Person:Hercules Shepherd (1)

Records of Hercules Shepherd

From "Supplement to Genealogies", by Edwin Jaquette Sellers, 1922:

SHEPHERD

Captain John Avery, President Judge At The Whorekill in Delaware Bay And His Descendants. By Edwin Jaquett Sellers. Philadelphia, 1898.

P. 43. According to the deposition of Hercules Shepheard, hereafter mentioned, he was born about 1650. The records fail to mention any rights claimed by him for transporting himself into the province nor is there any record of rights claimed by others for his and his brother John's transportation, consequently, it is quite likely that they were born in Virginia and settled in Accomac and Northampton counties after reaching manhood. There were quite a number of Shepherds found in the early records of several of the counties of Virginia.

Dec. 16, 1679, Richd. Hill, Jr., formerly of Accomac in Virginia, Planter, and now of Somerset Co., Md., conveys to Hercules Shepherd of Accomac Co., Va., Planter, 550 acres of woodland near the head of Occohannock Creek in said Co. of Accomac bounded by lands of Alphonso Ball and James Grey, William Taylor and Bartholomew Mears, being the remainder of 650 acres granted to the said Richd. Hill, Jr., by Patent dated Sep. 2, 1664. Signed by Richd. Hill, Junr, Wilmot Hill. Witnesses, Fdw. Ashby, Henry Selman. Acknowledged Dec. 16, 1679, in open Court by Richd. Hill, Jr., as his Reall act by Wilmot his wife as her free Reall voluntary act & deed to Hercules Shepherd. Recorded Dec. 22, 1697. (Liber V, VI, p. 179—Accomac Records, Eastville, Northampton Co., Va.)

Dec. 20, 1682, Hercules Shepherd, late of the Co. of Accomake in Virginia but now of ye County of New Deale (early name of Sussex Co., Del.), in consideration of one negro woman slave named Fecuba and one English man servant, conveys to Col. Jno. Stringer of Northampton Co., Va., the previously mentioned 550 acres purchased of Richd. Hill, Jr. Signed Hercules Shepherd. Witnesses, John Thorowgood, Adam Michael, Wm. Pifer. Dec. 27, 1682, acknowledged in open Court by the subscriber. (Liber VI, p. 321. Accomac Co. Records.)

The Deposicon of me Hercules Shepheard aged 30 years or thereabouts Saith That Isaac Jacob made an Agreemt to pay my brother John Shepheard a cow upon y" Plantacon that belonged to Mr Culpepper and my Brother tooke A Bill of sale for the said Cow & made a further bargaine with him yesaid Isaac Jacob That if that Cow dyed before hee had delivered it to him (my sd Brother) That then my foresaid Brother should have another cow paid by him Isaac Jacob upon ye same plantacon (of Mr Culpeppers). And ye same Cow is not yet paid to my Brother further S"1 not

Hercules Shepheard.

The 28th of Feby 1680—sworne in open Court—

Test: Dan: Neech, CI Cor.)

Recorded ye 10th of March 1680— > Co. Northt

Dan: Neech, CI Cor. J

(Liber V, 13, p. 147. Northampton County Records)

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Morrison, Bruce & Barbara. Captain John Avery of Colonial Delaware and his wife Sarah Browne.

   Hercules Shepherd appears to have been born in Virginia, and from a land document of 1680 in which he gave his age as about 30, was born close to the year 1650. Hercules Shepheard was appointed a Justice of the Peace for Sussex Co. by William Penn in 1683, and served as a representative from the three lower counties in the Pennsylvania legislature in 1684. He was also appointed overseer of highways in 1687. The last record found of Hercules Shepheard appears in December of 1694, and he would die intestate not long after this date. His widow Mary (Avery) Shepheard would be the administratrix of his estate and would be married to her second husband Richard Hinman by 1698.