William Shields and Margaret Reed

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Husband William Shields ^{1 2 3}

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           Born: 4 Jul 1784 - Pennsylvania 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 28 Nov 1860 4
         Buried: 

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         Father: John Shields (1759-1840) 5 6 7
         Mother: Mary Marshall (      -Bef 1818) 3

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       Marriage: 1805 4

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Wife Margaret Reed ^{1 3}

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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Children

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General Notes: Husband - William Shields

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In the year following his birth, his parents loaded a few effects on pack horses, and started to find a home west of the Allegheny mountains. In crossing the mountains, he was placed in a creel; on the other end was put a large favorite cat and eight pounds of flax to balance him.
In descending the western slope, William became restless. His father took him out of the creel, and carried him in his arms for some distance in advance of the party.

In 1811, Governor Simon Snyder, appointed him captain of militia, and later in the same year, as major of the 2d battalion, 13th regiment. In 1812, he was commissioned coroner of the county, and in 1814 lieutenant-colonel of the 2d brigade, 15th division of militia, composed of the counties of Allegheny, Armstrong, Indiana and Jefferson.
In 1814, he came to Indiana, Pennsylvania, and kept a public house, known as the "Rising Sun," The emblem of which on the sign-board was painted by Sylvester Tinthoff.
In 1828, he left Indiana, and leased lands of Dr. Robert Mitchell, four hundred acres of which James Walls offered him the deed for a double-cased English watch. Considering the taxes worth more than the lands, he refused to buy at that price. His children later saw the same lands sell for forty and fifty dollars per acre.
He was one of the viewers of the clay pike running from Ebensburg, Cambria County, via Indiana to Kittanning, Armstrong County.
In 1827, a woodpecker, perched upon the top limbs of a poplar tree, still standing in all its original vigor, at the north base of "Vinegar hill," on the land of Mrs. Charlotte Banks-he said to his son, then only a child of seven years, "would you like to have that bird?" The child answered "yes." He brought his rifle to his shoulder, and before the report had ceased, the command was "to go and get it."
"In July, 1817, I was asked by a supposed friend to go with him to what was known as 'McHenry's deer-lick,' about a mile and a half from Indiana. I went, but his restlessness interfered with the watching, and I concluded to go home. We started, and he kept behind and would not come up. I thought his conduct strange, but never got an explanation till the following summer, when they were among the party in search of Shryock. His former companion made the remark, 'I am cursed hungry.' Without a moment's hesitation, Shields pulled from his haversack two biscuits and gave them to him. This act brought them alongside, and, laying his hand on Shields' shoulder, he said: William, you have killed me. I intended to kill you the night I took you to the McHenry deer lick; but God being stronger than the devil, you still live.'"

He was the father of thirteen children, seven of whom were still living in 1880.

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General Notes: Wife - Margaret Reed

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She was a descendant of the English family of Lord Richard Say.

1 —, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 337, 447.

2 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co., 1891), Pg 280.

3 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 1011, 1234.

4 —, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 337.

5 —, History of Indiana County, Pennsylvania (Newark, OH: J. A. Caldwell, 1880), Pg 447.

6 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co., 1891), Pg 279.

7 J. T. Stewart, Indiana County, Pennsylvania - Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1913), Pg 1010, 1234.