Richard Shockley

  General Notes:

From Carroll 1765 - 1815
The Settlements
by John Percy Alderman
1985 : page 170-172, Sketch for Richard Shockley and Meredith Shockley

RICHARD SHOCKLEY

The family descends, almost certainly, from an earlier Richard Shockley who came to Maryland sometime before 1671. The Richard who is the subject of this sketch had been settled in old Lunenburg County and later in Pittsylvania County. The earliest record of him found by the writer is the 1749 tax list of Lunenburg County which lists Richard Shockley and Thomas Shockley, together taxed to a Richard Adams and with a James Shockley nearby (Bell, Sunlight on the Southside). There are records at the Halifax Courthouse showing Richard's land dealings in the 1750's; he bought 100 acres from William and Ledica [Lydia] Adkinson in 1753 (Halifax D.B. 1-64) and sold the property back to Adkinson in 1757 (Halifax D.B. 1-360). The land was on both sides of the Pigg River and likely lay in present day Pittsylvania.

Richard likely came to Little Reed in 1773 or the spring of 1774. He was not listed on the 1770-1773 Botetourt/Fincastle tax lists, but he served in the army that marched to Point Pleasant in 1774 during Lord Dunmore's War (Kegley, Soldiers of Fincastle Co.,Va.-1774). He was in James Robertson's company and was paid for 94 days service. His land claim came from a settlement made in 1773 by Sherod Adkins (or Adkinson) on Little Redd [Creek] (Kegley, Adventurers,II,p.104). Since Shockley did not sell his Pittsylvania holdings until 1775, but nevertheless was in the Fincastle Miltia in 1774, it may be that he came to Little Reed with Sherod Adkins, helped with the improvement, and then acquired the claim.

Richard sold his Pittsylvania land in 1775 (Pittsylvania, D.B, 4-142); it is likely that this is the time he brought his family to the mountains. He took the oath of allegiance to the revolutionary government late in 1777 or early in 1778 (Kegley, Militia), but took no known part in the war itself. He does not appear on any of the surviving Montgomery militia lists.

By 1782 he was established in Montgomery, being taxed with four horses and twelve cattle. He perfected his land claims the same year. He appeared before the Land Commissioners (Kegley, Adventurers,II,p.104), entered his claim with the surveyor and had the survey finished by October (Montgomery, Survey B-258). The tract was 360 acres, just west of Hillsville, and consisted of some of the best farm land in the county. He received the grant in 1785, and it was signed by Patrick Henry who was then Governor of Virginia (Grants Q-222).

There are few records of him from his Little Reed days. He was taxed in Montgomery in the late 1780's but does not appear on the Grayson personal property tax lists. It is likely that he had been exempted. Neither did he appear to have attended Montgomery or Grayson Court.

His older children were grown by the time he settled on Little Reed. His wife was named Elizabeth; that much appears from the deeds (Grayson, D.B. 1-133 and D.B. 1-276). She was probably the daughter of William Adkins (or Adkinson) who died in Pittsylvania in 1784 with a daughter Elizabeth Shockley named in his will (Pittsylvania, Deeds & Wills 11-136). This William Adkins is probably the same William Adkinson with whom Richard had land dealings in the 1750's.

An extensive search through the old records was undertaken in 1970 in Maryland, Virginia and Tennessee. The question remains unanswered as to whether Richard remained in Carroll and died on Little Reed Island Creek or whether he went to Tennessee and died there. There are records of a Richard Shockley in Grainger County, Tennessee, but they are probably records of a son named Richard. It is clear that old Richard sold his Little Reed farm in three transactions in the 1790's. The first deed is not recorded, but he sold 46 acres to Gainer Pierce in 1794 and the remaining 221 acres to William Chalfant in 1795 (Grayson, D.B. 1-133; D.B. 1-276). Thereafter he owned no more land in Grayson. He did witness a deed in the fall of 1796 (Grayson, D.B. 1-52), but no further record of him is found and to this day the remainder of his life is simply not known.

The family researchers have concluded that there were seven sons: (1) Thomas Shockley (2) Richard Shockley jr. (3) Isom Shockley (4) Isaiah Shockley (5) Wilson Shockley (6) Meredith Shockley and (7) William Shockley. No records are found to prove their parentage, but Isaiah, Isom, Meredith and Wilson all appear in the Grayson tax lists during the time Richard was on Little Reed. It is not known if he had daughters, or, if so, who they were. Different researchers have nominated Ailcy, wife of Michael Farmer, Mary, wife of Henry Crawley, and Ann, wife of William Bowman, as candidates.

