In a message dated 1/10/05 9:46:18 AM Eastern Standard Time, jmartin@fairfield.com writes: > James Shearer/Sherrer was born pre 1780 and had grants in Lincoln Co. in > 1794 & 1797. He was enumerated in Rutherford in 1800 (p146) and had deed > transactions in Rutherford in 1803 (Obediah Blanton); 1806 (William Wilson); 1809 > (Bartlett Eaves); & 1817 (Joseph Jay). Do you know any of his kin? > > This James Shearer/Sherrer married a Nancy Allen. Have not been able to establish who she was or her relationship to John Allen b. 3 May 1754 and his wife Mary Davenport. Their daughter Nancy Allen born about 1792 married Elijah Morris, son of William and Sarah "Sally" Raburn Morris of Burke Co., NC, with bond dated 16 March 1811 Rutherford Co., NC, her brother Willis Allen bondsman. Elijah Morris and Nancy Allen Morris left Rutherford Co., NC and moved to Morengo Co., AL. By 1820 James Shearer and wife Nancy Allen Shearer and family moved to Buncombe Co., NC. Appear to have been followers of the charismatic Baptist preacher, Humphrey Posey. Seven children are listed, 4 males and 3 females, but I have only been able to identify 4 - Susan Shearer married Isaac Truet (Truet family living near the Shearer family in 1820 Buncombe Co., NC, also followers of Humphrey Posey. Truet family lived for a time between 1811 to 1817 in Rutherford Co., NC); James Allen Shearer b. 17 February 1812 Rutherford Co., NC married Eleanor "Ellen" DeHart, dau. of Nathan and Catharine Ramsey DeHart. Eleanor was born in Wayne Co., Ky., where it appears Nathan and Catharine Ramsey lived for a period after leaving Burke Co., NC, and before returning to live in Cherokee, Co., NC. One of their sons, William DeHart b. 1806, married a Sarah Lovelace. Jesse Shearer married Margaret Queen who was born about 1810 Rutherford Co., NC. Wiley Shearer born about 1815 married a Catharine-----. James Shearer appears on the 1840 Cherokee Co., NC census as head of household. He and his wife are listed as being 60 to under 70 years old at that time. James Shearer appears on the 1850 Cherokee Co., NC census, living in the household of one of his grandsons, Lorenzo Shearer and his family. James is listed as age 76, making his birth approximately 1774. The son James Allen Shearer and his wife Eleanor DeHart appear to have lived in Union Co., GA for a period. Thier son James M. Shearer was born there 7 July 1838. The family then returned to Cherokee Co, NC. James M. Shearer, appears to be active in the Baptist church faith also, and involved in the church led by Rev. John Finger Pendergrass, whose wife was Lois Elmyra Reel - bond 30 December 1841 Burke Co., NC. They lived in Macon and then Cherokee Co., NC after they married. About 1865, Rev. John Finger Pendergrass and his family returned to McDowell Co., NC. James M. Shearer appears to have accompanied them from Cherokee Co., NC at that time, marrying their daughter, Martha J. Pendergrass, b. 15 December 1842. The marriage bond dated 30 July 1866 McDowell Co., NC - bondsman J. H. Reel (Martha's cousin). James M. and Martha J. Pendergrass Shearer then moved back to Cherokee and then Clay Co., NC. Charmaine Ernst