52 Weeks 52 Ancestors - Louisa/Lucy Shackleford
This week's ancestor or not is Louisa/Lucy
Shackleford. Documentation or lack of it leads me to wonder which.
Verbally, Louisa/Lucy, wife of Silas Sherrod married 1860 in Lawrence
County Alabama is related to our family. They were buried on family own property
a number of years, ago. Sadly, the property was sold and the graves not moved.
Digging into the records in the beginning looked
solid yet later on the information left more questions than answers. A
record of Louisa/Lucy (Shackleford) Sherrod’s birth is February 1827 according
to 1900 US Census for Lawrence County. She appears by name from 1870-1900
Census for the area married to Silas Sherrod. In the 1880 census her
mother, Kitty Shacelford (Shackleford) was born in Virginia and was listed as
Silas' mother-in-law. Louisa/Lucy's information showed her mother and
father where both born in Virginia. This information led to who and what
impact the Shackleford family had in the area where my family lived.
The door opened on the Shackleford/Shackelford
family and led to a ton of information. Appears the Shackleford family
history in this country began in Virginia with migration all over the South.
My interest is Alabama. Dr. Jack Shackelford was born March 20, 1790
in Richmond, Virginia migrated to Shelby County, Alabama about 1818, was forced
to sell a plantation he own there and by 1829 was in Courtland Alabama.
Dr. Jack Shackelford was a doctor that cared for both white and black
people in the area as well as a cotton planter. He had been on Andrew
Jackson staff in 1812 and helped build the Decatur Alabama Railroad. Dr.
Jack's son, Samuel W. Shackelford first married Margaret McMahon then married Addie
Sherrod who inherited a plantation in Lawrence County Alabama from Col.
Benjamin Sherrod mentioned in my previous posts. Dr. Jack died January
27, 1857. This was the key information for my family branches.
Shackleford/Sherrod connections were made on both sides of the color
line. The histories of these families are intertwine somewhere along the way.
Previous research determined that Silas, Louisa/Lucy's husband was own by
the Sherrod family. It is possible that Louis/Lucy and Silas met on a
common plantation owned by Samuel W. Shackelford and Addie Sherrod when they
were slaves. Prior to freedom, they were married (1860) and the 1900
Census records show Louisa/Lucy had one child and that child was living.
If we can trust the record, one question is how can the verbal history be
valid that she is the mother of my second great grand mother, Celia Sherrod
along with her sisters. My family believes Louisa/Lucy is and I question
whether it can be true. Obviously, she has ties and was very much a member of the family.
