David Shapley, Jr. and Hepsibah French

Their child:		Individuals in this page:		Their parents:
		David Shapley, Jr.	{	David Shapley, Sr.
Thomas Shapley	{	&
		Hepsibah French	{	John French & Phoebe Keyes

David Shapley, Jr. (David) was born circa 1677 or 1678 ^BE5 and married Hepsibah French on November 13, 1704 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts ^{VI10, BE5, DA12}. David “Shaplin” and “Hepsibae”, his wife, “Received y^e sum of fifteen pounds in Moveable estate” from the settlement of John French’s estate on August 25, 1707 ^AM1. On February 26, 1710/11, David sold sixteen acres of meadow and upland in the towns of Rowley and Boxford, which had been given to him by his father, to John Hovey of Rowley for the sum of twenty-one pounds ^BE5. He and his family then relocated to Killingly, Windham County, Connecticut ^BE5. Captain John Chandler sold land ^{LA16, BE5} on the French River to David on January 21, 1714/5 ^BE5. The Shapley house that was originally built on that land in 1715 was moved in 1935 to a new location on Shapley Road, which was then called Decatur Street, in Gloucester, Massachusetts ^BE5.

David Shapley was admitted as a member of the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut on October 17, 1717 ^CO29,^LA17, and he was part of the original group of people who created a new church in Thompson, Connecticut ^BA44. On January 28, 1730, the Second Church of Killingly was incorporated, and the Reverends John Fisk, Ebenezer Williams, and Amos Throop held services during the morning and afternoon ^BA44. On March 16, 1735, David donated a parcel of land near the French River, which was to become a cemetery ^BE5.

He died at age sixty on October 5, 1737 in West Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut and was buried in West Thompson Cemetery ^BE5. His will was written on August 11, 1737 and was “Extracted out of The original and Recorded” on May 11, 1739 by John Crery, Clerk of Probate; this may explain why David’s name was incorrectly written as “Daniel” in the first line ^CO9. The other instances of David’s name in his will and probate record were written properly. David’s will was proved on January 10, 1737/8 before Temathy Peirce, Esquire, the Judge of the Probate Court in Plainfield, but earlier, on November 24, 1737, the witnesses to his will appeared before Joseph Cady, the Justice of the Peace in Killingly, and swore that they saw David Shapley sign his last will and testament ^CO9. A transcription of his will, as well as the inventory of his estate, which was conducted on December 4, 1737 by Benjamen Bigsbe and Thomas Corvers (or Conners), follows ^CO9^{, CO31}:

In The Name of God amen ye 11^th Day of august A.D. 1737 I Daniel Shapley of Killingsly In y^e County of wendham In y^e Coloney of Connecticut In new england husbandman being Weak of body but of perfict mind and memory Thanks be Given unto God Theirefor Caling to mind y^e Mortality of my body and Knowing that It is appointed for all men once to Dye do make and ordain this my last Will and Testement that Is to say Princeapaly and first of all I Give and Recomend my soul Into y^e hands of God Who Gave It and my body I Recomend to y^e Earth to be buried In Decent Christian burial at y^e Discretion of my Executors nothing Doubting but at y^e General Resurection I Shall Receve y^e same again by y^e mighty powr of God: and as touching such Worldly Estate Where with It hath pleased God to bles me In this life I Give Demis and Dispose of y^e same In y^e following maner and form

Imprimas: I Give to my Well beloved Wife Hephizibah Shapley y^e use and Improvement of on cellar and y^e lowar Roome In y^e west End of my now dwelling hows so long as she shal Remain my Widow Togather With so much of y^e Income of my Estate as she shall Requiar for her Comfort and support both In sicknes and health also my Will Is that after my Decease my beloved Wife shall have all my moveable Estate Within Doars to Dispose of among hur Children as she Shall secause [see cause] or use for hur Comfort douring hur Widowhod and farther my Will Is that In Case my beloved wife shall mary again after my Deceas She Shall have of moveable Estate to Cary away with hur y^e sum of Thirty 30 pounds to be paide hur by my son John Shapley

Item I Give to my Well beloved son David Shapley besids What he Hath already had and to his heirs for Ever all y^e upland and meadow belonging To my homsted lying on y^e East side of stoney River so called Excepting y^e Reservations heare after to be mentioned he paying Eighty pounds unto His sisters viz twenty pounds to sarah Shapley twenty pounds to Phebe Shapley twenty pounds to mary Shapley and twenty pound to Lydia Shapley

