LEWIS SHAPARD (Chapter 2) 1785-1790 County Line District - Granville County, North Carolina

Chapter 2

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. 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. 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, livestock and slaves and ventured 80 miles from Cumberland County, Virginia, to their new home site in North Carolina. Their choice of location was not by random, but directed by the community of friends and family that had gradually congregated in Granville County over the years. However, Mrs. Shapard’s sister, Amy (Booker) Webb (1752-1835) and her husband, Col. John Webb (1747–1826), who had migrated to Granville County in January of 1782, were the most influential in initiating the Shapard family’s migration to North Carolina.

John Webb and his wife Amy (Booker) were married in 1772. John migrated from Essex County, Virginia, to the Goshen District of Granville County, North Carolina, in 1782, where he purchased the former plantation of his brother-in-law Philip Vass (1750–1825). John and Amy resided near the present-day town of Oak Hill.  In 1786, they had 15 slaves working the plantation. John Webb served honorably in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. On January 26, 1778, he had advanced from a Captain to the rank of Major, and then, on July 4, 1783, he was made a Lieutenant Colonel in the 5^th Virginia Regiment. Early in the war he was used heavily for recruiting purposes, and acquired men from the counties of Essex, King and Queen, and Middlesex. He was known as “a plain, blunt man of a great deal of rugged force of character."

After moving to Granville County, it appears that John Webb became a lawyer or a judge, having acquired a vast knowledge of the law. Because of his expertise in this field, he became a valued and trusted councilor to the Shapard family over the years. Religiously, he was highly affiliated with the Grassy Creek Presbyterian Church, where he became an elder along with Samuel Smith and John Young, among others. Note that Samuel Smith was the husband of John’s sister Mary Webb, and John Young was brother to Francis Young, wife of John’s brother William Webb. In 1822, John Webb and the other members of the church helped organize the Spring Grove Presbyterian Church, located closer to his home, which later became known as the Oak Hill Church. John was described by his granddaughter, Frances M. (Webb) Bumpass, as; “…a man of the strictest integrity, plain in his manners, he thought and acted candidly, was remarkable for his firmness of character, his action was governed by firm principles. Though his heart was sympathetic he never permitted feeling to interfere with duty.” John Webb died on August 29, 1826, and was buried in the Oak Hill Church Cemetery, Oxford, Granville County, Virginia.

Despite her husband’s Presbyterian affiliation, Amy (Booker) Webb was a member of the Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church at Oak Hill. Upon her death on March 25, 1835, she had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 48 years (since 1787). Amy Webb was buried next to her husband in the Oak Hill Cemetery. John and Amy had the following children: Elizabeth (b.1773), Thomas (b.1776), James (b. 1779), Mary (b. 1782), Ann (b. 1784) who married John F. Patillo (son of Mary Anderson and Rev. Henry Patillo) in 1808, John Webb (b. 1787), William (b. 1787), Lewis (b. July 15, 1789) married Ann Nutall in 1818, Isaac (b. 1709), Amy (b. 1794) and Susanna (b.1796).

The Shapard family originally settled on approximately 220 acres of land in the northwest corner of Granville County, about five miles north of the present-day town of Oak Hill where John Webb had his 306 acre plantation. A few years later in 1787, Lewis’ father purchased an adjoining farm from Mr. John Angus, enlarging the Shapard plantation to about 900 acres. That same year, a road was surveyed and constructed through the Shapard land, providing tremendous benefit to the family. A branch of Jonathan’s Creek and a few ponds on the property also benefited the family by provided water for their livestock and crops. Neighbors were: John Royster, Charles Harris, John Stovall, William Royster, Thomas Applin, John Puryear, Mr. Wade, Mr. Bohannon and Mr. Pemfrell. The Shapard plantation was located within the County Line District of Granville County. 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 Hyco Road, which ran east to west across the county; and bounded on the west by Caswell County (becoming Person County in 1791).

Lewis and his siblings would have initially been sad to leave the world they knew in Virginia, especially their friends. However, once in North Carolina, the adventure and excitement of their new surroundings would have quelled any melancholy. Twelve year-old Lewis would have spent many days, during the fall of 1785, exploring the land around his new home with his siblings. They would have become introduced to their neighbors and community through social settings of school, church, hunting, etc. Records show that, while in Granville County, Lewis received a quality education and became highly literate. It is also very clear that, in his youth, Lewis showed a talent and interest in agriculture and plantation management, a skill that would serve him well throughout his life.

In the year 1786, the Shapard household included Mr. and Mrs. Shapard and their children: Samuel (age 23), Elizabeth (age 19), James (age 17), William, Jr.  (age 15), Lewis (age 13), Booker (age 11), Thomas (age 9), Mary “Polly” (age 7), John S. (age 4) and Anne (age 2). Mrs. Shapard gave birth to their son Robert, circa 1786, being the only child not born in Cumberland County, Virginia. The household also included nine slaves. Interestingly, the only one of Lewis’ siblings who did not settle with the family in Granville County, North Carolina, was his eldest sister, Mildred Shapard (age 21).

On December 18, 1786, Mildred married Anderson Williams (1767-1860) in Cumberland County, Virginia. Anderson was the grandson of Thomas Williams (1712 - c.1794) and Susannah Anderson, and the son of Samuel Williams (September 18, 1744 – 1823) and Susannah Ligon.  Samuel and Susannah lived in Cumberland County, Virginia, and 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).

After their marriage, Anderson and Mildred (Shapard) Williams remained in Cumberland County for a few years; however, in the early 1790s, they migrated to Granville County, North Carolina. Records show that, in 1794, they resided on or near the land of Mildred’s father, William Shapard, in the Island Creek District, and had one slave and no land. During his time in Granville County, Anderson Williams developed a strong and fruitful relationship with his brothers-in-law Lewis and James Shapard. In late 1797, that fruitful relationship carried Anderson and Mildred (Shapard) Williams from Granville County to Caswell County, North Carolina, where Lewis and James Shapard had settled years earlier with great success.

Although Lewis’ eldest brother Samuel initially settled with the family in Granville County, it appears that he traveled back and forth between Granville County, North Carolina and Cumberland County, Virginia from 1785 through 1788. Thereafter, Samuel took up permanent residence in Virginia. On November 2, 1788, Samuel married eighteen-year-old Susanna Holman in Cumberland County, Virginia. Susanna was the daughter of Judge John Holman (1731-1818) and Susanna Yancy, who 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. 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, especially dealing with land bounties assigned to colonial soldiers. 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 was residing in Buckingham County, Virginia, where he and his brother-in-law, John Holman, Jr., sold 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.

