Our Family Gallery

  John Shore  and  Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore

John Shore was born in 1802, probably in or near Warminster, Wiltshire, England.

The 1850 US Federal Census shows his age as 45, indicating he was born about 1805.  The 1860 census shows his age as 58, indicating he was born about 1802.  His grave's headstone shows that he was born about 1802.

A family heritage document written by his grandson Jesse Perry Shore (1877-1950) shows his birthplace as Warminster, in Wiltshire, England.  The Shore family lived in several other locations in that vicinity.  They are described in a separate page in this Family Gallery.

According to letters in the family, he came to America in 1832.  A U.S. Government publication, "Index to Records of Aliens' Declarations" shows that he filed his Declaration of Intent for U.S. citizenship at the Court of Quarter Sessions in Philadelphia, on 6 October 1834.

Mary Ann Brandenburg was born 17 Apr 1815 in Frederick County, Maryland.

She is the daughter of William Brandenburg and Catherine Long (also known as "Katy" or "Kitty" Long).

She is the granddaughter of William Brandenburg and Catherine Bussard (also written as Bozard or Buzzard).

She is the great-granddaughter of William Henry (Wilhelm Heinrich) Brandenburg who came from Prussia to America in 1752.

According to a letter in her handwriting, Mary Ann's family moved to Ohio in 1835, settling into Erie County in 1836, "three miles west of Sandusky City".  A poem written by John shows him in "Cats Creek', Ohio" in 1836.

Ohio was then the 'Northwest', opening new territories for pioneering settlers from the east.

How John Shore and Mary Ann Brandenburg met, is not currently known.

John and Mary Ann were married 14 Feb 1838 (Valentine's Day), at Erie County, Ohio.

By 1839 they had moved to Illinois, purchasing land there in Henry County.  By 1840 they had settled in Stark County.  The 1840 US Federal Census shows them there at La Fayette, Goshen Township.  John's occupation is shown as 'Manufacturing'.  He was a Joiner (Woodworker, or Cabinet Maker).

Land deeds show that John Shore purchased 82 acres of land in Henry County, adjoining Stark County, on 28 Nov 1839.  He purchased a lot in the town of La Fayette, Stark County, Illinois on 9 Jun 1840.  Later he purchased additional lots in the town, as well as several pieces of acreage in Stark and Knox counties from 1841 through 1853.  The deeds are shown in the collection below.

Here is an early    Map of Stark County.

Here is an Area Map.

John Shore and Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore are our direct ancestors.  We are all descended from their marriage (or married to someone who is descended from them).

They had four children:

• Althea Sedale Shore (b. 1 Jun 1840, d. 28 Jul 1842)
• Sarah Amanda Shore (b. 16 Apr 1842, d. 4 Sep 1876)
• Louisa Cedelia Shore (b. 7 Feb 1844, d. 26 Jun 1931)
• William Thomas Shore (b. 16 Apr 1846, d. 18 Oct 1898).

Our family comes from their son William Thomas Shore's marriage to Ianthe Talbott.  They were married in Nodaway County, Missouri on 5 Oct 1873.

John Shore died on 7 Mar 1861.  He is buried at the La Fayette Cemetery, La Fayette, Illinois.

Mary Ann remarried on 1 Jan 1862 to Richard C. Baker.

Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore-Baker died on 8 Feb 1892.  She is buried at the La Fayette Cemetery, La Fayette, Illinois.  Her name is shown as Mary A. Baker, but she is buried together with her first husband John Shore and two of their four children.

  Documents

All of these Family Documents are shown in the collection below.

Census records:

The 1840, 1850 and 1860 census records show John and Mary Ann Shore with their growing family.  (All of their children were born between 1840-1850.)

The 1840 census shows John and Mary Ann Shore together in their home, with no children.  The census shows the Shore household having:

1  "Free White Male, age 30 to 40"
1  "Free White Female, age 20 to 30".

The 1850 census shows them with three children, Sarah, Louisa,and William, ages 8, 6, and 4.

Their first child Althea, born in 1840, had died in 1842.

