they had eleven children. James Paine developed a close relationship with his neighbor and son-in-law Judge George Nicholson (d. 1818) who married his daughter Mary “Polly” Paine. It is currently unknown how Michael Nicholson was related to this line of the Nicholson family, though his close association with George Nicholson suggests they may have been brothers.

After their marriage, Martha and Michael Nicholson resided in Warren County in the Six Pound District for a couple of years, with their two slaves. In 1792, Martha’s father, Capt. Robert Paine of Person County, allowed them to live on a tract of underutilized family land in Caswell County that had been granted to Robert’s father, Dr. James Paine (1714-1782), by the Earl of Granville in 1754. The land was located in the Richmond District about two and a half miles north of the town of Leasburg. It was a nice parcel of 360 acres of land residing on both sides of Hyco Creek directly above the Kilgore Branch. Neighbors included, James Wilson to the north, John Johnston to the east, Elijah Reynolds and Andrew Warwick to the south, James Rone and Herndon Haralson to the west.

Martha and Michael Nicholson flourished on their new plantation in Caswell County. Crops of tobacco, cotton and corn were planted in the fields, and by June of 1793, a barn and tobacco shed and a larger main house had all been constructed on the property. As their wealth grew, so too did their slave holdings. By 1795, they had amassed nine negros: Pompy, Tom, Daniel, Sal (Sally), Ned, Surrey, Ginny, Jane and Clarisse. Mr. Nicholson also raised a large number of livestock, including cattle, sheep, horses, hogs, geese and ducks. Over the years, the Nicholson family was blessed with three daughters. Elizabeth Miller Nicholson was born circa 1791, and was named after her maternal grandmother. Polly Nicholson was born circa 1793, and Sally Paine Nicholson was born circa 1795.

Martha maintained a close relationship with her father throughout his lifetime. Since his home, in the St. James District of Person County, was only eleven miles to the east, no doubt, they visited often, taking the girls to visit their grandfather and other Paine relatives. The Nicholsons also traveled regularly to Leasburg for supplies, being the nearest town to their home. In particular they frequented the shops of James Williamson, Nicholas Coile, William Lea and Nicholas Delone. Interestingly, William Lea and Nicholas Delone owned most of the property around Leasburg, in fact, the town itself was named after William Lea. Their purchases included a consistent supply of fine fabric and sewing accessories for Mrs. Nicholson to make dresses for herself and her girls. The family also purchased kitchen items such as plates, cups and punch bowls; as well as, seasonings and sweeteners, such as, sugar, salt, ginger, pepper, etc. Mr. Nicholson bought hunting gear in the form of gun parts and fish hooks, in addition to tools, handkerchiefs, nails, paper and paper pins (the 1790s version of a staple). He also periodically purchased alcohol in the form of rum, wine and whiskey.   

In April of 1794, the Caswell County justices ordered a road to be laid off and constructed, branching off from an existing north/south oriented road near Nathaniel Comers land, then running east across the Hyco Creek to the Person County line. The surveyors chose the road to cross the Hyco at a ford (shallow area) on the northern end of the Nicholson plantation. This new thoroughfare provided a tremendous and wonderful benefit to Michael and Martha, as quality roads were crucial for planters in order to get their products to market in a timely manner. During this era, by law, roads were to be maintained twice a year by court selected landowners bordering the road. They were required to keep the road free of low hanging limbs, remove nuisance rocks, brush and stumps and make repairs as necessary. Most plantation owners utilized their slaves for this labor. In January of 1795, Michael Nicholson was appointed by the court to be the overseer of a section of the new road from where it branched off the old road at Nathaniel Comers to the ford crossing the Hyco. The courts ordered him to be assisted by the slaves of John Dobbins, Samuel Hodge, Absolom Roberts and Nathaniel Comer.

Life for the Nicholson family along the Hyco Creek was wonderful, and the future seemed bright. However, sometime between July 25 to August 18 of 1795, tragedy befell the family when Michael Nicholson died. His death was apparently sudden and likely due to an accident, as no doctor was summoned. At 21 years of age, Martha was now a widow with three small children and a plantation to run. Her father came to comfort and assist her through the funeral and probate process. His legal intervention on her behalf, allowed her to become the administrator of her late husband’s estate, as well as, the legal guardian of her three daughters. Martha must have been an impressively capable, educated and determined young woman for her era, as positions of administrators and guardians were mostly granted by the courts to men.

