Think I'll sit down here for a bit... (12)

[Tangible]

One of my cousins supposedly traced my maternal grandmother's family back to William of Orange.

I guess if you have the information available to you, pretty much everyone is a descendant of somebody or other.

 

[Aibrean]

So I think our family vacation to NYC this year is quite ironic because that shared ancestor actually owned most of the land we'd be stepping on

Tang - I am related to William of Orange (husband of 13th cousin 8x removed).

 

[Luther073082]

Was doing a little research from what I know of my geneology provided by my mom's cousin.

Apparently I have a ancestor named "Thanklord" who was a woman who married Ralph Shepard around 1612.

Two of their children Issac and Jacob where killed by Natives while threshing in a barn. A relative of their's by the name of Mary Shepard who was 13 at the time was assigned to watch for natives on a nearby hill but the natives managed to get by her without her noticing, swept in and killed Issac and Jacob and then captured Mary.

Mary the night afterwards escaped from their camp and returned home.

I'm looking at several sources and though they affirm this story to be true I can't figure out the relationship of this Mary to them. Most say it is their sister, however looking at a list of their father Ralph Shepard's children there is no "Mary" listed.

Ralph and Thanklord Shepard

On Saturday, Feb. 12, 1675, the sons Isaac and Jacob were killed by the Indians on the south side of Quagana hill. They, at the time, were threshing grain in the barn on the Shepard homestead. Being aware of the perilous times,—this was during King Philip’s War—the sons had set their sister (niece?) Mary on the summit of the hill to watch for Indians.
The ground was covered with deep snow and the Indians traveled with snowshoes. Eluding the vigilance of Mary who was only about thirteen years old, they swooped down up on the Shepard barn before she was aware of their presence and slew Isaac and Jacob.
She was taken captive and carried to Nashawa,—now called Lancaster, or some place in that vicinity. During the first night after her capture she escaped and reached home the next morning. In the dead of night, Mary took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper who was sunk in sleep increased by ardent spirits, put the saddle on a horse which the Indians had stolen at Lancaster, mounted it, swam it across the Nashawa river, rode through the forest to her home.The leader of the Indian band is supposed to have been Netus, sometimes called Nipmuck Captain

 

[Luther073082]

Was doing a little research from what I know of my geneology provided by my mom's cousin.

Apparently I have a ancestor named "Thanklord" who was a woman who married Ralph Shepard around 1612.

Two of their children Issac and Jacob where killed by Natives while threshing in a barn. A relative of their's by the name of Mary Shepard who was 13 at the time was assigned to watch for natives on a nearby hill but the natives managed to get by her without her noticing, swept in and killed Issac and Jacob and then captured Mary.

Mary the night afterwards escaped from their camp and returned home.

I'm looking at several sources and though they affirm this story to be true I can't figure out the relationship of this Mary to them. Most say it is their sister, however looking at a list of their father Ralph Shepard's children there is no "Mary" listed.

Ralph and Thanklord Shepard

On Saturday, Feb. 12, 1675, the sons Isaac and Jacob were killed by the Indians on the south side of Quagana hill. They, at the time, were threshing grain in the barn on the Shepard homestead. Being aware of the perilous times,—this was during King Philip’s War—the sons had set their sister (niece?) Mary on the summit of the hill to watch for Indians.
The ground was covered with deep snow and the Indians traveled with snowshoes. Eluding the vigilance of Mary who was only about thirteen years old, they swooped down up on the Shepard barn before she was aware of their presence and slew Isaac and Jacob.
She was taken captive and carried to Nashawa,—now called Lancaster, or some place in that vicinity. During the first night after her capture she escaped and reached home the next morning. In the dead of night, Mary took a saddle from under the head of her Indian keeper who was sunk in sleep increased by ardent spirits, put the saddle on a horse which the Indians had stolen at Lancaster, mounted it, swam it across the Nashawa river, rode through the forest to her home.The leader of the Indian band is supposed to have been Netus, sometimes called Nipmuck Captain

Note: Elsewhere in that same link it says 1676 and not 1675 so I belive the Feb. 12, 1675 date may be a typo. Especially considering that King Phillip's war did not break out until June 1675. Other sites have said 1676 as well.

