John Shockley I (abt. 1690 - bef. 1766)

Born about 1690 in Somerset County, Province of Maryland

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Stanback) Shockley — married 7 Dec 1714 in Worcester, Maryland

Descendants

Died before 19 Jun 1766 before about age 76 in Worcester County, Province of Maryland

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Biography

John Shockley was born in 1690, in Somerset County, Colonial Maryland, the seventh child of Richard Shockley, Jr. who immigrated from England and his wife, Ann Boyden, married October 4, 1674, in St Martin's Parish, Somerset county, Maryland.

On December 7, 1714, in Somerset county, John married Sarah Stanback, born 1694, in Colonial Maryland, a daughter of Isaac Stanback. John and Sarah became the parents of at least six children, who he named in his Will and possibly as many as nine Will Caution is required, as his brother, David, named his children many of the same names.

Worcester County was created from Somerset County in 1742, where John wrote his Will on January 19, 1761. The Will was probated on June 19, 1766. (See image)

John Shockley named in his Will, first, his son Isaac, to whom he gave 100 acres of land, on which the family home and orchards were, with the stipulation that if Isaac was to die without male heirs, the homestead was to go to the second son, Benjamin and his heirs. John made provision for his daughter, Mary to reside in the home until she married or passed away. Also named are sons, John Shockley, Jr., and Solomon, and daughter Sarah Christen. ^[1]

Researchers Notes

According to "Early Shockley Families of Virginia, Tennessee, Maryland, and Delaware,” John was the only one of Richard Shockley's four sons to have remained in what is now Worcester or Wicomico Counties, MD. In 1727, John purchased 176 acres in Somerset County, MD. In 1729, John Shockley of Somerset County, MD purchased another 100 acres of land from William Wallis on the south side of Wicomico River, which he resold in 1745/6, now calling himself “of Worcester County,” to his son Richard. Sarah Shockley, his wife, relinquished her dower in a sale of land on the south side of Wicomico River in 1750.

His 1761 will devises the bulk of his estate (175 acres) to his oldest son Isaac. 5 acres also go to Benjamin. Then named in order are Mary, John, Solomon and Sarah. It would seem likely that Richard and Jonathan were by then deceased.

One of the witnesses is James Davis, who has in his will a reference to wife Mary and her sister Sarah Shockley. A witness to that will is John Toadvine. Henry Toadvine’s 1756 will refers to daughter Sarah Shockley. It’s unclear whether Sarah is this Sarah, or the sister of Mary Toadvine who married one of the Shockley sons.

He passed away about 1761.

Sources

1. ↑ "Maryland Register of Wills Records, 1629-1999," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTBJ-9Z2Y?cc=1803986&wc=SNY4-2NR%3A146534501%2C148137601 : 20 May 2014), Worcester > Wills 1759-1769 vol 3 > image 67 of 104; Hall of Records, Annapolis

• Will of John Shockley Sr, Worcester County, Maryland
• https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/L2QG-NDZ

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Shockley-80 created through the import of stobie.ged on Jul 2, 2011 by Herbert Wolfe