Dr. John Shores l

From https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/36424382?cid=mem_copy

Dr. John Shores b.c. 1682- 1750 born in Middlesex, Virginia and most likely died in Hanover, Virginia. The scarcity of records leaves little to be said other than the “Y”DNA trail exists in his descendants that link him to our Scottish ancestors and therefore he existed or the trail would have ended. The additional item is he must have acquired some wealth in order for his son to have had as much as he did. In the years that follow there are several Shores family member who become doctors. It is uncertain who Dr. John Shores married but it suggested that it was a woman named Susannah Woodson. The Woodson family is most certainly in the area and there are connections later that we can verify, but at this moment I have no DNA evidence that can positively identify a connection to the children of Dr. John Shores. It remains a work in progress.

Children of Dr. John Shores , 1682-1750 and Susannah:

• 1.) Richard Shores 1700-1751
• 2.) Anne Charity Shores 1712-1797
• 3.) Dr John Shores II 1721-1796
• 4.)Thomas Shores Sr. b.c. 1727-1815 Born in Hanover County Virginia and died in Shores, Fluvanna, Virginia arriving there by 1750.

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The first of our Shores Colonial family arrive in Virginia in 1636 as indentured servants to Richard Cocke of “Bremo” Plantation. Mr. Cocke operated several plantations in Virginia; Curles, Bremo, Turkey Island, and Malvern Hill. They are, or were in close proximity to one another. There will, as time progresses intermarriages between the Shores and Cocke descendants. Autosomal DNA results prove this to be true. Our first ancestors were: James,and Katherine Shore in March of 1636 followed by, John, Jonas and Katherine in March of 1639. John Jonas and Katherine are documented to have gone to Turkey Island in Henrico County Virginia. It is likely the others did as well. James is found there on a 1639 document with the others. We know that John, Jonas and Katherine were living at Turkey Island in 1649.

Others came to Maryland:

Shoar, Thomas Transported 1668 Shoares, Thomas Transported 1671 Shoare, Katherine 1679, Wife of Thomas Shoare, Thomas 1679, of St. Mary's Cp Shoares, William Transported 1663

There were others, and I will get to some of them, but I believe these were all related family of our clan.

Those that arrived in Maryland seemed to have stayed in Maryland. There were as time passed some that migrated out, but for the most part you can still find Shores family descendants from the originals still living there.

The purpose of this article is to explain the genealogy of those first peoples of our Shores Clan who originated from Shore, Hundersfield Lancashire England and made a home in Virginia concentrating on John Sheeres family line.

It’s an important distinction because the “Shores” surname was used by others with various other backgrounds. For example; English, German, Swiss, and Jewish. For us the name “Shores” originates back in or about 1230 AD when surnames first appear on legal land documents with Roger de la Shore. The name "Shore" is and Olde English term and refers to an out cropping at the base of a hill. Spellings can be misleading, but the idea is all the same, Shore, Shores, Shoar, Shoares, Sheeres, Shears, Shyres, the list is numerous. This "Shores family line that runs thru Fluvanna Virginia is genetically linked to the "Shores" of Somerset Maryland and the “Shores of Fairfax / Loudoun Virginia. The progenitor of the groups appears to be James, and Katherine Shores who arrived in America in 1636 transported by Richard Cocke “of Bremo” and listed in Peter Coldham’s " Complete Book of Immigrants"... I will get to the Maryland Clan in another Story.

Malvern Hill Omohundro, s/o Margret Alice Shores c.1835-1824 wrote a "Shores Excursus" of which I have attached a part in the "Memories” section and given a link to in the “Sources” area. It states that the Family Tradition of his day believed it was Thomas Shores Sr. 1727-1815 who originally came to Fluvanna, Virginia and his father was named John, a physician. It states there was a Thomas Shores (the first) who made a will in 1702( no data). It also states family tradition held that he was the father of Dr. John Shores.

Having arrived in the 1630’s we were some of the earliest peoples to arrive in America from Europe and settled in the areas of New Kent, Lancaster, Accomac, Henrico, Westmoreland and Middlesex. These the places are where we will focus our attention. First, we know we have a connection both paperwork wise and DNA wise to the Cocke family and secondly, the paperwork trail of Shores who resided in the Christchurch, Middlesex area of Virginia British Colonial America. We have a record of Thomas and Grace Shoare who baptized two daughters at Christchurch, Middlesex, Virginia in the parish records of 1638-1812,one in 1671(Jone aka Joan) and one in 1673(Anna). It is my observation because there is no apparent record of their transportation, that they may be descendants of the early arrivals transported by Richard Cocke in 1636 or 1639. My current though is that Thomas is the son of John Sheeres and Katherine his first wife.

That observation is based in part by the geographic location and proximity to the plantations he owned (about 100 miles). It is not a stretch to think that after the indentured service was completed they would have migrated to another spot to find a place of their own. They may have gone to New Kent, Virginia first as it is on the route, but there is no way to know for sure. We have from Mr.Omohundro’s work a will from a Thomas Shore dated 1671. (No other data on him.) Still working on what happened to Grace and Thomas. John Sheeres (aka Sheare) b.c.1650-1700 of Middlesex, VA. John Sheeres is the John Shore and Katherine who arrived in America in 1639. We know that when John Sheeres died sometime after Dec.2, 1700 he had done well. He left behind personal property, horses and mares etc.… according to Mr. Omohundro. Other documents sometimes list him as John “Skeeres” but I believe that simply is a typo that has been carried forward. He and Mary Elizabeth Cocke Osbondistall have a number of influential and well to do friends. These friends surnames include, Cocke, Allen, Montague, Farrar, and Minor (Mynhert). These all seem to be prospering. The wealth issue is important as it establishes inheritance for the heirs and descendants that follow and a basis for the wealth of Thomas Shores Sr. b.c.1727 -1815 arriving in (Albemarle) Fluvanna prior to 1774. It is said he purchased so much land that it became known as Shores, Fluvanna, Virginia.

