Bell Anthology - Shannon

The Raymond M. Bell Anthology



Shannon of Washington County, Pa.
     
         Sarah Shannon, widow of John Shannon, settled in Peters Township, 
      Washington County between 1771, when she was taxed in Sadsbury 
      Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and 1777 when her son, 
      Samuel, owned land in Washington County. With her were her four 
      younger sons and several daughters. Her oldest son, Thomas, was 
      living in Amherst (now Nelson) County, Virginia near his uncles, 
      Samuel Shannon, Thomas Shannon and William Crowe. Her second son, 
      John, died in Peters Township in 1787; the others went to Shelby 
      County, Kentucky. Two daughters also went to Kentucky; two stayed 
      in Washington County. Sarah died in April 1810, age 89, at the 
      home of her daughter, Margaret Byers. Her five sons werel 
         Thomas 1742-1800 Va Ky, John 1746-1787 Pa, Samuel 1750-
      1813 Ky, William 1752-1794 Ky, George 1759-1840 Ky Ind 
      Son, William Shannon, gained fame, becoming late in 1778 
      Commissary and Quarter-Master General of the Western Department 
      for the troops of General George Rogers Clark - term ending in 
      1783. These early dates are associated with William:
         1778 Apr 18 Got land in what is now Mount Pleasant Twp, 
               Washington Co - then Yohogania Co, Va 
              Jun 24 At Louisville, Ky 
              Jul 4 At Kaskaskia 
              Oct 13 Sold land in Pa 
              late Muster at Fort Pitt 
         1779 Feb 14 At Vincesses 
         1781 May-Jun Clark in then Yohogania Co 
      William's nephew, Samuel Shannon Jr, said in 1854 that William 
      "came from Pennsylvania". (Draper Mss) 
         The various Shannon wills establish the relationships. For 
      example, Sarah in her will mentions son William, deceased, of Ky. 
      In his will he mentions mother and two sisters in Pennsylvania. 
         In a court action in September 1792 (Washington County Court of 
      Common Pleas #40) Sarah Shannon, widow of John Shannon of Lancaster 
      County sues George Shannon, John Rankin and Hannah Rankin 
      (late Shannon), who were executors of John Shannon of Washington 
      County, second son of John Shannon of Lancaster County for money 
      due her. 
         The earliest record of the Shannon family is the land 
      grant of 200 acres June 4-1734 to Thomas Shannon of Sadsbury 
      Township, Lancaster County. A "farmer" he died 3 years later. 
      His will, written April 4-1737, names wife, Agnes, older sons, 
      Samuel and John, who divided the farm, and three minor children, 
      Margaret, Thomas and Anna. Their guardian was Rev Alexander 
      Craighead of Middle Octorara, Thomas Jr had a loom mentioned. 
         By the 1760s Samuel and Thomas Jr were in Amherst (now Nelson) 
      County, Virginia. Samuel moved on to Giles County, Virginia and 
      then Nashville, Tennessee, where he died in 1811. Thomas died in 
      Amherst in 1772. His will names no wife or children. Named are 
      two Thomas nephews and niece Sarah Crowe. She was daughter of 
      William and Anna (Shannon) Crowe. 
         Second son, John, stayed on the Sadsbury farm, dying in 1766, 
      leaving 11 children and wife, Sarah. He had been captain in the 
      troops that were mustered in June 1746 (King George's War) to 
      prevent a possible attack by the French to the north. He got 
      as Albany, New York. His service ended in December 1747. 
         THOMAS SHANNON b c1687 d 1737 Sadsbury Twp, Lancaster Co, Pa 
         m c1712 Agnes --- b c1692 
      1. Samuel b c1713 d Oct 4-1811 Nashville, Tenn m 1752 Jane Reid     
         Children: Thomas 1753-1841 m 1778 Agnes Crowe, Jane (Marrs) 1754-, 
          David 1756-1821, Ann (Marrs) 1758-1822, John c1760-, Joseph c1763-, 
          Sarah c1766-1821, James 1768-1846, George 1770-1836, Esther Ral- 
          ston 1774-1837, Samuel 1780-1851 
      2. John b c1715 (see below) 
      3. Margaret b c1718 no record 
      4. Thomas b c1721 d 1772 Amherst Co likely no issue 
      5. Anna b c1724 m c1744 William Crowe - Amherst co 1765 
         Children: John m Hannah Muncie, Sarah m Kerr, Agnes m 
                   Thomas Shannon, Margaret m Thomas Evans, Ann 
     
      John Shannon (son of Thomas and Agnes) b C1715 d 1766 Lancaster 
       Co, Pa m c1741 Sarah (daughter of John) Reid  b 1721 d Apr 1810 
       East Finley Twp, Washington Co, Pa at home of daughter Margaret 
      1. Thomas b 1742 d 1800 Shelby co, Ky m C1764 Mary Reid - in 
          Amherst (now Nelson) co, Va 1766 near his uncles 
         a. John m Reid  
         b. Jane 1767-1855 m Alexander Reid 
         c. Alexander m Wallace 
         d. James 
         e. Samuel 
         f. Sarah m 1794 William Wallace 
         f. Agnes m 1795 Michael Wallace 
         g. William 
      
      2. Agnes b 1744 d 1841 Kentucky m c1764 James Roberts 
      
      3. John b 1746 d Jan 16-1787 Peters Twp, Washington Co, Pa m c1774 
          Hannah ---, no issue; she m2 John Rankin d 1819 
          John Shannon in Washington co 1778-87, Lieutenant militia 1778 
      