Religion remained an important aspect of life for the Shapard family in Granville County. Not only did it serve a valuable spiritual and moral function, it also provided an important social aspect that was in contrast to the daily solitude of rural existence. Evidence suggests that Lewis Shapard and his family attended services at the Grassy Creek Presbyterian Church located about 7 miles east of the present-day town of Oak Hill. In 1761, the Presbyterians established a small congregation in Granville County at Grassy Creek. During and after the Revolutionary War, anti-British sentiment steered members away from the Anglican Church (Church of England), causing a substantial rise in membership in the Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist churches. Rev. James Criswell was the first full-time Presbyterian minister at Grassy Creek congregation, 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 Nutbush 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.

On May 6, 1789, Lewis Shapard’s sister Elizabeth married Mr. Francis Royster (1768 – 1818) of Granville County. 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 southeast of the Shapard plantation 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 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.

Interestingly, when Lewis Shapard was 16 years old, in 1789, major changes occurred with the local state government as well as the federal government of the United States. On November 21, 1789, North Carolina was admitted to the Union as the twelfth State. Earlier that same year, the Articles of Confederation, being the initial governing document of the United States, from 1777, was overthrown by the implementation of the Constitution of the United States. It became apparent, over time, that the first form of government was too weak to function effectively. As a remedy, the Constitution formed a stronger Federal government while weakening the powers of the individual states; however, as a safeguard, 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, like Lewis Shapard, living in such a vast and sparsely populated country, had little awareness or need of anything beyond their local government.

Between the timeframe of the implementation of the Constitution and the ratification of the Bill of Rights, the Shapard family also pursued some monumental changes. Lewis Shapard’s father had become enticed by the excellent 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 north of the town. The adventure of living near a town for the first time in his life would have been very exciting for seventeen year-old Lewis Shapard.

LEWIS SHAPARD (chapter 1) - 1773-1785 - The Early Years, Cumberland County, Virginia

LEWIS SHAPARD

CHAPTER 1

The Early Years - Cumberland County, Virginia

1773-1785

Lewis Shapard was born about the year 1773. He was the sixth of twelve children born to William (c.1741-1807) and Mary (Booker) Shapard (1746-1804). At the time of his birth, his parents and three brothers - Samuel (1763-?), James (c.1769-1837) and William, Jr. (c.1771-1843) and two sisters - Mildred (c.1765-?) and Elizabeth (c.1767-1842) were living on their plantation in Cumberland County, Virginia. Lewis’ parents had migrated from Essex County, Virginia, to Cumberland County eleven years earlier in 1762, and had developed the land with slave labor.

Cumberland County was originally settled in 1723, when Mr. Thomas Randolph acquired 2,870 acres while it was still part of Goochland County. In 1745, Goochland County was partitioned into two parishes divided by the James River. The region north of the river remained Northam Parish, while the region south of the river became St. James Southam Parish. Within a few years, as the population grew, the residents of Goochland County south of the James River requested a separate county and courthouse, and in 1749, Cumberland County was formed; which included all of Southam Parish and part of King William Parish. The county was named in honor of Prince William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, being the second son of King George II.

In 1772, about the time of Lewis Shapard’s birth, Cumberland County was further divided into two parishes when Littleton Parish was created from the western portion of Southam Parish. Cumberland County split along parish lines, in 1777, with the formation of Powhatan County. Therefore, for the time period of 1772-1792, Southam Parish looked like present-day Powhatan County (260 square miles) and Littleton Parish looked like Cumberland County (300 square miles).

  Present-day Cumberland County is rectangular in shape, measuring about 30 miles long and ten miles wide. It is bounded on the north by the James River, above which, are the counties of Goochland and Fluvanna; bounded on the west by Buckingham County; bounded on the east by the counties of Powhatan and Amelia; and bounded on the south by Prince Edward County. The Appomattox River defines most of the eastern border and the entire southern border of Cumberland County. The county also has four main creeks: Bear Branch Creek which empties into the Willis River; Great Guinea Creek which runs 20 miles and empties into the Appomattox River; Angola Creek which runs 12 miles and empties into the Appomattox River; and Green Creek which runs 3 miles and empties into the Appomattox River.

The Shapard plantation was a vast 300 acre farm located in the southern portion of Cumberland County, within Littleton Parish, along the Green Creek near the present-day town of Raine’s Tavern. Randolph’s Road, being one of the main roads through Cumberland County, passed through the Shapard property.  Since this was a highly rural area, miles from any town, roads were essential to plantation owners, like Lewis’ father, in order to deliver their produce in a timely manner to market. Lewis’ father also used the road to benefit his enterprise in the shipping business, whereby goods and materials were transported by use of his numerous horse teams and wagons.

The Shapard house would have been located near the road, most likely of log or split-log construction with a clay or brick chimney. A layering of wood shingles covered the roof, and a porch served to decrease tracking dirt and mud inside the house, as well as, offer relief from the sun. The interior of the house would have been one or two rooms deep with walls finished in lathed board or plaster. It would not have been painted, as this was a rare and expensive adornment. The windows were open air, with wood shutters as the only barrier against the elements, since window glass was found only in the finest homes during this era.  The kitchen and an outhouse, being separate buildings, were near the main house. The property had a slave quarter, of similar wood construction, for their three slaves – Phil, Nancy and Esther. A barn and fences were utilized to corral their livestock, as the family had numerous horses and raised a large number of cattle and hogs. Around the plantation house were fields for growing wheat, corn, oats and hay, as well as, a fruit orchard and a vegetable garden.

Dense forest surrounded the fields, leading into creeks and ravines teaming with wildlife. Hunting and fishing were a vital part of life for the Shapard family, and Lewis and his siblings would have found great enjoyment in exploring the surrounding wilderness. Water from the creeks would not have been suitable for human consumption, so a natural spring, either on, or close to, the property, supplied the family with fresh water. The water was gathered daily in buckets and brought back to the house by the slaves or children. Every member of the Shapard family was essential in operating the plantation, tending to the crops, managing the livestock, etc. The day started early and each child had chores suitable for their age.  Nightfall brought the activities to a close, as the family would gather around the light and warmth of the hearth in family communion.

