The
Shell Family
Jacob Shell was
born in central PA in 1720. He moved first to Shenendoah Co., VA and then
later, app. 1752, he moved to Montgomery Co., VA where he was one of the original
settlers. Continuing Indian problems drove him back to Shenendoah Co. for 14
years but he then returned to the Montgomery/Pulaski area.
The
Shell Family in the Census Records
1787 Montgomery Co., VA Personal Property
Tax-List “C”
1-W,M 16-21 2-Blacks 16+ 3-Blacks <16 4-Horses, Mares, Colts and Mules 5-Cattle
1 2 3 4 5
Shull, John Self 0 0 0 5 7
Shull, Jacob,
Sr. Self 0 0 0 22 35 - stud horse, 1.12.0
Shull, Jacob, Jr. Jacob Shull, Sr.
Shull, Christian Self 0 0 0 4 10
Shell, John
Males 3, under 10 2, age 16-26 1, age 26-45
Females 1, under 10 2, age 10-16 1, age 16-26 1, age 26-45
Shell, Jacob
Males 1, age 10-16 2, age 16-26 1, age 45+
Females 3, under 10 1, age 10-16 1, age 16-26 2, age 45+
Shell, Jacob
Males 2, under 10 1, age 26-45
Females 2, under 10 1, age 26-45
Shell, John
Males 1, age 16-26 1, age 26-45
Females 1, under 10 1, age 10-16 3, age 16-26 2, age 45+
Shell, Simon
Males 1, age 16-26 1, age 45+
Females 1, age 10-16 1, age 16-26 1, age 26-45
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Shell, Jacob
Males 2, under 5 1, age 5-10 1, age 10-15 1, age 15-20 1, age 40-50
Females 1, age 5-10 1, age 10-15 1, age 15-20 1, age 30-40
Shell, John
Males 1, under 5 1, age 5-10 2, age 30-40
Females 1, age 5-10 1, age 10-15 1, age 30-40 1, age 70-80
Shell, John
Males 1, age 5-10 1, age 10-15 1, age 15-20 2, age 40-50
Females 2, under 5 1, age 5-10 1, age 15-20 1, age 20-30 1, age 40-50
p. 20, #278/278
Shell, Paris 39 M Farmer
Eliza 28 F
Henrietta E. 6 F
Ellen H. 4 F
Athea V. 2 F
Kidd, William 20 M Farmer
p. 63, #836/836
Shell, Jacob 58 M Farmer
Catherine 56 F
James 16 M
Margaret 11 F
p. 64, #863/863
Shell, Henry 26 M Blacksmith Living with Price Family including 4 other surnames
Martha 18 F
p. 67, #912/912
Shell, John 58 M Farmer $6300 Real Estate Value
Harriet 31 F
Margaret 28 F
Floyd 24 M Farmer
Joseph 19 M
Mary 15 F
Catherine 13 F
Leonia 11 F
Shell, Christian 56 M
Lore, John 21 M Laborer
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p. 669, #812/747
Shell, William P(aris) 39 M Farmer $2550 Personal Property VA (all)
Eliza J. 37 F
Henrietta 15 F Can’t read or write
Ellen 13 F Can’t read or write
Allither 11 F Can’t read or write
Bossa 7 F
John H. 5 M
Gilla J. 2 F
Mares, John 7 M (B)
p. 671, #828/761
Shell, John 67 M Farmer $15,000 Real Estate $1850 Pers. Property VA (all)
Harriett 40 F
Joseph 29 M Farmer
Catherine E. 22 F
Lavinia E. 20 F
Shell, Christian 65 M Farmer
Lower, John 31 M
p. 679, #902/826
Shell, Henry B. 39 M Blacksmith $125 Personal Property VA (all)
Sarah J. 36 F
Octavia E. 6 F
Amencius V. 4 M
Stuart Altassa 2 M
Laura G. F. 1 F
p. 688, #957/871
Shell, Hiram 33 M Laborer $1000 Real Estate $75 Pers. Property VA (all)
Catherine 67 F
Keffer, Jackson 5 M
p. 702, #1062/962
Shell, Floyd 34 M Farmer $950 Personal Property VA (all)
Matilda 35 F
John W. 7 M
Thomas D. 5 M
Mary 5/12 F
Mares, Charles 30 M Laborer
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Excerpts from Patricia Johnson’s Irish Burks of Colonial Virginia and New River.
