Chapter 7
SHAPARD
LIFE IN THE 1800s
ST.
DAVID DISTRICT
Part
1
1801-1805
Nationally,
in March of the year 1801, Thomas Jefferson became the third President of the United
States. He was one of the original founding fathers of our country, as well as,
the main author of the Declaration of Independence. His presidency, which ran
from 1801 to 1809, was marked with great success. Perhaps his most notable
contribution to America was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, in which 828,000
square miles of land west of the Mississippi River was purchased by the United
States from France. This land acquisition nearly doubled the size of the United
States. In an effort to map the newly acquired territory and determine new
trade routes, President Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark to explore the region. Their expedition lasted from 1804 to 1806,
traveling from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, paving the way for
American expansionism into this vast and wild frontier in the years that
followed.
In
February or March of 1801, Lewis Shapard traveled over one hundred miles to his
old hometown of Cumberland County, Virginia. Lewis traveled in the company of
his brother-in-law Anderson Williams, both men having been raised there, less
than a mile apart. It appears that the men spent about three to four weeks in
Cumberland County visiting socially with old friends. They also tended to some
business at the house of Samuel Williams, the father of Anderson Williams. While
there, Samuel gave his son a slave named Hanna and her three young children
Jacob, Doll and Sam. After Lewis and Anderson concluded their trip and returned
back home to Caswell County, Anderson sold the slaves to James Webb of
Granville County on July 23, 1801. James Webb was the brother of Lewis
Shapard’s uncle John Webb. The sale of the slaves was witnessed by John Webb,
Lewis Shapard and Booker Shapard. Furthermore, on the day of the sale, Lewis
Shapard was at the courthouse and swore an oath to Caswell County Justice David
Gooch that Anderson Williams was the rightful master of the slaves and that
Samuel Williams had no objection to their sale.
Back
in Caswell County, on April 11, 1801, Lewis and Martha Shapard were blessed
with the birth of their second son, James Paine Shapard. The name ‘James’
appears in both the Shapard and Paine families, as both Lewis and Martha had
brothers by that name. Beyond this, Martha had an Uncle James Paine of Warren
County, whom she had close ties, especially when she was married to Mr.
Nicholson also of Warren County. Perhaps the most prominent figure by this name
was Martha’s paternal grandfather, Dr. James Paine, who had received his
medical license in London, England, before coming to America circa 1740, and
settling in North Carolina. He was reported to have built, in the 1760s, the
first brick house in, what became, Person County, North Carolina.
Twelve
days after the birth of his son, Lewis Shapard met with John McFarland of
Person County and sold his slave Pompy. Although only five years earlier, Pompy
had a value of £113, Mr. McFarland purchased the slave for the staggering sum
of £400. By comparison, Lewis Shapard had purchased his entire 400 acre
plantation for only £231. The rational to pay such a high price not only shows
how the growing demand for cotton and tobacco was affecting the Southern slave
markets, but also gives credence that Pompy was a spectacular physical specimen
in the prime of his usefulness. During this era slaves were viewed as property,
and, as such, Lewis issued Mr. McFarland a bill of sale guaranteeing that the
title to the slave was free and clear of any other claims. After the sale, the
Shapard family had four slaves, that were sixteen years of age or older, and
two slaves under the age of sixteen.
On
April 28, 1801, Lewis Shapard sold a one hundred acre strip of undeveloped land
from the eastern side of his plantation to his neighbor Joseph Chandler for
$200. Mr. Chandler had migrated from Goochland County, Virginia, to Caswell
County, North Carolina. In 1796, he acquired a 474 acre plantation in the
Gloucester District from James Rice, this being the neighboring plantation to
Lewis Shapard. Mr. Chandler had five sons, William, James, Joseph (Jr.), Edmund
and Steven and four daughters who were the brides of John Pinson, William
Pinson, William Mitchell and George Stovall. On July 5, 1802, Joseph Chandler
sold the one hundred acre tract of land, which he had purchased from Lewis
Shapard, to his son-in-law George Stovall (1768-1847). George was an attorney
who had married Mr. Chandler’s daughter Susannah Chandler (1768-1854) in 1790.