The Shapard family’s religious affiliation was with the Church of England (Anglican Church). When Lewis was born, King George III was the ruler of Great Britain, Ireland and its colonies. The colony of Virginia was under British rule, and, by law, the Church of England was the established church of the colonies in America, of which, all residents, including the Shapard family, were required to attend weekly services, otherwise be subjected to fines. In addition, colonial law of Virginia required all colonists to financially support the church through taxes, called tithes, which funded the efforts of the church and paid the minister’s salary. British authorities mostly tolerated other Christian denominations that had established themselves in Virginia, such as the Presbyterians and Baptists, deeming their membership too insignificant to be of concern. In addition, regardless of a colonist’s religious preference, they were still required to financially support the Church of England. While the Shapard family had an affiliation with the Church of England, Lewis’ father professed his support for religious freedom and the disestablishment of the Church of England by signing the 10,000 Name Petition which was presented to the first General Assembly of the Virginia Convention on October 16, 1776. It is believed that the Shapard family ceased attending religious services at the Church of England circa 1775, and eventually became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.

Religious freedom was just one of the many grievances dividing the colonists against the British authorities, and a conflict seemed inevitable. Lewis Shapard was born amid this volatility on the eve of the American Revolution. After the Boston Massacre of March 5, 1770, there was relative calm in the colonies, despite a simmering tension between colonists and the British authorities. However, the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, became the lightning rod upon which the colonies would move toward open rebellion. Outraged over the taxes imposed on tea, as well as, their non representation in the British Parliament, the colonists boycotted the import of tea, preventing British tea ships from unloading their cargo, which, inevitably, led to the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773. In response, the British authorities passed a series of “Intolerable Acts,” throughout 1774, which attempted to bring the colonists back into submission. These acts only added more kindling to the colonist’s revolutionary fire, bringing about the assembly of the first Continental Congress in September of 1774, the first shots fired of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. 

Although Cumberland County, Virginia, where the Shapard family resided, was far from the revolutionary firestorm occurring in Massachusetts, the colony of Virginia was a fount for revolutionary ardor, being the birthplace of patriots, such as, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Patrick Henry.  In the spring of 1775, when Lewis Shapard was about two years of age, Virginia committed herself to the cause of American independence, by raising the first troops in defense of the Virginia revolutionary government. In June of 1775, Lord Dunmore the Tory Governor of Virginia fled, with the colony’s stockpile of gunpowder, to a British war vessel in the Chesapeake where he, by the protection of water, used the ship’s cannons to destroy plantation houses and bombard the town of Norfolk. In January of 1776, Lord Dunmore sailed back to England after being driven away by Virginia forces. For the next three years, the British had no foothold on Virginia soil which allowed an opportunity for revolutionary enthusiasm to pervade over loyalist sentiment within the colony. The vacancy for Governor of Virginia, left by Lord Dunmore, was initially filled by the great orator and patriot Patrick Henry from 1776 – 1779, followed by the election of Thomas Jefferson from 1779 – 1781.

It is important to realize that Lewis Shapard spent the first ten years of his childhood witnessing the effects of the Revolutionary War as a normal daily event, a war that gradually made its way to his doorstep and affected every member of his family and society.  After the expulsion of Lord Dunmore, Cumberland County had remained relatively quiet and life and business seemed to proceed with its usual tempo, apart from the occasional Continental or militia troop that would march through the county and the ever rising inflation. However, in the summer of 1780, everything changed as Virginia was fully thrust back into the war when British General Charles Cornwallis overran South Carolina and began a push into North Carolina. With Georgia and South Carolina under British control and North Carolina under invasion, Virginia prepared for the defense of her boarders.

In response, in the fall of 1780, there was a great call among the Commonwealth of Virginia to rally 3,000 able-bodied militiamen as a defense against the British advance. At that time, Lewis’ father, William Shapard, was a volunteer in the Cumberland County Virginia Militia and was called into active service. Apparently, due to his older age (approximately 40 years old) or his commitments to his domestic and business obligations, Mr. Shapard desired a substitute in his stead and called upon his eldest son, seventeen year-old Samuel Booker Shapard, to fill the position. When propositioned by his father, Samuel was engaged in higher education as a student. Later in life Samuel became a lawyer, and it is presumed that he had just begun his schooling at this time. Between 1780 and 1781, Samuel B. Shapard represented our family by serving two tours of duty in the Cumberland County Virginia Militia against the British advance. Seven year-old Lewis Shapard would have witnessed his older brother heading off to war, no doubt sending him off with affection and well wishes, and giving him a hero’s welcome upon his safe return.

Interestingly, numerous other members of Lewis Shapard’s extended family also took up arms against the British during the rebellion. Perhaps the most distinguished was his maternal uncle Lewis Booker (1754-1814) - of whom Lewis Shapard was named in honor. Lewis Booker was the only son of James (c.1720-1793) and Elizabeth Booker (1726-1760), and he received his name from his grandmother Amy Lewis (1700-1751) who married James Booker (1695-1751). Militarily, Lewis Booker served honorably in the Continental Army from 1775 until 1783, reaching the rank of Captain-Lieutenant. He was on the muster rolls at Valley Forge, Camp White Plains, Camp Fredericksburg, Pluckemin, Middlebrook, Smiths Cove, New Windsor, and Morristown. After the war, he resided in Gloucester County, Virginia, and was awarded land grants for his military service totaling 5,521acres. Lewis married Judith Dudley of Gloucester on February 7, 1788, and they had numerous children. Lewis’ father, James Booker, died in 1793 and bequeathed his only son his plantation in Essex County, Virginia, known as “Laurel Grove” near the present-day town of Millers Tavern. Lewis became an active church member and attended Howerton’s Baptist Church near his plantation. Lewis Booker died of diphtheria on December 23, 1814, at 61 years old, and was buried on the grounds of Laurel Grove. His grave now resides in the cemetery of Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church (built 1838) at Millers Tavern, Essex County, Virginia.

Other members of the family who served in the war were Lewis Shapard’s cousins, Samuel Shepard and William Blackstone Shapard, sons of Robert Shapard (c. 1732–1796) of Goochland County, Virginia. Samuel Shepard (1762–1846) enlisted on January 16, 1778, as a private in the Continental Army of Goochland County, Virginia, under Capt. Nathaniel Morris and served for one year, taking part in the Battle of Monmouth. Between 1779 and 1781, Samuel Shepard was drafted back into service as a militiaman five times, serving tours of duty from one month up to three months in duration. As the war came to a close, Samuel was guarding British prisoners at Yorktown, when General Cornwallis surrendered. His brother, William Blackstone Shapard (b. circa 1760 – d. 1778) enlisted with him in the Continental service at the Goochland County Courthouse in 1778; however, William died later that year while in the army. On a side note, Samuel was illiterate, resulting in his family adapting the more common “Shepard” spelling for their surname in subsequent generations.  

