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SHACKELFORD CLAN MAGAZINE
Genealogy of Shackelfords and Shacklefords
Editor: T. K. Jones 716 Ave. A Lubbock, Texas
$1.00 A Year Published Monthly 10c A Copy
Lubbock, Texas October 1948 Vol. 4. No. 6
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Motto: A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors, are not likely to achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendants.
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MEET SOME MEMBERS OF THE CLAN
In the last issue of the Magazine we told you that we wished you could meet and know many members of the Clan as we have met them and feel that we know them; and that in future issues we would tell you something about them. So in this issue we are going to tell you of some of them.
But as you know, we lost a great many of our notes that we garnered on our recent tour, therefore we will be unable to tell you all the things we would like to tell you, but we will do the best we can from memory.
Our second stop on our recent tour was the little hamlet of Blossom, Texas. That was the home of the late Mr. Alexander Wesley Black, who married Talulu Ann Shackelford, daughter of Francis Marion and Mary C. Watson-Shackelford, parents of four sons and two daughters, all of whom are or were very prominent in their respective fields, including Judge Eugene Black, who for many years served as congressman from the First Texas District. And another of the sons was Mr. A. P.Black, who was for many years a Banker at Blossom, Texas, but now deceased. But his wife is still living in the old home, and she it was that we met while there. And we are happy to say that both she and her daughter-Miss Louise Black, a member of The School Faculty, of Weslaco, Texas, who was at home on her annual
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vacation.(sic) And we found both of them to be very kind, gracious and charming; interrested in our work and just as helpful as they could possibly be. And we regret that all the help they gave us was lost in the theft. But we shall always remember our short visit in their home.
Our next visit among members of the Clan was at Lexington, Tenn., the place of our birth. And of course there are too many of them there to mention all of them, so we will confine our remarks to one grand lady. She is Mrs. Sally Shackelford, formerly Sally Scott. Her mother was a sister to our father, which makes her our first cousin, but she married John E. Shackelford, who was a brother to our mother, so by marriage she is our aunt.
She is a tiny woman, and if she lives until next April she will be ninety years young. Her full given name is Sarah Luvenia, but is affectionately known to all as "Aunt Sally". She is, in the opinion of this writer, one of the best women and one of the most noble works of the creation of God, that it has ever been our pleasure to know. We wish that all of you could know her.
The next stop where we contacted members of the Clan was Nashville, Tenn. There we met our cousin - Mr. Odis Shackelford, and his good wife, as well as his mother and sister, and the boss of the household--his little son Lynn Clark. Odis has been assistant to the chief purchasing agent for the State of Tennessee, for a number of years, but for several months now he has been the chief himself, after the sudden death of his chief. We were entertained two nights in his home, and we feel flattered to have been so considered. His good wife is a faculty member of The Tennessee Industrial School. Thus we find another family of Shackelfords that are contributing their share and more, to the making of a better America.
Also in Nashville we met Dr. James R. Shackelford, with whom we had had some correspondence. Dr. Shackelford had been kind enough to supply us with the data of his branch of the family, but we had never met him before. And we found him
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as all other doctors are, extremely busy; but even so, he took time out to discuss family news, and to offer all the help he possibly could. Dr. Shackelford is a young man but intensely interested in the genealogy of the family, and as kind and affable as they come. We never had the pleasure of meeting his family.
Our next meeting with members of the Clan was at Lexington, Ga., where we had the pleasure of meeting Miss Ophelia Amason, Mr. and Mrs. George Mark Turner, she being the former Leona Wailes Amason, and their son--Mr. Dan Turner. Also Mr. Edmund Amason. The Amasons being son and daughters of Manoah Bolton Amason and his second wife--Miss Olivia Rebecca Shackelford. We alighted from the bus in the little village of Lexington on a beautiful Sunday morning, our first objective being the cemetery, not knowing that the Amasons lived there. We dropped into a grocery store, purchased a cold drink and inquired the way to the cemetery, and as to the possibility of securing a room for the night. The proprietor, being very kind and affable, told us how to reach the cemetery, and also informed us that we could secure lodgings at the home of his father and mother. We then inquired if there were Shackelfords there, the reply being in the affirmative, and they were his relatives. After our visit to the cemetery we were shown the residence of Miss Ophelia Amason, and of course we went to see her. She was very kind and gracious, gave us all the records she had and told us of others. Then we spent the night with Mr. and Mrs. Turner, where we again found hospitality and co-operation beyond our expectations. And they refused to accept money for their hospitality, in addition to all the information they gave us. No finer people will be found anywhere than the Amasons and Turners.