Jacob
Shell's Fort and Settlement-1769
Jacob Shell (Shull-Scholl) was born in
Pennsylvania in 1720 at "Canico Gee" as it is written in an old Shell
manuscript. This is the phonetic spelling of Conococheague Creek which was in
central Pennsylvania and empties into the Potomac near Williamsport. It lies
north of Hagerstown and was a fur
trading center
where traders gathered. When a young man Jacob came from there to Shenandoah
country in Virginia. (Shell Sketch, VPI & SU, Special Collections) To the
Conococheague in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, near present Chambersburg, had
also come Dr. Robert Pepper, a doctor from Ireland, who later moved to the
Roanoke valley. His son Samuel moved to New River. The Peppers probably settled
near and knew the Shells in Pennsylvania. Later there was intermarriage among
them on New River. (Jesse Pepper, Letter)
In the early 1740s or before, a
Peter Scholl-Shull was settled in the vicinity of Peaked Mountain and Naked
Creek where William Burk lived and reared his sons, Thomas and John and other
children. Was there any relation between these Shulls--Peter and Jacob?
By 1752 Jacob Shell-Shull was
leaving Shenandoah country and moving again, this time to New River where he
stayed several years. Shell bought land
in the Patton grant on Crab Creek that Patton had sold to Ebenezer Waistcoat-Westcott.
This was in bottomland and higher land along New River beside Augustine and
Henry Price and Adam Wall and sister Apel Wall. On his high ridges Shell put
his house, fort and settlement. These places today are on the Montgomery County
side of New River in the Radford Arsenal grounds. (Jim Price Interview)
Indian hostility drove the settlers
from New River in 1755. The Shells write, "Owing to Indian hostility Jacob
went back to Shenandoah and stayed fourteen years." (Shell Sketch).
Shell's neighbors Augustine and Henry Price fled also to Shenandoah.
Waistcoat-Westcott went to the Carolinas. (CH,III 451-52)
After fourteen
years away from New River, according to the Shell manuscript, Shell returned in
1769 to Crab Creek of the New. At the Treaty of Fort Stanwix this land was
bought from the Iroquois. George Taylor and Thomas Burk buy land from Shell at
this place in 1769. (Augusta Dd Bk 15, 282)
George Taylor may be a Burk
relative, uncle or cousin, for it is said that the mother of Thomas was a
Taylor. George Taylor is listed in some land records as George Conway Taylor.
Yet a George Conway Taylor in Orange County was born in 1769. So there is some
discrepancy here. Definitely an adult George Taylor lived here for he is with
Shell on the 1771 tithable list for this section of New River.
We would
presume that Thomas Burk when he purchased two hundred acres of the fertile New
River land would come down to take a look. He may have been with Shell in
1769-70.
John Goolman Davidson's family also
came to the Crab Creek settlement. John Goolman Davidson was born in the Loch
Ness country of Scotland, then went Ireland to both County Down, North Ireland,
and Dublin, South Ireland. In Ireland he married Martha Draper. Their son
William was born in Ireland in 1759. From there John Goolman came to the
Conococheague, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, thence to Dry River on Shenandoah,
Augusta, then to Jackson's River and from there to the Crab Creek settlement on
New River. Since this was only five miles from the Draper's Meadows settlement
Martha Draper Davidson may be related to the John Drapers of Draper's Meadows.