Records show that Lewis Shapard had at least two other cousins that fought in the war: George and Peter Shapard, sons of John Shapard (c. 1738–1806) of Granville County, North Carolina. On February 12, 1780, George (1760-1836) and Peter (1762-1825) enlisted in the Continental Army as privates in Captain John Bailey’s Company under General George Roger Clark’s Virginia Regiment. Interestingly, General Clark was the brother of William Clark, of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1780, George and Peter descended the Ohio River and helped construct Fort Jefferson (Wickliffe, Kentucky). During the course of the war they marched to St. Louis then up the Illinois River to Fort Vincennes (Indiana). They were discharged from service at Fort Nelson (Louisville, Kentucky) on February 11, 1783. After the war, the State of Virginia granted 150,000 acres of land in Indiana as a reward to the men of General Clark’s Regiment for outstanding service. In 1784, the land was allotted to the individuals and George and Peter received 108 acres each as privates. George resided in Lexington, Kentucky for ten years after the war and then lived out the remainder of his life in Mason County, Kentucky. In 1804, Peter sold his interests in his land bounties in Indiana and appears to have resided in Georgia for the remainder of his life, dying in Fayette County in 1825.

While the war ebbed and flowed around Cumberland County, Virginia, life for the Shapard family carried on. About the year 1780, Lewis Shapard’s aunt, Joanna (Booker) Woodson, wife of John Woodson, Jr., died. The Woodsons lived on a neighboring property to the southeast of the Shapard plantation, and would have had close ties with each other. The news of her sister’s death would have been particularly hard for Lewis’ mother. In October or November of 1781, Lewis’ grandmother, Mildred (Crockford) (Shapard) Townley died near the town of Cologne in southern King and Queen County, Virginia. She was about 70 years old and attended Ware’s Baptist Church near her home. About that same timeframe, Lewis’ uncle, Samuel Shapard of Henrico County, Virginia, also died. He was about 52 years old and was survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Price), and eight children.

Although Cumberland County was spared the physical destruction of being in the theater of the war, it fully suffered the societal strain of immorality, lawlessness and depravity, which increased during the war and for a few years after. Cumberland County experienced a tremendous rise in whiskey production and consumption, exacerbated by a diminished church attendance. In addition, schools, apprenticeships and education fell by the wayside due to inflation, poor attendance and lack of tutors. As a boy of educational age during the war, Lewis Shapard would have likely been educated by his parents at home with his other siblings. Lewis’ parents were both literate and saw great benefit in education. They ensured that all their children, even their daughters, received scholastic training to enhance their quality of life and future potential.

           

During the war, the Shapard household would have exuded patriotic enthusiasm. Lewis’ father, William Shapard, not only supported the revolution by supplying and shipping goods for the Continental Army and State Militia, signing legislative petitions and sending his son into battle; he also was a visionary and recognized opportunity in the circumstance of war.  As the war efforts intensified, more and more Continental soldiers and State Militia troops passed through Cumberland County along the Randolph Road which passed through the Shapard property. Mr. Shapard seized upon this opportunity, and, beginning in May of 1779 until at least May of 1781, he was granted a license to keep an “ordinary” at his home. The term “ordinary” was an early word meaning “tavern:” offering a tired traveler food, drink and a place to rest himself and his horse. By virtue of his father’s tavern, young Lewis Shapard would have associated with the soldiers and officers that visited his home, no doubt hearing heroic battlefield tales from the actual soldiers themselves and marveling at their decorative uniforms, horses, weaponry and banners.

The Public Service Claims of Virginia offer us a glimpse of what soldiery Lewis Shapard encountered at his home during the Revolutionary War:

On February 28, 1781, a Continental unit from Pennsylvania stopped at the Shapard plantation and Mr. John Stewart, W.C., commandeered two bushels of corn to feed their teams of horses.

On March 6, 1781, General Lawson’s Brigade (General Robert Lawson) of the Continental Army passed through Cumberland County resting at the Shapard Plantation, whereupon, Quarter Master, Stephen Cook commandeered a bushel of corn for army use. Interestingly, in October of that same year, Lawson’s Brigade would take part in the famous Battle of Yorktown, during which British General Cornwallis surrendered.

On March 29, 1781, Henry Skipwith, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Cumberland County Militia and Commissary commandeered eight and a-half bushels of wheat from the Shapard plantation for use of the State Militia.

On June 1, 1781, Captain Lee’s Troop, belonging to General Lawson’s Brigade of the Continental Army, rested at the Shapard plantation, whereby, the Quarter Master, Samuel Luck, commandeered four bushels of corn and oats to feed their horses.

On September 18, 1781, Ben Wilson, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Cumberland County Militia and Commissary, commandeered two cows from the Shapard plantation to supply meat for the soldiers.

On September 20, 1781, the First and Second Regiments from Maryland camped for a night at the Shapard plantation, and pastured fourteen of their horses. Earlier that year in March, the First and Second Maryland Regiments had engaged British General Cornwallis at the Battle of Guilford’s Court House in North Carolina. Although they had lost the battle, the British had sustained significant losses, which long term proved to be a tactical victory for the Americans. After resting overnight at the Shapard Plantation, the First and Second Maryland Regiments packed up their camp and ventured beyond Cumberland County to assist General Greene and the Southern Continental Army. 

On November 7, 1781, General Steven’s Brigade of the Continental Army camped at the Shapard plantation. Thomas Davenport, S.M.V.M, issued Lewis Shapard’s father a receipt for supplying provisions for 17 men, forage for a horse and lodging of three soldiers in his house. General Edward Stevens was a talented officer and a future Senator for the State of Virginia. His brigade saw action at the Battle of Guilford’s Court House where he had ordered his own marksmen to shoot any of his men that attempted to retreat. Later, he commanded his brigade of 750 soldiers at the Siege of Yorktown. The Shapard family would have heard amazing stories from the soldiers whom they lodged in their home.

On November 18, 1781, a detachment of Colonel Lee’s Legion of the Continental Army halted at the Shapard plantation, upon which Mr. George Guthrey [Guthrie], D.P.L., commandeered 82 bushels of fodder and temporarily stabled seven heifers in the Shapard’s barn. Col. Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee was a future Governor of Virginia and the father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Colonel Lee’s Legion, comprised of approximately 100 cavalry and 180 infantry, was assigned to assist General Greene in the Southern theater of the war. Lee’s Legion was highly regarded as one of the best clothed and well-equipped units of the Continental Army. They had engaged the British at the battles of Guilford Court House, Eutaw Springs and Yorktown. 

 On December 7, 1781, Ben Wilson, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Cumberland County Militia and Commissary, commandeered twenty-nine bushels of wheat from the Shapard plantation to feed the Militia.

