| Notes |
- U.S. Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970
Name: Mary Ann Shelby
SAR Membership: 82733
Birth Date: 25 Jan 1785
Birth Place: Mecklenburg, North Carolina
Death Date: 1855
Death Place: Plantersville, Alabama
Spouse: Moses A Shelby
Children: James Madison Shelby
1810 Mecklenburg Co., NC: Third Fed. Census pg. 503
Evan Shalvey (sic) 11101-11101001 (9 persons)
There is a 75 year old female in house. Moses is 16-26 (1784-94)
living near an Allison Knox, uncle of Mary Ann, his wife.
(Source: A Chronology of Moses & Isabel Shelby and Their Sons by Johnnie Mullinax Johnson)
Note: Evan, Susannah, Susannah's mother (Susan Polk), William A., Harriet, Mary, Dorcus, Thomas and John Milton living there. Moses, Isabella, Sarah, and Susanna J. are already married.)
1830 Census Mecklenburg Co., NC
Name: Mary Shelvrey
[Mary Shelby]
[Mary Ann Knox Shelby]
[Mary Sebury]
Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Mecklenburg, North Carolina
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 1 ( Joseph Theodore)
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1 (Samuel Norton)
Free White Persons - Males - 10 thru 14: 1 (Thomas A.)
Free White Persons - Males - 15 thru 19: 1 (David Daniel)
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1 (James Madison)
Free White Persons - Females - 10 thru 14: 1 (Elinor Selina)
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49: 1 (Mary Ann)
Free White Persons - Under 20: 5
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 7
Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 7
(Winfield was married, John Rufus and Smith are elsewhere at this time)
My theory is that Allison was not the uncle, but the father of Mary
Ann Knox. Allison had a brother named Patrick who was married to a
Mary Smith, 1766 in Mecklenburg Co., NC. They had five children:
Matthew, Ruth, Hannah, John and Jane (or Jean). When Patrick was
killed 20 Jun 1780 at the Battle of Ramsur's Mill, Lincoln Co., NC,
during the Revolution, Allison married Mary Smith Knox, 1781 in
Mecklenburg Co., NC, and adopted Patrick's children. I believe
Allison and Mary had a daughter whom they named Mary Ann. Their
daughter would have been born at the correct time for Mary Ann's
birthdate. I think the John Knox, who was appointed guardian of Moses
& Mary Ann's children following Moses' death in 1826, Charlotte,
Mecklenburg Co., NC, was Mary Ann Knox Shelby's half brother and son
of Patrick and Mary Smith Knox. I also believe Mary Ann Knox and
Moses Shelby gave one of their children the first name of "Smith "
because that was Mary Ann's mother's maiden name. (MCMordecai-2004)
Notes Mary Knox: According to Bobbie Rich Kaiser, Mary Knox was the
daughter of Samuel Knox of Rowan Co., NC and GA. Samuel was a
Revolutionary War Soldier. Also had a Will.
Family Book by S. B. Shaw, Registered in the Library of Congress,
1902. North Carolina Archives and History Book 8, pg. 193; pg. 507;
Book 10, pg. 99; Book 11, pg. 309.
(I believe that Samuel was not the father of Mary Ann Knox)
Below is a transcription of the SHELBY Records found at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Mecklenburg Co, NC [my comments bracketed] (Source: Peggy Bruckner 03/25/08)
Session Records - Book #2: page 4 - White Communicants
Winfield Shelby - June 1831
page 5 - White Communicants
Mary* Shelby - Aug 11, 1833 [noted as "removed" which means she moved away at some point after this entry...]
J. M. Shelby - June 3, 1834 [noted as "removed" which means he moved away at some point after this entry...]
Eleanor S. Shelby - June 3, 1834 [noted as "removed" which means she moved away at some point after this entry...]