Note:  In this 1850 Census, the Shore family's home is next to the home of the Ira C. Reed family.  Both of these families were early settlers in the area.  Probably the two families knew each other well.  Today the town of La Fayette has an Ira C. Reed Library.  Its collection might include memorabilia and items from our Shore family heritage.

The 1860 census shows the children now grown into their 'teen' years at 18, 16, and 14.

In the 1860 census the family is listed in error, as "John Shaw".  Possibly the census taker misunderstood the English accent and heard the name "Shore" as "Shaw".

John Shore did not live to see his children grow to adulthood.  He made out his Last Will and Testament on 25 June 1860, and he died on 7 March 1861.

Mary Ann Shore was widowed at age 45.  Of the three children, Sarah Amanda was a month before her 19th birthday, Louisa Cedelia had just turned 17, and William Thomas was a month before his 15th birthday.

After John Shore died (March 1861), Mary remarried to Richard C. Baker (January 1862).  The 1870 census shows them living in La Fayette.  Her daughter Amanda Shore (age 28) is living in the home.

The 1870 census also shows Mary Ann's son William T. Shore and his wife Cora Mary (Dick) Shore living near them, in the next homestead.

Mary Ann's land is valued separately from her husband Richard Baker's, and it has the same value as her son William Shore's land.  John Shore willed his estate to his wife Mary Ann for her "natural life", stipulating that after her death it would be given equally to each of their children.  It isn't known whether she deeded part of the land to William, or he acquired it on his own.

The 1880 U.S. Federal Census shows Mary Ann and Richard Baker.  She was then 65 years of age, and was caring for her two grandsons age 10 and 5 (their mothers had died).

All of these census records are shown below.

Other documents:

A poem has been found, written by John Shore on 4 November 1836 at Cats Creek, Ohio.  Written as a young man before marrying, two years after he left England, it reflects a sense of hardship and loneliness in the new land.  It is reproduced below and described in detail on the "Letters" page.

A photograph shows John and Mary Ann Shore together, with their son William Thomas Shore as a small child.  It dates from about 1850.  It is shown in the collection below.

Another photograph shows their son William Thomas Shore as a young man in his uniform of the 112th Illinois Volunteers, about 1863.  It is shown on his page in the Family Gallery.

Letters to John Shore from England:

Several letters are written to John Shore in Illinois, from his brother Thomas Shore and sister-in-law Mary Shore in England.

One letter, written in 1843, describes the events in the Shore family in England since John Shore's departure to America.  Two later letters, written in 1849 and 1850, implore John's help so that the family may purchase passage from England to America.  They ask for funds to pay a ship's captain, and say that the money will be paid back in full after the family comes to America.  The letters are shown in the collection below.

A letter was written on 29 June 1850 to John Shore from his nephew on duty as a British soldier in Mullingar, Ireland.  The nephew's name is William Thomas Shore.  It's the same name as was given to John and Mary Ann Shore's son, born 1846 in Illinois.  The name might have come from the grandfather or other paternal ancestor.  The letter is shown in the collection below.

An envelope has been found, postmarked 29 May 1851 in England, addressed to:  "Mr John Shore, Lafayette Starke Co., Illnoys North America".  It was originally sealed with sealing wax.  The envelope is now empty, and the letter has not been found.  The envelope is shown in the collection below.

Another envelope has been found, postmarked 12 Jan 1852 in England, addressed to:  "Mr John Shore, Frakers Grove, Starke Co., Illnoys America".  It too was originally sealed with sealing wax.  Although the envelope is now empty, part of its letter was written on the envelope paper before it was folded.  It is from John Shore's brother Thomas Shore and sister-in-law.  The envelope is shown in the collection below.

Fraker's Grove was a site of early settlers in Illinois.

Here is a    History of Fraker's Grove.

Another     History of Fraker's Grove.

Fraker's Grove was in Lynn Township, Knox County, a short distance from the place where the town of La Fayette, Stark County was developed.  Here is a later map (1870) describing the location of Fraker's Grove in Section 23.

Here is a    Map with Fraker's Grove.