The last service claim regarding the Shapard plantation during the war was dated February 21, 1783; whereby, Lieutenant Jonah Hallet of the Fourth Regiment Light Dragoons of the Continental Army commandeered one and a-half bushels of corn and 92 pounds of fodder to feed their horses while they rested. The Fourth Regiment was organized in Pennsylvania in 1777. They had spent the harsh winter at Valley Forge camped with the Continental Army and had engaged the enemy at Guildford Court House and Yorktown. In January of 1782, The Light Dragoons were sent to Savannah, Georgia, to break the British stronghold of that city. There they endured extreme combat with the British and their Indian allies; the most notable battle occurred on June 23, 1782 when three hundred Creek Indian warriors unsuccessfully attempted a surprise attack on the Fourth Regiment. After regaining control of Savannah, the Fourth Regiment was reassigned to Charleston, South Carolina, to assist General Greene. Charleston was finally liberated from the British on December 14, 1782, after which, the Fourth Regiment Light Dragoons began their march back north, resting at the Shapard plantation in Cumberland County, Virginia, before reaching Pennsylvania in May of 1783. Only a few months later, on September 3, 1783, representatives of the United States of America met with representatives of King George III and signed of the Treaty of Paris, which recognized America as an independent nation from Brittan, gave all lands east of the Mississippi River to the Americans, and officially concluded the Revolutionary War.

It is hard to imagine the emotional, physical and financial toll of eight years of revolution and war, followed by the instability of a newly formed nation. Everything that the Shapard family knew of government, society and religion had been cast away and were in the process of being transformed and shaped into new institutions. The new government, set forth by the Articles of Confederation in 1777, tried to operate under a loose union (confederation) of sovereign States each with their own constitutions. There was no president, as the governing body only consisted of representatives from each state, forming a Congress.

Inflation remained high after the war which resulted in an economic depression from 1784 through 1785. Lawlessness was rampant due to the instability of the times. The moral volatility of the times fluctuated for many years until new churches were established, filling the void left from the disestablishment of the Church of England. The Presbyterians were the first to take hold in Cumberland County and elsewhere, followed by the Baptists, and then the Methodists. All and all, for the citizens of the newly formed United States, stability in government, economics and religion would be elusive throughout the 1780s and 1790s.

Despite the financial, emotional and physical struggles affecting society, the Shapard family remained steadfast through their own struggles and persevered. Not only did they survive this volatile time during and after the war, in many ways they prospered. Four children were born to William and Mary Shapard family during the Revolutionary War: Booker was born circa 1775; Thomas was born on August 6, 1778; Mary “Polly” was born circa 1780 and John S. was born circa 1782. Lewis’ older brother, Samuel Booker Shapard, persevered through his two tours in the Virginia militia, and returned home to a hero’s welcome. In 1773, prior to the revolution the Shapard family owned three slaves (Phill, Nancy and Esther), yet, near the end of the war in 1782, they had amassed 10 slaves and built three slave quarters on their land. The Cumberland County Personal Property Tax List for 1783 lists the names and ages of their slaves as: Phill, Peter, Pegg whom were all older than 16 years of age; and Aham, James, Harry, Ishmael, Hannah, Jack, Nancy whom were all younger than 16 years of age. In 1784, Mr. Shapard sold two of his younger slaves, Aham and James, to acquire a stronger more skilled male slave named “Old Ishmael.” In addition to their slaveholdings, the Shapard family owned eight horses and twenty head of cattle.

In retrospect, it truly is stunning to consider that Lewis Shapard had such a visual experience of the Revolutionary War and the birth of our nation. He would have seen and interacted with the troops and witnessed the earliest versions of what would become our revered American flag. During most of his youth and early manhood, Lewis would have experienced little in the form of stable government. In fact, during his first fifteen years of life, he transitioned through three forms of government: British rule, then Articles of Confederation, then the Constitution. Lewis Shapard’s youth and adolescence coincided perfectly with our nation’s first steps into freedom and democracy. The world was truly new again and Lewis was now an American. As a result of our new nation acquiring all the formerly-owned British land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, much of which was still wild and unexplored, there were limitless opportunities for those who had a spirit of adventure and a willingness to pursue it. Two years after the war, the Shapard family sought that opportunity, by bravely leaving their home in Cumberland County Virginia, in 1785, for prosperity in the vast fertile and inexpensive lands of Granville County, North Carolina.

LEWIS SHAPARD (C.1773-1833) Preface and Intro

LEWIS SHAPARD (C. 1773-1833)

Lewis Shapard has been perhaps the most widely misrepresented and, therefore, misunderstood patriarch of our family. Genealogical sources over the last one hundred years have perpetuated information about him that is purely speculative or just blatantly false. Amid this ever increasing wave of misinformation flowing from one generation to the next, the truth was being obscured. In an effort to honor our forefather and restore him to his actual self, it became a mission of mine to sift the fact from the fiction. The journey to uncover the story of Lewis Shapard has taken almost a decade to achieve, involved countless hours of exhaustive research and tedious writing, as well as, the expenditure of thousands of dollars traveling to seven different states in search of information. The pages that follow will give the most precise and detailed narrative of the life and times of Lewis Shapard ever rendered. It is far from complete, but hopefully will be a significant steppingstone from which future Shapard historians may advance.

The Error of “Lewis Thomas Shapard”

The most damaging misinformation about Lewis Shapard occurred in the 1920s via a series of articles published in the William & Mary Quarterly Historical Magazine about the Shepard/Shapard family, namely “Shepard and Other Buckingham Families.” The author, Mr. William Shepard, falsely claimed that he had discovered a cache of Shepard/Shapard journals, documents and old letters from the 1780s through 1812. These articles, published from 1926 through the 1940s, were taken as gospel and referenced by genealogists for over eighty years, establishing the belief that: Lewis Shapard was born in 1759 in Gloucester County, Virginia; that his name was “Lewis Thomas Shapard;” that he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War; that he was the first to spell his name as “Shapard,” and that his father was Samuel Shepard.

            So what is the truth? The truth is that the William & Mary Quarterly articles about our family are all bogus history, fabricated from unrelated snippets of genealogical information in an effort to secure an impressive pedigree for the author. Even the name “Lewis Thomas Shapard” is in err… the author carelessly blended the names of two brothers (Lewis Shapard and Thomas Shapard) making one person! There never was a person named Lewis Thomas Shapard in our family, yet, even today genealogists continue to use this inaccurate name to reference our forefather. It’s a colossal error that modern genealogists should strive to correct. Surprisingly, in contradiction to the myth, the facts show that: Lewis was born circa 1773 in Cumberland County, Virginia (not Gloucester), that his name was Lewis Shapard (Thomas was his brother), that he was ten years old when the Revolutionary War ended (thus could not have been a soldier), that he was not the first to use the “Shapard” spelling (his father and grandfather used it), that his father was William Shapard (not Samuel).

