1 (925)
SHACKELFORD CLAN MAGAZINE
Genealogy of Shackelfords and Shacklefords
Editor: T. K. Jones 270 Lexington Ave. Lexington, Ky.
$2.00 A Year Published Monthly .15c A Copy
Lexington, Ky. January 1955 Vol. 10. No. 9
-----------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------
GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH # 10
The Institute of American Genealogy, of Chicago, has a catalog showing a list of their publications. They have also published several volumes of "The Compendium of American Genealogy", containing several thousand lineages of The First Families of America. They have also published four volumes of The Handbook of American Genealogy, and Volume 6 is now being made ready for publication and should be off the press at an early date.
To give you an idea of what this Handbook means to a genealogist, let us give you an outline of the contents of Volume 4. Volume 4 of the Handbook of American Genealogy shows the names of 341 professional or avocational genealogists devoting all or part time to the collection of data on 10,932 families; 211 organized Family Associations are also actively engaged in compiling genealogies.
Membership in The Institute of American Genealogy is $15.00 per year, and in the past the Handbook and catalog has been free to members. We are not certain that this will be the case when the next Handbook comes off the press.
Now we wil tell you something of the Genealogical Society of Utah. We wonder how many of you know of the vast work concerning genealogy that is being done by the Genealogical Society of Utah,
2 (926)
which is financed and governed by the Mormon Church, in Salt Lake City. A gentleman writing for The Burton's Historical Collection Quarterly, in 1952, said, and we quote--"Within a few years it will be possible for any person in the United States, perhaps the world, to go to Salt Lake City, Utah, and find among the records collected and compiled by The Genealogical Society of Utah, records of their ancestors"--end of quote.
That sounds like a very broad statement, but we believe that it is true. This writer has been to Salt Lake City, and we know something of the work they are doing. They have the largest collection of genealogical publications that it has been our pleasure to see, and we have been in forty four States. They have sent men into many parts of the world to make micro-films of old records, including England, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and other places. They have micro-filmed every record that has been made available to them in each of the thirteen original Colonies, and others of older States. They have thousands of rolls of micro-films.
When this writer was in Salt Lake City in 1952, we talked with Mr. Myers, the man who has charge of all the above mentioned projects, and he told us at that time that they were then receiving new records at the rate of two hundred thousand pages each day. They then had eighteen machines for the reading of micro-films. We have reliable information that they now have three hundred machines.
In 1952, with only eighteen machines, it was possible for one person to use a machine but one to two hours per day. Which at that time was the most expensive part of your work in Salt Lake City. Not that you had to pay for the privilege, for the records and the machines are available to the public without charge.
But if the major part of your work was with micro-films and you could use them no more than an hour or two each day, expenses for remaining in Salt lake City would be rather high. But with the wonderful facilities there a trip to Salt Lake City is worthwile for any person. (To be continued).
3 (927)
We will now continue with the queries that have come to us.
First: Now comes a query from Mr. A. D. Shackelford, President of The Bank of Wilson, Wilson, N.C., wishing information of his Shackelford ancestry. In his query Mr. Shackelford states that he is the son of Jeremiah Hilliard and Emma Thompson Shackelford, of Greene County, N.C., and that Jereniah Hilliard was the son of William Hines Shackelford, who in turn was the son of William Arthur Shackelford. And he would like to know who the parents of William Arthur were. He also states that his grandfather used to speak of a Willoughby Shackelford, and wants to know if it is likely that Willoughby was the father of William Arthur.
We happen to know that there were at least two men by the name of Willoughby Shackelford, but we are unable to answer the query by Mr. Shackelford.
One Willoughby Shackelford was the son of William Shackelford, who was born about 1720 to 1730. (William was born about that date). This William married a second time, one of his wives, supposed to have been the first one, was Hester Serre, daughter of Noah and Catherine Challion-Serre, and his second wife--a Miss Raven.
Noah Serre and his wife Catherine Challion, were from France, and were in South Carolina as early as 1696. But we do not have the marriage date of William and Hester. This William Shackelford is said to have had sixteen sons and one daughter, but we only have the names of six or seven of them, one of them being a son--Willoughby. But that is all we know of Willoughby.
Another Willoughby Shackelford was a son of Francis and Rebecca Ballard-Shackelford, and was born December 30, 1765. We have a copy of his will that we shall give you later.
This last named Willoughby Shackelford died in Onslow County, N.C. And we doubt that this is the ancestor of Mr. A. D. Shackelford, but we shall give you what we have on him for whatever it is worth.