Since this land had not previously been developed, it appears that in approximately
July of 1802, Booker Shapard was hired as a carpenter to complete the interior
of the Stovall’s newly framed home.
In
August of 1801, Lewis Shapard received the exciting news that his brother James
had just purchased a hundred acre tract of land in Caswell County. Not only was
this James Shapard’s first land purchase, but the property was directly to the
north of Lewis Shapard’s plantation, meaning they would be neighbors. Prior to
this purchase, James and his wife Frances (Brooks) Shapard had been living on
her widowed mother’s 477 acre plantation in the middle of St. David’s District.
In late 1798, James and Frances inherited three slaves (Sarah, Poll and James)
from her father’s estate, which greatly increased their financial position,
possibly leading to the acquisition of this new land. James purchased his new
property next to Lewis Shapard’s land, from William Sawyer, Jr., who had
inherited the property from his father, William Sr., after his death in 1790.
The land was triangular in shape, and was bordered on the east by the property of
Richard Martin and Luke Pendergast, bordered on the south by Joseph Chandler
and Lewis Shapard, and bordered on the west by the diagonal meanderings of
Graves Mill Road. James and Frances retained this land until 1818, after which
it was sold to Benjamin Lea.
After
their baby reached four months of age in August, Lewis and Martha Shapard
decided it was time to take all their children to visit family in Person
County. They enjoyed quality social time with Martha’s sister Mary “Polly”
(Paine) and her husband Edmond Shelton who lived in St. Luke’s District. Since
Polly and Edmund were married in February of 1798, they likely had a baby of
their own at this time. The Shapards also called on Martha’s brother James
Paine and his wife Mary (Williams) to share in the joyous gathering. James and
Mary Paine were married in January of 1799, and in January of 1801, Mary
delivered her second child, a daughter named Ann. Interestingly, their first
child named Robert Paine (1799-1882) would grow up to be one of the most
influential and well-known Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
and a pioneer for education. Martha (Paine) Shapard, Polly (Paine) Shelton and
Mary (Williams) Paine would have spent much time feeding, rocking and holding
each other’s babies while discussing the trials and joys of motherhood. The men
would have conversed over trials at the courthouse, the outcome of crops,
livestock, diversions and their travels.
While
the Shapards were in Person County, an interesting event occurred on August 26,
1801. Mary (Williams) Paine purchased, for £5, an eighteen year-old slave woman
by the name of Jude from Ann Towler, wife of Benjamin Towler. The sale must
have been associated with a social event as both Paine sisters (Martha and
Polly) were in attendance, as well as, Edmund Shelton. It’s quite possible that
Lewis Shapard and James Paine were also among the group. In 1801, James and
Mary Paine had about eight slaves. A decade later, in 1810 their slaveholdings
would increase to 18 negros working their 922 acre plantation. Amazingly, by
1840, they would own over 50 slaves.
The
Shapard family returned to Caswell County in time for Lewis to attend the
October session of County Court. On October 28, 1801, Lewis was the defendant
in a case with William Smith over the issue of a debt or lease. At the end of
the trial the jury could not agree upon a verdict, despite a significant amount
of time deliberating. To remedy the situation the judge summoned the counsel
for both the plaintiff and defendant, and, upon agreement of the parties, a
juror was selected to be withdrawn. By removing one of the jurors from the jury
box, this legally ended the trial, each party paying his own costs. Surprisingly,
this was the second time this case had been tried, the first trial on July 29,
1801, also ended by having a juror withdrawn. Despite the result, William Smith
resubmitted his case for a third time against Lewis Shapard and a new trial
date was set for April 27, 1802. Interestingly, at the third trial, the jury came
to a decision and found Lewis not guilty.