           

INTRODUCTION

Lewis Shapard’s grandfather, Samuel Shapard (c. 1700-1752), was a planter from King and Queen County, Virginia, who had acquired wealth, land and slaves. Samuel appears to have had two children from a previous marriage before marrying Mildred Crockford (c. 1712-1781) about the year 1735. Samuel and Mildred were blessed with eight additional children, one being William Shapard (c. 1741-1807), father of Lewis Shapard. After the death of Samuel Shapard in early 1752, his widow Mildred remarried a few years later to Mr. John Townley, who moved the family to his large plantation in Essex County, Virginia, east of the present-day town of Millers Tavern. It was there where Lewis’ father William met, courted and married Miss Mary Booker (1746-1804) in 1762. Mary was the sixteen year old daughter of James (c.1720-1793) and Elizabeth Booker (1726-1760).

Shortly after their marriage, William and Mary Shapard migrated from Essex County, Virginia to Cumberland County, Virginia residing on a 300 acre plantation near the present-day town of Raines Tavern. William developed the land, during the next 23 years, with the use of slave labor, growing wheat, corn, oats and hay, along with a garden and fruit orchard. He also had livestock in the form of cattle, horses, chickens and hogs. Over the years William branched out on other business ventures, with the establishment of an “ordinary” (tavern) bordering Randolphs Road which passed through his property, as well as, creating a lucrative shipping enterprise utilizing his numerous horses, slaves and wagons to transport goods. Both of these businesses were in high demand, especially during the Revolutionary War.

In 1785, the Shapard family left Virginia and migrated to Granville County, North Carolina, where William flourished. By the year 1790, he had acquired an impressive 1,484 acres of land and had grown his slave holdings to at least 12 slaves, ranking him within the higher echelons of property holders in the county. Mary (Booker) Shapard died in 1804 in Granville County, North Carolina at the age of 57 years. William Shapard survived her by an additional three years, dying at the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Francis Royster, in the County Line District of Granville County about October of 1807.

William and Mary were blessed with twelve children during their 41 years of marriage:   

Samuel Booker Shapard was born on November 12, 1763 in Cumberland County, Virginia. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Samuel Shapard (c.1700-1752), and his mother’s maiden name of Booker. Samuel was educated in his youth and studied law under Judge John Holman of Cumberland County, Virginia. During the Revolutionary War, Samuel served two terms in the Cumberland County Virginia Militia as a substitute for his father. As compensation for his service, his father deeded him his entire estate. The deed was eventually renegotiated and Samuel settled for 200 acres and a slave as a more reasonable remuneration. After the war, Samuel taught school at Brown’s Church in Cumberland County while finishing his training to become an attorney. On November 2, 1788, Samuel married Susanna Holman, the daughter of his mentor, Judge John Holman. Records, thus far, have yielded no evidence if Samuel and Susanna had children. Records do show that they traveled frequently. In the late 1790s, Samuel left Virginia and was residing in Kentucky, acquiring land in Madison and Montgomery counties. By 1802, Samuel had relocated to South Carolina where his name is found in documents from Spartanburg and Laurens counties. Between February of 1806 and May of 1807, he was residing in Russell County, Virginia on a 100 acre tract of land on Copper Creek. Afterwards, he and his wife returned to Cumberland County, Virginia for many years before becoming a resident of neighboring Buckingham County, Virginia. By 1815, Samuel and Susanna Shapard had gone to “parts unknown” and literally vanished from the historical records. There is some evidence to suggest Samuel may have been residing in Buckingham County in 1820. Hopefully the remainder of their story will be discovered by a future Shapard genealogist. [Update: Samuel Shapard's children located! See 2021 post entitled, "Samuel Booker Shapard (1763-1836) and Buckingham County, Virginia."]    

Mildred Shapard was born circa 1765 in Cumberland County, Virginia. She was named in honor of her paternal grandmother, Mildred (Crockford) Shapard. On December 18, 1786, Mildred married Anderson Williams in Cumberland County, Virginia. Anderson was the son of Samuel Williams (1744-1823) and Susannah Ligon. Mildred and Anderson migrated from Cumberland County, Virginia, to Granville County, North Carolina, in the early 1790s, residing near the land of Mildred’s father, William Shapard, in the Island Creek District.  By 1798, they had migrated to Caswell County, North Carolina, living 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.’ Mildred died between 1840 and 1850, reaching and age of 75 to 85 years old at the time of her death. Her husband 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).

Elizabeth Shapard was born circa 1767 in Cumberland County, Virginia. She was named after her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Booker. In 1785, she migrated with her family to Granville County, North Carolina. On May 6, 1789, Elizabeth married Mr. Francis Royster (1768 – 1818) in Granville County. 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, and possessed eleven slaves, which they grew to eighteen slaves by 1810. 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, Elizabeth’s father, elected Francis Royster, along with Thomas Shapard, to be the administrators of his entire estate prior to his death in 1807. More importantly, Elizabeth’s father spent his final months of life at the Royster home, being cared for and nurtured by Elizabeth. Francis and Elizabeth remained in Granville County for the duration of their lives. Francis died in 1820, and Elizabeth, survived him for an additional 22 years, having never remarried. Elizabeth passed away on May 10, 1842, at the home of her son Banister, in Granville County, reaching an age of 75 years. Elizabeth and Francis Royster were blessed with many children who survived to adulthood: Banister, Robert, Willey, Lily, Martha (married Mr. Farrow), Stella, Mary B., Marcus (married Frances Webb in 1842), Emily and William.

James Shapard was born circa 1769 in Cumberland County, Virginia and was named after his maternal grandfather, James Booker. He was educated in his youth, migrated with his family to Granville County, North Carolina, in 1785, and pursued carpentry in his early twenties. In 1796, James Shapard left Granville County and moved to Caswell County, North Carolina, where his brother Lewis was already residing. In August of 1797, James married Frances Brooks, daughter of Richard and Ann Brooks. For a few years, James and Frances lived on a hundred acre farm bordering Lewis Shapard’s plantation in Caswell County. Then by 1809, James moved to Orange County, North Carolina, and resided on a 273 acre plantation that bordered the county line between Orange and Caswell counties at Stony Creek, until 1819; after which, he returned to Caswell County. James died on November 8, 1837, at the age of 68, being in possession of a small 75 acre farm and a few slaves. He was survived by his wife and nine children: Nancy “Ann” Shapard, Elizabeth Shapard (married Stephen Page), Mary Brooks Shapard (married Henry Powell), Francis Shapard (married Richard Smith), Joanna Shapard (married Archibald Campbell), Martha Shapard, Susan Shapard, William Shapard, and James Shapard.

