Elizabeth (Stevens) Shipley (bef. 1690 - 1761)

Born before 1690 in Dorchester, Maryland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 1761 after age 71 in Queen Caroline Parish, Anne Arundel, Maryland

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Biography

Caution: No Connection between Abraham Lincoln and the Shipleys

Roberts stated that Elizabeth Stevens is "probably" an ancestor of Abraham Lincoln. ^[1]

James Hanks and his wife Lucy Shipley have in the past been believed to be the parents of Nancy Hanks, wife of Thomas Lincoln, and Abraham Lincoln's mother. DNA tests have now proven that such a relationship is impossible and Abraham Lincoln has no Shipley ancestry. ^[2]

Biography

1700 Birth and Parents

Elizabeth STEVENS was born about 1700 in Dorchester County, MD. She was the daughter of Charles, Stevens, Jr, and his wife Elizabeth. ^[3]

Shipleys of Maryland^[4] refers to Elizabeth as "the daughter of Charles Stevens of Dorchester Co. and gives as a reference an indenture made by William Stevens dated 12 Oct 1710).

Mike Marshall^[5] places Elizabeth as a daughter of Charles Stevens, Jr, of Anne Arundel County.

Since both the Stevens and Shipley families were based in Anne Arundel County, this is a reasonable surmise. On the other hand, Charles Stevens Jr's step father John Howard's family had property in both Anne Arundel and also Dorchester County across the Chesapeake Bay, so it is not impossible that Charles Stevens of Anne Arundel, and Charles Stevens of Dorchester County are one and the same.

Siblings

Bibliography of Frequently Cited Sources

• Barnes, Robert. Maryland Marriages, 1634-1777. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1975.
• Skordas, Gust, Assistant Archivist, State of Maryland. The Early Settlers of Maryland: An Index to Names of Immigrants Compiled from Records of Land Patents, 1633-1680, in the Hall of Records, Annapolis, Maryland. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1968.
• Wright, F. Edward. Anne Arundel County Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries. Westminster, Maryland: Family Line Publications. No date.

Citations:

^{[6] [5]}

There is no clear documentation for the children of Charles Stevens, Jr. It is evident that Charles had at least two other children not named in his will.

If he was born in 1658 and married at the age of 21 (1679), then his children were born between the year 1680 and the year of his death, 1703.

Charles Stevens' will names four children, William, Mary, Sarah and Elizabeth. ^[6] Charles Stephens IIII and John Stephens are also clearly his childreen. Assume William was the eldest son because he inherited property in the will; Assume Mary was the eldest daughter because she was married at the time of the will.

1. William Stevens. Named in will. In 1707 his son William was in possession of a 72 acre tract called What-You-Please between South River & the Severn which was surveyed for his dad. ^[6]
2. Mary Stevens Named in will as wife of William Yeidhall. Mary married William Yealdhall on Feb. 13, 1704/1705. (4 AA 390) ^[7]
3. Charles Stephens III. In 1719 a Charles Stevens was surety for the bond of William Yieldhall as administrator for the estate of John Stephens, and Charles then helped inventory the estate. This could not be Charles Stevens, Jr, who died in 1703. The involvement of this Charles with the estate of John Stevens in 1719 suggests he was a brother of John Stevens, a brother-in-law of William Yieldhall, and a son of Charles Stevens, Jr. These connections would place his birth say, 1680, in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland.

• John Stephens, born, say, 1680. Married 19 Feb 1704 to Sarah Brown. (4 AA-390) ^[8] When he died in 1719, Sarah renounced administration of the estate in favor of William Yieldhall, who posted bond the next day; Charles Stevens was a surety for the bond. ^[9] In December, John Stevens' estate was inventoried by William and Charles Stevens of Anne Arundel County. ^[10] On 19 Feb 1704 John Stephens married Sarah Brown. ^[11] Eight years later, however, John is married to Sarah, and the St. Anne's Parish records contain several of their children: John Stevens and Sarah parents of John Stevens son b. 24 Mar 1714/1715^[12] This John Stevens (of John and Sarah) was in turn baptized 23 Jun 1717^[13] John Stephens and Sarah were the parents of:

