Genealogy by Martha

Cross - Love - Culpepper - Herron - Mordecai - Shelby - Cobb

Isabella Elliot(t)

Female Abt 1767 - Aft 1800  (~ 34 years)


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  • Name Isabella Elliot(t) 
    Born Abt 1767  Sapling Grove, Sullivan Co, TN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Died Aft 1800  Sullivan Co, TN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I1501  MyTree
    Last Modified 30 Jun 2011 

    Family Brigadier General Evan Shelby, Jr.,   b. 1720, Tregaron, Cardiganshire, Wales Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 4 Dec 1794, King's Meadows (now Bristol), TN Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 74 years) 
    Married Abt 1787  Sapling Grove, Sullivan Co., TN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Children 
     1. James Shelby,   b. Abt 1788, Sapling Grove, Sullivan Co., TN Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 1815, Lincoln Co., NC Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 27 years)
     2. Letitia Shelby,   b. Abt 1790, Sapling Grove, Sullivan Co., TN Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Bef 1813, Prob. Lincoln Co., KY Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 22 years)
     3. Eleanor Shelby,   b. Abt 1792, Sapling Grove, Sullivan Co., TN Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. Abt 1814, prob Sullivan Co., TN Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 22 years)
    Last Modified 17 Jul 2017 
    Family ID F4584  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • After Gen Shelby died, Isabella remarried to Alexander Dromgoole/gold and had 2 children by him-John & Sarah.
      Gen Shelby's son, Gov Isaac Shelby, spent much of his remaining days trying to prove Alexander was a bigamist. Alexander responded by vandalizing the Gen's grave-for which he got into a lot of trouble! It is unknown what became of Isabella. Alexander died in a poor house (abt 1829, I think) Don't know what became of John, but Sarah married and came to Texas & settled in the Denton area.

      Isaac BAKER, close friend of Gen Evan, and for whom Evan named his son,[Gov] Isaac SHELBY- In correspondance with a descendant of Mr Baker, Gerald H Clark of Bristol, TN, in Oct 1988..."..Alexander Dromgoole was an Indian trader, from Frederick Co, VA. After the RW he aspired to be Virginia's Indian Agent, with the Cherokees in particular"...

      There are references by the Shelby's to Alexander by 1791-Isabella married Alexander in Sullivan Co, TN about 1797...The family didn't like him, and Gov Isaac Shelby [Gen Evan's son] tried for years to prove he was a bigamist...Alexander also got in to a heck of a lot of trouble for vandalizing Gen Evan's gravesite....I don't know what happened to the marriage..Isabella may have died before he did, as Alexander died alone in a poorhouse, in 1829, at the age of 74, in Washington Co, VA-[Court Minutes], and nothing further has been found on Isabella...

      Gov Isaac was the executor of his father's estate. When Isaac settled this part of the estate [1798], he wrote, "I have no farther demands against said Isabella on account of the said Estate, nor has she any farther claim against sd Estate either for Dower or otherwise and further it is a primary object in the settlemt. which I have made with sd Isabella that Alexander Dromgoole is on no pretence whatever to set his foot on the Sapling Grove Plantation belonging to me"

      Actually the Shelby's didn't like Isabella either! They took her for a gold digger...Gen Evan was 68 when he married her, and she was young enough to give him 3 children; then when he died in 1794, she waited several years before she married Alexander, and had 2 children by him. Both she and Alexander were educated, as both could read and write..At the time of their marriage they were living on "Sapling Grove" in Sullivan Co, TN. By 29 Nov of 1799 they were living in Washington Co, VA..On this date Isaac Shelby paid his lawyer $8.00 for handling the case- There is a court record this date in which Isabella relinquishes all rights to the land and would remove from the premises by Dec 1799...It was recorded 21 Oct 1800 in Washington Co..And Alexander was not under any pretense whatsoever, set his foot on "Sapling Grove".. Which may be what prompted Alexander to take out his anger on Gen Evan's grave.

      8 Mar 1814, Abington, Wash. Co, VA- James SHELBY [son of Gen Evan & Isabella], writes his will..."I give to my half brother John DROMGOOLE, in case he shall conduct himself honestly, soberly and discreetly, $500,
      payable when he attains to the age of 21..," "...I give and bequeath to my half sister, Sally DROMGOOLE, $500..." (Judy Trolinger -2001 post)

      4-James SHELBY
      b: abt 1788 in "Sapling Grove", Sullivan Co, TN
      d: 1815 in Lincoln Co, KY
      4-Letitia SHELBY
      b: abt 1790 in "Sapling Grove", Sullivan Co, TN
      d: bef 1814 in prob, Lincoln Co, KY
      sp-Joshua VAIL
      4-Eleanor SHELBY
      b: abt 1792 in "Sapling Grove", Sullivan Co, TN
      d: bef 1814 in prob, Sullivan Co, TN

      Title -- Genealogy of some of the Vail family descended from Jeremiah Vail at Salem, Mass., 1639.
      Marriage records show Letitia McClintock married Joshua Vail in Caldwell County KY, Mar. 13, 1809. She is described as a widow and owner of several slaves. Joshua Vail came to Kentucky about 1800, served as assistant editor of the first newspaper in Louisville. He then removed to Christian County KY and opened a tavern. Before she died of consumption in 1812, they had a child named James Shelby Vail. He joined the 7th U.S. Infantry in 1814, enlisting in his brother's company, and we don't know what became of him. James was raised by relatives named Smith in Tazewell County VA.
      (Source: Alan Pitts - 2011)