John Shepard

  General Notes:

"The Shepard Families of New England," Vol III, compiled by Gerald F. Shepard; edited by Donald Lines Jacobus (1973), page 96.
JOHN SHEPARD (son of WILLIAM) was born Abt. 1673 in New England, and died August 10, 1756 in Westfield, Hampden Co., MA. He married (1) ELIZABETH WOODRUFF December 21, 1703 in Westfield, Hampden, MA, daughter of MATTHEW WOODRUFF and MARY PLUMB. She was born 1679 in Milford or Farmington, Hartford, Conn, and died October 14, 1731 in Westfield, Hampden Co., MA. He married (2) ABIGAIL SACKETT May 24, 1733, daughter of JOHN SACKETT and ABIGAIL HANNUM. She was born 1683 in Westfield, Hampden, MA, and died Abt. July 1743 in Westfield, Hampden, MA.

Notes for JOHN SHEPARD:
He has several pieces of land laid out to him in Westfield, including
(in 1710) 10 acres to satisfy a grant made to his grandfather Hart. [Westfield
Proprietor's Records]. He purchased land there from John Fowler of
Westfield, July 29, 1696 [Hampden County Land] He and Elizabeth
became members of the church in Westfield, May 27, 1705, being then baptized;
and he was elected Deacon, December 1730.
[REF: Public records; account written by Enoch Shepard]
Marriage Notes for JOHN SHEPARD and ELIZABETH WOODRUFF:
Married by Reverend John Hooker.
Notes for ABIGAIL SACKETT:
She was the widow of David King. John's grandson, Enoch stated
in 1812 that "my grandmother, Ezekiel, and David and Mary all died of Lung
Fever in less than a month's time."

Children of JOHN SHEPARD and ELIZABETH WOODRUFF are:

i. JONATHAN3 SHEPARD, b. September 27, 1704, Westfield, MA; d. October 06, 1756, Blandford, MA; m. RACHEL LANGTON, July 02, 1730, Northhampton, MA; b. November 14, 1706, Northampton, Mass.

Notes for JONATHAN SHEPARD:
He was admitted to full communion at the First Congregational Church of Westfield, April 20, 1734.
His will, dated October 27, 1756, named his wife Rachel; eldest daughter Rachel (under 18), second
daughter Mary Shepard, third daughter Eleanor Shepard, fourth daughter Sarah Shepard, and three sons,
Jonathan, Solomon,
and Amos Shepard; wife, son Jonathan, and brother John named executors [Hampden County Probate].

Notes for RACHEL LANGTON:
LDS file had 1709 as birth date.

ii. DEA. JOHN SHEPARD, b. November 18, 1706, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; d. August 08, 1783, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; m. ELIZABETH NOBLE, May 20, 1731, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; b. January 03, 1705/06, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; d. November 12, 1793, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA.

iii. EZEKIEL SHEPARD, b. November 23, 1709, Westfield, MA; d. August 02, 1743, Westfield, MA; m. THANKFUL WOODRUFF; b. April 14, 1722, Farmington, CT.
Notes for EZEKIEL SHEPARD:
He was named after a brother who was born in 1708 and died in 1709.
He was admitted as a member of the First Congregational Church at Westfield,
Aug 31, 1735 and Thankful on Dec 5, 1742.
Notes for THANKFUL WOODRUFF:
T. Shepard has her last name as Woodrose "whose name is sometimes given
as Woodruff." They had one son. Her date of death is unknown.
She married second at Litchfield, August 17, 1747, Alexander Thomson
of Scotland.
Upon her petition dated March 14, 1745, was granted power in the estate
of Ezekiel on April 8, 1746 [Hampshire County Probate].

iv. ELIZABETH SHEPARD, b. February 14, 1711/12, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; d. Aft. 1751, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; m. ISAAC SACKETT, December 18, 1735, Westfield, MA; b. February 14, 1702/03, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA; d. October 29, 1773, Westfield, Hampden Co., MA.
Notes for ELIZABETH SHEPARD:
Vol III has 1712 as birth year.
Notes for ISAAC SACKETT:
LDS had 1702/03 for birth year.
He served as a private in Captain Ezra Clap's company during the French and Indian War.

v. SARAH SHEPARD, b. April 21, 1715, Westfield, MA; d. March 07, 1748/49, Westfield, MA; m. AARON KING, May 09, 1743, Westfield, MA; b. August 28, 1714, Westfield, MA; d. October 26, 1801, Westfield, MA.

vi. DAVID SHEPARD, b. January 22, 1716/17, Westfield, Hampden, MA; d. July 03, 1743, Westfield, Hampden, MA.

vii. MARY SHEPARD, b. June 15, 1725, Westfield, Hampden, MA; d. July 08, 1743, Westfield, Hampden, MA.

John married Elizabeth Woodruff, daughter of Matthew Woodruff and Mary Plumb, on 21 Dec 1703 in Westfield, Hampden Co., MA. (Elizabeth Woodruff was born in 1679 in Milford or Farmington, Hartford Co., CT and died on 14 Oct 1731 in Westfield, Hampden Co., MA.)

John next married Abigail Sacket, daughter of John Sackett and Abigail Hannum, on 24 May 1733. (Abigail Sacket was born in 1683 and died about Jul 1743.)