After
his trial at the courthouse on October 28, 1801, Lewis Shapard served as a
member of the jury on the case between The State vs. William Cundiff.
Ironically, after a lengthy deliberation, this trial also ended by having a
juror withdrawn. The following day, Lewis again attended court as a juror, this
time for the trial between Thomas & John Miles vs. James Gunn. After court,
Lewis returned back home to his plantation in St. David’s District and did not
return to the courthouse until January of 1802, serving on the jury in the case
between John Hightower vs. Ambrose S. Bennett.
Lewis
Shapard attended the April 1802 session of court at Caswell Courthouse. On
April 26, he presented to the court an updated report on the sales of the
estate of the late Michael Nicholson. Earlier that year on January 29, the
court had appointed Richard Simpson and James Williamson as commissioners to
audit Lewis Shapard’s records and settle with him as the administrator of the
estate of Mr. Nicholson, in right of his wife. Lewis had been very attentive to
his responsibilities in this matter over the years and performed his job with
the utmost diligence. The report was accepted by the court and ordered to be
recorded.
On
April 27, 1802, Lewis was the defendant in a case with William Smith, whereby,
after three trials, the jury finally found in favor of Lewis. The following
day, Lewis attended court as a member of the jury for the trial between Daniel
Darby vs. Thomas Dalines. On April 29, Lewis was again at the courthouse, this
time in the company of his brother James Shapard. Both men were defendants in a
delinquent debt case involving plaintiff Sally Tait [Tate]. After deliberation
the jury found against the Shapard brothers, in that, there had been no previous
payment or settlement attempt by them, and awarded Sally Tait £29.1.4, as well
as, principle and interest and cost of the suit. Later that day James Shapard
was again a defendant, this time with his brother-in-law William B. Brooks in a
lawsuit involving plaintiff William Nash. The jury found against the defendants
and awarded Mr. Nash £34.14.2 and court costs.
In
August of 1802, Lewis Shapard’s plantation was readying itself for the harvest
season. By then, the corn had reached full maturity, and, to prepare for
harvest, the leaves and tassels were removed leaving only the stalks with ears
to dry in the field. By October, the ears of corn were generally dry enough to
remove from their stalk and store. Most plantation owners allotted each adult
(including slaves) one acre of corn, yielding about 15 bushels, as sufficient
food supply for the year. By August, tobacco had also reached maturity and was
beginning to be harvested in stages. During this time, the oat crop was mowed
down by hand with sickle blades. The vegetable gardens were prepared and
planted with seeds for the fall crop. By late August, fields were plowed and
sowed with wheat. It was a busy time of year and every member of the plantation
worked in unison to ensure the plantation would be profitable and that there
would be enough food provisions for the people and livestock to survive the
winter months.
During
this time, Booker Shapard was helping out around his brother’s plantation. He
was also earning extra income within the community as a carpenter. George and
Susannah Stovall, who, in July of 1802, had acquired the land neighboring Lewis
Shapard’s plantation to the east, hired Booker to finish the interior of their
newly framed home. Tragically, in August of 1802, Booker was injured. It is
unknown if it was a construction mishap, horse accident or injury from harvest
equipment. Regardless, over the following month his condition became urgent,
possibly due to an infection, and he came under the care of Dr. William S.
Webb.
Dr.
William S. Webb was born in 1776 in Granville County, North Carolina. He was
the son of Frances (Young) (1749-1810) and William Webb (1745-1809) and the
nephew of John Webb (1747-1826) who married Lewis Shapard’s aunt Amy Booker
(1752-1835). In 1804, Dr. Webb married Mildred Turner (1778-1830) in Caswell
County, North Carolina. They resided on 183 acres in the Gloucester District
and had numerous children. In 1812, they migrated from North Carolina to
Williamson County, Tennessee, where they resided for the remainder of their
lives. Mildred died in 1830, and Dr. William S. Webb died at age 90 in 1866.
Dr.
