My Descent from William Shepherd

Page down to read the history of the Shepherd line,
or select one of the following names to go directly to that person.

William Shepherd-unknown
John Shepherd-Rebecca (Putnam) Fuller
John Shepherd, Jr.-Hannah Ayer
Elizabeth Shepherd-Joseph Johnson
Joseph Johnson, Jr.-Anna Lane
Levi Johnson-Mercy Longfellow
Levi Johnson, Jr.-Elizabeth Lincoln
Elizabeth L. Johnson-Horatio N. Keene
Anna Evelyn Keene-Francis Woods Darling
Laura Keene Darling-Edward Payson True
Edward Keene True-Mildred Louise Richenburg
James Duncan True
Next Page Index of surnames The Shepherd Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

William Shepherd

Dean C. Smith's The Ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844-1916 suggests William Shepard of Taunton, Massachusetts was the son of John Shepard of Towcester, Northamptonshire, England, and the nephew of Rev. Thomas Shepard of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is based on the will of John Sheppard of Towcester, which was proved 6 June 1646, and states, "I doe give and bequeath unto my eldest sonne, William Sheppard, now in New England, all the goods I sent over to him in May or June, 1643." However, more recent investigation by John C. Brandon, reported in NEHGS Register, gives evidence that the William Shepard who was the son of John Shepard of Towcester, died on 4 December 1653 in England. William Shepherd of Taunton, MA was living as late as 11 March 1663/4, so he could not be the same William Shepard who was the son of John Shepard of Towcester.

William Shepherd took the oath of Fidelity at Taunton, MA in 1657. His family is named in several land deeds in Essex County.

William and his wife, whose name is unknown, had five children, places and dates of birth unknown:

  • Samuel, m. Mary (Page) Dow, daughter of John Page, widow of John Dow.
  • Israel, removed to Nansemong. VA.
  • John, m. (1) Rebecca (Putnam) Fuller; m. (2) Hannah (Green) Acie; m. (3) Mrs. Rebeccca Priar.
  • Solomon, m. Sarah (Eastman) French, daughter of Roger Eastman, widow of Joseph French.
  • Elizabeth, m. Abraham Brown.
Next Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Shepherd Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

John Shepherd

Husband:
John Shepherd		Born: Place and date unknown.
Died: in Salem, MA 19 June 1726.
Father: William Shepherd.
Mother: Unknown.
First Wife:
Rebecca (Putnam) Fuller		Born: in Salem, 28 May 1653.
Died: in Salem 21 September 1689.
Parents: Capt. John and Rebecca (Prince) Putnam.
Widow of: John Fuller.
Married: in Salem, MA, 6 December 1677.
John married second, Hannah (Green) Acie, daughter of Henry Green, and widow of John Acie.
John married third, Mrs. Rebecca Priar.

John and his first wife Rebecca (Putnam) Fuller Shepherd had five children:

  • John, Jr., b. 2 Feb. 1678; m. Hannah Ayer, daughter of Timothy and Ruth (Johnson) Ayer.
  • William, place and date of birth unknown; m. Elizabeth Brown, daughter of Abraham Brown.
  • Eleazer, place and date of birth unknown; unmarried.
  • Hannah, place and date of birth unknown; m. Daniel Clark.
  • Elizabeth, place and date of birth unknown; d. 14 Jan. 1690/1, age 3 years.

John and his second wife Hannah (Green) Acie Shepherd had at least one child:

  • Jonathan, b. 12 May 1698; m. (1) Mehitable Tenney; m. (2) Ruth Johnson; m. (3) Joanna Barker.
Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Shepherd Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

John Shepherd, Jr.

Husband:
John Shepherd, Jr.		Born: 2 February 1678.
Father: John Shepherd.
Mother: Rebecca (Putnam) Fuller.
Wife:
Hannah Ayer		Born: in Haverhill, MA, 7 December 1683.
Father: Timothy Ayer.
Mother: Ruth Johnson.
Married: in Haverhill, MA 15 February 1704/5.

John, Jr. and his wife Hannah (Ayer) Shepherd had four children, all born probably in Haverhill, MA:

  • Timothy, b. 26 Nov. 1706; m. Marcy Barker.
  • Elizabeth, b. 5 April 1709; m. Joseph Johnson.
  • Samuel, b. 14 Sept. 1711; m. Lydia Boynton, daughter of Ichabod Boynton.
  • Hannah, b. 9 April 1714; m. David Ayer, son of Nathaniel Ayer.
Next Page Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Shepherd Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

Elizabeth Shepherd

Wife:
Elizabeth Shepherd		Born: probably in Haverhill, MA, 5 April 1709.
Died: in Hampton, NH 11 September 1788.
Father: John Shepherd, Jr.
Mother: Hannah Ayer.
Husband:
Joseph Johnson		Born: in Hampton, NH, 9 March 1709.
Died: in Hampton, NH 25 February 1795.
Father: James Johnson, Jr.
Mother: Elizabeth Mason.
Married: in Haverhill, 5 January 1732/3.

Please see the entry on Joseph Johnson for details of this family.

Joseph Johnson Prior Page Line of Descent Pedigree Chart Index of surnames The Shepherd Bibliography Other sites of interest Home Page

The Shepherd Family Bibliography

Brandon, John C., "Shepard of Taunton, Massachusetts", NEHGS Register Vol. 155, pp. 215-216, April 2001.

Sherman, Jeanette Johnson, Johnson-Mitchell Ancestry with Allied Families, 1967, pp. 164-165. Book located in the Free Library, Belfast, ME and The Appleton Public Library, Appleton, ME.

Smith, Dean C., The Ancestry of Samuel Blanchard Ordway, 1844-1916, Boston, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1990, pp. 365-373.

Links to Sites of Interest

The New England Historic Genealogical Society
Home page for the New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).
Shepherd Family Genealogy Forum
On-Line forum for posting queries about the Shepherd Family.

This page is maintained by
James D. True
jimsancestry@hotmail.com
© Edward K. & Mildred True, and James D. True
Last Update July 13, 2001.

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