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SONS: James; Thomas, who attended St. Johns
College, Annapolis, in 1792; William, who at-
tended St. Johns College in Annapolis, 1792; and
John. STEPDAUGHTER: Betsey Lecompte. PRI-
VATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. SOCIAL STA-
TUS AND ACTIVITIES: Gent., by 1776; Esq., by
1782; subscribed £20.0.0 to Washington College,
date unknown. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: When
Shaw was appointed 1st lieutenant of the Vienna
Company, Dorchester County Militia, in 1776,
Charles Muir and others sent a petition to the
Council of Safety protesting his appointment. They
wrote that Shaw was "a man odious to the peo-
ple," who, if continued in office, would cause the
breakup of the company. OCCUPATIONAL PRO-
FILE: merchant; in partnership with Levin Kirk-
man (?-ca. 1790) in the brig Free Mason, which
set sail from Vienna, Dorchester County, in May
1785 on its way to the West Indies to sell its cargo.
The captain was under secret, verbal orders from
Shaw and Kirkman to stop at Antigua or some
other British port to obtain a British register for
their brig. This would have given them dual pa-
pers for the Free Mason, American and British.
Trade between American and British ports was
still prohibited in 1785, and Shaw and Kirkman
hoped to profit considerably from their secret dual
trading arrangements on this and other voyages.
Capt. Solomon Frazier of the Free Mason suc-
ceeded in obtaining a British registry from John
Hollingsworth at St. John's, Antigua. When he
attempted to enter the vessel at the customs house
on Montserrat Island, however, the brig was seized
and condemned as an American vessel attempting
to enter the port as a British bottom. The Free
Mason and all its cargo, valued by Kirkman at
nearly £1,600.0.0, plus the lucrative chance to
prosecute a contraband trade, were thus lost to
the owners. PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERV-
ICE: Lower House, Dorchester County, 1780-1781
(elected to the 1st session of the 1780-1781 As-
sembly to fill vacancy), 1781-1782, 1782-1783,
1783, 1784, 1786-1787, 1787-1788, 1788 (Griev-
ances; Claims), 1789. OTHER STATE OFFICES:
Maryland Senate elector, Dorchester County,
1786; Constitution Ratification Convention, Dor-
chester County, 1788; register, Land Office,
Eastern Shore, 1794-1795. LOCAL OFFICES: cor-
oner, Dorchester County, appointed 1775; jus-
tice, Dorchester County, 1777-1791 (declined);
sheriff, Dorchester County, elected 1785 (but was
not commissioned); justice, Orphans' Court,
Dorchester County, 1785-1788. MILITARY SERV-
ICE: 1st lieutenant, Vienna Company, Dorchester
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County Militia, commissioned January 1776, re-
signed June 1776. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY: 4 slaves, 1776; assessed value
£721.13.4, including 14 slave and 16 oz. plate,
1783. LAND AT FIRST ELECTION: 511 acres in Dor-
chester County, plus 1 lot in Vienna, Dorchester
County (all by purchase or patent). SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELECTION AND
DEATH: purchased 895 acres in Dorchester County,
plus 2 lots in Vienna, Dorchester County, from
the commissioners of confiscated British prop-
erty, 1782, but the sale for the 895 acres was
declared void. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: between
November 10, 1794, and January 17, 1795, in
Talbot County. PERSONAL PROPERTY: TEV, at
least £635.1.10 current money (including 2 slaves,
1 Negro servant, books, 44 oz. old silver, and the
contents of several boxes of merchandise). AD-
DITIONAL COMMENT. At the time of his death,
Shaw was heavily in debt. He had acted as trustee
to settle several estates and had neglected to dis-
tribute the money so acquired to the various cred-
itors. To recover these funds many creditors made
claims against his estate. LAND: approximately
500 acres in Dorchester County, plus 1 lot in Vi-
enna, Dorchester County.
SHEPHERD (SHEPHARD), PETER (?-1787)
BORN: probably in Pennsylvania. IMMIGRATED:
ca. 1774 from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. RE
SIDED: in Baltimore County ca. 1774-ca. 1780;
Baltimore Town, Baltimore County, ca. 1780 un-
til death. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Adam
Shepherd (?-ca. 1736) of Bucks County, Penn-
sylvania. MOTHER: Ann (ca. 1700-1786), who died
at her son Peter's residence in Baltimore Town.
MARRIED Elizabeth. CHILDREN. SONS: Adam;
Michael. DAUGHTERS: Margaret (Peggy), who
married in 1782 Capt. John Agnew Hamilton
(Hambleton); (first name unknown), who mar-
ried in 1780 John Keener, a merchant; and Mary
(1771-1787). PRIVATE CAREER. EDUCATION: lit-
erate. SOCIAL STATUS AND ACTIVITIES: Esq., by
1777. OCCUPATIONAL PROFILE: farmer, by 1774;
millowner, by 1778; speculator in Baltimore Town
lots, 1782-1783; probably surveyor. PUBLIC CA-
REER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: 9th Convention,
Baltimore County, 1776; Lower House, Balti-
more County, 1777, 1777-1778. LOCAL OFFICE:
justice, Baltimore County, 1777-1786. OUT OF
STATE SERVICE: member, General Assembly of
Pennsylvania, dates unknown. WEALTH DURING
LIFETIME. PERSONAL PROPERTY: petitioned for re-
lief as an insolvent debtor in August 1787, stating
729
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