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Inlaws: |
Robert GAINES 1755-1807 |
James McKINNEY |
? SMITH |
William WHITLEY |
WYANT |
Henry OWSLEY 1755- |
William OWSLEY 1749- |
Henry BAUGHMAN 1776-1863 |
William Shanks, son-in-law of Archibald Handley
Original Biography by Ann McCarr - 2006 update by Roger Greenough
According to Anne McCarr, family researcher, William Shanks was born on board ship while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, August 25, 1747,
Thomas Shanks, father of William, was said to have been of Scottish descent, but migrated from Ireland to America and is thought to have been born about 1726 but there are no sources to support it.
Thomas Shanks, first appears on the tax records of York County, Pennsylvania, in 1762. He owned two tracts of land, one purchased March 29, 1763, for 123 acres and Oct 12 1772 for 56 acres. These two tracts made up a plantation he lived on at Great Conowago Creek in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Thomas also owned land in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, which closely adjoined Warrington Township in York County. He apparently disposed of the Cumberland County property prior to his death because it was not mentioned in his will which was probated on January 28, 1806.
In 1780, Thomas Shanks was the acting constable of Warrington Township, and in 1783, he was Collector of Taxes for Warrington. His wife, name unknown, apparently died before 1802, the date his will was written.
Thomas had six children living when his will was written, including our subject, William, they were (As per Anne McCarr):
"David Shanks - second son. Married Hannah Morrison on May 15, 1784, possibly at Germantown, Pennsylvania, and moved to Botetourt County, Virginia, and both died on June 28, 1821.
James Shanks - third son. The Pennsylvania Census shows a James Shanks living with a wife and two daughters in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
Sarah Shanks - oldest daughter, never married. Continued to live with her father as his housekeeper and stayed on the home farm until her death in 1838. She was appointed as one of the executors of her father Thomas Shanks' will, along with Alexander Ross.
Elizabeth Shanks - married daughter; do not have her married name.
Mary Shanks - married daughter; do not know her married name."
Our subject, William Shanks, Thomas' eldest son was born August 25, 1747, on a ship at sea.
During the Revolutionary War, he served in Captain John Murray's company of the 2nd battalion, 10th Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment.The dates of this service is unknown though it was most likely prior to the year of 1779.
There are court records which implies that William was established as a settler in the newly organized Greenbrier County, Virginia before this time.Volume One, Book 1 of the Greenbrier County Historical Society Journal for 1963, which lists the landholder records for the county during 1783, shows William Shanks as holding a claim to 400 acres of land. According to "Sims Index to Greenbrier County Land Records" this land was recorded in Book 1, page 245. It has been learned that this property was located in the neighborhood of Archibald Handley and James Byrnside about three miles south of present day Union, West Virginia and on the south side of Indian Creek. In 1795, William Shanks recorded another 100 acres land just across Indian Creek to the north of his main farm. This information figures in to the following story. These neighboring farmers each had daughters of marriageable age. William Shanks being an eligible bachelor of about thirty years of age was probably looking for a helpmate to help him on his farm and probably a little excitement too. These ingredients were a likely combination for trouble.
From information found in the early Greenbrier County court records it appears that William was busy courting these neighbor girls. One of whom was Esther Byrnside and the other Sarah Ann Handley. Competition being what it was, life got complicated for Shanks in such a manner that these complications would take years to to be resolved.
As it turns out, Esther Byrnside was more determined to have William than what was considered proper and the net results were that she was called into the November 22nd, 1780 term of Greenbrier County Court to answer to charges of having a base born child. As it was later revealed, Esther had named this child's father as being William Shanks.
(It should be noted that Esther was one of six women to suffer the embarrassment of being charged with having a child born out of wedlock during this term of court.)
It appears that to avoid further embarrassment William hurriedly made amends with Sarah Ann Handley and they married just a month later, on the 22nd of December, 1780, in Greenbrier County, Virginia, near the site of present day Union, West Virginia.The marriage was performed by the Reverend John Alderson, Jr., a baptist minister and founder of Alderson, West Virginia.
Nothing is known as to the opinions of the brides parents as to the character of her new husband.