Here is a    Fraker's Grove marker.

John Shore and his bride Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore settled there in 1839.

Here is an    Envelope addressed to them at Fraker's Grove.

References to the Long Family:

Slater-Long Document:

Mary Ann Brandenburg's mother's maiden name was Catherine Long (known as "Katy" and "Kitty").

A family document handed down by Mary Ann mentions the Long family.  It lists the names and birthdates of the children of Conrad and Hannah Slater.  Their first child was born 25 Jan 1820.

Conrad Slater married Hannah Funk in 1819 at Harpers Ferry, Virginia.  Hannah's mother's maiden name was probably Long.  The mother's maiden name is listed variously as Long or "Branderburg" in heritage sources, for example in the Latter Day Saints' International Genealogy Index.

The document mentions:

"Jacob Long had Nine children by his first wife, by his second two".

And:

"As for the Longs generation I can not tell you how many children they have got but they are all in Virginia except for George & Jacob".

And:

"Grandmother Long is still living yet   She lives by herself & Sarah".

The document appears to be from a relative in the Long family.  The author's relationship is not known.

The Slater-Long document shows four names at the bottom: John Shore, Mary Shore, Conrad Slater, and Hannah Slater.  It could be part of a letter, but no other part has yet been found.

As the document has John Shore's name at the bottom, it probably dates from before 1861, as he died 7 Mar 1861.  Conrad Slater died 19 Apr 1869.

If the document's source could be established, it could shed light on Mary Ann Brandenburg's mother, Catherine ("Katy" or "Kitty") Long and her family.

The document instructs Mary Ann to write to the family at:

"Loveittsvill Post Office, Loudoun County, Virginia".

A U.S. Federal Census of Loudoun County, Virginia is described below.

Loudoun County, Virginia 1820 Census with Slater-Long Families:

The 1820 U.S. Federal Census for Loudoun County, Virginia shows the families of Frederick Slater and Jacob Long.

That 1820 census listed the name of the Head of Household only, with all other people being merely counted.

In the census record, the two familes are living five residences apart.  They probably knew each other, and quite possibly there was a marriage union between them.

Frederick Slater is possibly the parent or grandparent of Conrad Slater.

Jacob Long is possibly the parent or uncle of Christina Long and Catherine ("Katy" or "Kitty") Long, who are William Henry Brandenburg's two wives.

Both of these documents:  the Slater-Long document, and the 1820 census of Loudoun County, Virginia, are shown below.

Very much more research is needed to discover the life of Mary Ann Brandenburg's mother and her family.

Land Deeds to John Shore:

John Shore purchased several land properties in Henry, Stark and Knox counties as early as 1839.  His purchases include:

1839  Federal land purchase, 82.64 acres in Henry County.  Purchased 28 Nov 1839.  Paid $1.25 per acre, total price $103.30.  Federal deed granted 10 Nov 1841.

1840  Lot number 8, Block 30 in the town of La Fayette, Stark County.  Purchased from Henry G. Little and his wife Fidelia S. Little.  Paid $15, signed 9 Jun 1840.

1841  5 acres in Knox County.  Purchased from B.M. Jackson and his wife Jane Jackson.  Paid $50, signed 14 Jul 1841.

1843  Lots number 1 and 2, Block 30 in the town of La Fayette.  Purchased from George A. Charles.  Paid $20, signed 16 Mar 1843.

1850  Plot of land in Stark County, acreage not shown on the deed.  Purchased from Charles A. Himes and his wife Laura Himes.  Paid $240, signed 21 Oct 1850.

1853  One-half acre in Stark County.  Purchased from Charles A. Himes and his wife Laura Himes.  Paid $8, signed 27 Jan 1853.

Note:  The 1843 and 1853 deeds are recorded by the Stark County Court Clerk, Jefferson Winn, in 1860.  Jefferson is the older brother of Marshall Winn, who would marry Louisa Cedelia Shore (John and Mary Ann's daughter) in 1869.

