1908 REUNION SKETCH & 1909 LETTER
by
James F.4 Shields (1841-1913)
[William H.3, Patrick2, Daniel1 Shields]by
James F.4 Shields (1841-1913)
In taking a scholastic approach 100 years later (2008), I will hopefully present primary facts that will validate and confirm statements within this 1908 reunion sketch by James F. Frazier and also reject and disprove other information within his production.[1]
James F. Shields, s/o William H. Shields and his first wife, Nancy "Nannie" Rex, was the youngest of their five known children. His mother died soon after his birth, and it appears that James was put in the care of his maternal Grandmother Rex and lived for a time with his mother's sister and her family. James' father [William H.] married a second wife, a widow, Eva/Eve Elizabeth (Snyder) Fornshell, whose son John A. Fornshell was placed in the care of his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Mary Snyder. William H. and Eva/Eve Elizabeth had three known children before Eva/Eve died. Eventually, William H. Shields married (3) Elizabeth Weiland who was the mother of their six known children.
It appears that through his growing years James spent the majority of his time with his REX family. Just how much contact he had with his SHIELDS family is unknown, but he seems to have some factual knowledge of the family's history. Some of the information seems to be based upon hearsay which passed to him from his Grandmother Rex or the REX family or later generations of SHIELDS descendants. James F. states within his sketch, "In giving the biography or history of Patrick Shields and family, I have not had the time since being asked to write it up, to do the work as it should have been done." This is apparent in some statements presented as they are not supported at this time (2008) by research into deeds, censuses, pension records, old biographical sketches, cemetery records and gravestones. Still some assumptions must be made based upon preponderance of evidence and historical knowledge of Irish immigration during colonial times. My END NOTES will attempt to present information as it is known at this period in time (2008).
Audrey A. (Shields) Hancock
Edward D.5 Shields (William4, Isaac3, Patrick2, Daniel1) "West Sonora, Ohio |
[1] ca 1970, Research of Anita (Bowers) Short & Ruth Bowers, DANIEL SHIELDS Family Lineages, ca 1970; 1970-2008 Research of Audrey (Shields) Hancock; 2008, Internet Correspondence between ASH & ALBS.
[2] "or perhaps the last part of the one before..."
Confirmed by son Patrick's biographical sketch (taken while Patrick was yet alive). "He came to America in 1791..."
Darke County, Ohio Atlas, 1875.
[3]"...Daniel Shields..."
Immigrant grandfather's name is Daniel Shields. Daniel Shields (04 April 1741-11 April 1833) name is found in Deed Records in Hamilton County, Ohio and Butler County, Ohio; and upon his gravestone in Dry Forks Baptist Church Cemetery in Monroe Township, Preble County, Ohio.
[4] "...wife..."
Immigrant grandmother's name is Mary. Her maiden name may be lost to time, and perhaps will never be learned.
Her name "Mary Shields" along with Daniel's name appear in the Hamilton County, Ohio Deed Book 1, page 428 in 1809.
[5] "...one daughter..."
Mary appears to have been the only daughter. Her name is found in records in Butler County, Ohio & Warren County, Ohio. She married (1) John Sinkey; married (2) George Freeman.
[6] "...six sons..."
At the present (2008), there are only three sons who can be confirmed: Isaac, James, and Patrick. However, it does appear that the John Shields who shows up later in Preble County, Ohio was one of the said missing sons. There were perhaps two others according to this accounting named Samuel and Daniel. However, if they existed, nothing has been found of their whereabouts nor their descendants.
[7] "...Daniel Shields, wife, one daughter and six sons left Cork, Ireland..."