Item I Give to my Wel beloved son John Shapley all my home lott on y^e West Side y^e River Caled Stoney River together with all my Buldings and moveable Estate Without Doars Whatsoever and farther my Will is that my sons William and Thomas Shapley shall Work with my son John untill thay arive to y^e age of Twenty one years and my Will Is that sume time before they shall arive to s^d age my son John Shall break up and fence on Williams farm and on Thomases farm three acres of land for Each of Them In Convenant Places and shall provide for Each of them when They Come to y^e age of twenty one years two suts of appariel one for lords Days and one for Working Days

Item I Give unto my Wel beloved son William Shapley all my first Division of land In Killingsly lying at oake plain so Caled he paying to his sister mary Shapley three years after he Shall arive to y^e age of Twenty one years y^e sume of twenty pounds

It: I Give unto my Wel beloved son Tho^s Shapley all my second Division of land lying ajoyning to my afores^d first Division of land at oake Plain so Caled he paying unto his sister lydia Shapley three years after he shall arive to y^e age of twenty one years y^e sume of twenty Pounds

Item I Give unto my Well beloved Daughter sarah Shapley y^e sume of fourty pounds to be paid hur out of my Estate by my two sons David and John Shapley Each of them to pay hur twenty pounds at her mariage or as She may otharwise stand In need of It

Item I Give unto my Well beloved Daughter Hephzibah Shapley The sume of fourty pounds to be paide hur out of my Estate by my son John Shapley upon y^e Day of her mariage and my Will Is that In Case my s^d Daughter should not mary that shee shall have y^e lebarty of Dwelling In my hows with hur s^d brother John and he shall provide for hur y^e nesesaries of life and after hur Deceas hur portion shall Remain In y^e hands of hur s^d brother John and his heirs for Ever

Item I Give unto my Welbeloved Daughter Phebe Shapley Fourty pounds to be paide hur out of my Estate by my two sons David and John Shapley thay pay ing twenty pounds Each at y^e time of hur mariage or as she shall otharwise stand In need

Item I give unto my Well beloved Daughter Mary Shapley fourty pounds to [be] Paide hur out of my Estate by sons David and William Shapley my son David to pay hur twenty pounds at her mariage or as she shall othar wise stand In need y^e othar twenty pounds to be paide hur by my son William When she shall arive to y^e age of twenty four years

Item I Give unto my Welbeloved Daughter lydia Shapley fourty pounds To be paide hur out of my Estate by my sons David and Thomas Shapley my son David to pay hur twenty pounds at hur mariage or as she shall othar ways stand In need and y^e othar twenty pounds to be paide hur by my son Thomas Shapley When he [sic] shall arive to y^e age of twenty four years

Item I Give to y^e Parish of Thomson a Convenant highway as y^e Path Is now Trod from land of Samson Hows over y^e hors bridg on Stoney River and so up Stream by y^e River side till It Coms to my East bounds also a Convenant highway from y^e southwest Corner of Edward Corvers-s land by y^e south west side of y^e beuring place untill It coms to y^e oald Road leading to Thomson meating hows Togather with land for a Convenant Buring place on y^e plain Where persons have already began to beury their Dead s^d land To be for y^e use of y^e parish for a Road and buring place forEver and my Will Is that my son John Shapley shall pay all my Debts and Funaral Charges and Shall Receve all Debts Dow to my Estate Fartharmore I Constitute and ordain my Dearly beloved Wife Hephzibath Shapley and my beloved son John Shapley my sole Executors of this my last Will and Testement and I Do heareby Disalow Revoak and Disanull all and Every othar and formar Testements Wills legasies and bequests and Executors by me In any Wise before named Will and bequeath^d Ratifieing Confirming this and no othar to be my last Will and Testement In Witnes Whereaf I have heare unto set my hand & seal y^e day and year above Writen

Signed Sealed Published pronounced and Declared By y^e s^d David Shapley as his last Will and Testement In y^e Presents of us y^e subscribars