We also know that there was one Willoughby Shackelford in Wayne County, N.C., and it is our opinion
4 (928)
that the Wayne County Willoughby is the ancestor of Mr. Shackelford, that is, if a Willoughby is his ancestor in the first place.
We have searched the records in several North Carolina Counties, but it so happens that we have never had the pleasure of searching in either Wayne or Greene Counties, although we have census records from both.
WILL OF WILLOUGHBY SHACKELFORD
In the name of God, Amen:
I, Willoughby Shackelford, of the County of Onslow, and State of North Carolina, being weak of body, but of sound mind and memory, blessed by Almighty God for the same, do make and publish this to be my last Will and Testament in manner and form following--viz:
First: I commit my body to the dust to be buried in a Christian like manner, and my soul to God who gave it.
Item: I do lend unto my beloved wife--Mary Ann Shackelford, all my land and plantation whereon I now live, and one negro girl Lucy, and one mare, bridle and saddle, and all my stock of cattle, and stock of hogs and sheep, and all my plantation tools and household and kitchen furniture, during her natural life or widowhood, also my riding saddle during her widowhood; and after my wife's marriage or death I desire the above lent property to be equally divided amongst all my children towit: Sarah Shackelford, Penny Shackelford, Rebecca and Owen Shackelford, to them and their heirs forever.
I do nominate, constitute and appoint my beloved wife--Mary Ann Shackelford, executrix, and Jonathan Wilder and Jason Gregory, executors, to this my last Will and Testament. Hereby revoking all former wills by me made. I have hereunto set my hand affixed my seal this the fifteenth day of June eighteen hundred and five. (June 15, 1805).
signed--Willoughby Shackelford
Lewis Jones, George Mills, and Amittee Gregory, witnesses. Will Book A, page 118, Onslow Co., N.C.
Probated in 1805, day and month not shown.
5 (929)
Francis Shackelford, whose wife was Rebecca Ballard, in his will mentions the same children that Willoughby mentions, but mentions them as grandchildren. However, Francis mentions them as Rebecca Shackelford, Owen Shackelford, Sarah Coxe and Penny Straynge. So without a doubt this Willoughby was the eldest son of Francis.
Francis Shackelford, whose will has been published in an earlier issue of the Magazine, died in Marion County, S.C., and the year was 1823.
And although we doubt that this is the ancestor of Mr. A. D. Shackelford, we would be very grateful for information of the descendants of Willoughby Shackelford--who were they and did they remain in Onslow County, or did they move elsewhere?
Mr. A. D. Shackelford states that his people, as far back as he has any records of them, lived in Greene County, North Carolina. So following we will give you the names of the Shackelfords that lived in Greene County, 1850 and 1860.
In the census record dated July 25, 1850, we find the following:
Wiliam Shackelford -----born 1802 in N.C.
Ealina E. C. Shackelford-born 1832 in N.C.
Martha A.D. Shackelford - born 1848 in N.C.
And in the same house we find:
Jane Mitchell---------------born 1829 in N.C.
Jesse Shackelford----------born 1823 in N.C.
Liddie, evidently his wife---born 1828 in N.C.
Charles Shackelford--------born 1788 in N.C.
Martha, evidently his wife---born 1789 in N.C.
Nancy Ann Shackelford----born 1826 in N.C.
Harriet Shackelford---------born 1828 in N.C.
Tempy Shackelford---------born 1789 in N.C.
Washington R. Shackelford, same house, born 1831.
Seth Shackelford------------born 1819, in N.C.
Arabella, evidently his wife, born 1824 in N.C.
Louisa Shackelford---------born 1846 in N.C.
6 (930)
Issac Shackelford----------born 1814 in N.C.
Elizabeth, evidently his wife, born 1824 in N.C.
In the 1860 census we find the following:
Jesse Shackelford-----------------born 1823 in N.C.
Liddie, evidently his wife------------born 1828 in N.C.
Martha A. E. Shackelford-----------born 1848 in N.C.
Mary E. Shackelford----------------born 1850 in N.C.
William S. Shackelford--------------born 1852 in N.C.
Lydia J. Shackelford----------------born 1854 in N.C.
Jesse B. Shackelford----------------born 1855 in N.C.
John F. Shackelford-----------------born 1857 in N.C.
J. S. Shackelford--------------------born 1819 in N.C.
Cherry Shackelford------------------born 1829 in N.C.
Frances Shackelford-----------------born 1846 in N.C.
William Shackelford------------------born 1850 in N.C.
Elizabeth Shackelford-----------------born 1853 in B.C. (sic)
C. L. Shackelford---------------------born 1821 in N.C.
Aleasley, evidently his wife------------born 1826 in N.C.
John Shackelford----------------------born 1847 in N.C.