The statement they "left Cork, Ireland" has no bearing on giving that place as their previous domicile or place of birth for any family member. Patrick's sketch indicates that he (Patrick, the youngest son of Daniel & Mary) was born in the "north of Ireland", which would have been in Protestant Ulster. This accounting does not say that Daniel nor any of his family were born in Cork, County Munster, Ireland, the southernmost province of Ireland. There is no document that verifies that the family actually "left from Cork," although that is a possibility. The exact place where they embarked for America and the date of their leaving is not proven and may never be known as no ship manifest records have been found, nor likely to be found, as of this writing to prove any fact about their departure. Irish history states that early immigrants probably left from Cobh (Cork City) when it is said they "went from Cork." Patrick's sketch only indicates that they arrived in America in 1791. However, if they resided in Ulster, why would then venture down to Cork? Baltimore had strong commercial links with the Ulster ports in Belfast, Londonderry, & Newry, so shipping and traveling was readily available for prospective emigrants.
[8]"...left Cork, Ireland for Baltimore, Maryland (U.S.) to make America their home."
There is no record that validates that they disembarked in Baltimore, but Baltimore was one of the main port of entries for Irish immigrants in that colonial time period along with Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Many families who landed at Baltimore went immediately to central or western Pennsylvania, as Baltimore is actually closer than Philadelphia to those areas. Many families moved to Pennsylvania for a few years while family members looked to find land in Virginia and Ohio. Son, Patrick's biography indicates that the family resided for three years in Pennsylvania.
[9] "Virginia had an emigrant Society at Baltimore to look after desirable emigrants to settle up their state."
At this time I could find no formally documented society available to the Irish in 1791, but perhaps there was an unofficial group who helped incoming emigrants. The Hibernian Society of Baltimore and the Emigrant Society of Baltimore appear to have been officially established some years later. In colonial times (ca 1750), many early Irish immigrants were of Scots-Irish stock having been resettled in Ireland at an earlier time period. Then they were driven from Ireland by Protestant-Catholic religious conflicts, political upheavals and economic conditions, being enticed and drawn to America by the promise of land ownership and perhaps more religious freedom. Most Scots-Irish immigrants were educated or skilled workers and they arrived in family groups, as did our SHIELDS family. Perhaps there were other relatives who traveled with them in 1791, or perhaps they had planned to join other relatives who were already settled in America. We may never know the details of their life in Ireland nor their reason for leaving their motherland and the events of their departure from Ireland and arrival in America. By the 1730s many early Irish arrivals had traversed into the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and other parts of the Virginia (remembering that Virginia in that time period encompassed much territory, now in other states), so by the time our SHIELDS family arrived in 1791, perhaps the availability of land was at a premium. It is said that the Scots-Irish settled in the middle colonies, especially in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where there was a major port of debarkation. Patrick Shields' biographical sketch indicates, "..., and after living for three years in Pennsylvania..." they left the area and settled in Ohio.
[10] "But when they landed in Baltimore, the head of the family had changed his mind and would immigrate to the North West territory and settled in what afterwards became Ohio."
This statement is validated in many ways. Although we do not know the reason for Daniel changing his mind, we know that the Ohio Valley was being settled in 1788. Patrick's sketch states, "...and after living for three years in Pennsylvania, he [Patrick] removed to Cincinnati, where he landed October 15, 1794." Patrick was only 10 years old at the time, so he would have traveled to Ohio with his parents and older siblings. Some histories indicate that cheap land in Virginia was no longer available. Other histories tell us that immigrants, as well as descendants from the early New England colonies flocked to the Ohio Valley because of cheap, fertile land. So, we might assume that Daniel too chose the fertile valley where cheap land was available. Daniel & Mary Shields of Butler County, Ohio sold their land in Hamilton County, Ohio in 1809, which means they would have had to acquired this land sometime before this 1809 date...and before 1807 when Daniel was on the Tax List of Butler County.
[11] "At Baltimore, three of the sons left their parents and went south into Virginia."
This statement is unproven and unvalidated. There may have been three adults sons who left the family and went into Virginia, but with the passage of time to the present (2008), these named sons (John, Samuel, & Daniel) continue to be unproven and lost to the family. However, it is believed that the John Shields who shows up later in Preble County, Ohio was perhaps the missing son, John.