Isaac Jewitt jun^r

Temethey Cooper

Perley Howe

One payr of oxen… five Cows… 3 hefers 3 year oald… 4 yearlings… one bull & two Calves… 17 Shep… 2 horses… two swine… Grain… Cart and wheals… two ploughs… Chains & othar Iron ware w^ch belongs to husbandry [squeezed after the word “husbandry” but before the appraised value was the letter “a” and above this was a word which may have been “broad”, but it was written in an extremely cramped hand]… a leme and Tacklin [loom and tackling]… a Grind stone… armour… Waring Cloaths… Beds and furniture to them with y^e living [the preceding word is questionable] belonging to ye hows… a Care to ye Estate by a bond Ches [the preceding words “Care” and the word which appeared to read “Ches” are questionable]… Brass and Iron In y^e hows… Puter and Earthan Ware and Wooden Dishes… Wooden lumbar and Chains… spinning Wheals… a sadle and furniture… books

Information about the Shapley residence was gleaned from the Fall 2005 edition of The Thompson Historical Society Newsletter, with permission granted to reproduce the text ^TH29:

Strange as it may seem, one of Connecticut’s oldest houses is now situated in Massachusetts. The building shown in the sketch [not included here], and which dates back 218 years, was moved last year to Decatur Street, Bass Rock, from Thompson, Ct. It is owned by Edward Ingraham of 7 Lowell street, Cambridge. When the house was built, the town of Thompson was known as Killingly, Ct. It was first owned by David Shapley, a weaver. Later it came into the possession of John Hichols [sic] of Kansas City, who sold it to the present owner. It was carried to its present site in 12 truckloads, the moving being done under the supervision of Harold F. Conant. The distance was 104 miles. The front door of the house was not a part of the original Connecticut dwelling. It came from the Ballou house in Cumberland, R.I., which adjoined the birthplace of President Garfield’s mother. Before the door is a stone eight feet square and weighing two and one-half tons.

Hepsibah French (John, Phoebe) was also known as “Epsaba”, “Hepzibah”, and “Hephzibah”, and was born on February 2, 1678/9 in Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts ^{DA12, BE5}. The Topsfield birth record of the daughter born to John French on that date indicated that her name was “Phebea” ^MA20^{, VI10}, but this name does seem somewhat unlikely, as John and Phoebe already had a daughter named Phebe, who was still alive at that time, for she married John Gould on November 10, 1684 ^DA12. Hepsibae and David Shaplin were named in the division of the estate of her father, John French, on August 25, 1707 ^AM1. Hepzibah Shapley, the wife of David, became a member of the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly), located at Putnam Heights in Windham County, Connecticut on October 13, 1717 ^CO29, which was five months after her daughter, Mary, was baptized in that church, and four days before her husband was baptized or became a church member ^LA17. She was the mother of David, Richard, Hepzibah, John, Sarah, Phebe, Mary, William, Lydia, Olive, and Thomas ^BE5.

David Shepley, the son of David, was baptized at Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts on August 26, 1705 ^VI10; a birth record from Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts stated “David Shapley, the son of David and Epsaba, born: 24 day of Agust in the year 1705” ^MA26. David was mentioned in the will of his father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. David Shapley described himself as a husbandman from Killingly, Windham County, Connecticut when he wrote his will on April 13, 1757, in which he mentioned his wife, Jean, and his non-biological daughter, “mary Kilburn (that I have brought up from a Child)” ^CO31. His will was witnessed by Danel Russells, James Leavens, and Jacob Dresser, and was proved on June 25, 1757; five days later, the inventory of his estate was conducted by Jacob Dresser and James Leavens ^CO31.

Richard Shapley, the son of David, was baptized at Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts on April 6, 1707 ^VI10. Richard Shaply died at age twenty-one years on March 23, 1730 and was buried in the West Thompson Cemetery in West Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^CO30.

Hepzibah Shapley was mentioned as an unmarried woman in the will of her father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31:

Hepzibah was said to have been born about 1708 and died at about age ninety in February 1794 within the Shaker Society community in New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York ^BE5.

John Shapley was born about 1710 ^BE5 and married Abigail Johnson on November 10, 1735 at the Congregational Church of Thompson in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^BA45. John was mentioned in the will of his father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. John Shapley was the father of nine children whose baptisms were recorded in the Thompson Congregational Church in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^CO29. These were Hannah, baptized on October 24, 1736, Mary, baptized on February 12, 1738, Hepzibah, baptized on April 15, 1739, Abigail, baptized on October 5, 1740, David, baptized on May 9, 1742, Mary, baptized on January 1, 1744, John, baptized on March 2, 1746, Olive, baptized on December 27, 1747, and Lydia, baptized on January 28, 1750 ^CO29. John Shapley of Somers, Hartford County (now Tolland County), Connecticut wrote his will on February 28, 1767, which mentioned his wife, Abigail, and children, David Shapley, Han[n]ah Pease, Hepsibah Shapley, Abigail Shapley, Mary Stebbins, Olive Shapley, Lydia Shapley, and John Shapley ^CO31. His will was witnessed by James Wood, Martha Raynolds, and Sam^ll Raynolds was proved in court on May 11, 1767 ^CO31. The inventory of his estate was conducted on April 22, 1767 and was appraised with a value of over ₤125 by Josiah Hall and Emery Pease ^CO31.