"Sarah was born 16 March 1759, probably in Augusta County, Virginia, near Roanoke or Salem, Virginia. She was the first born of Archibald and Jean Henderson Handley". (Anne McCarr).
Meanwhile, Shanks, who was now a married man, was fighting a custody battle with Esther Byrnside over their son "Little William". During the 20th of March, 1781 court, Esther was doing some maneuvering to hang on to her son. She went to court and obtained a court order in which it stated that little William Shanks was bound to her until he was 21years old.
Then during the 21st of August, 1782 court, William Shanks Sr. was back in court as a defendant. He was being sued for child support by Esther and he was ordered to pay her and unknown amount of of compensation. This type of activity continued until March of 1783 when her last lawsuit against Shanks was dismissed on account of Esther having recently married.
The Virginia Census of 1782 shows William living in Greenbrier County, (Western) Virginia as the head of a family. He moved his family to a farm near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky, in the Autumn of 1797.
When William Shanks staked his claim to his original 400 acres located on Indian Creek in the late 1770s, it likely never occurred to him that one day his land would become this site of the Salt Sulphur Spring Health Resort. Salt Sulphur Spring was discovered in 1805. It is said that during the early years only a few people took advantage of these mineral waters. Then about 1820 the area began to gain the notice of the public and the health resort business began to take hold.
Ervin Benson bought this land and 100 acres more from William and Sarah Shanks for 400 pounds Virginia money on the 1st of September, 1797.
"Two early guests, Issac Caruthers and William Erskine, ended up marrying Benson's daughters. The two brothers-in-law took over the operation of the new resort and built it into one of the most popular of its time.
Caruthers and Erskine operated a store at the springs (which is located about three miles south of Union, West Virginia) and built cabins and a frame hotel. Later large stone hotel was built in the 1820s.
It is said that Salt Sulphur Springs lies in a rather shallow ravine adjacent to Indian Creek. These springs were used by the patrons of this resort as a remedy for "chronic diseases" such as "headaches and palsy or chronic inflammation." It was also used as a cure for neuralgia and other aches and pains of the day."
Had the Shanks family realized what a diamond in the rough they had in this land I wonder if they would have sold out and moved to Kentucky.
The following information has been extracted from the research of Anne McCarr:
William Shanks died July 27, 1817 and his wife, Sarah died April 26, 1845,on their farm located near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky.Both were originally buried on their farm but their graves were later moved to the Buffalo Springs Cemetery located in Stanford, the county seat of Lincoln County.
The will of William Shanks shows that he had considerable property. His executors were required to give bond in the sum of $20,000 which indicates he had an estate of large size for those days.
Their children were:
James Shanks - born? Moved to Georgia. No further information known.
John Shanks, born 1782 in Greenbrier County, Virginia.
David Shanks, born Oct 7, 1783, in Greenbrier County, Virginia.
Archibald Shanks, born Jan 22, 1787, in Greenbrier County, Virginia.
Mary "Polly" Shanks, born 13 March 1789 in Greenbrier County, Virginia.
Nancy Shanks, born July 16, 1791 in Greenbrier County, Virginia.
Jane Shanks was born December 10, 1793 in Greenbrier County,Virginia.
Margaret "Peggy" Shanks, born February 6, 1796 in Greenbrier County,Virginia.
William Shanks, born June 3, 1799, in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
William Shanks, born on board ship while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, August 25, 1747, and married on December 22, 1780, in Augusta County, Virginia by the Reverend John Alderson, Jr., (Baptist) to Sarah Handley. William died July 27, 1817, near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Sarah, born 16 March 1759, probably in Augusta County, Virginia, near Roanoke or Salem, Virginia. Died April 26, 1845, near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky.
Both were originally buried on their farm but their graves were moved and are now in the Buffalo Springs Cemetery in Stanford, the county seat of Lincoln County, in Kentucky.
Children:
I have note of a small cemetery on the William Tate Farm, on Somerset Road near Stanford in Lincoln County, Kentucky, called the Shanks Cemetery. It includes these graves:
William Shanks, born June 3, 1799, died June 5, 1872.
Rebecca, wife of William, born February 6, 1805, died September 29, 1855.
Joseph Hocker, infant son of RW and MA, born April 23, 1846, died October 11, 1846.