[* I speculate that this MAY be Mary Ann (Knox) Shelby, before she moved to Alabama; otherwise, am not sure who this Mary Shelby might be...]
page 12 - Adult Baptisms:
James M. Shelby - June 8, 1834
Eleanor S. Shelby - June 8, 1834
page 16 - Infant Baptisms:
Andrew Springs Knox* - March 1834
Joel Houston Shelby* - March 1834
Franklin B. Shelby* - March 1834
*[Note: Parents not noted in this entry. Joel aka "Houston" Shelby and Franklin B. Shelby appear to be the sons of Winfield M. Shelby and Melissa Alexander, daughter of Stephen Winslow Alexander & Isabella Shelby. Andrew Springs Knox was the youngest son of John Knox, assumed half-brother of Mary Ann (Knox) Shelby, and guardian of Moses Shelby's children. John Knox, b. 1777, d. 1860, is buried at Bethel. I am working to prove his line back to Capt Patrick Knox...close, but not there yet...]
page 17 - Infant Baptisms:
Mary Ann Selina Shelby - July 29, 1838
Mary Jane Shelby - Nov 16, 1839
James Adams Shelby - April 23, 1843 - Parents J. M. & Amanda Shelby
page 18 - Infant Baptisms:
Mary Eleanor Shelby - Nov 24, 1844 - Parents J. M. & Amanda Shelby
COURT MINUTES - GUARDIAN BOND ABSTRACT:
Mecklenburg County NC Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions
1826 February Session, page 124
[Tuesday, Feb 28, 1826] Ordered that John Knox be Guardian for John R., Winfield, Smith, Eleanor, Thomas, Samuel & Joseph Shelby, children of Moses Shelby who appeared in Court and was bound with James Doherty, Security, in the Sum of £250.
[Mecklenburg County NC- Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions - Volune III: 1821-1830; transcribed by Herman W. Ferguson, page 94]
Notes re Guardianship Bond:
1) This bond does not state that Moses Shelby is deceased...is that significant?
2) On 22 Feb 1826, five days before prior to the 27 Feb 1826 Guardian Bond for seven of his nine children, a Moses A. Shelby sold land in Mecklenburg County, NC. Was that sale in anticipation of a move to Alabama?
3) Moses Shelby m. Mary Ann Knox, dau of Allison and Mary ((Smith) Knox) Knox. Mary Ann Knox was the half-sister of John Knox, son of Capt Patrick and Mary (Smith) Knox.
(MCM Note - 2003: Moses A. Shelby was NOT the same Moses as the one who married Mary Ann Knox)
4) I've read postings indicating there are estate papers for a Jane Knox whose son-in-law, Moses Shelby, was admin; however, I have not found anything at the NC Archives to support this.
5) I find no NC wills, no NC estate papers, and no NC Court Minutes for Alison/Allison Knox, Mary Knox, or their son-in-law Moses Shelby. Are we sure they died in NC? Is it possible they "removed" to Alabama with Mary Ann...???
Ernest Perry Bell writes, "Although I do not have absolute and positive proof that our great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann Knox, was the daughter of a brother of James Knox, and therefore a first cousin of Jean Knox, the mother of James Knox Polk, thirteenth president of the United States, the evidence is overwhelming that she was." (Not So! - MMMordecai. 2003)
Mary Shelby is listed as a "communicant" Aug 11, 1835 in the 1835 Record Book of Bethel Presbyterian Church. Is this Mary Ann Knox Shelby, for sure? Don't know but I will bet it is.
County Kilkenny seems to be where the Knox's have been in Ireland for
quite a while. There is a parish in Kilkenny called the "Big Wood".
The name, Knox, is actually derived from a Gaelic word that still
exists in modern Irish: "cnoc" (pronounced 'ka-nok'). The full Gaelic
form is d'cnoc. Which means "From the Hill". The name seems to be
older than many of the more popular Gaelic names and might originate
from the Pics who lived in what is now the Scottish highlands. During
the height of the Celtic tribes, Scotland was divided with Picland on
the North and Scotia on the south.
There is a Irish legend that the Knox's fought with the Fitzpatrick
Clan during the Scot-British war and were supporting Robert the Bruce.
This would suggest that there might have been an involvement with
William Wallace since it was Wallace who inspired Robert. It was
because of this legendary involvement that they named their children
"Robin," not a typical Irish name, in honor of Robert the Bruce. When
Robert's efforts failed, some of the tribe became refugees in Ireland.
Apparently a large portion of the tribe settled in southern County
Killkenny around "The Big Wood" just north of Waterford. They lived
at the Townland of Melville. Big Wood is an unofficial townland; it
does not appear on a map. Big Wood sits on the south side of Tory
Hill, which is a very famous landmark. The name Knox from the Gaelic
d'cnoc, which means "From the Hill" certainly could mean Tory Hill,
which is a huge hill that towers over the generally flat terrain of
southern Co. Kilkenny.
(Source: D. Knox and Jim Wyman)
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1785 - 1855 (69 years)