As a further testament to Martha’s tenacity and grit, she did not return to her father’s house in Person County, but instead chose to remain in Caswell County, with her daughters and slaves, to keep the plantation afloat. Despite her grief and vulnerability, life carried on and she did her best to manage the situations that arose. Mr. Nicholson had died during the harvest season of 1795, which was a busy and financially crucial time of the year. Luckily, the corn had been harvested early, however, Martha had fields of cotton and tobacco to bring in, else risk financial ruin. Tobacco was an extremely labor intensive crop to harvest. It was initially harvested in August, however, it was not collected all at once. Each plant had its outer largest leaves removed and then was allowed to grow for a few weeks before removing the next round of leaves. Each plant was gradually harvested three to five times throughout the fall. After which, the leaves were secured on poles and dried over the duration of weeks in tobacco sheds, before being bundled and sold. To her credit, Martha and her slaves successfully brought in 2000 pounds of tobacco that year.

Cotton harvesting was also highly labor intensive. Since machinery had yet to be invented to facilitate cotton removal, each piece had to be monotonously handpicked from the plant. In years past, the seed would also have to be removed from the cotton fibers by hand, this process taking each worker a day to clean one pound of cotton. However, in 1793, Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which mechanically accomplished this task with unprecedented speed, efficiency and profitability. Thereafter, the demand for cotton from the South steadily increased, nationally going from roughly 3,000 bales of cotton in 1790 to 73,000 bales by 1800 to over 4,000,000 by 1860. Evidence suggests that the demand for cotton had not yet impacted Caswell County the year that Mr. Nicholson died, as his fields were mostly tobacco. However, some cotton had been planted, and during the harvest of 1795, from September to November, Martha and her slaves collected and cleaned 40 pounds of cotton by hand. For perspective, one bale of cotton weighs 500 pounds.  

In addition to the trials and hardship of harvest time, Martha also had to contend with other factors of plantation life. After the death of Mr. Nicholson, one of the family slaves, named Daniel, ran away. Martha posted a reward and Daniel was eventually found and returned to the plantation. Because of his defiance, Martha chose to sell the slave to William Rainey instead of risk losing him for good in a possible second flight attempt. The plantation also suffered the loss of six of their ten sheep, suspected of running off. In early 1796, Martha hired a midwife, for the price of “one side of leather,” to attend to one of her pregnant slaves; unfortunately the baby did not survive. During this time, Martha periodically ventured to Leasburg for supplies and continued to foster a good relationship with the town merchants, namely Nicholas Coile, William Lea and Nicholas Delone.   

Throughout the year 1796, Martha continued to fulfill her obligations as the administrator of her husband’s estate. In January, she presented to the court the full inventory of his extensive assets, and was granted permission to sell certain items to satisfy the debts against his estate. Items included: 9 slaves, 5 horses, 10 head of cattle, 30 hogs, 10 sheep, 8 geese, 8 ducks, a large amount of furniture and kitchenware, as well as, tools. The perishable items, being livestock and excess tobacco, corn and cotton, were sold at a sale on February 27, 1796. Thereafter, on July 23, 1796, Martha hired Pulliam Williamson as auctioneer to handle the estate sale of the remainder of his property. The sales brought in over £762. Between both sales, Martha purchased 8 slaves, the majority of the livestock and most of the kitchenware and furniture for her own use. Since the plantation was the property of Capt. Robert Paine, there was no division of the real estate.  

Life was not forgiving for widows during this era. They were generally given support by their neighbors for only one year; after which, they were on their own. Therefore, it was highly beneficial for Martha to remarry, especially for the security of her daughters. There is no record of how Martha met Lewis Shapard. It is known that they were both residing in the Richmond District in 1796. Perhaps he was consulted to help run her plantation, or perhaps they were introduced via mutual friends. Either way, it was quite probable that the Shapard and the Paine families would have previously known of each other. Robert Paine’s plantation in Person County was only twenty miles from William Shapard’s plantation in the County Line District of Granville County. Both men were highly influential and successful planters and no doubt would have met on occasion. Lewis would have been viewed as a suitable match for Martha, and they would have had their father’s blessings.