Here is a marker on the hill where she was captured.

 

[Aibrean]

I have two similar stories in mine.

Captain William Tisue (also Tissue, Tyshue, Tyshoe, Tice, Tyse - all spellings for the same man) was in the Revolutionary Service.His first wife was a neighbor, Mary Hendrickson, and they had three children, John, James, and an infant daughter The murders of Mary and their daughter has become legend. William was offered a commission in the army during the Revolutionary War but hesitated to accept until he acquired the services of a young German "redemptioner" in Baltimore.
Assuming the family to be in good hands, William accepted the commission of captain in the 1st Battery of the Bedford County Militia. But tragedy soon struck. The farm hand had developed a strong attraction to Mary, and when she repelled his advances, he bludgeoned her to death and dismembered her body. After burying her remains under the house, he set it on fire.
Unfortunately, the infant daughter lay forgotten in her crib, and also perished. Their two small boys were taken hostage and before their eventual release, he cut out both their tongues. Neither child was ever normal again after this psychological and physical horror.

I know someone was killed by Indians...I'll have to look up who.

 

[Tangible]

Tang - I am related to William of Orange (husband of 13th cousin 8x removed).

But only by marriage, I see.

/looks down nose at Aibrean

 

[Luther073082]

I know someone was killed by Indians...I'll have to look up who.

In my case the last name is Shepard (My maternal Grandmother's maden name) and it was definatly Issac and Jacob that where killed by Indians while Mary Shepard was captured but escaped later that night.

 

[Luther073082]

I did some more research. . . I don't think it was their sister I think it was their niece.

They had a older brother named John who had a daughter named Mary Shepard (later Streight) circa 1663 which would make her about 13 years old at the time of the attack.

John Shepard

 

[Bryne]

My daughter is descended from a prominent LDS polygamist who was murdered by a US Marshal for his practice of polygamy. He was the only Mormon polygamist that was killed for being one. His story is in many Utah history books.

 

[Aibrean]

I found it...Richard Thompson

According to the History of Talbot County, 1627, William Clayborne named Sharp's Island and Popley's Island (Poplar). Popeley's, later to be called Poplar Island, was given to Richard Thompson and was the first part of Talbot to be planted, settled, and the first to know an Indian massacre. This island was named for Lt. Richard Popely who came with 100 men from Elizabeth Citie, Virginia to help defend the early settlement. One of the men who came with Lt. Richard Popely was another ancestor, William Medcalfe. In the summer of 1637, Richard Thompson returned from a trading expedition to find wife, children and servants murdered. Nine inhabitants were dead and it was considered the worst massacre in Maryland history.

 

[Studeclunker]

Yikes! What a horrible story. That poor family! On my Maternal Grandmother's side we trace to Redeemed Germans.

As the story goes, the youngest of the nine Heimfardt brothers was impressed by the duke (drafted) to serve as a mercenary for King George of England (by the by; a Coburg of the house of Orange through his parents, William and Mary).

He was captured early on during Howe's Disastrous march south to capture New York. Master Heimfardt (pronounced Hime fort) was given the choice of a prison barge in Boston Harbour or as an indentured servant. He chose the latter. When the young fellow, now about sixteen, saw the advantages of the American colonies, he wrote to his brothers. Young Heimfardt encouraged his brothers to volunteer to the Duke for service in the colonies and upon sight of the first Continental Regiments to throw down their weapons and surrender. They would be given the same choice as he got. He pointed out that there were no aristocrats or baronial authority in the colonies. After seven years service, they could own their land outright with very minimal taxes and the land was free though would need developing.

Upon reciept of this letter, all eight of the remaining brothers embarked immediately for the port and America. Their father sent the local soldiers after them to return the eldest brother, who wasn't eligible to leave. The soldiers found him hidden in a trunk and returned the unfortuneate eldest son home to his father. Two of his sons and three of his daughters (the eldest son's) emigrated years later.

