[Everett Ezra Shanklin > George Harrison Shanklin > Shanklin/Young]
Allen Shanklin
BIRTH: 21 MAY 1813, Todd, Kentucky
DEATH: 7 JUN 1880, Weakley Co, TN
Sarah Mae Young
BIRTH: 31 July 1832, Weakley, Tennessee, United States
DEATH: 30 October 1900, Latham, Weakley, Tennessee, United States
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| Allen Shanklin (1813-1880), courtesy of Frank Shanklin @ FindAGrave.com |
Allen Shanklin (1813-1880) born in Todd County, KY. He was tall and strong, at about 6 feet tall and weighing about 225 pounds. He swam the Mississippi River at Hickman KY with a pack on his back! We suppose he is the son of John Gordon Shanklin (1774-1833) and Lydia Adeline (or Lidda Adlin) Hart (1776-1855) who were married 16 June 1796 in Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee. In addition to farming, Allen made shoes, and tanned hides (put them in ashes). He was a leader at his Methodist church. He was said to be "the best Christian there ever was." Family stories include that he was comfortable and confident in his faith-- evidenced by him being the only one who would pray in public. Allegedly, when he wasn't in the crowd, they would dismiss without a prayer. Allen was a Master Mason [see The History of Freemasonry in Tennessee, 1789-1943], and his picture hangs in the Masonic Lodge in Palmersville. As typical for the time period and the region, he was a slave owner as well.
John Shanklin came from Virginia, and would have been a farmer, looking to homestead in the largely unfarmed Western United States (remembering that Tennessee just became a state in 1796, and what we call "West Tennessee" was not surveyed until 1818). Family lore indicates that John served under Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812 in New Orleans, and perhaps that military service led to a land grant. Lydia was born in Blount County (Knoxville side of the state) where they were married. [One note says that maybe Elizabeth was head of household in Maryville, TN in 1790's.] This parent/child relationship is not confirmed yet, but suspected, since it seems that this family continued west and moved to Kentucky. Possible children of John and Lydia (from a conversation from Bart Shanklin to Linda Shanklin Jackson) include: David, John, Allen, William Clemons and maybe a couple of sisters.
By the time Allen was 18 years old, he would have been living about 100 miles farther west.
Eliza Snipes, Allen's first wife, is recorded to have been born in North Carolina. Her parents, Jesse Snipes and Mary Cole Collier were married in Chatham, NC in 1813, where Eliza Snipes was born. Her mother later died around Paris, TN, and father in Weakley County. It's likely that her parents first moved to Illinois about 1818, then to Tennessee about 1825. The farm next door to Allen and Eliza Shanklin was farmed by Eliza's sister's family, Willis and Lucinda Catherine Snipes Price.
As of 1833 when they were married, both of Eliza's parents had passed away (1829 and 1831) they were already living in West Tennessee. It's unclear who was taking care of the 7 Snipes children during that time period. (Also unclear if all 7 children in FamilySearch really belong in the same family. I'm still working on that one.)
Allen and Eliza had 11 children total between 1835 and 1858, and 7 of these survived into adulthood. Of those 7, Jesse A (1836), Luhanie (1840), and Angeline (1843) all married children of Jesse Parrish and Jane Mitchell, who were both from Virginia also. This tells me that the Shanklin farm and Parrish farm would have been close to each other. The other marriages were to Brann, Payne, Price and Carney. (Incidentally, I find that other children in the Parrish and Payne and Carney families married each other. One big family down in the Fourth District!)
Eliza died in 1863, and was interred in the Price family cemetery. (From Frank: The Price Cemetery is located a few hundred yards southwest of New Hope Cemetery - Latham, TN. The cemetery is in ruins with trees growing all in the cemetery, pretty much hiding the tombstones from view. Most of the tombstones have been turned over by livestock.) The Shanklins and Parrishes farmed in that vicinity along the Palmersville/Latham Highway).