On November 22, 1796, Lewis Shapard obtained his marriage bond to marry Martha (Paine) Nicholson. The wedding was held in Caswell County a few days later and Lewis’ brother James Shapard was his witness. Lewis and Martha were a perfect match. They both were about 23 years of age and came from affluent families. Lewis easily assimilated into the roll of master of a plantation, just as he had done for his father back in Granville County years earlier. In fact, Martha’s father allowed his new son-in-law to utilize the 365 acre plantation in Caswell County as his own, provided that he paid the annual taxes on the property, and, perhaps a certain amount of rent. Through his marriage, Lewis instantly gained a great deal of wealth, slaves, land and influence. He also gained three young step-daughters, ages five, three and one, for which to care, raise and protect. Through the right of his wife, Lewis eventually became the legal guardian of her three daughters, ensuring that they received a proper education and were clothed and fed well. In addition, through the right of his wife, he became the administrator of the estate of Michael Nicholson, whereby; he paid the outstanding debts and performed the legal responsibilities of managing the remaining funds properly. From all accounts it appears he did his job well.

The year after his marriage was an exciting and productive time for Lewis. He was young and energetic, and his newfound wealth and status allowed him the ability to pursue his ambitions. He quickly ascended the social ladder around Leasburg and became intimately associated with the families of Caswell County planter society. In January of 1797, Lewis Shapard began to test his influence by financially backing Ambrose Arnold as Constable of the Richmond District. Mr. Arnold lived near the border of Caswell and Person County and operated a tavern near Leasburg. When Mr. Arnold was elected by the County Court, Lewis Shapard and William Lea together entered into bond for £250 apiece as security over the faithful performance of their candidate as constable. Lewis, as a man of property and wealth, discovered early on the benefit of cultivating a favorable association with the public officials, especially when their services were needed in the collection of debts, dealing with trespassers and thieves, etc.  

Nationally, in March of 1797, John Adams became the second President of the United States. His predecessor, George Washington, after serving two terms in office, declined a third; instead choosing to retire to his Virginia plantation ‘Mount Vernon.’ John Adams, on the other hand, made his way to the nation’s capital, which interestingly was located in Philadelphia and not Washington D.C. until the White House and Capitol Building were finished in 1800. Although Lewis Shapard clearly was attentive to local elections, it is doubtful that he had any interest in distant national politics. In fact less than three percent of the population of the United States voted in the 1796 election, illustrating how little national politics mattered to the average man in such rural settings.      

Back in Caswell County, Lewis Shapard became viewed as a man with the ability to improve the local infrastructure. In April of 1797, the courts ordered that Lewis assume the position of overseer for the same section of road that Michael Nicholson had maintained in 1795; being the section that crossed the Hyco Creek at the ford on the northern end of his plantation. After the death of Mr. Nicholson, Samuel Hodge assumed responsibility for the road, until Lewis relieved his position. To fulfill his obligation, Mr. Shapard was assisted by the hands of Thomas Wilson, Absolom Roberts, John Dobbin, Abner Wilson, Isaac Hodge, Benjamin Stephens, William Stephens and Christopher Dameron.

Later that year in July, Lewis was appointed to “clear a way across the Reedy Fork Creek at a convenient place above the old ford,” in order to connect the road from Samuel Johnston’s field to the Graves Road. He was assisted by the hands of Thomas Wilson, John Dobbin, Abner Wilson, Samuel Hodge, Isaac Hodge, Benjamin Stephens, William Stephens, David Hodge, Christopher Dameron, James Wilson and Samuel Johnston.  As overseer of this project, Lewis clearly had knowledge of basic engineering, perhaps from a past experience in construction; which may be why the county officials commissioned him with such a task. Interestingly, eleven years later, county officials would again place Lewis in charge of constructing a bridge; however, this next structure was significantly more complex.   

It is evident that Lewis Shapard and his brother James had much friendly and social interaction with the siblings of Martha (Paine) Shapard; in particular, Martha’s younger sister Sarah Paine (1778-1835) who had married William Bird Brooks (1774-1836) on February 2, 1796. As it came to pass, through one of these gatherings, James Shapard was introduced to William B. Brooks’ sister, Frances, and a romance blossomed. On August 30, 1797, Lewis’ brother James Shapard obtained a marriage bond to marry Miss Frances Armistead Brooks (1781- c. 1855). The wedding was held shortly thereafter in Caswell County.