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MEREDITH SHOCKLEY

He was no doubt born in Pittsylvania County, about 1770. His birth date is calculated from the census, and the calculation is fortified by evidence from the tax lists. He was just a child when his parents, Richard and Elizabeth Shockley, came to Little Reed. Meredith was no doubt raised on the 360 acre grant north of Hillsville.

Sometime about 1790 he married Sarah Worrell, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Crandall) Worrell. Her known birthdate (from her father's Bible) is June 4, 1770. While there is no known record to prove Meredith's parentage, there can be little question that he was one of the younger sons of old Richard.

Meredith's first land was by grant. Ryland Burk owned a survey of 100 acres on Little Reed, adjoining Richard Shockley's farm, and Meredith bought the rights to it and obtained the grant in 1796. However, he sold it in 1801 to Jesse Bond. His other land was purchased. He bought another farm in the same neighborhood from Henry Crawley in 1801, sold it, repurchased it, and finally deeded it to his sons Amos and Esau (Grayson, D.B. 4-497; D.B. 4-499). It was not until 1816 that he bought the old Adkins survey from Byrom Ballard (Grayson, D.B. 3-354); this appears to be the tract on which he lived most of his life, and he held it until 1840 when he deeded it to his son Amos (Grayson, D.B. 8-253).

His wife Sarah died in the 1840's, judging from the old census, but Meredith lived on until 1860. The 1850 census shows him living alone, but adjacent to his son John (1850 Census, Carroll, Household #931). On January 3, 1856 he contracted with his son Amos whereby he gave Amos his horse with all "the property in bring back" and in exchange Amos was to maintain him the balance of his life (Carroll, D.B. 5-549). It is doubtful that Meredith had been on any journey; likely he was going back to the old homeplace to live with Amos; the homesite was on the tract where U.S. Highway 58 now crosses Little Reed Island.

Meredith lived with Amos four more years. There is some confusion about the death date. The county death register indicates that he died July 9, 1860 of fever; the same register shows that Amos Shockley's wife Jemima died January 2, 1860, but both Meredith the father and Jemima the wife are listed with Amos in the 1860 census with the enumeration taken August 7, 1860. It may be that Meredith died in 1861.

The writer found Meredith Shockley's monument in the North End Cemetery; it consists of a field stone with his name carved into the rock and it has no dates.

There was no administration of his estate and no will; he had given away all his property during his lifetime. Therefore there is no list of heirs in the clerks office. However the traditional account of his family states that there were eleven children and such evidence as remains fortifies the tradition: (1) James Shockley, born in the 1790's, married Polly Ogle in 1815, lived on Little Reed for many years, but sold out in 1833 and moved away. (2) John Shockley, 1793-1863, married Phebe Scudders and became one of the wealthiest men in the county; the war ruined him and he died before its close. (3) Charlotte Shockley, who is said to have married a Mooney. (4) Meredith Shockley jr., born before 1800 [1850 census record indicate ca 1805], married Drusilla Dehaven in 1824; they left in 1836. [They can be found in the 1850 census living in Athens, Gentry Co., Missouri indexed as follows: Meridith Theckley (44 -VA), Drusillar Sheckley (45 -VA), Caswell F [Phoenix] Sheckley (16 - VA), Sharlot J Sheckley (14 - VA), William Sheckley (11 - Indiana), Elizabeth Sheckley (8 - MO), Juliat C Sheckley (6 - MO)] (5) Amos Shockley, born about 1799, married Jemima Franklin in 1823 and remarried Harriett Howlett in 1862; he died about the first of the year 1881. (6) Esau Shockley, born about 1803, married Elizabeth Farmer in 1822; he died in the late 1840's leaving his widow with eleven children. (7) Reuben Shockley. (8) William Shockley. (9) Nancy Shockley, born about 1807, who married John L. Farmer in 1826. (10) Elizabeth Shockley, born about 1810, never married, and died July 15, 1867. (11) Margaret Shockley (sometimes her name is given as Matilda) married Parker Atkins in 1831.

Richard married Elizabeth Adkins, daughter of William Adkins and Lydia Owens. (Elizabeth Adkins was born circa 1745 in Henrico Co, VA and died circa 1797 in Grayson Co., VA..)