Samuel Shepard

• BIRTH 1673 Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
• DEATH 1724 (aged 50–51) Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut, USA
• BURIAL Old Plainfield Cemetery Plainfield, Windham County, Connecticut, USA
• MEMORIAL ID 106557348

Biography

Samuel Shepard was son of Isaac and A. Mary (Smedley) Shepard, m. Elinor Whitney. Nathaniel Jewell and A. Mary Smedley (2nd marriage) m. her sister, Sarah Whitney. Isaac and Mary (Smedley) Shepard had three children: Isaac m. unknown; Samuel m. Elinor Whitney and Mary m. Thomas Harris. Children of Samuel and Eleanor* (Whitney) Shepard, of Plainfield, Conn., as named in the distribution of his estate Nov. 10, 1726, (indorsed) and recorded at Windham (Willimantic), Conn., Dec. 32, 1730.

The grave of Samuel Shepard at Plainfield, Conn., is marked by a simple slab with the inscription S.S., 1724. His wife Eleanor survived him, but the date of her decease is not known. He was the son of Isaac Shepard, of Concord (Nashoba), Mass., who was killed by the Nashua Indian. Feb. 12, 1678, and grandson of Dea. Ralph Shepard, of Dedham, Maiden and Concord (1603-1691), and his wife, Thank Lord, from Stepney Parish (London, England). For further particulars see the monograph written upon the "Puritan Ralph Shepard" by his descendant and namesake, the late Ralph Hamilton Shepard, of New Haven, N.Y. or consult Judge H. M. Shepard, of Chicago.

Historical Synopsis

The third town organized within Windham County, was Plainfield, in the Quinebaug Country, east of Windham. Neither James Fitch nor the Winthrops attempted settlement of this land earlier, but Oct 13, 1690, Fitz, John and Wait Winthrop petitioned the general court and the plantation was begun. A number of Massachusetts families took possession of Quinebaug and east of the river soon after 1690, when they purchased it from Winthrop."

Familiar names included in the list of these residents include Edward, Joseph, & Benjamin Spalding, from Chelmsford; Isaac & Samuel Shepard wtih their stepfather Nathaniel Jewell, from Concord. The most northerly residents included the young Shepard brother of Malden, sons of Ralph Shepard, deceased. The Spaldings were a mile or two south of the Shepards, but the great number of residents were south of the present village of Plainfield. "At the time of this removal to Quinebaug, Major James Fitch was a little past middle age & for years had been one of the most prominent men in Connecticut settlements....other settlers soon followed Major Fitch, including Samuel & Josiah Cleveland from Woburn. Elisha Paine bought two thousand acres in the south of the tract from Major Fitch. Josiah Cleveland bought land at Wanangatuck of Richard Bushnell." [2]

Parents
Isaac Shepard 1639–1676
Mary Margaret Smedley Shepard Jewell 1648–1697

Spouse
Eleanor Whitney Shepard 1679–1730

Siblings
Isaac Shepard 1669–1748

Children 7x
Jonathan Shepard b. 3/3/1707-8 at Plainfield, CT m. March 29, 1729, Elizabeth Bake
David Shepard 1710–1752 m. 5/8/1732 1st Mehitabel Spaulding 1 issue, 2nd Lydia Meacham 4 children
Nathaniel Shepard b.6/15/1720, m. Susannah Wheeler: issue, four daughters
Benjamin Shepard b. Feb 21, 1722-3.
Eleanor Shepard Derby 3/6/1701-2.
Mary Shepard Johnson b. 8/11/1703.
Lucy Shepard d. 1785

References

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106557348/samuel-shepard

Sources

[2] "History of Windham CT", 1600-1760, Chapter 16 "The Quinebaug Country, Peagscomsuck",

Additional Information== (Add above if missing)

i Jonathan Shepard b. 3/3/1707/8 at Plainfield, CT m. March 29, 1729, Elizabeth Baker, and resided at Canterbury, Conn. His children were (1)Samuel, (2) Jonathan, (3) William, (4) Daniel, (5) Timothy and (6) Israel.

ii. DAVID Shepard (2d) son), m. May 8, 1732, first wife Mehitabel SPALDING (Spaulding), had one child:

       (1) Capt. David SHEPARD, b. Jan. 10, 1733; from whom are descended Shepards, of Otsego, N.Y.