William Shapard, Jr. was born circa 1770 in Cumberland County, Virginia and was named after his father. He was educated in his youth and migrated with his family to Granville County, North Carolina, in 1785. He became a skilled carpenter in his twenties. About 1798, William Shapard, Jr., left Granville County, North Carolina for opportunities elsewhere. His whereabouts are unknown until 1807, when he was reported as living in Richmond, Virginia, with his brother Robert. During that time, William had a beloved bulldog named ‘Thaddeus,’ that was stolen, in 1812, by a runaway slave.  In 1813, he donated $200 worth of gunpowder in support of the U.S. Army against the British during the War of 1812. William had a savvy business sense and entered the business community of Richmond as a commission merchant, initially under the firm name of ‘William Shapard & Co.,’ yet, from 1815 through 1821, he partnered with his cousin Lewis Webb under the name of ‘Shapard & Webb.’ Apparently, William became very successful in his business and acquired tremendous wealth. He resided on a 1,300 acre plantation known as ‘Westham Cottage’ on the north side of the James River on Big Westham Creek, which was worked by his 54 slaves. In addition, he also owned several lots in the city of Richmond in DuVal’s addition and on H Street near Monumental Church. William may have married in his youth, yet, no record of a marriage has been discovered. However, he did marry in 1816, at 45 years of age, to Mary Haywood of Granville County, who passed away in Richmond in 1818, apparently without bearing surviving children. William remarried in 1825, to Catherine Bridges, being the widow of James Bridges. William died on February 16, 1843, at the age of 73, and was buried in Shockoe Hill Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, where his towering stone obelisk remains standing to this day. At present, this is the only known grave marker still in existence from this generation of the Shapard family. William and Catherine had one daughter, named Willianna, born on March 4, 1826, who married Philip Mayo Tabb of Richmond, Virginia, in 1845.

Lewis Shapard, the subject of this book, was born circa 1773 in Cumberland County, Virginia. Although the name “Lewis” originated from the maiden name of Lewis Shapard’s maternal grandmother, Amy Lewis (1700-1751) who married James Booker (1695-1751), he was most likely named after his maternal uncle Lewis Booker. Lewis Shapard received an education in his youth and migrated, in 1785, with his family to Granville County, North Carolina. In 1795, he departed Granville County and migrated to Caswell County, North Carolina. In November of 1796, Lewis married Martha Paine, who had been widowed, a year earlier, by her first husband Michael Nicholson. Martha was the daughter of former North Carolina Senator and Revolutionary War Captain Robert Paine and Elizabeth Miller. Martha had three daughters from her previous marriage (Sally P. Nicholson, Polly Nicholson, and Elizabeth M. Nicholson). Lewis Shapard engaged in agricultural pursuits throughout his life. In 1810, he had amassed 16 slaves to work his 400 acre plantation in North Carolina. Lewis migrated with his young family to Tennessee in 1813. Tragically, that same year, his wife passed away. Lewis remarried in 1814 to Elizabeth Parrish who died circa 1818. Throughout the years, Lewis resided in the counties of Williamson, Wilson, Smith and Rutherford. Lewis died of cholera on June 16, 1833, at the home of his son James Shapard in Middleton, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Lewis and Martha had nine children: William Booker Shapard (married Margery Childress), Sophia Shapard (married Joshua Norman Harrison), James Paine Shapard (married Rebecca Sloss), Booker Shapard (married three times – Mary Clay, Sarah Broyles and Ann Leftwich), Robert Paine Shapard (married Parthenia Mitchell), Lewis Shapard, Jr., (married Thursa Burdette), Martha Shapard (married Joshua Wilson McCown), Thelia “Avilla” Shapard (married James Bone), and Thomas Paine Shapard (married Ann Hope).

Booker Shapard was born in Cumberland County, Virginia circa 1775, and was named after his mother’s maiden name. He was educated in his youth and migrated with his family, in 1785, to Granville County, North Carolina. In 1797, Booker left Granville County and joined his older brothers, James and Lewis, in Caswell County, North Carolina. He was skilled in wood working and molding, was well-educated owning numerous books, dressed fashionably and partook in spirits - especially brandy and whiskey. Booker resided on the 400 acre plantation owned by his brother Lewis Shapard. Unfortunately, in August of 1802, Booker became ill or was injured. As a result, he 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. As a tribute to his beloved deceased brother, Lewis Shapard named his next son, born in 1803, “Booker.”

Thomas Shapard was born on August 6, 1778 in Cumberland County, Virginia. He was educated in his youth and migrated with his family to Granville County, North Carolina, in 1785. Thomas had a passion and talent for farming and plantation management and, thus, developed a close relationship with his father. On his 21^st birthday, his father deeded him a three-hundred acre tract of land from his plantation in the County Line District of Granville County, North Carolina, as a gift of affection. Three years later, in August of 1802, his father deeded him an additional 165 acres, adjoining his previously deeded tract of land. By 1803, Thomas was flourishing on his 465 acre plantation, and had increased his slave holdings from two in 1802, to four slaves a year later. On April 11, 1811, Thomas Shapard, age 32, married Miss Fanny Bailey of Person County, North Carolina. Circa 1813, Thomas sold what remained of the old Shapard plantation in Granville County, and migrated to Person County, North Carolina, where he flourished and acquired wealth. In the 1820s and 1830s, Thomas owned two tracts of land, one being 600 acres and the other being 761 acres, which were worked by his 45 slaves. Circa 1837, he and his family migrated to Haywood County, Tennessee, with 31 slaves. Thomas died in November or December of 1840, at the age of 62. Thomas and Fanny had the following children: William Shapard, Sarah Jane Shapard (b. Nov. 17, 1813 married Charles Lewis Bullock), Arianna Shapard (b. c. 1815 married James Lewis Webb), Lewis Booker Shapard, Sr. (b. Sept. 13, 1817 married Catherine Clements Vaulx), Thomas Shapard Jr. (b. 1820 married Caroline Hurt), Yancy B. Shapard (b. 1825), Helen Shapard (b. July 26, 1829 in Tennessee) and John M. Shapard (b. 1830).

Mary “Polly” Shapard was born circa 1780 in Cumberland County, Virginia and migrated with her family to Granville County, North Carolina when she was about five years old. Mary never married and was living in Caswell County, North Carolina, in 1811. She spent a great deal of time with her brother James and his family. Mary eventually migrated to Person County, North Carolina, where she died circa 1829, at 49 years of age. In her last Will and Testament, she bequeathed her five slaves to her brother James Shapard and his children.