Webb came to Lewis Shapard’s plantation and attended to Booker twice in late
September of 1802. During those visits, Booker was given medicine in an effort
to purge his intestines, most likely due to constipation. He was also
blood-letted, which was an accepted medical practice until the mid-1800s,
whereby, the patient was cut to drain the “bad blood” and balance the humors in
an effort to cure. In Booker’s case, Dr. Webb performed a “venesection,” in
which blood was released from a large external vessel in an arm, leg or neck.
Sadly, Booker did not survive his circumstance and died in late September or
early October of 1802. He was about 27 years of age and was not married. His
brother Lewis was the executor of his estate and settled his affairs. Booker
was buried within two to three days after his death. The location of Booker’s
gravesite is unknown; however, he was likely interred in Caswell County near or
on his brother’s plantation or his body may have been removed to Granville
County to reside in a family plot on his parent’s plantation. As a tribute to
his beloved deceased brother, Lewis Shapard would name his next son, born in
1803, “Booker.”
This
was a tragic and undeniably sad time for the Shapard family. In addition to the
funeral, there were other responsibilities that needed to be addressed and
Lewis rose to the occasion. On October 20, 1802, Lewis Shapard entered into
bond with James Williamson and Graves Howard as securities in the sum of $300
to become the administrator of his brother’s estate. As administrator, Lewis
was required to make an inventory of all of Booker’s property and submit his
findings to the County Court within ninety days. He was also required to
present to the court an account of the credits and debts of the estate and his
collection or payment thereof until the estate was fully settled. On October
24, 1802, Lewis submitted to the court his brother’s inventory, being: one bay
mare horse, one saddle, one bridle, one pair saddle bags, one curry comb for
horse, one small chest, one small trunk, two small books, two pamphlets, one
razor and case, one shaving box, one pair shoe brushes, one quart bottle, one
hand saw, one hammer, one broad axe, one scrubbing gouge, one smoothing plain,
three gimlets, three moulding plains, two bench plains, cash on hand two
shillings and some money due from carpentry work for George Stovall.
On
October 25, 1802, the justices of the court ordered that Lewis Shapard, as
administrator, conduct a public sale of Booker’s remaining estate in order to
satisfy all debts and allow distribution of any remaining funds to the heirs.
Lewis fulfilled his obligation by holding an auction at his plantation on
November 22, 1802. Lewis’ brother Thomas Shapard traveled from Granville County
to assist with the auction and spend some time with his siblings. Most of
Booker’s property was purchased by his brothers. Lewis Shapard bought his bay
mare horse, curry comb for horse, a small chest, pamphlet, shoe brushes, quart
bottle and a variety of tools, including a broad axe, moulding planes and a
gouge. James Shapard acquired an ink stand and hammer. Thomas Shapard purchased
a small trunk, a razor and shaving box. Booker’s brother-in-law Anderson
Williams bought his saddle and saddle bags, a dictionary, a smoothing plane and
two bench planes. The rest of the estate was sold to neighbors, including
George Stovall, Stephen Chandler and John Pinson. In all, the sale brought in
£52.12.4, most of which would be used by Lewis to pay off the debts against
Booker’s estate over the following years.
The same time as Lewis was
administering to his brothers estate, the Caswell County Court ordered that
Lewis be appointed as the overseer of the road from Graves Mill to Chandlers
Pathe. As the population of Caswell County grew, it was necessary for new roads
to be established and for old roads to be maintained and widened as horseback
travel gave way to greater wagon traffic. At this time, roads were governed by
the justices of the County Courts who selected certain landowners and their
hands (slaves), under the guidance of a designated overseer, to work the roads
during the months of April and September. This work entailed the maintenance of
existing roads by clearing away debris, overgrown brush and roots and the
widening of established roads in accordance with regulation. In 1764, the law
required roads to be 20 feet wide (previously was 12 feet wide) with a 14 foot
height clearance from overhanging tree limbs. Directional road sign posts with
mile markers to towns were also required to be maintained by the road overseer
throughout the year. Since Lewis Shapard traveled Graves Mill Road frequently
to the court house, he was a proper and capable choice as overseer.