We know for a fact that Mary Elizabeth Cocke Osbondistall had one daughter, Elizabeth who married a Mr. Allen, a friend of John Sheeres in Middlesex Virginia.

Mary Elizabeth Cocke: 1652-1706 is the daughter of Richard Cocke born in or about 1652 and she died in 1706. She is mention in the will of Richard Cocke in “Bremo” Henrico county Virginia. She would have been the daughter of his first wife Mary Elizabeth Aston.

Children of John Sheeres and Mary Osbondistall: Dr John Shores born in 1682-1750.

We know that John and Mary got married in 1681 at Christchurch Parish and John died in 1700 so the likelihood of being the parents of several children most certainly exists. Indeed I can prove that John Sheeres had children. I just at this time cannot verify John. Dr. John Shores b.c. 1682- 1750 born in Middlesex, Virginia and most likely died in Hanover, Virginia. The scarcity of records leaves little to be said other than the “Y”DNA trail exists in his descendants that link him to our Scottish ancestors and therefore he existed or the trail would have ended. The additional item is he must have acquired some wealth in order for his son to have had as much as he did. In the years that follow there are several Shores family member who become doctors. It is uncertain who Dr. John Shores married but it suggested that it was a woman named Susannah Woodson. The Woodson family is most certainly in the area and there are connections later that we can verify, but at this moment I have no DNA evidence that can positively identify a connection to the children of Dr. John Shores. It remains a work in progress. Thomas Shores. b.c.1685-1755 born in Middlesex, Virginia and most likely died in Dorchester, Maryland. This Thomas is likely the progenitor of and the link to the Somerset, Maryland Clan of Shores. There is a genetic link of “Y” DNA that shows the relationship between the 2 groups that is proven, but this paperwork trail is also scarce. I think the connection runs from the above mentioned Thomas leaving Middlesex after the death of his father in 1700, after his brother John receives the larger share of inheritance, Thomas then sought out a different place to become established. Thomas would be about 15 years of age when his father passed. The age of majority being 14, he would not have been appointed a guardian. Legal age being about 21 in most cases, he may have waited to leave Middlesex until 1726 or so. I think he traveled to Accomac, Virginia first and later to Dorchester Maryland. This is where we would find his supposed son born Thomas Shores b.c. 1735-1804 and we can track him and his descendants of Somerset Maryland.

Children of Dr. John Shores , 1682-1750 and Susannah: 1.) Richard Shores 1700-1751 2.) Anne Charity Shores 1712-1797 3.) Dr John Shores II 1721-1796 4.)Thomas Shores Sr. b.c. 1727-1815 Born in Hanover County Virginia and died in Shores, Fluvanna, Virginia arriving there by 1750.

Married:  (1) Martha Cocke abt 1752  (2) Elizabeth Johnson abt 1747.  Thomas Shores Sr. and Martha Cocke were the parents of Pvt. Thomas Shores Jr.   2.) Monica Shores b.c.1742-1820 Born in Frederick, Virginia and died in Bedford, Virginia. Married Aaron Chamblin abt. 1759. Descendants of Monica and Aaron do not carry the DNA for the Cocke- Baily connection, but do carry some of the chromosomal connections to Richard Shores, John Shores and John Sheeres. They may have a connection to the Woodsons family as well which would seem to say Dr. John Shores may have been married to a Woodson female. More work is being done.

Children of Richard Shores: 1700-1751 Captain Thomas Shores, son of Richard Shores b. abt 1733 in Loudoun County Virginia. Arriving at his age by a deposition he gives in Loudoun County in 1773 in which he states his age as 40. He leased a part of Robert Carter West's land in Fairfax deed book D.no.1 pg.220 October 16, 1755 His wife Sarah, and eldest son Richard are made party to the least as was the custom. Some evidence conclusions we have based on the knowledge of legal documents from the settlement of the estate of William Hulse and his widow Mary in which Richard Shores participates. Later we find a legal paper that shows Richard Shores involved in a St Mary’s Maryland court concerning one of his step sons in 1732…. Soon after it is supposed he made the move to Loudoun Virginia where Thomas would presumably be born. Mentioned in Sarah's Woodson Shores will, are references to 3 children, Sarah, Richard, and Jane's daughter (Mary Morrin).

After the war he receives a land grant (c.1774) will relocate with family to Kentucky where he dies in abt. 1795. Research indicates it is highly unlikely that he or his children returned to England to be married or have further children and then return back to America. He has a connection with the Boone Clan and other early Kentucky pioneers and is listed in records as having been at Fort Boonesborough in 1775.It has been a challenge to unravel our origins but the DNA testing done by family members has helped.                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                                 Reference: https://www.familysearch.org/service/records/storage/das-mem/patron...