William Shields

Burial record:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/86904010/william-shields

William Shields was the son of James Shields who migrated from County Antrim, Ireland and married Jane Prather.

William married Jeanette Parker about 1692 in Kent County, Maryland. William owned Shields Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. William died while helping one of his sons build a cabin.

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William was born in 1668 at Kent County, Maryland. He died in 1741, at Augusta County, Virginia, killed by a falling log while helping one of his sons build a cabin. William married Jeannette Parker and fathered five children: James "The Cordwainer" Shields, Jane Shields (did not marry), Thomas Shields, Eliza Shields (Hathaway), and John Shields (born in 1709). The three sons migrated to Augusta County, Virginia and became major landowners, farmers, surveyors, and shoemaker/leatherworkers (cordwainer) in the Beverly Manor portion of the huge Borden Tract which included much of the central Shenandoah Valley.

William Hathaway, a grandson of this William Shields, wrote in his 1790 history of the family: "My grandfather was William Shields. He was born in Kent County in the year 1668. My grandmother on my mother's side was Jeanette Parker. Aunt Jane was born January 15,1696. She died in Lancaster County in the year 1750. I had four uncles. One died young. Uncle Tom was born in the year 1699. Uncles James was born in the year 1694. Uncle John was born in the year 1709. They lived first in Lancaster, Chester County, PA and then moved to Augusta County, VA.

Mother was born June 3, 1704. She died in Chester County in the year 1742, being stricken with pneumonia. Grandfather was killed by a falling log while helping one of my uncles build a house in Virginia in 1741. Grandmother lived with Aunt Jane until her death. Uncle James died about the year 1750. His son John was about my own age. He visited us soon after. I have never seen him since then. He was living in North Carolina a few years ago. Uncle Tom died about the year 1765, leaving several children. Uncle John died just before the war. Several of my cousins were in the Continental Army. Uncle Tom's children moved away, and I do not know where they are. Some of them went south, I think. Uncle John's children have scattered. One lived in Pennsylvania. One went to North Carolina. One went to Boone's settlement in Frankland a few years ago. Some of them still live in Virginia. My relatives on Mother's side were all large, strong, long-lived and industrious people."

GEDCOM Source

MH:S37 <i>v28t2460.FTW</i> @R1@ MH:SC3756 Date of Import: Jun 13, 2001 0

GEDCOM Source

MH:S37 <i>v28t2460.FTW</i> @R1@ MH:SC3757 Date of Import: Jun 13, 2001 0