Frances was the sixteen year old daughter of Richard (c.1730-c.1790) and Ann Brooks (c.1750-c.1807) who had migrated from Gloucester County, Virginia, to Caswell County, North Carolina, circa 1785. They had five children: Ann Smith Brooks (married Solomon Graves), William Bird Brooks (married Sarah Paine), Betsy Brooks (died before 1798 with no children), Frances Armistead Brooks (married James Shapard) and John Brooks (died between 1799 and 1806 with no children). In 1787, Richard and Ann purchased a 420 acre plantation where the Hillsboro Road branched to Graves Mill Road in the middle of St. David’s District. After the death of Richard Brooks circa 1790, his widow Anne held possession of the land, which had increased to 477 acres. In 1798, the land was divided in half between the widow Anne Brooks and her son William B. Brooks. That same year there was also a division of the slaves from the estate of Richard Brooks to his living children, whereby James, through the right of his wife Frances, received three slaves. In 1802, William and Ann Brooks sold off 224 acres from the western portion of their plantation to William Clifton. Anne Brooks died in 1807, and her son William sold the remaining 252 acres of the plantation to his brother-in-law James Shapard in 1809. The land was eventually sold out of the family, following the death of James, by his widow Frances in 1838.

After their wedding, James and Frances (Brooks) Shapard resided on her parent’s plantation in St. David’s District. Tax records of the time inform us that, although he owned no land, by 1798, James had acquired one slave. He had also attained property in the form of two stud horses, and a partial interest in a third. About the year 1799, James and Frances had their first child, a daughter named Nancy “Ann,” named after her maternal grandmother.

A few years later in 1801, a second daughter, Elizabeth was born. As their family grew, James and Frances eventually left her parent’s plantation, in 1801, and purchased land for themselves in St. David’s District, about four miles southwest of Caswell Courthouse. James remained very close with his brother Lewis during this time as their families grew.     

A significant event for Lewis Shapard occurred on October 4, 1797, when he, for the first time in his life, bought land for himself. It was an impressive 400 acre plantation a few miles southwest of Caswell Courthouse on the South Fork of Country Line Creek. Lewis bought the land from John Rice (1754-1822) for £231.6.8. Mr. Rice had originally purchased the land from the State of North Carolina in 1783. Interestingly, after the sale of his property, John Rice and his wife Mary migrated to Wilson County, Tennessee where they purchased 214 acres of land from future United States President Andrew Jackson. Despite their new landholdings, Lewis and Martha Shapard continued to live at her father’s plantation in the Richmond District for the remainder of the year 1797 and for half of 1798. Caswell County tax records for the year 1798 show that Lewis had a total of 765 acres; being the 365 acre plantation in the Richmond District and the new 400 acre plantation in St. David’s District. In addition, he was taxed on six slaves over the age of 16. 

Their decision to remain at their old residence in the Richmond District was due to the fact that Martha was expecting her first child with Lewis. On November 5, 1797, William Booker Shapard was born. He was named after his paternal grandfather, and his middle name honored his paternal grandmother’s maiden name. It is possible that Martha delivered the baby in Person County, perhaps at the house of her father or sister, as records show that Lewis was in Person County in early December of that same year. No doubt that Martha’s young daughters Elizabeth, Polly and Sally Nicholson adored the new addition to their family.

As Martha was busy with the new baby, Lewis was occupied with getting his new plantation operational. The former owner, John Rice had owned the land for 14 years as the primary residence for his family. The property had a house and barn, yet, was underdeveloped due to the fact that Mr. Rice did not own slaves to work the land. Lewis saw great potential in the property and to make it functional for his needs, he needed to expand the fields, enlarge the house and barn, as well as, build slave quarters, out buildings and additional fences.