Sarah Shapley married Jonathan Knapp on April 21, 1741 at the Congregational Church of Thompson in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^BA45. Sarah was mentioned in the will of her father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31.

Phebe Shapley, the daughter of David, was baptized on the 12^th day of an unknown month in 1715 at the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut by “Mr. Dwight” ^CO29. Phebe was mentioned in the will of her father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. The records of Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts state that Phebee Shapley and Ebenezer Coburn declared their intent to marry on December 31, 1737 ^MA26; Phebe Shapley married Ebenezer Coburn of Dudley on January 18, 1738 at the Congregational Church of Thompson in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^BA45. Phebe and Ebenezer Coburn were the parents of six children whose births were recorded in Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts ^MA26. These were Phebe, born on March 20, 1741, Richard, born on March 1, 1743, Bathsheba, born on January 15, 1745, Ebenezer, born on September 18, 1747, Clement, born on September 19, 1749, and Moses, born on September 6, 1751 ^MA26. Ebenezer and Clement also had baptismal records with dates that did not match; Ebenezer was said to have been baptized on September 29, 1746 and Clement was said to have been baptized on September 25, 1748 ^MA26.

Mary Shapley, the daughter of David, was baptized on May 19, 1717 at the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut by Reverend J. Fisk ^CO29^{, LA17}. Mary was mentioned in the will of her father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. The records of Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts state that Mary Shappley and Ebenezer Scott declared their intent to marry on October 18, 1742 ^MA26; Mary Shapley married Ebenezer Scott on November 11, 1741 at the Congregational Church of Thompson in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^BA45. Ebenezer Scott may have been the father of six children whose baptisms were recorded in Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts; the records distinguished between Ebenezer Scott and Ebenezer Scott of Oxford ^MA26, so there may have been two men named Ebenezer Scott in Dudley who fathered children. The baptismal records of children born to Ebenezer Scott included Mary, who was baptized on December 2, 1744, Rebecka (whose father was of Oxford), who was baptized on March 30, 1747, Ebenezer, who was baptized on September 25, 1748, Hannah (whose father was of Oxford), who was baptized on November 25, 1750, Sibil, who was baptized on March 17, 1754, and Abel, who was baptized perhaps on August 1, 1762 ^MA26.

William Shapley, the son of David, was baptized on April 19, 1719 at the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut by Reverend J. Fisk ^CO29^{, LA17}. William was mentioned in the will of his father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. William Shapley “of Killingsly” married Martha Pengree on December 11, 1744 in Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts ^VI9.

Lydea Shapley, the daughter of David, was baptized on June 17, 1722 at the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut by Reverend J. Fisk ^CO29^{, LA17}. Lydia was mentioned in the will of her father, dated August 11, 1737 ^CO31. The records of Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts state that Lydia Shapley married Phinehus Mixer on January 1, 1744/5 ^MA26. Lydia and Phinehus Mixer were the parents of two children whose births were recorded in Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts ^MA26. These were Mary, born on April 23, 1752 and Phinehus, born on August 18, 1758 ^MA26.

David and Hepsibah were probably the parents of Olive Shaply, who died at age ten years on November 19, 1730; she was buried in the West Thompson Cemetery in West Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut ^CO30.

Thomas Shapley, the son of David, was baptized on May 3, 1724 at the Putnam Congregational Church (formerly called North Killingly) in Windham County, Connecticut by Reverend J. Fisk ^CO29^{, LA17}.

Hepsibah Shapley died sometime after August 11, 1737, the date of her husband’s will ^{CO9, BE5}.

According to the Thompson Historical Society, the subject of this photograph was David Shapley’s house, before it belonged to the Nichols family. Photo courtesy of the Thompson Historical Society, Thompson, Connecticut.

The gravestone of David Shapley, located in West Thompson Cemetery in Thompson, Windham County, Connecticut, was photographed by Find a Grave contributor “ASB”.