The Caswell County Tax List informs
us that, in the year 1803, Lewis Shapard owned 300 acres of land at his St.
David’s District plantation and owned six slaves. Residents were only taxed on
slaves that were sixteen years of age or older, so, in all likelihood, Lewis
owned additional younger slaves. The Shapard family included Lewis and Martha
and six children, being: Elizabeth Nicholson (age 12), Polly Nicholson (age
10), Sally Nicholson (age 8), William B. Shapard (age 6), Sophia Shapard (age
4) and James P. Shapard (age 2). However, on February 28, 1803, Lewis and Martha
Shapard were blessed with the birth of baby boy. They named the baby “Booker”
as a tribute to Lewis’ beloved brother who had lost his life four months prior.
Clearly, giving life again to Booker’s name, in the form of a baby, allowed for
a degree of healing from their loss.
Lewis Shapard was the legal guardian
of his three step-daughters, and, as such, was periodically required to submit
a Guardians Account to the Justices of the County Court. Through these
accounts, it is revealed that Elizabeth, Polly and Sally Nicholson were cared
for very well throughout their youth. All three girls had substantial funds
through their father’s estate and by Lewis Shapard’s careful guardianship they
all received a school education, were clothed well and comfortably boarded.
Lewis traveled to Caswell Courthouse
for the April session of the County Court. On April 25, 1803 he served as a
jury member on two cases: George Hambuckle vs. Thomas Margie and Addison Harlan
vs. Edward Wallington. The following day on April 26, the Justices of the court
allowed Lewis to receive five percent of the estate of Michael Nicholson as
compensation for the extensive work he had undertaken over the years in
collecting and paying money in settling the estate. On April 27, Lewis attended
court for the third day in a row. That day, he submitted to the court an
up-to-date account of his administratorship of the estate of Michael Nicholson.
The report was reviewed by commissioners and, being acceptable to the justices,
was ordered to be recorded in the public record.
In July of 1803, John Penson (also spelled Pinson) was
appointed a Constable of Caswell County. In order to secure his appointment, he
entered in bond with Lewis Shapard and George Stovall for $250 each. The bond
was intended to ensure that Mr. Penson faithfully performed his job. In
addition, through his support of Mr. Penson, Lewis Shapard remained in favor
with the new constable – a political move that was beneficial for wealthy
landowners. John Penson was married to Elizabeth “Betty” Chandler, daughter of
Lewis Shapard’s neighbor Joseph Chandler. George Stovall was married to “Betty”
Chandler’s sister, Susannah Chandler. Over the years, John Penson would acquire
much of Josephs Chandler’s plantation, as well as, the surrounding estates to
the east. He and his family’s influence would be such that the top branch of
the South Fork of the Country Line Creek that ran through his plantation would
be renamed ‘Penson Creek.’ It is still known by that name today.
Throughout the year 1803, Lewis
Shapard attended three local estate sales. On February 3, the estate of William
Gooch was auctioned off and Lewis acquired a razor and strap. Mr. Gooch lived
on a large plantation to the southeast of Lewis Shapard’s land. On August 18,
Lewis attended the estate sale of Thomas Langley, where he acquired five head
of sheep and a quart of brandy for a total of £4.8.6. The Shapard family used
the sheep for wool, which was spun into yarn and weaved into clothing. On
November 17, Lewis purchased a cutting box, two bridle bits, a yoke and oxen
for the sum of £9.15.6, from the estate of Thomas Yancey. Oxen were usually
castrated bulls that were used for heavy labor on farms. During this era, they
were the ‘engines’ used for plowing fields, hauling wagons, moving logs,
grinding grain, etc. The animals would have been an impressive and important
addition to Lewis Shapard’s plantation workforce.
