FATHER

Solomon Shepherd

MOTHER

Jane Wilson

WIFE

Margaret Blackburn

CHILDREN

1. Amy Rebecca Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1764
    m. Bef. 10 11th mo 1783 to John Allen
         (disowned for marrying out of unity)
    d. Oct 1817 Brookeville, Franklin, IN

2. Jane (Jean) Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1766
    m. bef. 28 7th mo. 1798 to Mattock
        (disowned for marrying out of unity)

3. John Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1768
    (disowned for fornication 23rd 1st mo. 1790)
    m. 29 Feb 1795 Lucretia Patterson
    d. 1809 Breckinridge Co., KY

4. Solomon Shepherd
    b. Oct 1769
    m. Bef. 22 10th mo. 1791
        (disowned for marrying out of unity)

5. Elizabeth Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1771
    (disowned 25 10th mo. 1794)

6. Mary Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1773
    m. Bef. 27 10th mo. 1792 to Peter Andrews
        (disowned for marrying out of unity)

7. Joseph Shepherd
    b. 1 Jul 1777
    (disowned 23 6th mo. 1792)
    m. 1799 to Elizabeth Medix
    (Reinstated 22 5th mo. 1817)
    d. 1 Jul 1859 Fayette, PA

8. Sarah M Shepherd
    b,. Abt. 1779
    m. Bef. 25 Feb 1797 to William C Colvin
     (disowned for marrying out of unity)

9. Benjamin Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1780
    (married contrary to discipline 1799)
    tax record Washington, PA 1820

10. Thomas Shepherd
    b. Abt. 1782
    m. Bef. 28 Nov 1812 to unknown
    (disowned for marrying out of unity)
    (reinstated at Redstone 22 1st mo. 1817)

Solomon Shepherd
by Susan Brooke
Nov 2020

Solomon Shepherd's father died in 1749 when he was a young boy, probably aged about 11 or so, leaving him half of his father's real estate when he reached the age of 21.(1) They were members of the Menallen Meeting of Friends which had been established in 1746. (2) Solomon's wife's family was also part of the Menallen Meetings so he and Margaret Blackburn knew each other as young children. They married there in 1763. (3)
Solomon's older brother, John Shepherd, had "left these parts" by 1758 (4) and married Mary Mickle sometime before 1761 when she was disowned for marrying out of unity. By 1773, according to a journal kept by John Parish,  the brothers had moved west to Westmoreland County, near Fort Ligonier. (5) This fort was an important British post but it was closed in 1766.  This area, however, was still the "frontier."  During the American Revolution, Solomon Shepherd, a Quaker who probably was not involved in any fighting, was helping the cause.  Descendants have joined the DAR under his name citing that he he did "patriotic service" and  "Suffered Depredation in 1781." Possibly he was supplying the troops with food or other items. (6)  The record says he was of Hopewell Township in Washington Co. PA. Washington County was created in 1781 from Westmoreland County and "Sollomon Shephard" was listed in the 1781 tax record for Hopewell Township, Washington Co. (7)  In 1783 at a meeting back in Menallen, "Friends" had been appointed to visit members on the west side of the Allegheny Mountains.  The report back was that Rebecca Shepherd had married out of unity.  However, certificates were provided for Solomon and his wife and the other nine children. (8) Solomon Shepherd was listed in the 1783 tax records with 300 acres of land paying £1.9.0. (9)
From 1785 through 1789 Solomon Shepherd was being taxed on 100 acres of land in Hopewell with usually 1 horse and 1 cow. His sons John and Solomon would have been in their late teens and probably still living with him.  Over in Green township Solomon's brother John and his two sons, John and Solomon, were also in the tax lists. (10)
As already stated, Solomon's oldest child, Rebecca, "married out of unity," and was disowned by their church.  Eventually every one of his children was disowned. (11)
In Aug 1790 when the town of Fredericktown was laid out, "Solomon Shepherd, John Shepherd and Solomon Shepherd Jr." purchased lots with the condition that they would each build a log house within four years or lose the right to the land. (12) However only his son Solomon Shepherd was in the tax lists for Fredericktown in 1791 listed as a single male. (12) Fredericktown was part of East Bethlehem.  Solomon's son John Shepherd had been disowned by the church for fornication and taken off to become a ranger in Belpre, Ohio.
Solomon Shepherd Sr. was living in East Bethlehem in the 1800 census listed as over 45 with a wife and one son between 16-25 still living with him. Benjamin Shepherd was listed in the next household.  There is no listing for his son Solomon Shepherd although a Solomon Shepherd does continue on the tax records through 1794. On 23 Aug 1805 Solomon and Margaret Shepherd were admitted to the Redstone Meeting. There seems to be no further mention of his wife Margaret after that date.  However, Solomon Shepherd was received at the Redstone Meeting March 3, 1816 dated Oct 27, 1815

Sources

1. Lancaster County, PA Will BK 1 pg. 167. 
Wills his body to be decently buried by his Loving wife Jane and Loving brother William Shephard. They to be executors. To Loving Wife Jane "all my Personal Estate." during her life. I order unto my son John Shephard the full half of my Real Estate, he paying 10 pounds to his sister Sarah Shephard two years after his enjoying sd. land. To my son Solomon Shephard the other half of my real estate with the houses and other improvements, he paying ten pounds to his sister Sarah and twenty pounds to his sister Elizabeth Shephard two years after his enjoying sd. lands. The land will by me to be in the Possession of my Loving wife Jane until my son John arrives at the twenty first year of his age. Etc.