To assist with this monumental task, Lewis summoned his younger brother Booker Shapard and his brother-in-law Anderson Williams from Granville County, to help oversee the project. Booker was a twenty-two year old bachelor, and, like Lewis, was well educated, had a vast knowledge of agriculture and plantation management, and had previous experience in carpentry. Anderson was about 30 years old and carried the wisdom and experience of age. Booker and Anderson arrived in Caswell County about November of 1797, and resided at the new plantation. Lewis divided his slaves between his two properties, allowing Booker and Anderson to have use of them in tilling and sowing the fields, helping to build proper quarters, fences and out buildings, etc. Booker’s brother James Shapard resided two miles southwest of the new plantation and appears to have visited often to help with construction. Throughout 1797 and 1798, Lewis Shapard traveled constantly to the new plantation to observe and assist in the progress.

When Anderson Williams migrated to Caswell County, he brought with him his wife Mildred (Shapard) and their children. The family also owned three slaves, over the age of 16, who traveled with them. Along with Booker, they all resided on Lewis Shapard’s new plantation in St. David’s District with the commission to get it operational. It appears the undertaking took about a year and a half to complete, as, circa 1799, Anderson purchased, from Nathaniel Rice, 440 acres of land on the waters of the South Fork of Country Line Creek bordering the land of Henry Williams, Alexander Kerr, Thomas Johnston, Archibald Rice, Nathaniel Rice, Leonard Brown and Thomas Brown. Interestingly, this land was just over a mile southwest of Lewis Shapard’s plantation. It appears that in addition to agriculture, by 1801, Anderson opened a store along the Hillsboro Road that crossed the southwest corner of his property. He sold kitchenware, liquor and tobacco, and even made shoes. Anderson Williams and his family lived on their farm in St. David’s District until the year 1806, after which they moved to Campbell County, Virginia.

On January 16, 1798, Lewis Shapard and his brothers James and Booker, with their brother-in-law Anderson William, all attended the estate sale of early Caswell County settler John Rice (1728-1796). Mr. Rice was born in Virginia in 1728 and married Lettisha Estes circa 1754. Their known children were: John Jr., Nathaniel, Anna, Mary, Thomas and William. The family migrated to Caswell County after receiving a land grant from the State of North Carolina containing 640 acres on March 3, 1779. John Rice died in late 1796, and, a few years later, his son Nathaniel Rice (1757-1800) sold 440 acres of the original land grant to Anderson Williams. Interestingly, John Rice’s daughter, Mary married her cousin John Rice (1754-1822), being the same John Rice (1754-1822), who sold Lewis Shapard his land in St. David’s District.

During the estate sale, Lewis purchased mostly kitchenware, including a butter pot, dish, basin, fork, ladle and water pail. The one exception was his acquisition of a broad axe. Booker Shapard purchased a claw hammer. James Shapard purchased numerous large items including a wagon, harness, scythe blade, as well as, some kitchen items. Anderson Williams purchased a plow, a few barrels and some kitchenware. Also in attendance was William B. Brooks who purchased a feather bed. It is almost certain that all of these men were in attendance with their wives due to the large amount of kitchenware purchased. This would have been a fun and entertaining day spent socializing between a good group of friends and family, each admiring the others purchases.

Throughout the spring and summer of 1798, Lewis divided his time between the two plantations, gradually closing down the Richmond District farm and readying the St. David District plantation for their arrival. He would have spent countless exhaustive hours on the road moving supplies and equipment, by horse and wagon, to the new home site eighteen miles away. Records indicate that by October of 1798, Lewis, Martha and baby William had finally completed the move and were settled into their new plantation in St. David District. However, their move likely occurred earlier, around April or May, well before the harvest season, as Lewis needed to be there to successfully bring in the first years crops and get them to market.

After the Shapard’s left their home in the Richmond District, Martha’s father, Robert Paine, desired to keep the old plantation running for a few more years to supplement his income. Though he remained in Person County, he sent some of his slaves and an overseer there to manage the fields of tobacco and cotton. County records report that in October of 1798, the slaves at “Capt. Payne’s Quarter” were working the road that passed through the property, crossing the Hyco Creek and Reedy Fork. After the death of Martha’s father, the plantation was bequeathed to his sons, James, Robert and Solomon Paine, who eventually sold the property to William Lea circa 1811. Mr. Lea gradually divided the land, selling the northern section of the plantation, where the road crossed the Hyco Creek, to Levi Fuller in 1815. In the 1960s, a dam was constructed for the creation of Hyco Lake. Today much of the area of the old Richmond District plantation is located within a flood prone dense forest and is no longer suitable for agriculture.