Family of Adriana Venegas of Sacramento, CA:Information about Thomas Shepherd
Capt. Thomas Shepherd (b. 1705, d. Jul 1776)
 | Shepherd's Mill |
Thomas Shepherd (son of William Shepherd and Sarah Cochran) was born 1705 in Prince Georges, Maryland, and died Jul 1776 in Shepherdstown, Jefferson, Va.He married Elizabeth Van Meter on 1733 in Somerset, VA, daughter of John Van Metre and Margaret Meulinaur.
Notes for Thomas Shepherd:Founder of Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Thomas Shepherd was one of the first settlers along the Potomac. His will was proved, Oct. 13, 1745, at Winchester, VA, now WV.
A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family Author: Samuel Gordon Smyth Call Number: R929.2 D877
The genealogy and history of the families of John Van Meter, Thomas Shepherd and John Duke, who settled in VA between 1730 and 1750.
Bibliographic Information: Smyth, Samuel Gordon. A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family. Lancaster, PA: The New Era Printing Co., 1909
Excerpt from website by Lee Case:
http://members.tripod.com/LeeCase/shepard.htm
"...When Jost Hite began to dispose of his land in Spottsylvania Co., Va. which had been assigned to him by John and Isaac Van Metre, among the first to procure desirable parcels was Thomas Shepherd, who purchased 222 acres on the south side of the Cohongoluta (Potomac). The record of the grant was dated 3 October 1734, the same year in which Orange County was set off from Spottsylvania County. The grant thus fell within the bounds of the former. Shepherd made his selection at a point on the bank of the Potomac near the crossing afterward called "Packhorse Ford" by the settlers. An additional grant of 450 acres by Lord Fairfax, 12 June 1751 increased Shepherd's possessions. These were supplemented by a purchase from Capt. Richard Morgan, 5 August 1762 of 50 acres; and again on 15 January 1768 when Lord Fairfax conveyed to him 222 acres, so that the combined acreage which Thomas shepherd owned in the vicinity of "Packhorse Ford" aggregated about 1,000 acres; and the settlement which followed, became known as Mecklenburg.
In the meanwhile (1745) Thomas Shepherd's father-in-law John Van Metre, had died and in his will had bequeathed to his daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Thomas Shepherd, a plantation of 162 acres called "Pell Mell," which lay on the opposite side of the river in Maryland adjacent to the Antietam Creek, which had been surveyed for John Van Metre in 1743 by Joseph Chapline.
On the beautiful wood bluff overlooking the sinuous windings of the Potomac, and beyond it, the low slopes of the Maryland shore; and on both sides of a small, but swift, run that tumbled down over the rocky ledges of a defile leading to the river, Thomas shepherd founded the settlement, which, in years to come, was destined to honor his name. Less than a mile below was the old "Packhorse Ford" marking the main trail-- the path, which, for time immemorial, the savages had worn deep into the soil from intercourse between the tribes of the north those of the south--but now absorbed by the constantly increasing volume of pioneers passing down and through to the settlements of Maryland and Pennsylvania to be distributed, at this point, over the various India highways toward the south. Thomas Shepherd was shrewd enough to realize the importance of the location and its strategic advantages for trade and barter with the Indians and with the emigrants that flowed, like a stream, over his land.
It is said that his first settlers were thrifty German mechanics. Whoever they may have been, they were encouraged by the enterprising energy of Thomas Shepherd, and as industrious community was soon developed. Then a fort was erected, for the times were full of menace, and the Indians were growing more restless and troublesome under the influence of the French parties.
Thomas and Elizabeth Van Metre Shepherd had 10 children: Elizabeth, David, Sarah, William, Thomas, Mary, John, Martha, Abraham and Susannah."
Thomas Shepherd purchased 457 acres from Lord Fairfax on 12 June, 1751. This land was adjacent on the west of his patent land to present-day Mechlenburg Heights at John VanMeter's (Thomas's father-in-law) 1,786 acre land patent of 1734. (Tract 132, Map 2 of Cecil O'Dell's book). The land then runs south along VanMeter's east line to John Welton's 1734 patent of 442 acres at the southwest line. (Tract 23, Map 1 from Cecil O'Dell's book). On the east of his patent land, Thomas purchased 50 acres from Richard Morgan's 155 acre Fairfax grant. Adjacent to this 50 acres, he bought 32 acres from Fairfax on 15 January, 1768, east of today's Shepherdstown, about one half mile along the edge of the Potomac River.