2. History of York County, Pennsylvania, pg 114
"The first location of Menallen meeting was about seven miles west of Huntingdon, -- in Menallen, now Butler Township, Adams County, originally York County.  6 mo, 4 da. 1746, Sadsbury monthly meeting 'tolerates the Friends of Menallen to have meetings of worship. ' "  (south, central Pennsylvania)

(3) History and Genealogy of the   Harland Family Vo 1 by Alpheus  n H Harland, page 34

4. Menallen Meeting 18 Nov 1758  reported that Elijah Mickle and John Shepherd "hath both left the parts unknown to their parents"

5. Immigration of the Irish Quaker in PA 1682-1750 pg. 183 "In a journal of 1773 (by John Parish) were Joseph & Anthony Blackburn and Simon & James McGrew, living between the two Sewicklys; Solomon Shepherd and his brother John, located near Fort Ligonier, -- all from Menallen."

6. DAR Ancestor # A208059.  PA ARCH SER 3, VOL 22, P 744 

7. "Persons exonerated from the payment of the state taxes - in Hopewell Township in the year 1781 - stating the amount of the sums remitted."  Sollomon Shehard £1. 17. 4

In 1781 Washington County included all of south west PA lying west of the Monongahela and south of the Ohio River.  In 1788-89 the northern part became Allegheny Co and the in 1796 the southern part Green Co.

8. Menallen Meeting 13 Oct 1783
"The friends appointed to visit friends on the West side of the Alegenia Mountains Reports that three of them visited all the friends there who had a right amongst us and inspected into their several situations as far as they were Capable, and did not find any thing in the way to hinder them from obtaining Certificates, Except Rebecca Allen formerly Shepherd who went out in her Marriage. Whom they visited in Company with some women friends of them parts, and were of the mind that She was not in a Condition suitable to Make Satisfaction, Which Report being Considered in this Meeting is Concured with.  Abel John, Benjamin Wright, Daniel Friest, Isaac Everitt and Joseph Griest are appointed to Draw a Testimony against Rebecca Allen, and also to Provide Certificates for ---- Solomon Shepherd his Wife Margaret and their Nine Children vix. Jean, John, Solomon, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Sarah, Benjamin and Thomas--- Directed to Hopewell Monthly Meeting and Produce them to Next Meeting.
At Menallen Monthly Meeting held at Huntington the 10h of 11th Month   1783 the Representatives being Called and appeared."

9. 10 Nov 1783 Family removed from Menallen. Certificates held at Hopewell Monthly Meeting. Later transferred to Westland Meeting in 1786. Certificate found Menallen (Harlan Family)--

1783 tax showing 300 acres of land in Hopewell, Washington, PA

1783 tax amount for Solomon Shepherd

10. John Shepherd, perhaps his brother, is taxed on 100 acres in Green township in 1786.  In 1789 in Green township there is a John Shepherd paying at the rate of 16 and Solomon and John Shepherd paying at the rate of 8, while also in 1789 Solomon Shepherd is being taxed on 100 acres in Hopewell, Washington Co with 1 horse and 2 cows.  The John Shepherd in Green township is probably the brother of Solomon Shepherd.

1789 tax for Green township with a John Shepherd and Solomon and another John Shepherd

1789 tax for Hopewell township with a Solomon Shepherd

11. Rebecca Allen was noted as having married out of unity          John Shepherd was disowned for fornication                          Solomon Jr was disowned for marrying out of unity                Joseph Shepherd was disowned        Mary Andrews was disowned for marrying out of unity     Elizabeth Shepherd was disowned     Sarah Colvin was disowned for marrying out of unity     Jane Mattock was disowned for marrying out of unity     Benjamin Shepherd married contrary to discipline     Thomas Shepherd disowned for marrying out of unity

1783 1790 1791 1792  reinstated in 1817 1792  1794 1797 1798 1799 1812  reinstated in 1817

Encyclopedia of American Genealogy Vol. IV   Ohio Meetings

12.  History of Washington county, PA by Earle Robert Forrest, 1926

Book on Ancestry.com
Excerpts from pages 495-496

Fredericktown is the oldest settlement in southeastern Washington County.  The town was laid out by Frederick Wise in August, 1790, and it was named after him. - Wise died before his plans could be carried, but his widow and administrators, Isaac Jenkinson and Peter Nossinger, carried out the work. 
Wise entered into an agreement with the purchaser of each lot by which they were to have the use of all streets, alleys, and public grounds, all springs on the Wise premises, stone from his quarry, and timber from his land.  Each purchaser then agreed that he would 'without all convenient speed erect thereon a stone, brick, frame, or hewed logg house at least twenty feet square, or equal thereto, with shingled roof, stone or brick chimney, and enclose the said lot or lots within post and rail fence or good pailing within four years from the purchase.' In the event of failure to comply with these conditions, the penalty was forfeiture of the lot or lots.
The article of agreement mentioned above was signed by Frederick Wise and the following purchasers of lots: Isaac Jenkinson, John Baker, Francis Townsend, Joseph Green, Andrew Nossinger, John Richardson, Solomon Shepherd, John Shepherd, Solomon Shepherd Jr., Peter Nossinger, and Edward Moran for himself and Blain Moran.

13. Fredericktown was in East Bethlehem township, Washington Co. PA  In 1791 Solomon Shepherd is listed in the tax records as a single man.  He was disowned for marrying out of unity to Elizabeth Baker on 22 Oct 1791.  In the 1792 tax records for East Bethlehem, Solomon Shepherd is listed in the tax records with 1 horse and 1 cow. He was still listed in the East Bethlehem tax records in 1794.