Actually, my great-grandmother was also directly related to these people (though her name was Hess) and she came to the U.S. in 1870. My grandmother was born ten years later, the youngest of seven daughters and one son. My great grandfather's hope was to break the pattern of all daughters that had plagued his family since coming to this country. There are no longer any families with the name Heimforth related to me in this country. My grand-uncle died, without any sons, as the last of the Heimforths.


The Heimforths were one of the first families to settle northern Michigan. At one time, most of Northern Michigan belonged to this one family. In a way, one could say it largely still does. Just the family name no longer exists, although, the genetic relation exists through the names, Stevens, Green, Goss, and... oh, I don't remember the last four. Much of the government owned land in No. Michigan was appropriated from the Heimforths during the first World War. Though this made my Great Grandfather wealthy, it broke his heart to see what the government did with the land.


Sorry, I hope this didn't bore everyone too much.


Dad's family were all sailors and sea-captains, though part was Native American on Grandmother's side. In fact, because of Grandmother's family, my sister got her school debit paid off. Aparently there is a member of Gramma's family (Sioux nation) on the staff at William and Mary University where my sister did lectures and finished her degree. He was the head of the Native American Studies department. But that's yet another story...

By the by: those of you related to William of Orange, or the house of Orange are Cobergs. Hence, you are related to Queen Elizabeth. The Royal Family of England traces directly back to William and Mary, of the house of Orange, thus Cobergs, also decended from the Hapsburgs.

Is anyone snoring yet?

 

[seajoy]

I thought that was pretty interesting, Stude.

I'm German, and everyone was farmers. How is that for excitement?

 

[Melethiel]

As far as I know, I come from a bunch of Ukrainian peasants. Not that I've really bothered to look.

GCC can trace his family back to William the Conqueror.

 

[alexnbethmom]

ironically enough, i think i have pastors in my family tree (not literally, but, well, you know what i mean).....i don't know a whole lot about my heritage, but i seem to remember reading in a book that my grandmother had that mentioned a number of pastors coming from england or somewhere over there.....

T-minus 27 days - i'm nervous and excited and freaking out......

 

[seajoy]

No pastors in my family - except my dad who sort of thinks he's a baptist preacher.

 

[Aibrean]

Stude it's not the story that I have issues with. It's your use of comic sans.

 

[SyntheticPaper]

Stude it's not the story that I have issues with. It's your use of comic sans.

Hmmm ... I think I am going to use Papyrus ... or maybe Curlz.

 

[alexnbethmom]

i don't understand why Comic Sans is a problem, LOLOL - i love Comic Sans!!

 

[filosofer]

Hmmm. Genealogy. I remember about 50 years ago my maternal grandmother mentioned something about one of her family traces was Smith and it led to John Smith from the Mayflower. I have not researched it yet, except that I know the Smith family went back to early 1800’s (from researching for my mother’s book).

About 11 years ago I traced my father’s line back to Windsor, CA and then back to Ireland, which they probably left in the 1849-1850 potato famine.

 

[Studeclunker]

LOL, it's funny how amusing stories come up about family. Your comment Filo reminded me of my Maternal-Paternal great-grandparents.

Dr. Wilson had just graduated from College and Medical school and was practicing in Ireland. He met a girl named Mary Morehouse. She was quite pretty, judging by the faded photograph in the book. Anyway, the old man was leaving after visiting his intended and came out to find the wheels missing from his carriage. Knowing the reputation of his beloved's father, he stormed back into the house and demanded the wheels be returned and restored. The old man replied, "Well laddie, had I a'known they were yours, I'd'a left 'em alone." It wasn't many years later that the Moorehouse clan was 'invited' by the local authorities to emigrate to Canada.

When my sister visited Ireland about fifteen or twenty years ago, she found the story is still being told in the pubs of the town (punctuated with gales of laughter). When people found out that she was decended from a Moorehouse some of them wanted nothing to do with her, whilst others were sympathetic. It's funny how some sins are never forgiven a family.

Aibrean, I like Comic because it looks like my own printing. You'd really hate Edwardian Script, which is how I write, LOL! My roomate/landlord doesn't like Comic either.