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Shepherd families have been living in Ashe County, North Carolina since before Ashe was created from Wilkes County in 1799.
Reddies River Shepherds
The Reddies River Shepherds are those descended from brothers John, Robert, and James who settled in the Reddies River section of Wilkes County, NC around the time of the Revolutionary War. John, Robert, and James were sons of George and Elizabeth Day Shepherd of Spotsylvania, Virginia. This website primarily deals with descendants of the Reddies River Shepherds, which includes brothers Grover and Harrison Shepherd, who were born and raised in Ashe County, North Carolina.
Of the Reddies River Shepherds, James Shepherd, Jr. was the first to live in Ashe County, NC. He is found in the 1790 Federal Census living in the Old Fields section of Ashe in present-day Fleetwood. By 1800, James was back in Wilkes Co., NC, and later moved to Tennessee where he died. John Shepherd, Jr. owned land in the Old Fields area in the late 1700's, though it appears he never actually lived in Ashe.
John Jr's sister, Sarah Shepherd Jennings, and her husband, Elijah Jennings, lived in the Old Fields section of Ashe from about 1800-1820 before moving on to Adair Co., Kentucky. Lewis Shepherd, brother to Sarah and John Jr, also lived in Ashe from about 1808-1813. Lewis made his Ashe home "on the righthand fork of Old Field Creek, on the waters of the South Fork of New River" in present-day Fleetwood. Lewis sold this land to his brother-in-law and sister, Elijah and Sarah Shepherd Jennings, and moved on to Russell Co., KY.
Presley Shepherd, a son of John Shepherd, Jr., moved to Wayne County, Kentucky before 1830, but returned to North Carolina before 1840. Presley and family lived near the Ashe and Wilkes County lines from about 1840 until his death in about 1887. Presley is found in the Wilkes County census of 1840, 1850, and 1870. He is listed in the Ashe County census of 1860. Sources indicate that Presley may have lived in the same spot during these years, but the county line may have changed depending upon the political party in power during this period. Presley Shepherd descendants still live in Ashe today.
The first of the Reddies River Shepherds to permanently settle in Ashe was John Finley Shepherd, a son of Larkin Shepherd, and grandson of John Shepherd, Jr, who settled in the Cranberry Creek area about 1845. His brother, James Wilburn Shepherd (grandfather of brothers Grover and Harrison Shepherd), moved to Ashe before 1850 and settled in the Weaversford community. Descendants of John F. Shepherd and James Wilburn Shepherd still live in Ashe today. Their brother, Jordan Ashley Shepherd, moved to the Helton Community of Ashe about 1860, but made Wilkes Co., NC his final home shortly after the Civil War.
Other Shepherd Lines
The local saying, "All Shepherds in Ashe County are not related" is certainly true. Including the Reddies River line, there are three unrelated Shepherd lines currently living in Ashe. Basically, the Reddies River Shepherds are from the Laurel Springs, Old Fields, and Crumpler areas. The William (Hamon) Shepherd line originates from the Horse Creek area. The John F. Shepherd line settled in the Laurel Township. There are other Shepherd family lines that have lived briefly in Ashe and moved on.
The following are known Shepherd lines of Ashe other than the Reddies River line:
WILLIAM (HAMON) SHEPHERD, born ca. 1800 in England; married __?__; William came to Ashe County before 1824 and settled in the Little Horse Creek area. William's surname was originally "Hamon", but he changed it to "Shepherd". According to family tradition, William was said to be a nobleman in the King's Court in England. During his time as nobleman, William shot a doe which was a crime punished by death. To escape death, William left his family and his homeland and came to America. When he arrived, to lose his identity he changed his name from William Hamon to William Shepherd after the oak tree, which was known as the Shepherd Tree. William married a girl in Ashe County, whose name is not known. Shepherd descendants of this family still live in Ashe today.
Some Shepherds in Ashe County, NC share heritage in both the William (Hamon) Shepherd line and the John F. Shepherd line that is listed below. Grady Shepherd, a William (Hamon) Shepherd descendant, married Lillie Marie Shepherd, a descendant of the John F. and Nancy Eastridge Shepherd. The best known of these is Richard Shepherd of Lansing, NC, a son of Grady and Lillie who was the Personnel Manager at Thomasville Furniture Industries until the plant closed in the 1990's.
