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David Shapley, Sr. |
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No parents conclusively identified |
David Shapley,
Sr. was
a fisherman from Marblehead, Essex County,
Massachusetts AM1,
PE14, and he was one of
ninety-five men who served under Captain Gardiner in the First Company in Salem
BO2. They mustered at Dedham Plain on
December 10, 1675, and then marched to Wickford, becoming involved in several skirmishes along the way BO2. Captain Gardiner died, and he was
succeeded by Lieutenant Hathorn BO2. They disbanded in February 1676 BO2. The list of names shows David “Shapligh”, from Marblehead BO2. Because David served in King Philip’s
War, he was entitled to a land grant, but this was not claimed until later BE5. In fact, David’s son, Richard, claimed
the land grant in Narragansett Number Three, Souhegan
West (now known as Amherst, New Hampshire), but then decided to sell it to a
man named Obid Abot BE5, BO2. The Essex Institute Historical
Collections Volume LIV - 1918 reproduced three documents from the Massachusetts Archives, Volume 68 which
involve David Shapley, one of which (Volume
68, page 38) has been copied below TH1.
The other two documents were similar lists of men during the same time frame and expedition, and David’s surname was spelled “Shapligh” on one of the lists TH1.
marblehead 2 november 75
to the honnerd
major generall now sitting at Salem
according to your honners
warrant wee have given here a true list of the mens names impresd here at marblehead according to your honners
warrant for the countries sarvis and for this present
expedishtion : as also for there
clothing wee doe certifie to your honner
that thay are to the beast of our apprehenshons
generally well clothed and for armes wee doe certifie to your honner that thay are all of them well provided with fier
lock musketts powder baggs
bullets and powder : as for cuttlesses and swords wee
doe certifie your honner
that wee can not geett them : if wee could have gott them wee would : nothing
else at present of weagt your honners
humble servant to command
Richard Norman
[Following the letter, the name “David Shaplee” was included in a list of sixteen men who had been
impressed at Marblehead.]
Brian Berry
postulated that David probably married a short time
after the war ended, because his son, David, was born in 1677, yet the elder
David was not on the list of 116 heads of households (and their cows) of
Marblehead, which was dated October 7, 1674 NO1, BE5. David and his unidentified wife had three known children, David,
Elizabeth, and Richard AM1, BE5. Two additional individuals, Sara and Mary, may have been the children of David BE5. David Shapley, Jr. was
born circa 1677 or 1678 BE5 and
married Hepsibah French on November 13, 1704 in
Topsfield, Essex County, Massachusetts VI10, BE5, DA12.
Elizabeth
Shapleigh married Philip Gross on February 8, 1708/9, and after his
death, Elizabeth Gross married John Smith on July 22, 1713; both marriages
occurred in Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts MA26. The deposition of Elizabeth Smith on March 3, 1720/1 stated,
“That some tyme In the last
of March In the year 1720 She did hear her Brother Richard Shapley Dening doing Any thing for his
mother…” AM1.
Richard
Shapley was granted the administration of his father’s estate on December
30, 1720 AM1, PE14. “Richd
Shapley” of Marblehead married Mary Allen of Marblehead on November 21, 1723 in
Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts MA26.
Richard and Mary Shapley (or Richard and Marey Shapply) were the parents of ten children whose births or
baptisms were recorded in Marblehead, Essex County, Massachusetts VI25. These were Marey Shapply,
baptized on December 13, 1724 (who also died in 1724 VI26), Richard Shapley, baptized on August 21, 1726, Richard Shapply, born on July 19, 1727, Mary Shapley, baptized on
April 27, 1729, Allen Shapley, baptized on November 14, 1731, Hannah Shapley,
baptized on September 22, 1734, John Shapley, baptized on December 18, 1737,
Mary Shapley, baptized on July 13, 1740, Elizabeth Shapley, baptized on July
18, 1742, and Mary Shapley, baptized on October 7, 1744 VI25. The inventory of the estate of Richard Shapley, a fisherman of Marblehead who died intestate, was conducted
on December 15, 1746 AM1.
His widow, Mary Shapley, was made the administrator of his estate on January 1,
1746/7 AM1.