In 1804, Lewis was taxed by the
county for five adult slaves, which was one less than he had been taxed for in
1803. Lewis would hold the same number of slaves for the next two years.
Thereafter, his slaveholdings would greatly increase.
In January of 1804, Lewis traveled to
Caswell Courthouse to attend court. On January 27, he served as a member of the
jury on a case between Richard Simpson and Elizabeth Hart. A few days later on
January 30, William Nash filed a lawsuit against Lewis Shapard and John Pinson.
This being the same William Nash who had successfully sued James Shapard and
his brother-in-law William B. Brooks in 1802. In order to file suit against
Lewis Shapard, Mr. Nash obtained security from A.D. Murphy and John Doe, both being
accountable to pay Lewis Shapard and John Pinson £100 if Mr. Nash did not
faithfully prosecute his lawsuit against them. It appears that the case was
never brought to trial as there is no record of it beyond this date.
Lewis returned to Caswell Court house
for the April session of County Court in order to settle some legal affairs. On
April 24, 1804, Lewis was listed among twelve men appointed as commissioners,
by the justices of the court, to determine the widow’s dower of land allotted
to Elizabeth Yancy, wife of the late Thomas Yancey. During the era from 1784 to
1868, a married woman did not legally own any of her husband’s land; however,
if he predeceased her, she was entitled to a one-third portion, known as a
‘widow’s dower,’ for her lifetime. The widow’s portion of land was determined
by a group of men, usually neighbors, commissioned by the court to fulfill the
task in the best interest of the widow. This being the case, the land usually
included the dwelling house and out buildings. If the widow remarried, she was
still entitled to the land. However, the widow was not allowed to sell the
land, as she only had the use of it for her lifetime, after which, the land
resorted back to her husband’s rightful heirs. In the case of Mrs. Yancey,
Lewis Shapard and the other commissioners allotted her an 85 acre widow’s dower
along the South Fork of Country Line Creek.
Over the last two years, Lewis
Shapard had fulfilled his responsibility as the administrator of his late brother
Booker’s estate by paying all the debts and collecting all the due profits. On
April 27, 1804, Lewis submitted to the County Court a final settlement that had
been audited and approved by William Webb, Alexander Murphy and James Yancey. From
the final settlement, Lewis received £16.14.8 ½ and his brother Thomas Shapard
received £16.0.0. The court settled the account, after which, it appears that
Lewis had completed his administratorship as no further reports on the estate were
submitted to, nor requested by, the court.
Just as Lewis finished settling the
affairs of his late brother’s estate, another loss befell the family. Before
June in the year 1804, Lewis’ mother, Mary (Booker) Shapard died in Granville
County, North Carolina. She was 57 years of age at the time of her death and
had lived an extraordinary life. Raised in Essex County, Virginia, she married
in 1762, at the age of sixteen, and migrated that same year to Cumberland
County, Virginia. It was there where she and her husband endured and survived
the Revolutionary War, coming into frequent contact with the armies that
marched through the area. Shortly after the war, in 1785, she migrated to
Granville County, North Carolina, and flourished. By 1790, she and her husband
had reached the pinnacle of their financial success, owning two plantations
totaling 1,484 acres and slaveholdings in excess of 12 negros. More
importantly, she was the mother of twelve children and was blessed to see them
all reach the age of adulthood. Mary Shapard truly embodied the pioneering
spirit of her era, and, no doubt, was well-loved and greatly missed by her
friends and family. As a tribute to their beloved mother, two grandchildren
were named in her honor the year she died: Mary Booker Shapard daughter of
James and Frances (Brooks) Shapard of Caswell County; and, Mary Booker Royster
daughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Shapard) Royster of Granville County.
In balance with death is life. About
six months after the passing of Lewis Shapard’s mother, a baby boy was born
into the Shapard family. Robert Paine Shapard was born on the cool winter day
of January 9, 1805. He was named in honor of his maternal grandfather, Capt.