Two known children of William (Hamon) Shepherd:
Had seven known children by Lundy Barr:
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Had three known children by Lydia Osborne:
Had eight known children by Rosa Osborne:
JOHN F. SHEPHERD, born ca. 1836; married 1st Nancy Eastridge (d. bef. 1880), Mar. 4, 1868 in Ashe Co., NC; married 2nd Pheba Owens; There is currently no established connection between the John F. Shepherd line and other Shepherds in Ashe County. John F. may be the son of Elias "Eli" and Patsy Holt Shepherd of Perry Co., Kentucky. The parents of Elias Shepherd are William and Elvira Lewis Shepherd, who lived intermittenly in the northwest section of Ashe County, NC in the early 1800's. If so, John F. Shepherd would be part of the Shepherd family listed below as James Pendleton, William, & Betsy Shepherd. Descendants of John F. Shepherd still live in Ashe today.
Six known children of John F. and Nancy Eastridge Shepherd:
Had five known children by Lucy Price:
Had six known children by Birdie Davis:
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Had two known children by Melissa Rawlainson:
One Known Child by Pheba Owens:
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JAMES PENDLETON, WILLIAM, AND BETSY SHEPHERD - James, William and Betsy Shepherd are some of the first Shepherds known to have lived in Ashe County, NC. They are found in the 1790 Federal Census as the heads of three households in the Twin Rivers section of Ashe near Alleghany Co., NC and Grayson Co., VA. Betsy is believed to be the widowed mother of James and William. The father's identity has not been firmly established. According to various sources, his name may have been William, James, or Thomas. These Shepherds moved on to Lee County, Virginia about 1796, though William and his wife, Elvira Lewis, lived intermittenly in the Northwest section of Ashe in the early 1800's. There are currently no known descendants of this family living in Ashe today.
For those researching this Shepherd line, there appears to be quite a bit of confusion concerning the identity of Betsy's husband. Click here to view some information from Shepherd researcher David Travillion Bunton concerning Betsy's husband, the father of James and William Shepherd
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A famous member of this Shepherd clan is actress Cybill Lynne Shepherd, born Feb. 18, 1950 in Memphis, Tennessee to William Jennings and Patty Shobe Shepherd. Cybill's line traces back to William and Elvira Lewis Shepherd.
An infamous descendant of these Shepherds is George William Shepherd (b. January, 1842 in Jackson Co., MO, d. Feb. 23, 1917), a grandson of James Pendleton Shepherd. George was a member of Quantrill's Raiders during the Civil War and later rode with the James Gang. George was reported to have wounded Jesse James at Short Creek (near Joplin, MO), in a plot with law officers to get the reward money. George killed James Anderson, brother of "Bloody Bill" Anderson by cutting his throat on the lawn of the state capitol in Austin, Texas. George was said to be avenging the murder of his nephew Ike Flannery.
Oliver "Ol" Shepherd, brother or cousin, to George William Shepherd, also rode with Quantrill and the James Gang. Participated in robbery of the bank in Russelville, Kentucky. Detectives tracked him to Missouri and caught him at one of the family homes (his father's, George's, or his own). Ordered to surrender, one report says he tried to shoot his way out, and was shot seven times and killed. The other report, from eye-witness Margaret Shephard, his granddaughter, said Ol was unarmed, and was shot 20 times and killed by police officers in 1868.
JAMES PENDLETON SHEPHERD, born May 18, 1767 in Halifax Co., NC; died July 8, 1853 in Independence, Jackson Co., MO; married Rachel Gault (b. ca. 1767), before 1785 in Virginia; James is buried at Hardup Cemetery in Jackson Co., MO; Had 11 known children:
WILLIAM C. THIEST SHEPHERD born ca. 1775 in Halifax Co., NC; died 1828 in Big Stone Gap, Wise Co., VA; married Elvira "Vira" Lewis (b. ca. 1775), abt. 1795; William and Elvira moved back and forth between Ashe Co., NC and Lee Co., VA. They are the progenitors of "The Shepherds of Leslie Co., KY"; Had seven known children:
GEORGE SHEPHERD, born Dec. 18, 1812/14 in Wilkes Co., NC or in SC (In three census records, George reports that he was born in SC); died Nov. 14, 1912 in Cleo Springs, Major Co., OK; married 1st Olive Jane Fair (b. 1820); married 2nd Ginsie Roberts (b. Sept. 1821), June 10, 1860 in Johnson Co., TN; The George Shepherd family reportedly moved from North Carolina to the Forge Creek area of Johnson Co., TN about 1849. The family is found in the 1850 and 1860 census of Johnson Co., TN. The family then moved to Ashe Co., NC where they are found in the 1870 census. As of the 1900 Ashe Census, George and Ginsie were still living in Ashe, but no other members of the family are found, so it is assumed that the descendants of George and Jane left Ashe before 1900. There are currently no known descendants of this family still living in Ashe.