The Davidsons lived at Crab Creek until 1776 when they went to Cove Spring
Creek of Bluestone, present Bluefield, where they built the Davidson-Bailey
Fort. John Goolman was eventually killed by Indians at Rocky Gap (present Bland
County) in 1793. (Emilie Broom told author Oct. 15, 1991; Lowe Brown File,
Giles County Historical Society; Letter James Bane to author, Dec. 4, 1978 and
William Davidson Va. Pension no. R.2695)
Davidson's
were on Dry River the same time the David McComas family and Thomas Burk were
near at Peaked Mountain of Shenandoah, present Rockingham County. The Burks may
have become acquainted with them there. Several Burk children would marry
Davidsons. Thomas's daughter, Rebecca Burk Davidson, went to the Bluefield area
and suffered tragic consequences.
Though Davidson is Scots, Goolman is
a prominent Irish name as is Burk. The Goolman name reveals an Irish connection
for these Davidsons. McComas is also Irish judging from the spelling
"Mc" which is Irish, rather than "Mac" which is Scottish.
The Burks, Goolmans and McComases are Anglo
Irish rather
than the Scottish settlers known as Scotch-Irish. The Scottish Davidsons were
Royalists during the Civil War in Scotland and some fought with Montrose. The
Shells, Peppers and Davidsons had one thing in common-all had lived on
Conococheague Creek, present Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
Jacob Shull-Shell was a small land
developer, possibly an agent for the Loyal Company. He brought with him a large
family as well as others such as Burks and Davidsons.
A descendant says, "Shell
collected a force to aid him in driving away the Indians from the section where
he wished to settle. At the same place he settled was a fort". (Shell
Sketch)
It is believed by this author that
in 1769 Thomas Burk and possibly brother John Burk were in Jacob Shell's force
he brought with him from Shenandoah.
Shell may have fortified his New
River home in 1754 when the Indians first ordered the settlers to leave New
River. When he returned to New River fourteen years later in 1769 he surely
enlarged upon his former settlement. His "fort", remnants of which
could be seen in 1871 on the farm of J.A. Shell, was on a knoll above New River
on the present Radford Arsenal grounds. On a plateau, south of present
Stroubles Creek, it had a commanding view of New River and was near where in
1990 is the Three Flags entrance to the arsenal.
In the early 1750s a "new
road" had been built by Shells place. It became known as the Pepper's
Ferry Road. (Jim Price Interview, Aug 4, 1990) This road runs through the
present Radford Arsenal grounds and is not open to the public.
After the Indian War Shell came back
to his land with a convenient access road, and brought with him other people
and established the Shellville settlement. Near this Shellville settlement,
strung up and down the river from it, were a number of Irish families, the
Peppers, Burks and Davidsons. The Davidsons probably helped Shell in fort construction.
After they left Crab Creek the John Goolman and William Davidson family went
directly to Cove Creek, tributary of Bluestone, three miles above its mouth and
built Davidson's fort. (William Davidson, Pension)
Jacob Shell reared eleven children. In
1787 his son Jacob Jr. married Mary or Polly Burk. (Shell Sketch) She was the
daughter of Joseph Burk and granddaughter of Burkes Garden James Burk.
(Montgomery County Marriage Record 1777-1853 p.22) Joseph Burk and wife
Margaret Grant lived on New River near the Peppers What relation James Burk,
his son Joseph and granddaughter Mary are to Thomas Burk, son of Peaked
Mountain William, is unknown.
Just across the New River from the
Shells, Samuel Pepper settled at the Buffalo Pond which became known as Pepper's
Ferry. Henry Bingamin lived just up river from Pepper. (Shell Sketch)
Samuel Pepper was son of Dr. Robert
Pepper. Jesse Pepper a descendant writes," Dr. Robert Pepper was a regular
bred physician who emigrated to Pennsylvania between 1720-1735 in which year
Samuel Pepper was born in what is now Franklin County, Pennsylvania on the
Conochocheague Creek near Chambersburg on 20 November 1735." (Jesse Pepper
Letter)
Samuel was married to Naomi Burk
daughter of Burkes Garden James Burk. Dr. J.A. Kelly says Thomas Burk is a
nephew of James Burk but gives no documentation. (The Roanoke Times, Southwest
Corner) My mother Lula Porterfield Givens direct descendant of Thomas Burk said
there was some kinship between the two men but did not know what. James Bane
wrote the author that there was a kinship which I have yet to prove.