Land Deeds after John Shore's death:

John Shore died on 7 Mar 1861.  Mary Ann remarried to Richard C. Baker on 1 Jan 1862.

In 1872 Mary Ann purchased 30 acres of land in her name:

1872  30 acres in Stark County.  Purchased from Adam Dick and his wife Mary L. Dick.  Paid $1900, signed 10 Sep 1872.

Mary Ann's 30 acres is adjacent to 80 acres owned by R.C. Baker.

Here is an 1873 map, together with a modern aerial photograph.

Map and photograph:    M.A. Baker 30 acres,  R.C. Baker 80 acres.

Note 1:  A year before this purchase from Adam and Mary Dick in Sep 1872, Mary Ann's son William T. Shore had been married to their daughter, Cora Mary Dick.  Cora had died on 2 Sep 1871, two weeks after giving birth to their daughter.  She was 18 years of age.

Note 2:  The deed specifies that the 30 acres will be divided into two parts:

14.25 acres to Mary A. Baker "in her own right absolute and to her heirs and assigns forever",

15.75 acres "in trust for the use and benefit of Amanda S. Shore for whom (Mary A. Baker) is conservater duly appointed and qualified."

Amanda Shore is Mary Ann's daughter, born 1842.  Amanda did not marry.  She died four years later in 1876, at age 34.

Amanda Shore died 4 Sep 1876.  One month after her death, a deed was executed by Mary Ann and her children, selling the 15.75 acres to Mary Ann's husband R.C. Baker:

1876  15.75 acres in Stark County.  Signed by Mary A. Baker and by her children and their spouses:  William T. Shore and Ianthe Shore;  Louisa C. Winn and Marshall Winn.  R.C. Baker paid $787, signed 4 Oct 1876.

Two envelopes dated 1906 and 1909 show correspondence between John and Mary Ann Shore's grandson Jesse Shore and persons in Illinois.  On one, Jesse has written on the back:

"E.B. Redfield  Release on brick house not recorded yet"

Jesse and Anna Shore were then living in San Antonio, Texas.  The correspondence these envelopes contained has not yet been found.  It might show Jesse's interest in finding the titles to his grandparents' home and land in Illinois.  John Shore's will (written 1860, see below) left those properties to his wife Mary Ann Shore, stipulating that after her death they would go to their children "and to their heirs and assigns forever."  In 1906 and 1909, their grandson Jesse Shore, newly married and with a growing family, might have looked into the titles of his grandparents' properties.

All of these land deeds and documents are shown below.

Last Will and Testament:

John Shore made his Last Will and Testament on 25 Jun 1860, bequeathing all of his estate and personal property

"unto my beloved wife Mary A. Shore."

He bequeathed it to her:

"during her natural life and that at her death all the property aforesaid to her bequeathed to my three children, viz: William Thomas Shore, Louisa Cedelia Shore, & Sarah Amanda Shore to be equally divided to each of said children and to their heirs and assigns forever."

The Last Will and Testament shown below is a certified copy of his original document.  The copy was written out by the County Clerk of Stark County on 15 Jul 1861, four months after John Shore's death.  It certifies that the original is filed in the County Clerk's office.

A "Letter Testamentary" signed by the County Clerk on 15 Jul 1861 executes John Shore's will.  His wife Mary Ann Shore is Executrix of the will.  A receipt issued to Mary Ann acknowledges her payment of the fees to the County Clerk for the settlement of the estate.

All of these documents, and the envelope they were found in, are shown below.

John Shore died on 7 Mar 1861, eight and one-half months after making out his will.  He left his wife Mary Ann (age 45) and three children:  Sarah Amanda (18), Louisa Cedelia (17), and William Thomas (14).

Mary Ann remarried on 1 Jan 1862 to Richard C. Baker.

Mary Ann Shore and Richard C. Baker:

The 1860 U.S. Federal Census for Henry County, Illinois shows R C Baker and his family.  He and his wife Almira are both 41 years of age, and have four children ages 13, 10, 3, and 1.  The census is shown below.

John Shore died on 7 Mar 1861.  Richard C. Baker married the widow Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore on New Year's Day, 1 Jan 1862.