Noah H. Shackelford-----------------born 1853 in N.C.
Martha H. or A. Shackelford----------born 1855 in N.C.
Anna Shackelford---------------------born 1858 in N.C.
According to the census records the above are all the Shackelfords in Greene County, N.C. for the years 1850 and 1860. And we are sorry to say that we do not have census records for the years 1850 and/or 1860 for Wayne County. We thought we had, and if we did have they might help.
Any one that can help us out as regards the descendants of any Willoughby Shackelford, or the ancestry of William Arthur Shackelford, of Greene Co., North Carolina, please contact us. We will be forever grateful.
----------------------------------------------
"In character, in manners, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity"--Longfellow.
----------------------------------------------
Now comes a query concerning the ancestry and/or Revolutionary service of Zachariah Shackelford, of
7 (931)
Orange County, Va., and Casey County, Ky.
As to the direct ancestry--the parentage we cannot say, but we feel certain that he descends from James Shackelford, son of Roger--the immigrant.
James Shackelford, son of Roger, married Elizabeth Robbins, daughter of Christopher Robbins, in Abington Parish, Gloucester County, Va., July 14, 1687. Robert Freeman married Ann Robbins, sister of Elizabeth. The two Robbins girls had inherited land from their grandfather--John Robbins, but their husbands--James Shackelford and Robert Freeman, had, during their life time, disposed of the land. In 1734 both men were deceased, leaving their families in very poor circumstances financially. So they filed a suit to recover their lands that had been disposed of. They won the suit, but instead of regaining their lands they were given land in the County of Spottsylvania, and also eight slaves. For proof of this see your Shackelford Clan Magazine for January 1946, and Henning's Statutes at Large, Vol. IV, chapter XXIX, pages 461-64. And in this document it is stated that when the two families moved over to Spottsylvania County there were no less than sixty people--children and grand children of James Shackelford and Robert Freeman. No names except the two mothers are shown however.
That same year, 1734, Orange County was created from Spottsylvania. And now we learn that some of the land given to the above people was in the new County of Orange, for we find the following document or instrument in Orange County. "On the motion of Henry Willis it is ordered that pursuant to the Act of The Assembly passed last session, he has placed upon the lands in this County vested in Ann Freeman and Elizabeth Shackelford and the heirs of the body of Christopher Robbins forever, eight negro slaves of the age directed by the said act, named Austin, Humphrey, John, George, Betty, Frank, Mary and Milly, May 20, 1735. Order Book 1, page 14.
So here we have known descendants of James and Elizabeth Robbins-Shackelford, in Orange County as early as 1735. Names however, are not shown. They lived in the Parish of St. Thomas, whose records are
8 (932)
no longer extant.
The first mention of a Shackelford in Orange Co., among the County records, as far as we have been able to determine, was in 1741, when one acre of the land owned by John Shackelford, an orphan, was condemmed for a Mill Site, by order of William Beverly, March 26, 1741. Order Book 2, page 322.
Then looking at other names and dates we find that there was one John Shackelford in Orange Co., Virginia, and deeding land as early as 1743-1750. And according to the deeds and orders we find the following Shackelfords in Orange County, each one being there as early as the date following their respective names. John, 1750; and there appears to have been two Johns, as we find one John in 1765, named as John, Sr. Both Thomas and James were here in 1785; Samuel was here in 1764; Zachariah was here in 1767; Thomas, whose wife was Mary, was in Orange in 1752; Edmund, son of John and a Captain in Revolutionary War, was here as early as 1771, so was Henry. Henry proved that he served in the Hogg's Rangers against the Indians in 1755, dated November 25, 1779. Minute Book 2, page 120. There was one George Shackelford in Orange also, but the exact date is not shown.
In 1767 Samuel Shackelford had moved over into Amherst County. His wife was called both Ann and Nancy. She was the daughter of Alex Blaine. He later moved to Lincoln County, Ky., where he died. He too, served in the Revolution as an Ensign.
Now since we find only one Zachariah Shackelford mentioned in Orange, but never find a mention of his wife, we have to assum a few things, which proves nothing, but often circumstantial evidence is better than eye witness evidence.
Zachariah Shackelford was appointed 2nd Lieutenant, and took the oath prescribed by law, October, 23, 1777. Zachariah Shackelford was appointed 1st lieutenant and took the oath, March 22, 1781, in Captain Lindsey's Company. Minute Book 2, page 150.
In the next issue we will give you additional information of Lt. Zachariah Shackelford.
Until next month, Adios--The Editor.
Transcribed by Alex Early June 1998
UpdatedThursday, 01-May-2008 16:48:58 EDT