Had one known child by Ginsie Roberts:
In the 1790 NC census, 10th company (which later became Ashe Co) is the
enumeration for James Shepherd, William Shepherd, and Betty (sic, Betsy)
Shepherd.
This James is the one with wife Rachel (maiden name said to be Gault but I
believe was really Vaught)
This William is the one with wife Elvira Lewis.
The Betsy Shepherd has two males in her household who were Uriah and
Nimrod Shepherd (her younger sons) and daughters Rebecca and Martha.
Rebecca later married Zachariah Wells and her sister Martha married George
Blanton. Uriah Shepherd married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of James Smith
and Nancy Mulkey. Nimrod Shepherd married Jemima Smith.
If you look at all the neighbors of the 1790 census and then go back and
look at the families on the 1782 Montgomery Co, Va taxlist you will find
William Shepherd with two tithes (males aged 16 or above). One of course
was the head of household William Shepherd and the other was his eldest son.
Sometime between about 1784 and 1789 this William Shepherd died leaving a
widow Elizabeth Shepherd.
The above are what the records show from taxlists, deeds, etc.
Now what the family said. A son of Mrs Elizabeth Shepherd, named Uriah
Shepherd (who appears with his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Shepherd in Lee Co, VA
taxlists) had several children and his two oldest were James Shepherd born
in 1805 in Lee Co, Va and William Silas Shepherd born ca 1807 in Alabama
Territory, born very soon after the family had left Knox Co, Ky.
These two sons were said to be named after grandfathers. Since I know
that the father in law of Uriah Shepherd was James Smith, I have assumed
that by elimination, the paternal grandfather of the two boys would be named
William Shepherd. This seems to match with the info found in the early
Montgomery Co, VA records. However, there are other accounts (albeit
somewhat garbled) from the Nimrod Shepherd family which indicate that the
grandfather would have been James Shepherd. I am very sure that the
husband of Mrs. Elizabeth Shepherd (of the 1790 Wilkes Co, NC census and
later of Lee Co, VA) was named either William Shepherd or James Shepherd,
and I lean toward William Shepherd. There were some other old letters
written in our family way back which would tell us definitively, but so far
I have not found the originals. However, I can prove by written accounts
from Uriah's children that their maternal grandfather was James Smith who
married Nancy Mulkey. Since the children were born in the early 1800s (all
before 1820) I would expect that they did know their grandparents and this
would be accurate.
So, in summary, if one takes the tradition of the family, one has the
husband of Mrs Elizabeth Shepherd being either James Shepherd or William
Shepherd.
If one looks at available records, the taxlists show William Shepherd.
Taken together it all narrows down to William Shepherd, although I admit
there is a possibility that it could be James Shepherd, or maybe William
James Shepherd. Uriah's son James Shepherd born ca 1805 is said to have
gotten a powder horn from his grandfather Shepherd which was used in the
Revolutionary War. A possibility is that he got it because he was a
namesake of an earlier James Shepherd, but that would be speculation on my
part, and I have tried to be very cautious in any of my assumptions
concerning all this.
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Along with information from the normal genealogical sources (Census Records, History Books, Cemetery Records, etc.) the following people have contributed family history information and/or photos presented on this page. If you have information on any of these Shepherd lines, and would like to see your family history added to this page, send an email to brodrick@reddiesrivershepherds.com
William (Hamon) Shepherd - Andrea Weaver (Information on the David Levi & Elisabeth Charity Hartsoe Shepherd family)
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CONTRIBUTORS