Thomas Shepherd petitioned the Orange County Court on 26 February,1737/38 requesting to be discharged as constable Sherundo as soon as Richard Morgan was sworn in his place. He built a grist mill and sawmill on his 222 acre patent land, and by 1776, he had a new mill erected on his 457 acre grant land. Permission to establish a ferry across the Potomac River was granted by an act of the Assembly of Virginia in October 1762 to Thomas and in November 1762 he was authorized to erect the town of Mechlenburg. After his death (in 1776) the name was changed by an act of the Virginia Assembly to Shepherdstown and the first lots in the town were sold on 21 July 1764.
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Shepherdstown is situated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River, and archeological evidence indicates Indians camped in and around the area long before the Europeans. Several major battles between warring tribes are said to have occurred at or a few miles downstream.
Once known as Potomoke, it eventually became known as Mecklenburg in the 1730s and was chartered in 1762 by the Virginia General Assembly.. It was renamed Shepherd's Town in 1798 in honor of Thomas Shepherd (1705-1776), an early settler and founder. After the Civil War, the community was officially recognized as Shepherdstown. The mill that Thomas built in the 1700s still exists today.
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His will was written 23 March 1776 and was proved on 20 August, 1776. He bequeathed the sawmill and acreage to son William, the grist mill and acreage to son Thomas, Jr., the new mill and acreage to son John, the remaining land to son
Abraham, two acres and house to wife Elizabeth, a Mechlenburg lot to grandson Thomas Thornburg and 100 pounds each to his daughters Mary, Sarah and Elizabeth plus lots in Mechlenburg to Susannah and fifty pounds to Martha.
A bronze plate attached to the iron fence at the Shepherd burial grounds at Shepherdstown, WV: In Memory of Thomas Shepherd, 1705-1776, Founder of Shepherdstown, Early American Settler & Patriot, Father of Five Sons Who Served in the Revolutionary War. Placed by Lafayette Chapter Sons of The American Revolution, Akron, OH.
Grave markers at the cemetery.
In Memory of Elizabeth Van Meter Shepherd 1715-1792, Wife of Thomas, Sr.
In Memory of Thomas Shepherd II 1743-1793
In Memory of Sarah Shepherd Thornburg 1736-1780, daughter of Thomas, Sr.
In Memory of Thomas Thornburg Sr 17-- 1789, husband of Sarah
The above are all small, simple granite stones.
Thomas's will dated 3/23/1776, Will Bk 1, pp 61-65.
Elizabeth's will was written July 10, 1786, and was probated June 18, 1793. It is recorded in will Book #2 at Martinsburg, Berkley Co., WV. When Thomas, her husband, died he left a large estate.
Sons of the American Revolution marker:
In memory of Elizabeth Van Meter Shepherd, 1715-1792, wife of Thomas Sr.
Plaque on cemetery fence:
In memory of Thomas Shepherd-1705-1776-founder of
Shepherdstown-Early American Settler & Patriot-Father of five sons who served in the Revelutionary War.
More About Thomas Shepherd:
Will: 23 Mar 1776
More About Thomas Shepherd and Elizabeth Van Meter:
Marriage: 1733, Somerset, VA.
Children of Thomas Shepherd and Elizabeth Van Meter are:
- +Mary Shepherd, b. 1742, Shepherdtown, WV, d. 13 Sep 1781, Jefferson County,Kentucky.
- Thomas Shepherd, b. 1743, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. 16 Oct 1792, Berkely, Va.
- Sarah Shepherd, b. 1736, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. 1780.
- John Shepherd, b. 1749, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. Abt. 1825, Clairsville, Ohio.
- Abraham Shepherd, b. 10 Nov 1754, Shepherdstown, , Va, d. 07 Sep 1822, Shepherd Cem., Shepherdstown, , Va.
- Elizabeth Shepherd, b. 03 Oct 1738, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. 1788.
- Martha Shepherd, b. 1752, Shepherdstown, , Va, d. Abt. 1825, Slairsville, Ohio.
- William Shepherd, b. 1737, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. 1824.
- David Shepherd, b. Jan 1733, Shepherdstown, Jefferson, VA, d. 02 Feb 1795.
- Susannah Shepherd, b. 01 Sep 1758, Shepherdstown, , Va, d. 13 Apr 1835, Wheeling, Ohio, Va.