David SHEPARD, by his second wife, Lydia MEACHAM, had
(2) Mehitabel, b. Sept. 11, 1735; m. Capt. Joseph BURGES, of Canterbury CT
(3) Lydia, b. Sept. 13, 1737, m. Enoch PIERCE,
(4) Benjamin, b. July 4, 1740,res. Norwich, Conn.,
(5) Jesse SHEPARD, of Tolland and Somers, Conn., b. July 6, 1744;

                     m. Sept. 24, 1786, was a soldier in the	Revolution. His son Jesse

SHEPARD, M.D., resided at Schoharie, N.Y.,
(6) Abigail, wife of Jonathan PIERCE, B. Aug.1, 1746, Sarah SHEPARD, b.
Jan 16, 1749, and John SHEPARD, b. May 5, 1751, d. unm. 1767. David SHEPARD lived on Shepard's Hill in the town of Plainfield, CT , c
Nov. 0, 1752, ae. abt. 40. His wife Lydia survived him nearly half a century.
iii. NATHAN SHEPARD (3d son), b. June 15, 1720, m. Susannah Wheeler: issue, four daughters.
iv. BENJAMIN SHEPARD (4th son), b. Feb 21, 1722-3.
v. ELEANOR SHEPARD (DERBY), eldest dau., Mch 6, 1701-2.
vi. MARY (JOHNSON), 2nd dau., b. Aug. 11, 1703.
vii. LUCY SHEPARD (3d dau.), d. s. 1785.

There do not seem to be very many Shepards in the CT area in the 1700's, and this Samuel is just one of them - the father of Eleanor. Here is a listing of the East Haven CT death listing by Rev. Stephen Todd. It contains some Shepards.

Abigail Shepard, wife of Joseph Shepard Jan 3,1796 at 35, childbed
Abraham Shepard, Sept 1800, at 18, lost at sea in a gale with the vessel
Amos Shepard, Feb 1797 at 25, fever in the West Indies
Amy Shepard, widow of John Shepard, 3rd., May 17,1813 at 46, putrid fever
Elizabeth Shepard, wife of Samuel Shepard Apr 2,1783 at 48, rupture
Elizabeth Shepard, wife of Samuel Shepard Aug 8,1788 at 22, consumption
Elizabeth Shepard, widow of John Shepard,jun., May 8,1813 at 67, putrid fever
Hannah Shepard with infant, wife of Thomas Shepard,jun., Jan 20,1753 at 17
Henrietta Shepard, child of Samuel Shepard, jun., Oct 1,1813 at 5, dysentery
Isaac Shepard, child of Thomas Shepard Nov 1,1753 at 15
Isaac Shepard, Jan 18,1802 at 25, nervous fever
Jacob Shepard, son of Thomas Shepard June 5,1799 at 7, dysentery
Capt Joseph Shepard, Sept 1800, at 38, lost at sea in a gale with the vessel
Jared Shepard, son of John Shepard Jan 6,1787 at 18
John Shepard, son of John Shepard Sept 15,1743 at 12, dysentery
John Shepard, May 18,1780 at 84
John Shepard, jun., Nov 18,1810 at 46, typhus fever
John Shepard, Apr 4,1811 at 61, consumption
Lydia Shepard, wife of Thomas Shepard Aug 23,1813 at 67, liver complaint
Mary Shepard, child of John Shepard Oct 18,1742 at 12, fever and dysentery
Mary Shepard, child of John Shepard Sept 30,1743 at 12, dysentery
Rosewell Shepard, Sept 1800, at 20, lost at sea in a gale with the vessel
Samuel Shepard, Feb 1,1805 at 75
Sarah Shepard, wife of John Shepard Jan 1,1761 at 49
Stephen Shepard, Aug 13,1819 at 80, palsy
Thomas Shepard, father of the Shepard family Apr 18,1726

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106557348/samuel-shepard