John S. Shapard was born in 1782 in Cumberland County, Virginia. He migrated with his family to Granville County, North Carolina when he was three years old and was educated in his youth. John married Elizabeth Vass, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Webb) Vass, on October 15, 1808, in Person County, North Carolina. Before 1811, they moved to Halifax County, Virginia, to be near her parents. John supported his family through farming and carpentry; however, he never gained much wealth and the family had only one slave. By 1816, John’s father-in-law, Philip Vass, had written him out of his will, on account of Mr. Vass believing that John was a drunkard and would squander his inheritance. Instead, the inheritance went directly to Elizabeth and her children. Elizabeth died between 1840 and 1850 in Halifax County. John S. Shapard died on October 14, 1857, in Halifax County, Virginia, at the age of 75 years. John and his wife had five children all born between 1808 and 1820: Samuel Vass Shapard, Mary Elizabeth Shapard (married Richard Carter), Martha T. Shapard, Philip P. Shapard (married Parthenia Dodson), and Emily B. Shapard (married Joseph Haden).

Anne Shapard was born circa 1784 in Cumberland County, Virginia and migrated with her family, in 1785, to Granville County, North Carolina. On May 2, 1804, Anne married Mr. Joseph Barnett of Granville County. Joseph was son of Thomas and Sarah (Graves) Barnett, who lived on a large estate, in the Island Creek District, adjoining the Shapard plantation to the west. It appears that Joseph and Anne remained in Granville County for the duration of their lives. By 1810, the family had three slaves. Records suggest that Anne predeceased her husband, as she is not listed in his probate records from 1829. In the 1940s, the headstone of Joseph Barnett, born October 29, 1778 and died December 23, 1828, was uncovered by a WPA worker in a heavily overgrown family cemetery located in upper Vance County, North Carolina, one mile from Townsville. Among the four other headstones discovered, two were his children: Martha Hix Barnett, born November 1814 and died July 1829, and William Barnett, born November 4, 1806 and died December 9, 1845. No headstone was found for his wife Anne, though it is highly probable she is there.  Joseph and Anne’s children were: Thomas Barnett, James Barnett, Matilda Barnett, William Barnett, Mary Barnett, Elijah Barnett, Elizabeth Barnett, Ann Barnett, Jane Barnett, Martha Hix Barnett, Robert Shapard Barnett, and Joseph Worrell Barnett.

Robert Shapard was born circa 1786 in Granville County, North Carolina. Robert appears to have remained in Granville County until about 1806 when, at 20 years of age, he moved to Richmond, Virginia, to be near his older brother William Shapard, Jr., who was establishing himself as a merchant in the city. By 1819, Robert had established a hardware store in downtown Richmond, between 14^th and 15^th Street, and his older brother William, Jr., had become highly successful as a commission merchant. Robert and William, Jr., remained very close during their time together, helping each other when able and continuing the bonds of brotherhood. Unfortunately, on January 1, 1828, Robert Shapard died in Richmond, Virginia, at 42 years of age. At present, very little information has been found on Robert. It is unknown if he married or had children, though a continuation of his line is highly possible, and may be discovered by a future researcher.

Genealogy Angels Help Orphaned Shapard Photographs Find Their Way Home After 133 Years!

For many members of our distant family, they will forever reside as literature since no portrait of them has survived the consequence of time to the present day. They now exist as only words on a page...lacking the visual attributes that make them connectable and fully human. Without being able to look into their eyes, their life story seems incomplete... they are absent and less real...their sufferings and achievements more distant. It seems forgivable for those living prior to the advent of accessible photography (i.e. before the 1860s), but, those ancestors who lived in the era of photography, whos image is now lost...its disheartening.  We know there were photographs of them, but where are they now? They are like orphans adrift an endless sea of time and space. If we just had a "genealogy angel" who could locate their picture in time and summon it home... Amazingly, every now and then, one of these lost images of an ancestor is discovered. Its a magical and thrilling moment, a reunion of literature and humanity...like a soul being returned to its body.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being the unexpected recipient of a collection of orphaned Shapard photographs. While I was stunned by the age of these photographs, as early as 1882 and as late as 1910, and the fact that, for many, these were the only images discovered of these ancestors; what really overwhelmed me was the amazing generosity of the "genealogy angels" that sought me out and delivered them back home into Shapard hands after 133 years.

Patty, my first "genealogy angel," contacted me and explained that she has an unusual hobby that she calls "random acts of genealogy kindness" meaning that she finds personal items in antique shops and enjoys the challenge of detective work in seeking out their identity, story and family lineage. Her ultimate reward is the joy of returning these items back to their families. She stated, "The items I find are not my ancestors, but I know they are someone's, and they deserve to be with their loved ones...I don't do this for money, I feel like its the right thing to do."

Patty delivered six amazing, never before seen, pictures of Shapard descendants back to our family. In addition, she provided me with two valuable pieces of information (that came a at great deal of effort from her):

First was the name of the antique store where she found the photographs - after contacting them personally, I was able to recover two additional Shapard images.

Second was that she subtly mentioned that she had seen another image of one of the family members from her photographs posted on Ancestory.com. I found the image she mentioned and contacted a lady, named Annie, who posted the photograph. She became my second "genealogy angel." Annie explained that she purchases old CDV photographs through online auction sites and, like Patty, enjoys discovering their story and family tree to ultimately return the images back to their family. Annie sent me four additional Shapard photographs all from the late 1800s.

Amazingly, when I compared the handwriting on the back of all the images sent from both genealogy angels and the antique shop...it matched perfectly! All these photographs had originally come from a single album yet had been separated and dispersed through the ages, only to find their way back together again by the efforts and generosity of good people pursuing an amazing "hobby". One inscription led me to identify the original owner of the album as Sarah "Sallie" (Shapard) Whitesides. Sarah was the sister of my great-great grandfather, Edwin R. Shapard. She was born in 1848, married Thomas C. Whitesides and moved to California where she died in 1933. 

The experience of genealogical research humbles us and makes us better people. By that, I mean that we are not lone selfish warriors on a solitary crusade, but we lean on a community of good people who generously provide historical information and selflessly make it accessible. It is amazing how one simple record or photo made public can literally change the world for another researcher. It can be the missing piece of information of which another genealogist has spent a lifetime searching. It can be the bridge that reconnects families separated by the confusion of time. We do it for the love of the discovery, and the joy of giving that discovery to others. We do it because we know that one day we too will be among the ranks of those that have come before us...and we understand what that means.

Thank you genealogy angels, from the bottom of my heart, you are so appreciated!