Later children and grandchildren of
James Burk settled around Pepper's Ferry and near their aunt Naomi Burk
Pepper Af ter the Revolution Naomi’s
brother Joseph Burk and wife Margaret Grant Burk came with children and lived
near the Peppers. Joseph Burk had married Margaret Grant in Rowan County N.C.
29 Dec. 1766. (Utah Genealogical Society, IGI, North Carolina, United States
Section)
Joseph Burk
died--said to have drowned in New River. (Betsy Owen, Descendant of Joseph,
told author) Margaret Grant Burk brought up her children near Naomi and Sam
Pepper and the Burk children married to Havens and Shells and others. See James
Burke section.
Samuel Pepper was (says his son
Jesse) "a man of strong mind though he had but little education. He was
lean, about six feet and in youth probably stout. In spring 1764 he was on the
North Fork of Roanoke where Colonel Thomas later lived. In spring 1765 he came
to New River near where he died before April 1806." (Jesse Pepper Letter)
Dr. Robert Pepper's sister married a
Pearis and was the mother of George Pearis who later built a fort at present
Pearisburg. Samuel Pepper was a first cousin of George Pearis.
The Burks, Peppers, Pearises,
Drapers, and John Goolman Davidsons all came from "South Ireland" and
some were Anglo-Irish from old Norman Irish stock. So this is a South Irish
connection on the New River that has been overlooked by historians. This is
another little "South Ireland"- this one on New River.
The Jacob Shell
family, the Davidsons, the Peppers, the Burke's Garden James Burk and Thomas
Burk family were closely allied in business dealings.
James Burk had left Southwest
Virginia in the Indian attacks in 1755 and gone to Cumberland County, North
Carolina and later died in Surry. He sold part of his Burke's Garden land to
the Ingles family. But James Patton's heirs, William Thompson and James
Thompson, claimed the land. There was an on
going quarrel
between the Burks and Ingles against the Thompsons and Buchanans over ownership
of Burke's Garden. Samuel Pepper, married to James' daughter Naomi, was the
executor of James Burk's will Nov.4, 1782. (Surry County, N.C. Will Book II, p.
1) See James Burk section.
When the American Revolution began
Samuel Pepper became a Tory along with Jacob Shell. Some of this Tory
misunderstanding stems from this quarrel of James Burk with the
Patton-Preston-Thompson-
Buchanan
interest in Montgomery County.
The relationship of Thomas Burk son
of Peaked Mountain William Burk of "Long Meadow" to the James Burk of
Burke's Garden and Jacob Shell of New River is unknown but Thomas did buy land
from Jacob Shell so was entangled with him financially.
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Early
Adventurers on the Western Waters,
vol. 1, pp. 266-269 by Mary B. Kegley and F. B. Kegley has a biographical
sketch of Jacob Shell, Sr. and the Shell family. Jacob Shell was born in Pennsylvania in 1720 then moved south
into Virginia first into Shenandoah County before appearing in 1756 on an
Augusta County tithable list. He was
first mentioned as a permanent resident on the New River in 1767. Tradition says Indian attacks drove him from
the area earlier accounting for the gap between 1756 and 1767.
Jacob
died in 1802 and the Kegleys give details from his will. Many early Shell marriages are given for the
next two Shell generations.
The
most interesting information about the Shells is found in the Revolutionary War
sections of the book. In “Disaffection
on the New River” it is found that the Shells were among the Tory families in
the New River valley. They were
unwilling to take the “Oath of Allegiance to the State” and Jacob Shell, Jr.
was considered one of the ringleaders and brought to trial. In his case, Jacob Shell, Jr. and John
Shell were required to sign a bond agreeing not to disturb the peace or to take
up arms as well as agreeing to obey the laws.