Robert Paine of Person County, who had the reputation of being a sensible,
pious and generous-hearted Christian gentleman. Lewis Shapard’s family had now
grown to eight children, including his three step-daughters. Tax records for
the year 1805 indicate that the family also owned five slaves that were sixteen
years of age or older.
On May 17, 1805, the estate sale of the
late Thomas Kimbrough was held at his former plantation, in the Gloucester
District, about a mile northeast of Lewis Shapard’s home. Mr. Kimbrough was
born circa 1749, and had migrated with his parents to Caswell County, North
Carolina, from Virginia. Thomas married Elizabeth Graves, daughter of Nancy
(Slade) and John Herndon Graves, in March of 1792, and they had at least seven
children. During the estate sale, Lewis Shapard purchased three reap hooks,
which were tools with sharp curved metal blades and short wooden handles used
for cutting crops during harvest time
Lewis Shapard traveled to Caswell Courthouse
on July 29, 1805, to attend to some legal matters regarding his administrative
duties over the estate of Michael Nicholson. The court ordered that Alexander
Murphy and James Yancey be appointed to divide the remaining estate among the
heirs and to settle with Lewis Shapard as guardian of the three Nicholson girls.
James Yancey (1768-1829) was a very influential and important figure in Caswell
County history. He married Lucy Kerr, daughter of Alexander and Elizabeth Kerr,
in 1794. After her death he married Zilpah Johnston in 1811, daughter of Dr.
Lancelot Johnston. James Yancey held numerous public offices over the years. He
was a constable in 1788 and then served in the legislature of the General
Assembly of North Carolina in 1798, 1801-1803, 1807-1808, 1811 and 1822. In
1802, he was a trustee of Caswell Academy, being the first school for classical
education established in the county. Mr. Yancey served as a Justice for the
Caswell County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions from 1808-1829. As Caswell
County grew, he recognized that larger courthouse was needed, and, after years
of negotiations with the surrounding landowners, finally succeeded in acquiring
extra land around the courthouse for this purpose. Judge Yancey died a few
years before the completion of the courthouse in 1833; however, in recognition
of his valuable life’s work, the citizens renamed the town of Caswell
Courthouse to Yanceyville in his honor, as it is known today.
In August of 1805, Lewis and Martha
Shapard traveled to Person County with their seven month old baby, Robert Paine
Shapard. The trip was mostly social, visiting with Martha’s father, brothers
and sisters and their families. Certainly, Martha’s father Capt. Robert Paine
would have been thrilled and delighted to have been introduced to a baby named
in his honor. While the Shapards were in Person County, Martha’s brother-in-law
Mr. Edmund Shelton, who had married Polly Paine, purchased five acres of land
on Holt’s Mill Creek near the Virginia State line. Lewis Shapard was with him
as a witness to the transaction and signed his name on the deed, as such.
By October, The Shapards had returned
to their home in Caswell County. On October 29, 1805, Lewis traveled to Caswell
Courthouse to attend court. During that session, the justices relieved Mr.
Shapard of his duty as the overseer of Graves Mill Road in place of John
Penson. Later that same day, Lewis served as a member of the jury on the case
between The State vs. Robert Mullins.
Late in the year 1805, Lewis
Shapard’s neighbor, Joseph Chandler died. As the probate process began on
December 9, 1805, the legatees of the estate met to determine who would be assigned
as the administrator. In attendance as legatees were James Chandler, William
Penson, Joseph Chandler, Jr., Edmund Chandler, William Mitchell, Steven
Chandler, John Penson and George Stovall. Lewis Shapard was also called to be in
attendance as a witness when they assigned George Stovall as administrator. This
decision was made easier by the fact that Mr. Stovall was an attorney and
clearly understood the legal responsibly of the position for which he was
chosen. Although Mr. Chandler’s plantation, next to Lewis Shapard’s land, was
willed to his sons William and Steven, by 1812, it had all been sold to their
brother-in-law John Penson.
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