m1: Eliza Snipes Shanklin (1815 - 1863) born in North Carolina, and died in Weakley, TN
married 11 December 1833
Children of Marriage 1 (11 total, 7 survived to adulthood):
Sarah Ann Shanklin (1835-1838)
Jesse Alexander Shanklin (1836-1863)
Mary Jane Shanklin Brann (1839 - 1923)
Luhanie Shanklin Parrish (1840 - 1930)
Louisa Angeline Shanklin Parrish (1842 - 1922) (Fulton,KY)
Lidda Adaline Shanklin Payne (1846 - 1927)
William Henry Shanklin (1849 - 1932)
James Allen Shanklin (1850 - 1910)
Lucinda Ann Eliza Shanklin (1853-1854)
Thomas Monroe Shanklin (1855-1856)
Isabella Jefferson Shanklin (1858-1859)
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| Allen Shanklin and Sarah Mae Young with Marcellus. |
That brings us to my progenitor, Sarah Mae Young, who someone referred to as Sarah Fanigan Parlee Young. (The marriage record for Allen Shanklin and Sarah Fanyor Parlee Young in Clinton, Hickman, Kentucky about 30 miles away seems to give a little credibility to this, as well.)
Sarah is thought to be the daughter of Harrison and Martha Young, and we find their family in 1850 and 1860 in Weakley County, Civil District 13. Harrison was from South Carolina, and Martha was from Tennessee. At one point, she was a school teacher.
A few interesting family stories from Charity Jones Shanklin, the wife of Allen's grandson Roscoe. Once there were two wild boars fighting nearby outside the house, and Allen carried Marcellus up into the loft so he would be safe. Another time Marcellus got lost and his german shepherd dog never left his side. He slept in a tree. Another time a wild sow came up on Marcellus and Dick (one of the kids of Allen's slave, Turners), and they climbed up into a tree. Charity remarks that Marcellus was a big kid, a big man, and always making jokes, and had a overall good personality. This congenial personality is supported by the observations of mom, Linda Shanklin Jackson, as she saw alot of laughing going on in the Shanklin kids.
When Allen died on June 7, 1880, George was only 10 and Marcellus was 12. He died when he got too hot shocking wheat. During that time period, wheat was cut by hand with a scythe and cradle, then tied by a binder (person) and organized into small piles called shocks. (More details summarized on this page.) Sarah, age 48, had to make a living and 'make crops' to survive, which made Marcellus and George very hard working and conservative, but they both ended up with good farms paid for.
Allen Shanklin's Slaves
Looking at the slave census of 1860, I see 6 slaves registered: 11 y.o. boy, 9 y.o. girl, 6 y.o. boy, 3 y.o. girl, 2 y.o. boy, 24 y.o. girl.
Martha Shanklin was one of them (1828), known as "Aunt Martha," and is buried in the Shanklin Cemetery (aka Collier Graveyard). She's listed in the 1870 and 1880 Census with her children Susan (1856), Ellen (1864), and Joseph (1868). She lived there till she died. She was married to a man who belonged to someone else.
Another slave was Turner Shanklin. He was a big man, 6'4" and "black as a polished stove". He married Millie who was half-white. They bought a good farm and had children. One was Herbert, who later had: 1) Quintodd ( who went to Detroit) 2) Carnee ( who had 11 kids, some were basketball players) 3) Hubert 4) Mabel 5) Dick 6) Joe ( he was mean and got killed) 7) Sam- even in his 80's when a white man passed he put his hat under his arm.
Frank's father Neil remembers when he was a boy that Dick Shanklin was living behind George Shanklin's house (Allen's expanded log cabin), perhaps in the old kitchen that had been moved from the original log house.
Census and Government Document Review: Looking at the slave census of 1860, I see 6 slaves registered: 11 y.o. boy, 9 y.o. girl, 6 y.o. boy, 3 y.o. girl, 2 y.o. boy, 24 y.o. girl.
Martha Shanklin was one of them (1828), known as "Aunt Martha," and is buried in the Shanklin Cemetery (aka Collier Graveyard). She's listed in the 1870 and 1880 Census with her children Susan (1856), Ellen (1864), and Joseph (1868). She lived there till she died. She was married to a man who belonged to someone else.
Another slave was Turner Shanklin. He was a big man, 6'4" and "black as a polished stove". He married Millie who was half-white. They bought a good farm and had children. One was Herbert, who later had: 1) Quintodd ( who went to Detroit) 2) Carnee ( who had 11 kids, some were basketball players) 3) Hubert 4) Mabel 5) Dick 6) Joe ( he was mean and got killed) 7) Sam- even in his 80's when a white man passed he put his hat under his arm.