David “Shaplie” took the oath of fidelity before Samuell Ward, the commissioner of Marblehead, on December
18, 1677 DO17,
BE7. David Shapley,
along with his wife and daughter, were summoned to appear in court on September
13, 1692, to testify at the trial of Wilmott Redd (Reed), a woman from
Marblehead who was accused of witchcraft WO4:
Wee Comand you
to Warm [warn] and give notice vnto ye wife and daughter of Thomas Dodd ye Wife and Daughter of Thomas Ellis John
Caley David Shapley wife and daughter John Chin Marthah
Beale Elias Henly junr and wiffe Benjamin Gale Joane Bubbee, Charitty Pittman, and
Jacob Wormwood, That they and Every of them be and perſonaly
appear at ye Court of Oyer
and Terminer holden at Salem to
morrow at Eight of ye clock in
ye Morning there to Teſtify
ye truth to ye beſt of
your knowledge on Seuerall Indictments Exhibited againſt Wilmot Redd hereof make return fail not dated
in Salem Septr 13th
1692. and in ye fourthe year of
our Reign.
Stephen Sewall Ce.
The Court of Oyer and Terminer was the name of
the type of court and is a French term which means “to hear and determine”.
Testimony regarding the character and actions of Wilmot Redd was provided to
the court by Mary Walcott, Ann Putnam, Elizabeth Hubbard, Charity Pitman, Sarah
Dod, and Ambrose Gale, but not by any person with the
surname of “Shapley” WO4.
Wilmot Redd was found guilty of witchcraft and was hung on September 22, 1692,
along with six other women and one man NO7. David “Shaply”
purchased land in Marblehead for the sum of twenty-five pounds from a widow
named Susannah Burdun on September 21, 1692, just one
week after his court summons, and one day before Wilmot was executed PE14, NO7.
He purchased perhaps
sixteen acres of upland and meadowland for the sum of sixteen pounds silver
from John Dresser of Rowley on October 20, 1702 BE5. David died sometime before December 30,
1720, because on this date his estate was granted to his son, Richard AM1, PE14. Further, he probably died during or
before 1717, because in that year his wife, known as Widow Shapley, was the
owner of the estate PE14. The
probate record of David Shapley included a bond dated December 29, 1720 which
stated, “Richd Saplye Son of David Saplye of Marblehead ffisherm Decd
Intestate” AM1. The probate record also included a
deposition dated March 3, 1720/1 from his daughter, Elizabeth Smith, which
stated, “Elizabeth Smith of full Age Testifieth and
saith That some tyme In the
last of March In the year 1720 She did hear her Brother Richard Shapley Dening doing Any thing for his
mother…” AM1. The inventory of his estate, conducted
on February 9, 1720/1 by Joshua Orne, Francis Bowden, and Richard Keith,
included AM1:
An Inventery as followett viz David Saplye
a fether Beed: a Sheat
& two Blankets… Two Cover leads… two old Cheus, a
table… 3 Iron Pots… a Copper Kittell a Scilett… a Iron Kittell & Tramell [a trammel
is a hook in a fireplace, used to raise or lower a pot]…
5 pounds of old puter… a saspan
and Grid Iron… 3 old Chars & pr: of
Belles [perhaps “bellows”]… a Hous & Ground Blongin…
Mr. Berry was unable to authoritatively
ascertain David’s parents, but after researching the Shapley family for many years, he has developed a hypothesis regarding David’s
origins BE5:
David’s most likely origin is in the
environs of Wolborough (Newton Abbot). This was the
only area in Devonshire where Shapleys are known to
have named sons David during the seventeenth century. William Shapleigh of Wolborough baptized a son David there 14 Mar. 1601. This
David married Joan Wolston 7 Sept. 1628 and had a son Davy Shapleigh baptized 5
Jan. 1633. In turn, this David Shapleigh married Johan Tucker 5 Oct. 1657 and
their son David Shaply was baptized 14 May 1666… But
a Wolborough connection remains speculation. Unless
something shows up in the Devonshire records that so far has remained hidden,
David’s parentage will remain a mystery.