      4. Jane b c 1748 dead 1782 
      
      5. Samuel b Apr 15-1750 d May 14-1813 Shelby co, Ky m 1783 Martha
          (dauof Thomas) Bracken 1765-1838 - Washington Co 1777-85 
          Captain militia 1781 
         a. John b Apr 28-1784 m Polly Finley 
         b. Thomas b Feb 13-1786 
         c. Agnes b Sep 1-1787 d Jul 20-1811 m William Boyd 
         d. Sarah b Apr 11-1790 m 1809 John James Roberts 1788-1821 
         e. Ann b Sep 6-1792 d 1817 m John Harbison 
         f. William b May 14-1795 d Sep 14-1821 m Rachel Howell 
         g. Samuel b Jul 19-1797 d Jul 14-1856 m 18,90 Deborah Younger 1799-1865
         h. Elizabeth b Mar 16-1800 m Salem Wallace
         i. Martha b Jul 12-1803 m 1822 David Emmison 
         j. Mary b Jan 30-1806, single 
         k. Esther b Jul 20-1808, single 
      
      6. William b 1752 d Jul 5-1794 Shelby co, Ky, single - bought and 
          sold land in Mt Pleasant Twp, Washington Co, Pa 1778 
      
      7. Sarah b 1754 d 1837 Ky m cl 774 --- Brown 
      
      8. Ann b 1757 d 1839 Washington co m 1777 Thomas Bracken d 1803 
         a. Reid b Sep 24-1778 m 1806 Mary Graham 
         b. Thomas b Feb 1,9-1780 m Elizabeth Morrow & Ann Davidson 
         c. Sarah b Feb 21 -1782 m John Thompson 
         d. Agnes b Nov 24-1783 m John Mathews 
         e. Hannah b Oct 20-1785 m 1809 Joseph Thompson 
         f. John b Aug 17-1787 m Sarah Howe 
         g. Jane b lslay 1-1790 m Richard Miller 
         h. Mary b Oct 23-1792 m 1819 William Van Eman 
         i. Henry b Jun 29-1794 m 1816 Martha Davis Simcox 
         j. Moses b Sep 25-1796 d young 
         k. James b Jun 21-1799 d young 
      
     9. George b mar 1759 d Dec 5-1840 Jefferson Co, Ind m Mar 24-1785
         Ann Reid b 1764 b 1764 - in Washington Co 1779-85, private militia - 
         to Ky and Ind - pension R9418 served under Capt Greathouse 1778,
         Capt Andrew Swearingen 1780, was at Crawford's defeat 1782, wounded
        a. Sarah b jan 28-1786 m Jan 14-1808 Benjamin Miller
        b. George b Feb 2-1778 living 1843
        c. Mary b Sep 7-1790 m Apr 26-1815 John McMillan
        d. John b. may 27-1793 d Jan 24-1838 Sarah Work
        e. Thomas b Aug 3-1795 m Apr 4-1822 Elizabeth Spears
        f. Jane b oct 27-1797 m Dec 15-1825 George Reid
        g. --- b Dec 20-1799 d Sep 23-1801
        h. Margaret b Jun 10-1802
     
     10. Margaret b Mar 30-1765 d Aug 4-1829 E Finley Twp m Sep 18-1783
          Thomas Byers 1757-1825
         a. Samuel b Jul 10-1784 d Jan 26-1785
         b. John b Jul 22-1786 d Jul 27-1781 Batesville, Ark m 1809
             Sarah Bonar 1786-1817
         c. Sarah b Mar 25-1788 d mar 1880 Ripley, Ohio m May 11-1809
             Adam Wylie 1785-1839
         d. Thomas b Apr 22-1790 d sep 8-1863 m Apr 5-1813 Margaret Hamilton
             1794-1881
         e. Jane b Apr 3-1792 d Nov 4-1874 m Sep 1-1814 David Stewart 1787-52
         f. Margaret b Feb 1-1794 d May 1867 m 1817 John McDonald 1788-1868
         g. Nancy b Jan 9-1796 d Aug 25 1796
         h. Anne b Jun 25-1797 d Aug 26-1887 W Va m May 25-1820 Andrew Yates
             1795-1876
         i. James b Jun 20-1799 d Oct 18-1874 Iowa m Apr 3-1833 Mary 
             Stevenson d 1868
         j. Nancy (2) b Feb 21-1802 d May 8-1871
             m John Brice d 1881
         k. Rachel b Jun 22-1804 d Oct 5-1834 Sidney Ohio m Oct 28-1824
             Hugh Wilson 1795-1841
         l. Samuel (2) b Jul 15-1806 d May 13-1840 Sidney, Ohio
             m Jul 14-1831 Ann Wilson
         m. [name omitted from original article]
            b Mar 8-1808 d Jun 4-1877 Butler Co, Pa m1 Apr 10-1834 Rebecca
             Ann McCurdy 1808-1855, m2 Oct 31-1856 (Mrs) Martha Thorne d 1881
     
                               Sources
     
     KEYHOLE XIV 34 1986
     Ancestry of Margaret and William J Thom 1944
     Bell, Raymond ML The Byers Family of Washington Co, Pa 1987
     Bracken, Henry M: William Bracken of New Castle Co, Del
     Craig, M S: My Byers, Bonar, Shannon and Allied Families 1976
     Draper Manuscripts, Madison, Wisconsin
     Miller, James: The Shannons of Poplar Hill, Va 1933
     
     Census Records
     Court Records:  VA   Amherst, Giles Cos
                     PA   Lancaster, Washington Cos
                     KY   Shelby Co
     Pension Records
     
     

This article was transcribed by Bobbi Jo Harville of Middleburg, FL in April 1998.


Raymond M. Bell Anthology     Genealogy in Washington Co., PA

Published with permission of Raymond M. Bell.