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William Shanks, born on board ship while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, August 25, 1747, and married on December 22, 1780, in Augusta County, Virginia by the Reverend John Alderson, Jr., (Baptist) to Sarah Handley. William died July 27, 1817, near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky.

Sarah, born 16 March 1759, probably in Augusta County, Virginia, near Roanoke or Salem, Virginia. Died April 26, 1845, near Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky.

Both were originally buried on their farm but their graves were moved and are now in the Buffalo Springs Cemetery in Stanford, the county seat of Lincoln County, in Kentucky.

Children:

1. James Shanks - born? Moved to Georgia. No further information known.
2. John Shanks, born 1782 in Greenbriar County, Virginia, married Sally Gaines, born about 1787 in Charlotte County, Virginia. Sally Gaines was the daughter of Robert Gaines, (born 1755 in Culpepper County, Virginia, died 1807 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, son of Richard Gaines and Mildred Hollinger), and Elizabeth Gaines, (born Nov 8, 1757 in Culpepper County, Virginia, died July 31, 1835 in Pleasant Plains, Sangamon County, Illinois), his cousin, the daughter of the Reverend Henry Gaines and Anne George, of King and Queen County, Virginia. John Shanks married Sally Gaines on December 14, 1807, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. John died in February 1811, thought to have been killed by Shawnee Indians while making a wagon trip for supplies. Sally remarried Jacob Fortney Wyant, and died near Hopkinsville, Christian County, Kentucky, in 1816. Jacob married Nancy Shanks (see below, Sally's sister in law, in 1817.
   John and Sally had only two children, John, born October 24, 1808, in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and Eliza, born in 1810. Their uncle David Shanks later became their guardian.
3. David Shanks, born Oct 7, 1783, in Greenbriar County, Virginia, married America McKinney on September 20, 1819, in Lincoln County, Kentucky; died December 13, 1841, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. America McKinney was the daughter of James McKinney and Levisa Whitley (Levisa b. Feb 3, 1777 in Harrodsburg, KY, died Feb 14, 1814). Levisa was the daughter of the famous William Whitley, Indian fighter and builder of the first brick home in that area. William Whitley was killed battling the Shawnee Indians at the Battle of the Thames in 1815.
4. Archibald Shanks, born Jan 22, 1787, in Greenbriar County, Virginia, married Ann Julia Smith on 7 Jun 1819. Death date unknown.
5. Mary "Polly" Shanks, born 13 March 1789 in Greenbriar County, Virginia, married William Whitley, Jr., on April 22, 1811 in Lincoln County, Virginia, died Apr 14, 1849 in Lincoln County, Virginia. William Whitley Jr, was born on April 20, 1782 at Whitley Station in (?) Lincoln County, Kentucky, and died Aug 23, 1844 in Lincoln County, Virginia..
6. Nancy Shanks, born July 16, 1791 in Greenbriar County, Virginia, married Jacob Fortney Wyant, second husband of her sister in law, Sally Gaines Shanks, whose first husband was John Shanks - see above. Nancy married Jacob on January 16, 1817 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and she died October 30 1882 in Booneville County, Missouri. Jacob Fortney Wyant was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Oct 20, 1772, and died in Booneville County, Missouri, on Apr 20, 1842. He was said to be of Pennsylvania Dutch descent.
7. Jane Shanks was born December 10, 1793 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and married John Owsley on January 2, 1815, also in Lincoln County, Kentucky. She died in 1863 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. John Owsley was born August 13, 1789 in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and died on February 20, 1863. He was the son of Henry Owsley (born in 1755 in Fairfax County, Virginia) and his wife, Martha Bayne, born in Prince George's County, Maryland, in 1765. Both Henry Owsley and his wife Martha died in Lincoln County, Kentucky.
8. Margaret "Peggy" Shanks, born February 6, 1796 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. She married Thomas Owsley, brother of the Governor of Kentucky, William Owsley; they were married on September 15, 1815, at Lincoln County, Kentucky. Margaret died on September 20, 1867 in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Her husband, Thomas Owsley, was born December 10, 1794, in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and died on July 25, 1839, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. His parents were William Owsley, born in Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1749, and Catherine Bolin, born about 1750. William Owsley was the brother of Henry Owsley who is mentioned above.
9. William Shanks, born June 3, 1799, in Lincoln County, Kentucky, married Rebecca Baughman on March 22, 1822, in Stanford County, Kentucky. Died June 25, 1872, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Rebecca Baughman was born in Garrard County, Kentucky on February 6, 1805, and died September 29, 1855, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Henry Baughman, born June 4, 1776, in Virginia, and died Oct 3, 1863 in Garrard County, Kentucky, and his wife, Patience Owsley, born May 3, 1786, in Lincoln County, Kentucky, and died June 18, 1841, in Boyle County, Kentucky. Henry Baughman and Patience Owsley were married May 17, 1802, in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Patience Owsley was a sister of the Thomas Owsley who married Peggy Shanks.