Frank's father Neil remembers when he was a boy that Dick Shanklin was living behind George Shanklin's house (Allen's expanded log cabin), perhaps in the old kitchen that had been moved from the original log house.
In 1848, Allen bought (from the state of Tennessee?) 140 acres. It's currently measured at 118 acres. That farm was inherited by George H, who then rented the farm to his sons, Roscoe and Everett.
The 1860 census includes that Jesse (22), Allen and Eliza's oldest son, was living in the house with his young wife Nancy Sophia Parrish (21), and their daughter Francis (1). Jesse died on 20 August 1863, just 5 days before his mother Eliza died. By 1870, Nancy is listed living at home with her parents, and there is no mention of Francis (perhaps she died).
By 1870, their real estate was worth $2500, and personal estate worth $1500. Allen is listed as both able to read, write, and with Constitutional privilege to vote! (The Price's next door had about the same value.) They had 4 domestic servants in the household (listed "m" for mulatto, meaning biracial, Angeline (20), Alan (12), Daniel (10), Richard (8)).
In 1880, Dick Shanklin (black, 18) worked up the road for R.W. Bowlin, and Frank Phillips (black, 30) worked for Allen and Sarah. Son William Henry is living next door and farming as well.
Interestingly, the census came through in June 1880, and Allen died 7 June 1880. This must have been one of the last "business" items for him to take care of.
By 1900, it was just Sarah Young Shanklin with her son George Harrison Shanklin and his wife Susan Ida Maxey at the Shanklin farm (as of 14 June 1900). George had never moved out of his parents house. After Sarah died, he continued to work the farm. Allen Shanklin's original log house was built dogtrot style, similar to the one pictured below.
From Cousin Frank:
The log house was laid out in typical fashion for the time it was built. Two large rooms, with the rooms separated by a breezeway in the middle. When George built onto the house [after Sarah died], he pulled away the large room that was used as the kitchen, and built a large wooden frame house that totally enveloped the half of the log house that was left in place. To this day, half of Allen Shanklin's original log house still exists within the big house that sits on that farm today.He had hired his brother-in-law Albert Maxey, (Susan's youngest brother) to help out with the farm. George's neighbors included familiar names Columbus Brundige and Andrew Byars with their families. Sarah died later that year (30 October, 1900), and she and Allen were both buried at the Price Family Cemetery.
m2: Sarah Mae Young Shanklin (1832 - 1900) born and died in Weakley, TN
married 11 October 1864.
Children of Marriage 2 (5 total, 2 survived to adulthood):
Harris Almary Shanklin (1866 - 1866)
Marcellus Alfonzo Shanklin (1868 - 1951) (Latham, TN)
George Harrison Shanklin (1870 - 1941) (Inherited Allen's farm)
Mattie Iola Shanklin (1872 - 1876)
Bonnie Lou Shanklin (1874 - 1876)
Here's my best interpretation of the Shanklin Farm and surrounding area.
I like how you have built the neighborhood...that really helps see how it all came together! Wonder if Uncle Dan has anything to tell about his grandparents?
ReplyDeleteI like how you are linking to FindaGrave....! also I have the little boy who died actually as Harrison Almary Shanklin...
ReplyDeletePossibly, but the Family Bible pages from Allen's Bible from Frank said "Harris Almary Shanklin" on both the birth listing and the death listing. Seems pretty consistent. Do you have another spelling in the Bible pages you have?
DeleteYes my Bible page lists Harrison Almary Shanklin. It is most likely it is Harrison since that is the family name that gets around. I also had copied from the Bible that Frank has...and yes his says Harris! One the front of my page from that trip, I have written 'off calendar dated 1931' and above the information' This belongs to Susie Shanklin Maddox'...this information says 'possession of Neil Shanklin, Latham' and on the back I have a note : Bible 1853 Philadelphia- Jasper Harding.
ReplyDeleteBut then if he really has ALLEN's BIBLE.
ReplyDeleteRight. I suppose it's possible that Allen himself wrote a pet name for his son. But given the flowery language...
DeleteOn the other hand, that same page says Jessee Alexandria Shanklin (corrected to Jesse Alexander), so maybe that brings into doubt the officialness of the names and their spelling.
THEREFORE, it brings us back to the question, "What's in a name?"