1. 1. Charles Stephens son b. 2 Mar 1712;
   2. Susanna Stephens dau b. 18 Sep 1708;
   3. Comfort Stephens dau b. 8 Mar 1713. ^[14] Married Augustine Gambrill.
2. Sarah Stevens b: BEF 1700 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Named in will^[5]Sarah Stevens, daughter of Charles Stevens, married on 28 Jul 1716 Richard Barnes, the son of James Barnes and Ketura (Roturah) Shipley. Richard Barnes was born about 1699. She died before 1740 and he died after 18 Oct 1751. Richard Barnes and Sarah Stevens had the following children: Richard Barnes Jr. and Benjamin Barnes. Benjamin was married to Catharine before 1740. Benjamin was born on 3 Oct 1716 and baptized on 29 Jul 1717 in St Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel Co., MD with the notation that the family had come from Baltimore Co. ^[15]
3. Elizabeth Stevens b. 1680 and married Robert Shipley. ^[16] Named in will. For Marshall, she was born about 1693 in Anne Arundel Co, MD, ^[5] married Robert Shipley, brother of Richard. Elizabeth Stevens, is described in Shipley, ^[16], as daughter of Charles Stevens of Dorchester Co. See indenture made by William Stevens (her brother) Oct 12 1710 (Shipley, p. 7). At what point would Robert Shipley have moved to Dorchester County and at what point would he have moved back -- or have two different people been made into one here? Elizabeth STEVENS was born Abt 1700 in Dorchester, MD. She married Robert SHIPLEY Abt 19 Mar 1704 in Anne Arundel Co., MD, son of Adam SHIPLEY and Lois HOWARD. He was born 1678 in Anne Arunel Co., MD, and died 3 Jul 1763 in Anne Arundel Co., MD.

Marriage

Elizabeth Stevens married Robert Shipley ^[3]

Two Stevens women married two Shipley brothers. Susanna, who married Richard Shipley, was the daughter of Benjamin Stevens. ^[17] Elizabeth, who married Richard's brother Robert, was the daughter of Charles Stevens. ^[18]

Elizabeth Stevens married Robert Shipley about 1710. He was was born about 1678 and died between 1761 and 1763. ^[4]

With his brothers, Robert moved into northern Anne Arundel county (now Howard County) and birth dates of his children are found in the records of Queen Caroline Parish where he was one of the first vestrymen, serving from 1728 through 1731. He was a pew holder in 1736.

Robert's churchmanship is recognized in Helen W. Ridgely's book, Historic Graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia, page 156. There are entries in the register of this historic parish of the following children with dates, which may represent either the time of birth or of baptism, most probably the latter. ^[19]

1608 Land

Robert received 9 Aug 1698, 100 acres of Adam the First from his brother Richard Shipley, and in 1724 patened 250 acres Shipleys Discovery, on the Great Falls of the Patapsco River, which he used for a dwelling plantation.

He willed this land (dated 6 Dec 1761; probated 9 Mar 1763) to his graqndson Robert son of William, together with 240 acres, part of a tract called Shipley's Search which he patented in 1730 and part of Last Shift, patented in 1758.

He willed to his son William 190 acres, part of Last Shift, to be laid out adjoining a 100 acre tract, What's Left, deeded to William in 1747.

In his Will he stated that his older children had been provided for. In 1733-1742, 1744 and 1750 he made conveyances of small pieces, some of which may have been part of Adam the First. In 1745 he and his wife conveyed to William Shipley, Jr. Robert's Delight, a part of Adam the First. In 1747 he deeded Shipley's Enlargement to his son George Shipley. ^[4]

Death

Robert Shipley died between 6 Dec 1761 and 9 Mar 1763, possibly about February 1763, leaving his sons George and William as Executors. (AACW 31:900).

Presumably, his wife had died previously, as her name is not mentioned in the will, which was witnessed by Vachel Dorsey, John Whips, and Thomas Sellman.

Children

Elizabeth Stevens and Robert Shipley had the following children: ^[4]

1. Charles Shipley, b. 27 Mar 1711, d. bef Sep 1767
2. Robert Shipley, Jr, b. 19 Oct 1713. Robert Shipley, Jr, born 19 Oct 1713 in Howard Co., MD. He married Sarah DORSEY Bef 1737. ^[3]
3. Ruth Shipley, b. 14 Aug 1715
4. Keturah Shipley, b. 22 Nov 1716
5. Elizabeth Shipley, b. 7 Mar 1718, d. 1796
6. Sarah Shipley, b. 23 Jun 1721
7. Lois/Lowes/Lowis Shipley, b. 1 Jun 1723
8. George Shipley, b. 26 Sep 1726, d. 15 jan 1802
9. William Shipley, Sr, b. 1 MAY 1729, d. before 1794. William Shipley, Sr, born 1 May 1729, and died 4 Jan 1794. He married Rebecca SELLMAN Abt 4 Jan 1751 in Anne Arundel Co., MD, daughter of Benjamin Lawrence SELLMAN and Anne POWELL. She died 10 Aug 1808. ^[3]

In addition, the following are currently linked on WikiTree as children:

• Retinah Shipley
• Lewis Shipley
• Adam Shipley
• Talbot Shipley

The "extra" children require further research to see if they are attached to the correct family.