Richard C. Baker's wife Almira Baker had died on 1 September 1861, leaving him with four children when he married Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore with her three children.

Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore died on 8 Feb 1892.  According to Illinois state archives, Richard C. Baker remarried on 1 Nov 1892 to Mrs. Harriet J. Bisbee Reeves.

The 1900 US Federal Census shows Richard C. Baker as a widower, age 80, living with his son's family.

Census:   R.C. Baker in 1900

Letters to Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore-Baker:

Letters have been found written between Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore-Baker and her Brandenburg family relatives, in their attempts to claim titles to family estates.

The Brandenburg family actively pursued titles to two estates in the late 1880s:  (1) Brandenburg estates in Germany, and (2) property in Baltimore, Maryland which the family believed had been leased by Wilhelm Heinrich Brandenburg, Mary Ann's great-grandfather.  The family believed the Baltimore lease was given about 1790, for 99 years, and was due to expire in 1889 or 1890.

All of the correspondence about the Brandenburg estates and titles is in our Family Gallery for The Brandenburg Family.

Burial Records:

La Fayette has a small cemetery located about one-half mile west of the village.  The Shore family is buried in the cemetery's locations A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4, probably indicating they are an early burial there.

The family's headstones and an aerial photo of the La Fayette village and cemetery are shown below.

John Shore and Mary Ann Shore are buried together.  Mary Ann had remarried after John Shore's death in 1861.  Her name is shown as Mary A. Baker, but she is buried next to her first husband, John Shore.

Althea Sedale Shore, infant daughter (and first child) of John and Mary Ann Shore, is buried near her parents.  Born in June 1840, she died in July 1842.

Althea's headstone shows a little child, sleeping peacefully on a bed.  It reads:

AGED   2 Ys.
1 Mo.  28 Ds.

Sleep on dear babe
And take thy rest
God called thee home
He thought it best.

Sarah Amanda Shore (1842-1876), second child of John and Mary Ann, is buried with her sister and parents.

Born in April 1842, Sarah was barely three months of age when the first child Althea died in July of that year.  Thus the parents Mary Ann and John cared for their newborn while enduring the loss and burial of their first child.

Sarah never married.  In an 1872 land purchase, Mary Ann set aside 15.75 acres for her daughter Sarah to have a place to live.  That arrangement, and the fact that Sarah died four years later at age 34, suggest that she might not have been in robust health.

Her headstone shows her dates of birth and death, with a small garland of laurel.  If it has an inscription, it is no longer readable.

John Shore (1802-1861) has his headstone showing an open book, surrounded by an open curtain.

Giving his name and date of death, it reads simply:

Aged   59 Yrs.

Mary Ann Shore (1815-1892) remarried to Richard C. Baker after John Shore's death in 1861.  Her headstone shows her name as Mary A. Baker, but she is buried alongside her first husband John Shore and two of their children.

Her headstone gives her dates of birth and death, and reads simply:

At Rest.

Thus John and Mary Ann Shore, and two of their four children, are buried together at the La Fayette village cemetery.

Their third daughter Louisa Cedelia (Shore) Winn (1844-1931) is buried at the Wyoming Cemetery, Wyoming, Illinois.

Their only son William Thomas Shore (1846-1898) is buried at the Tarkio Home Cemetery, Tarkio, Missouri.

Their lives are shown in their own separate pages in this Family Gallery.

---

La Fayette remains a small village today, with population 227 (US Census, year 2000).

A map and aerial view of the family's area in Stark County are shown below.

Here are images from the life of John and Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore.

These people are pioneers -- in our country, and in our family.
Please Help us to learn about them !

