Ancestors

John Shapley

John Shapley lived in the West Thompson parish of Killingly, in Windham County, Connecticut. The parish lay in the part of Killingly that later became the town of Thompson. Brian J. L. Berry's two books on the family, Westward the American Shapleys (1987) and The Shapleigh, Shapley and Shappley Families (1993), make him a son of David Shapley of Marblehead and Killingly and his wife Hephzibah French. The 1993 book heads his son's entry "DAVID4 SHAPLEY (John3 David2 David1)."

His father's will provided for one of John's sisters with "30 pounds to be paid her by my son John Shapley."

His children were baptized at West Thompson. Among them was David, baptized on 9 May 1742, and a younger son John. A daughter married Parker Pease at Somers on 11 September 1755. The 1993 book calls her Lydia, baptized 24 October 1736; the 1987 book calls her Hannah. John Shapley joined the Thompson church in 1750. In 1754 he sold 120 acres in Somers to Jonathan Brown. His wife's name is not known.

His sons David and John married sisters, Rebecca and Hannah Bishop. David's son David became a ruling elder of the Shakers at New Lebanon, New York, and later left them. Berry's 1987 book titles its chapter on John's descendants "Shakers and Apostates."

If John Shapley is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "John Shapley", https://heirology.com/ancestors/john-shapley-eb8fa7.