I have note of a small cemetery on the William Tate Farm, on Somerset Road near Stanford in Lincoln County, Kentucky, called the Shanks Cemetery. It includes these graves:

William Shanks, born June 3, 1799, died June 5, 1872.
Rebecca, wife of William, born February 6, 1805, died September 29, 1855.
Joseph Hocker, infant son of RW and MA, born April 23, 1846, died October 11, 1846.
Owsley, Thomas, born December 10, 1792, died July 25, 1889
Margaret, wife of Thomas, born February 6, 1796, died September 20, 1867.
Marion, born October 18, 1830, died September 14, 1849.
William, son of Thomas, born March 1825, died October 10, 1832.

As far as Sarah Handley's husband, William Shanks, I know that his family lived at York County, Pennsylvania, after settling in the US. There is some thought that that William's parents initially settled in St Mary's County, Maryland, but I have never followed up on that yet...

Here is what I have on William Shanks' family.

Thomas Shanks was said to have been of Scottish descent, but migrated from Ireland to America. Thought to have been born about 1726 but I have no sources to support it.

Thomas Shanks, first appears on the tax records of York County, Pennsylvania, in 1762. He owned two tracts of land, one purchased March 29, 1763, for 123 acres and Oct 12 1772 for 56 acres. These two tracts made up a plantation he lived on at Great Conowago Creek in Warrington Township, York County, Pennsylvania. Thomas also owned land in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, which closely adjoined Warrington Township in York County. He apparently disposed of the Cumberland County property prior to his death because it is not mentioned in his will which was probated on January 28, 1806.

In 1780, Thomas Shanks was the acting constable of Warrington Township, and in 1783, he was Collector of Taxes for Warrington. His wife, name unknown, apparently died before 1802, the date his will was written.

Thomas had six children living when his will was written

1. William Shanks, born August 25, 1747, on ship at sea. During the Revolutionary War, he served in Captain John Murray's company of the 2nd battalion, 10th Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment.

   The Virginia Census of 1782 shows William living at Lewisburg, Greenbriar County, (then) Virginia as the head of a family. He moved to Crab Orchard, Lincoln County, Kentucky, in the 1790s. The will of William Shanks shows that he had considerable property. His executors were required to give bond in the sum of $20,000 which indicates he had an estate of large size for those days.

2. David Shanks - second son. Married Hannah Morrison on May 15, 1784, possibly at Germantown, Pennsylvania, and moved to Botetourt County, Virginia, and both died on June 28, 1821.
3. James Shanks - third son. The Pennsylvania Census shows a James Shanks living with a wife and two daughters in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.
4. Sarah Shanks - oldest daughter, never married. Continued to live with her father as his housekeeper and stayed on the home farm until her death in 1838. She was appointed as one of the executors of her father Thomas Shanks' will, along with Alexander Ross.
5. Elizabeth Shanks - married daughter; do not have her married name.
6. Mary Shanks - married daughter; do not know her married name, though.

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Imprimis, it is my will and so I order that all my just debts and funeral expenses be in the first place paid.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son, William, the sum of five pounds lawful money of Pennsylvania, I having already assisted him to a considerable amount.

Item, I give and devise unto my two sons David and James, and unto my daughter, Sarah, all my present dwelling plantation situated in Warrington Township adjoining the great Conowago Creek, containing about two hundred acres and the usual allowance be the same more or less, with the appurtenances thereunto belonging. To hold unto them my said sons David and James and my said daughter Sarah as tenants in common, and not as joint tenants, their heirs and assigns, forever.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my said daughter, Sarah, one horse, creature her choice, one good saddle and bridle, two cows, her choice, a good feather bed, bedstead, and bedding, my folding leaftable, and my best case of drawers.

Item, I also give and bequeath unto my said daughter Sarah the sum of one hundred pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth the sum of fifty pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary the sum of fifty pounds, like money aforesaid, to be paid at the expiration of one year after my decease.

Item, I give and bequeath all the residue of my estate whatsoever unto my two sons, David and James, and unto three daughters, Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary, to be equally divided amongst them, share and share alike.

And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint my daughter Sarah aforesaid and my trusty neighbor, Alexander Ross, to be executors of this, my last will and testament, in trust for the true intent and meaning thereof, hereby revoking and disannulling all wills whatsoever by me heretofore made.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this nineteenth day of March in the year of Our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and two.

Thomas Shanks, his seal

Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said Thomas Shanks to be his last will and testament in the presence of us:
Jesse Underwood
Edward Tyler, Junior

York County, J. P.

Before me, Jacob Barwitz, register for the probate of wills and granting letter of administration in and for the County of York in the State of Pennsylvania, personally came Edward Tyler Jr. and Jesse Underwood, and the said Edward Tyler on his solemn oath, and he the said Jesse Underwood on his solemn affirmation, do severally say that they were personally present and saw and heard the above named Thomas Shanks make his mark unto and seal and publish the foregoing instrument of writing as and for his last will and testament, and that at the time of the doing thereof, he, the said Thomas Shanks, was of a sound and disposing mind, memory, and understanding, to the best of their knowledge and belief, and that they subscribed their names thereto as witnesses in the presence of the said testator and at the request and also in the presence of each other at the same time.

Edward Tyler, Jr.
Jesse Underwood
Sworn and subscribed by Edward Tyler, Jr. on the 28th day of January 1806.
Affirmed and subscribed before me by Jesse Underwood on the 8th day of January, 1807.
J. Barwitz, JP. A true copy taken from and compared with the original at York.

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