Research Notes

Speculation Regarding Elizabeth and Keturah

There is some speculation that says Elizabeth's middle names was "Keturah" -- there is a birth record for Keturah Shipley (b. 29 July 1717) to a Robert and Keturah Shipley; however, there is another birth record for Retinah Shipley (b. 22 Nov 1717) to Robert and Elizabeth Shipley. Someone has created a profile on FamilySearch Family Tree for Elizabeth Keturah Stevens (b. 1680, Dorchester, Maryland; d. 1750, Anne Arundel, Maryland) with parents Charles Stevens and Elizabeth Larcom.

There has been considerable confusion surrounding this (these?) families. Currently, there is one profile on WikiTree Retinah/Keturah Shipley with a birth date of 22 Nov 1717. Now I'm wondering if they are, indeed, two different people from two different families. -- Fiscus-32 17:42, 7 June 2015 (EDT)

Since user-submitted information on ancestry.com is very often inaccurate, research into reliable primary and secondary sources is sought to resolve such issues.

Sources

1. ↑ Gary Boyd Roberts, Ancestors of American Presidents. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009, page 50. Reference: Lincoln-29
2. ↑ Wikipedia. Nancy Hanks Lincoln Heritage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Hanks_Lincoln_heritage. Accessed October 31, 2016
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Jane Curci. Re: Caleb and Ozias Barnes, Message on Genforum #11905, March 1, 2005. Accessed 12/8/2019 jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Shipleys of Maryland, Baltimore, 2002, Volume I, pages 8-9
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Mike Marshall. Charles Stevens, Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Accessed July 24, 2015 on site which has subsequently been replaced.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} William Kenneth Rutherford and Anna Clay Zimmerman Rutherford. Genealogical History of our Ancestors. By the authors, 1977. Vol 1, p. 770
7. ↑ Barnes, Marriages, p. 202.
8. ↑ Barnes, Marriages, page 170
9. ↑ V. L. Skinner, Jr. Abstracts of the Testamentary Proceedings of the Prerogative Court of Maryland. Volume XV (1719-1721). Liber 24, 25 (pp 1-87). Baltimore: Clearfield Publishing Company, 2008. page 18 Accessed 13 December 2021 jhd
10. ↑ Milnor Lungstedt, ed. Maryland's Next of Kin in The County Notebook, Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland, Vol 3, #6,. November 1924 page 42 Accessed 13 December 2021 jhd
11. ↑ Wright, St. Anne's Parish, p. 73
12. ↑ Wright, St. Anne's Parish, p. 77
13. ↑ Wright, St. Anne's Parish, p. 80
14. ↑ Wright, St. Anne's Parish, p. 74
15. ↑ http://paulyfamily.org/media/howard.txt
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} The Shipleys of Maryland, 2002. Baltimore, Maryland, Gateway Press, 2002. Volume I. Robert Shipley's entry is .13 on page 8.
17. ↑ Shipleys of Maryland, 2002, Vol 1, p 7.
18. ↑ Shipleys of Maryland, 2002, Vol 1, p. 8.
19. ↑ The Shipley Clan of America, The Shipleys of Maryland: A Genealogical Study, Baltimore, MD: Reese Press, 1938, pp. 34-39:

See also:

• Mike Marshall. Charles Stevens, Early Colonial Settlers of Southern Maryland and Virginia's Northern Neck Counties. Updatged July 24, 2015. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=mrmarsha&id=I031170. Accessed July 24, 2015
• Ancestry Family Trees
• Emison, Jr., James Wade. Emison Families, revised: Origin and History of the Kentucky Emisons, with partial genealogies and notes on the Emisons of Virginia, Tennessee, Long Island, Massachusetts, with the following collateral families, Baird, Holmes, Clark, Love, Posey-Wade, Allen, Dunning, Ruby, Reiley, Rabb, Braun, James, Chalke, Weaver, Sinclair, Blackburn, Buckley, Randall, Chew, Browne, Porter, Shipley, Mansell, Gassaway, Sheperd, Montague-Johnson-Straughn-Haynie-Grimes, Dutton, Gee, Barr, Simpson, McCord, Hogue, Patterson-Cullop, Scott, McClellan, Brevoort, Mantle, McFarland, McClure, Barkley, Snell, Briscoe, Mitchell, McHatton, Hoopes, Shipley/Gassaway, pp. 262 & 265 of 369, Vincennes, Indiana: c1947. Familysearch.org, FHL Repository, Book Call No. 929.273 Em48e 1954, FHL Digitized version link, https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/298537?availability=Family%20History%20Library. Accessed 16 Oct 2019.
• Hathitrust Digital Collection. "The Shipleys of Maryland; a genealogical study, prepared by committees appointed at the Shipley reunion, College Park, Maryland, August 29, 1937." (Robert Shipley and Elizabeth Stevens, Ch. VI, p. 34) Hathitrust, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89080571524&view=plaintext&seq=40&q1=elizabeth%20Stevens. Accessed 23 June 2020.