1753 The
Community Settlements-First At Draper
From Early Adventurers on the
Western Waters, vol. 1
"The
survey for 7,500 acres was made by John Buchanan in the fall of 1747 and the
subdivision by William Preston in the spring and summer of 1753. Among the
settlers already in the boundary and on the borders were ... Jacob Shell ...”
"Down the river opposite the
Horshoe, Jacob Shell had an appreciative eye for several tracts of fine land
including more than 700 acres ... There is a whole chapter of neighborhood
history connected with the Shells, Havens and Walls.."
1767 JACOB
SHELL, 200 acres from Ebenezer Westcott (Westcoat) of South Carolina, by
attorney Jacob
Miller,
Jr., and mortgage to Thomas Burk
1767 Ebenezer
Westcoat and Jacob Shell sold Jacob Lorton 656 acres
1771 Tithables
for 1771-A List of Tithables in the Lower District of the New River
…Jacob Shull…
1774 Captain
Joseph Cloyd's Company, 1774
...Jacob Shull…
1774 "Mr. Samuel Shannon rec’d of Mr. Jacob
Shell foure diets and foder for five horses and half bus. of corn and this acomt is on the books Dec 16,
1774, W.Ingles"
1774 "In
1774 the Auditor's Accounts for the Dunmore's War show that James Byrn served
as a sergeant for three days and received pay at the rate of 2/6 per day. Twelve men served with him as
follows:...Jacob Shull, Jr.
1777 Captain
John Taylor's Company of Militia
…Jacob Shull
John Shull
Christian Shull…
1775 Mar
7 Among others, Jacob Shell and Jacob Shell, Jr ordered to work and the local
road in repair
1775 Jacob
Shell (Shull) assignee of John Shepherd, 300 acres mouth of Fishing Run of New
River, settled
1775
1779 List
of Captain James Byrn's Company of Militia
…Jacob Shul
Jacob Shul
Christian Shul
Jacob Shul listed as not fit.
1782 March
2, JACOB SHELL, SENR., assignee of Wm. Preston, assignee of George May, 330
acres joining
the
land he lives on and to extend toward Keesy's land (withdrawn)
1782 Sep
24 JACOB SHELL, assignee of John Shepherd, Commissioner's certificate, 300
acres at the mouth
of
Fishing Run of New River
1782 Nov
14 JACOB SHULL (SHELL), SENR., state warrant for 407 acres, enters 300 acres
joining land he
lives
on and to extend toward Keasy's land to include improvements made by Shull
(Shell)
1782 Nov
14 James Heavin, assignee of Jacob Shull (Shell) Senr., 107 acres on New River
joining his own
land
1782 Dec
24 JACOB SHULL (Shell), Senr., assignee of Walter Crockett, attorney for James
Clark, on state
warrants
for 500 acres enters 300 acres on west side of Keysey's land and joining his
former entry on waters of New River
1782 Jacob
Shell helped appraise John Haven's estate
1786 Burk,
Joseph, administration granted Margett (sic) Burk and Jacob Shell Oct 24, 1786.
Appraisal taken
11/25/86
1785 JACOB
SHELL release from Augustine Price and Charles Rush of Rockingham County. In
1769 there
was
a mortgage between Jacob Shell and Thomas Burk for 200 acres which Shell
purchased from
Ebenezer
Westcoat. In 1770 Burk assigned the mortgage to Price and Rush.
1787 JACOB
SHELL, JR., 464 acres east side of New River on both sides of mouth of Fishing
Run, part of
two
entries, one a certificate of settlement from the Commissioners and other
Treasury Warrant, 1787,
land
corner to Edward Billups; 1798, 555 acres inclusive survey, and 370 acres
Strouble's Creek, parts made up from Treasury Warrants
1787 JACOB
SHELL from James Thompson, 487 acres Back Creek
1787 Samuel
McCraw, 2,500 acres adjoining Jacob Shull (Shell)
1795 (app.) Captain John Preston's Company of
Militia
Jacob Shell
Christian Shell
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