Owsley, Thomas, born December 10, 1792, died July 25, 1889
Margaret, wife of Thomas, born February 6, 1796, died September 20, 1867.
Marion, born October 18, 1830, died September 14, 1849.
William, son of Thomas, born March 1825, died October 10, 1832.
As far as Sarah Handley's husband, William Shanks, I know that his family lived at York County, Pennsylvania, after settling in the US. There is some thought that that William's parents initially settled in St Mary's County, Maryland, but I have never followed up on that yet...
Here is what I have on William Shanks' family.
Thomas Shanks was said to have been of Scottish descent, but migrated from Ireland to America. Thought to have been born about 1726 but I have no sources to support it.
Thomas Shanks, first appears on the tax records of York County, Pennsylvania, in 1762. He owned two tracts of land, one purchased March 29, 1763, for 123 acres and Oct 12 1772 for 56 acres. These two tracts made up a plantation he lived on at Great Conowago Creek in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Thomas also owned land in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, which closely adjoined Warrington Township in York County. He apparently disposed of the Cumberland County property prior to his death because it is not mentioned in his will which was probated on January 28, 1806.
In 1780, Thomas Shanks was the acting constable of Warrington Township, and in 1783, he was Collector of Taxes for Warrington. His wife, name unknown, apparently died before 1802, the date his will was written.
Thomas had six children living when his will was written
The Virginia Census of 1782 shows William living at Lewisburg, Greenbriar County, (then) Virginia as the head of a family. He moved to Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky, in the 1790s. The will of William Shanks shows that he had considerable property. His executors were required to give bond in the sum of $20,000 which indicates he had an estate of large size for those days.
-----------------In the name of God, Amen. I, Thomas Shanks of Warrington Township in the County of York and the State of Pennsylvania, being ancient and weak of body but of sound and disposing mind and memory, do therefore make and ordain this, my last will and testament, in the following manner.
Imprimis, it is my will and so I order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be in the first place paid.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my son, William, the sum of five pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania, I having already assisted him to a considerable amount.
Item, I give and devise unto my two sons David and James, and unto my daughter, Sarah, all my present dwelling plantation situated in Warrington Township adjoining the great Conowago Creek, containing about two hundred acres and the usual allowance be the same more or less, with the appurtenances thereunto belonging. To hold unto them my said sons David and James and my said daughter Sarah as tenants in common, and not as joint tenants, their heirs and assigns, forever.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter, Sarah, one horse, creature her choice, one good saddle and bridle, two cows, her choice, a good feather bed, bedstead, and bedding, my folding leaftable, and my best case of drawers.
Item, I also give and bequeath unto my said daughter Sarah the sum of one hundred pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth the sum of fifty pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.
Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary the sum of fifty pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.
Item, I give and bequeath all the residue of my estate whatsoever unto my two sons, David and James, and unto three daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary, to be equally divided amongst them, share and share alike.
And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my daughter Sarah aforesaid and my trusty neighbor, Alexander Ross, to be executors of this, my last will and testament, in trust for the true intent and meaning thereof, hereby revoking and disannulling all wills whatsoever by me heretofore made.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this nineteenth day of March in the year of Our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and two.
Thomas Shanks, his seal
Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Thomas Shanks to be his last will and testament in the presence of us:
Jesse Underwood
Edward Tyler, Junior
York County, J. P.
Before me, Jacob Barwitz, register for the probate of wills and granting letter of administration in and for the County of York in the State of Pennsylvania, personally came Edward Tyler Jr. and Jesse Underwood, and the said Edward Tyler on his solemn oath, and he the said Jesse Underwood on his solemn affirmation, do severally say that they were personally present and saw and heard the above named Thomas Shanks make his mark unto and seal and publish the foregoing instrument of writing as and for his last will and testament, and that at the time of the doing thereof, he, the said Thomas Shanks, was of a sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and that they subscribed their names thereto as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at the request and also in the presence of each other at the same time.
Edward Tyler, Jr.
Jesse Underwood
Sworn and subscribed by Edward Tyler, Jr. on the 28th day of January 1806.
Affirmed and subscribed before me by Jesse Underwood on the 8th day of January, 1807.
J. Barwitz, JP. A true copy taken from and compared with the original at York.
~~~~~~