While there we also met Mrs. Pat Shackelford, another very charming member of the Clan. But when we went to see Mr. Shackelford, her husband, he was out of town.
Next month it will be our pleasure to tell you
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of others of the Clan that we met.
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WOES OF A GENEALOGICAL RESEARCHER
At Lexington, Ga., it was dark when Mr. Dan Turner kindly offered to take us to the home of his father and mother where we were to spend the night. They lived on the opposite side of town from his grocery store. On our way we were talking and paying little attention, perhaps none, where or how we were going. We arose early the next morning and left before the Turners had aroused from their slumbers. We were certain that we were on the right road back to town and so kept walking. But when we learned where we were we found that we had taken the wrong road and was in Crawford, a village four miles away from where we wanted to be.
And we have not decided yet just where and how we made our mistake.
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"The man's no bigger than the way,
He treats his fellow man,
This standard has his measure been,
Since time itself began."--Anon
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Since this issue of the Magazine is being prepared for publication while the September copy is with the printers, it will be understood that we have no births or deaths to report other than what you will see in the last number. But as we did not have the space in the last issue, we are now reporting the following antics of that little elf--Dan Cupid. We had several to report that was lost, but we salvaged the following:
Miss Elizabeth Burrow, we presume of Orange, Va., became the lovely and charming bride of Mr. Lyne Moncure Shackelford, son of Judge Virginius Randolph and Peachy Gascoigne Lyne-Shackelford, of Orange, Va., but no details of the nuptials were given, other than that the happy couple were honeymooning in Bermuda. The marriage was October 2, 1948.
Lyne Moncure Shackelford had quite an enviable record in the recent war, having been decorated
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by the Polish Govenment with the Polish Gold Cross of Merit, for outstanding assistance rendered the Polish armed forces.
Harry Gordon Beare, son of Mr and Mrs Ralph N. and Emma Maud Gordon-Beare, and Miss Carolyn Croft, daughter of Mr and Mrs Clifford C. Croft, all of Milan, Ohio, were happily married June 12, 1948. No other details of this happy event were given.
Arthur Gordon, son of Mr and Mrs Harry Thomas and Naomi Margaret Bartholomew-Gordon, of Chesterville, Ohio, and Miss Eris Turner, daughter of Mrs Dora Turner, of Westerville, Ohio, were united in marriage July 17, 1948. But no other details were shown other than that young Mr Gordon is now serving his country in the United States Navy, but will have served his enlistment period and be home in the very near future.
Ralph Pierson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Granville H. and Sylvia Tolman-Pierson, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Miss Jeannette Gomez, (parents not shown) were made the victims of Cupid's darts June 20, 1948, in Los Angeles. No further details shown.
So to each of the happy couples, and on behalf of the entire Clan, we extend our sincere congratulations and all good wishes for a long, prosperous, and happy life together.
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"Small minds talk about people; Average minds talk about things; Great minds talk about ideas"--quoted from The Cresap Society Bulletin.
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Please remember that our records are a Clearing House, they are becoming more complete, but we solicit correspondence, we seek new information, we offer to exchange what we have. Won't you help us to have the most complete genealogy and family record on earth?
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As before stated, all of our notes garnered in Richmond and Columbia Counties, Ga., were lost, but from memory we can tell you what we found there.
There is said to have been a John Shackelford in Richmond County, at an early date. But it is
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doubtful that John Shackelford ever lived in the present bounds of Richmond County. Richmond Co. was created in 1777, and was one of the first Georgia Counties. Then Columbia County was created from Richmond County, in 1790.
John Shackelford's name appears among the Richmond Co. records only twice; first in 1785, when he and his wife Catherine witnessed a deed, and again in 1788 (if our memory serves us correctly) when he was appointed the administrator of the estate of Anthony Garnett. What connection between him and the Garnetts, if any, is not shown. But when we arrived at Appling, Columbia Co., we hit pay dirt on John Shackelford. In 1796 he gave his son--Mordecai Shackelford, power of attorney to go back to King & Queen Co., Va. and dispose of his property there. And in this same instrument he stated further that he was the son of another John Shackelford, and the only male heir of his mother. He further empowered his son Mordecai to secure legal aid if necessary to force a division of the estate of David Wedderburn, his maternal grandfather, so that he John, could obtain his mother's share of her father's estate.