[12]Daniel Shields, wife, daughter, Mary and sons, Isaac, James and Patrick eventually settled in Preble County, Monroe Township, Ohio." This statement is partially true based upon land records, census records, & cemetery records. Daniel and sons (Isaac, James, & Patrick) did settle in Monroe Township of Preble County, Ohio. However, Mary, wife of Daniel, is strongly believed to have died in Butler County, Ohio, as there is no trace of her following the signing of the deed in 1809, and Daniel appears to have taken up residence with his son, Isaac sometime later. Daughter, Mary, married about 1805 to John Sinkey, was widowed, remarried a 2nd time to George Freeman, and died, having resided most of her adult life in Butler County, Ohio.
[13] "Isaac, son of Daniel Shields married a Miss Van Cleaf..."
Isaac SHIELDS married Amy VAN CLEVE; parents of 8 children: John, Catharine, Daniel, Isabel, Pheobe, Benjamin, Mary, & Martha.
[14] "James Shields, son of Daniel Shields...."
James SHIELDS married (1) Christiana Magdalene COOK. She was the mother of 8 children: Mary, John, Rachel, Jane, James, Christiana, Eliza & George. James married (2) Mrs. Elizabeth (HENSEL) SHULL, a widow, and they were the parents of Albert, Elizabeth, & Martha.
[15] "Mary, the daughter of Daniel Shields,..."
Mary married (1) Daniel Sinkey. They were the parents of 7 children: Daniel, James, Charlotte, Isabella, Elizabeth, John and Jane. She married (2) George Freeman. She resided in Warren County, Ohio and Butler County, Ohio.
[16] "Patrick Shields, the grandfather, the great grandfather, the great, great grandfather and still yet a greater grandfather of nearly all of the Shields in Darke and Preble counties of to-day was the youngest of the sons of Daniel Shields and his wife."
From all accountings and records this appears to be a true statement, as no other children are found born to this couple after Patrick, unless they died young.
[17] "He was born on the ocean during the voyage from Cork Ireland to Baltimore, Maryland."
This appears to be untrue, as Patrick Shields's Biographical Sketch in Darke County, Ohio, written while he was still alive and validated by pension records and censuses all give his birthdate as September 15, 1784" some 6 or 7 years before the family is said to have left Ireland.
If this had been the case, he would have been recognized as being born in Ireland according to maritime law. A person born aboard ship has citizenship of the country of registration of the ship and of the parents.
[18] "My grandmother Rex often told me when I was a boy that my Grandfather Shields was married three times..."
This appears to be untrue, as Patrick's Biographical Sketch in Darke County, Ohio, written while he was still alive states "He was married twice..." "His first marriage license was issued June 16, 1806 during a total eclipse of the sun so that the candles had to be lit." His first marriage was to Mary Fogle. His second marriage to Mrs. Selina (Freeman) Boyd, a widow.
[19] "and was the father of twenty-four children"
This appears to be two too many, as Patrick's Biographical Sketch in Darke County, Ohio, written while he was still alive states "and has had 22 children, twelve of whom are yet living."
[20] "The Shields of today, especially the olden ones, have a peculiar charteristic or movement of body and head that designate them from other people (what I means is the pure Shields blood), being small of statute, darke conplextion, darke hair and black eyes..."
I guess that my grandfather, Raymond Dale6 SHIELDS (Caleb5, Patrick4, Isaac M.3, Patrick2, Daniel1), would rank as a typical SHIELDS and my uncle, Arva Earl7 "Peanuts" SHIELDS, s/o Raymond Dale6 Shields, would also be a typical SHIELDS. My own father, Dale Caleb7 Shields, and his brother, Leroy Creager7 Shields (brothers of Arva Earl Shields) probably inherited more of their maternal CREAGER stature. ASH
[21] "Now my brother John, who is a typical Shields,..."
[John4 Shields [William H.3, Patrick.3, Daniel1 Shields]
In both the Preble County and Darke County, Ohio SHIELDS family are found many descendants with red hair and light complexions, while others had dark hair and dark complexions. I do remember being told that John Shields, was one of the dark Irish descendants of the Preble County bunch.
2008, Anita (Bowers) Short