1840 US Federal Census	1850 US Federal Census	1860 US Federal Census	1870 US Federal Census	1880 US Federal Census (Baker) Image Transcript
4 Nov 1836 Poem by John Shore Poem Transcript	19 Mar 1843 Thomas and Mary Shore to John Shore Page  1  2  3  4 Text	5 Jun 1849 Thomas and Mary Shore to John Shore Page  1  2  3  4 Text	27 Jul 1850 Thomas and Mary Shore to John Shore Page  1  2  3  4 Text	29 Jun 1850 John Shore from Nephew Page 1  2  3  4 Text
1850 John Shore, Mary Ann Shore, William T. Shore Outer	1850 John Shore, Mary Ann Shore, William T. Shore Inner	1850 John Shore, Mary Ann Shore, William T. Shore Photo	1850 John Shore, Mary Ann Shore, William T. Shore Zoom 1	1850 John Shore, Mary Ann Shore, William T. Shore Zoom 2
John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Cover	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Outer	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Inner	John Shore 1848 Signature	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail
John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail	John Shore Pilgrim's Progress Detail
29 May 1851 Envelope to John Shore Front  Back	12 Jan 1852 Envelope to John Shore Folded	12 Jan 1852 Envelope to John Shore Unfolded	12 Jan 1852 Envelope to John Shore Back	1 Oct 1857 Envelope to John Shore Front  Back
4 Sep 1858 Envelope to John Shore Front	13 Jan ?? Envelope to John Shore Front  Back	22 May ?? Envelope to John Shore Front  Back	Abt. 1860 Slater, Long Family Chronicle Document Rotated Transcript	1820 US Federal Census Slater, Long Families Image Transcript
Land Deeds
1839-1841 Federal Land to John Shore 1839 Purchase 1841 Deed Zoom	1840 H.G. Little, F.S. Little to John Shore Part  1  2  3 Zoom Names	1841 B.M.Jackson, J. Jackson to John Shore Part  1  2 Zoom Names	1843 G.A. Charles to John Shore Part  1  2  3 Zoom Names	1850 C. & L. Himes, T. & E. Himes to John Shore Deed Zoom Names
1853 C. Himes, L. Himes to John Shore Part  1  2 Zoom Names	1872 Adam Dick, Mary Dick to Mary A. Baker (15.75 acres conserved to Amanda Shore) Part  1  2  3  4 Zoom Names	4 Oct 1876 (Amanda Shore d. 4 Sep 1876) Mary A. Baker, Shore Children 15.75 acres sold to R.C. Baker Part  1  2  3 Zoom Names	1876 Detail Shore Family Signatures	Envelopes for Jesse Shore Enquiries 1906 Front  Back 1909 Front  Back
Last Will and Testament
25 Jun 1860 John Shore's Will (Certified Copy 15 Jul 1861) Page  1  2  3	15 Jul 1861 Letter Testamentary Page  1  2	15 Jul 1861 Receipt for Settlement of Estate Receipt	Envelope Containing Documents Envelope	Space Available
After John Shore's Death
1860 US Federal Census R C Baker Family	Abt. 1862 Mary Ann and Richard Baker Photo Marriage Record	Abt. 1880 Mary Ann and Richard Baker	1865 Illinois Census R C Baker Family	Mary Ann and R.C. Baker 1883 I.O.G.T. Temperance Lodge
Abt. 1889 Mary A. Baker Family Chronicle Page  1  2,3 Text	1889 Family Heritage Document Document Zoom	Abt 1890 Mary Ann Front  Back	1892 Mary Ann Brandenburg- Shore-Baker Obituary	After 1904 Family Heritage Document by Jesse Shore Document
John and Mary Ann (Brandenburg) Shore Family Memorials John and Mary Ann Shore, and two of their daughters, are buried at the La Fayette Cemetery. They are some of the earliest burials. Their graves are in locations A-1, A-2, A-3, and A-4.
Family	(Left to Right) Sarah Amanda, Althea Sedale, John, Mary Ann Family	Althea 1840-1842 AGED 2 Ys. 1 Mo. 28 Ds. Althea	A Sleeping Child: Sleep on dear babe And take thy rest God called thee home He thought it best. Detail	John 1802-1861 John Detail
Sarah 1842-1876 Sarah	Sarah Detail Detail	Mary Ann 1815-1892 At Rest Mary Ann	Mary Ann Detail	La Fayette, Illinois Aerial Photos 1  2