Thus we see that John Shackelford, whose wife was Catherine, and who was in Richmond Co., Ga. 1785, was in Columbia Co., 1796; that he was from King & Queen Co., Va., that he had a son Mordecai, and that he was a son of John Shackelford, whose wife was Isabella Wedderburn, daughter of David Wedderburn. And further, that he, John, was the only male heir of his mother--Isabella Wedderburn-Shackelford.
In 1808 we find that this John, whose wife was Catherine, was at that time living in Jackson Co., Ga. This last item on a deed record in Columbia County. But we could find no records of this among the Jackson County records, or of this man.
We had before our recent tour, the following marriage records from Richmond Co., Ga. Stephen Collins married Sarah Shackelford, March 29, 1787. And Benjamin Shackelford married Sarah ?? (name not show) December 10, 1797. While in Augusta we
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confirmed these two records and learned the name of Sarah, wife of Benjamin but our memory has failed us on this one.
But Sarah Shackelford, who married Stephen Collins, is thought to have been a daughter of Roger Shackelford and his wife--Carey Baker. But that too, is doubtful. Roger, in his will, mentions his daughter Sarah as his third child. His son Richard was mentioned fifth, and Richard was born December 14, 1750. That would place the date of the birth of Sarah as about 1746/47.
We found a deed record in Columbia Co., Ga. of Stephen Collins, for love and affection for his son-in-law--Richard Shackelford. The date here we have forgotten, but it was about 1801 or 1802. And this Richard died in 1821, and his wife Martha was appointed as the administrator of his estate. And while we were unable to find the names of the children of Richard and Martha, the records do make the fact known that there were several of them. But in this we did learn that this Richard Shackelford married Martha, daughter of Stephen Collins. So doubtless this Richard was a brother to John, or at least closely related. As was the above mentioned Benjamin.
There was also mentioned a John Shackelford, Jr. among the Columbia County records. Opinions prove nothing, but it is our opinion that John Jr., Benjamin, Richard, and Sarah, along with Mordecai, were all children of John and Catherine.
But then this brings to our mind another question that needs discussing. There were two men by the name of Mordecai, of whom we have a great deal of information, both of whom were prominent in South Carolina and Georgia, whose descendants are numerous. We shall discuss both of them, and if any one can get us straight on their ancestry we shall be indeed grateful.
First: One Mordecai Shackelford, who, in his pension application, stated that he was born in Madison Co., Va., 1763, and that he served in the armed forces as a substitute for his father John. He stated further, that he entered the service
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in Pittsylvania Co., Va., and that he was discharged at Boye's Ferry on the Dan River; but later he moved south into Elbert Co., Ga. He was living in Abbeville District, S.C., when he made his application for a pension of 1832.
This Mordecai Shackelford married Sarah Jones in Albemarle Co., Va., 1788. No doubt she was related to him, as she was the daughter of John Jones and his wife--Annie Shackelford.
That this man was born in Madison Co., Va., however, is an error. Madison Co. was not created until 1790, and from Culpepper Co. Culpepper was created from Orange, and Orange from Spottsylvania, and Spottsylvania partly from King & Queen. Thus we see that John, whose wife was Catherine, and who owned property in King and Queen Co. could have been the father of the above mentioned Mordecai.
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Our records show that one John Shackelford, who was born about 1741, probably in Charleston or Georgetown, S.C., said to have been the son of William Shackelford and his first wife--Hester Serre. He married a second time, his first wife being Kezzy McGowan, by whom he had three children--John, Susan and Mordecai. And this Mordecai was born Oct. 4, 1775. Thus we see that this Mordecai was twenty one years old in 1796, and could have been the one given the Power of Attorney to dispose of his father's property in King & Queen Co., Va. We shall discuss other records on this problem in our next issue. But in the mean time should any of you be able to help on this we shall be forever grateful.
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There are many records that we do not have, but since we are operating as a clearing house, we will attempt to prove the ancestry of any branch of the family in exchange for data of your particular family or immediate family--Shackelford family we mean, or descendants thereof. Please send us any tid-bit of information that you may have, it might be just what we need to complete the lineage.
Until next month, Adios--The Editor
Transcribed by Alex Early May 25, 1998
UpdatedThursday, 01-May-2008 16:49:40 EDT