Generations Past

There is no king who has not had a slave among his ancestors and no slave who has not had a king among his.  
----Helen Keller

Peter Shields 2nd

The Immigrant


My fourth great-grandfather, Peter SHIELDS. was born in England in 1755. His parents were Peter SHIELDS, and Elizabesoldier 1776th ROBERTS, immigrants from Ireland. When he was twenty he was inducted into the army and shipped off to Quebec, Canada to join his unit, the 62 Foot Regiment, under General John BURGOYNE. According to family stories, Peter marched with Burgoyne's troops to Virginia. He must have liked what he saw because when Burgoyne surrendered, Peter made his way to the Continental lines and enlisted. He was present in a Colonial uniform when Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington.

To read more of Peter's war efforts go to The Shields Descendants by Eldon & Rennie Johnson.

For his service to the Republic, Peter was given a land grant for 70 acres in Hardy County, Virginia-- now West Virginia. About the same time he married Elizabeth SINGLETON (1760-1837) and settled down to raise a family. In 1807 Peter and his family moved to Braxton County. They had salt peter mines on their property. At that time salt peter was used to make black gun powder. The country was fighting another war, the War of 1812, so Peter and his family had a prosperous business. Peter died in 1832 and Elizabeth in 1837. They are both buried on their farm in the old Shields Cemetery.

In 1981 the Daughters of the American Revolution, Elk River Chapter of Sutton, WV, honored Peter with a bronze plate on his grave. A beautiful monument on the Braxton County Court House Lawn was also dedicated to the five Revolutionary War soldiers who are buried in Braxton County on the same day. He and Elizabeth had eight children:

  1. Margaret SHIELDS (1783-1862), married 1806 to Daniel CONRAD (1781-?)
  2. Peter SHIELDS, 3rd (1784-1860), married 1st 1809 to unknown, married 2nd 1820 to Rachel DONOHUE (1793-1880)
  3. Elizabeth SHIELDS (1787-1855), married 1819 to William BOSLEY (1785-1850)
  4. Adam SHIELDS (1788-1878), married 1820 to Martha MILLS
  5. John SHIELDS (1789-1878), married 1820 to Edna HEFTNER (1805-?)
  6. Daniel SHIELDS (1796-1878) married 1st 1820 to Elizabeth MILLS (1799-1836); married 2nd 1847 to Ruhana MYERS (1812-1887)
  7. Nancy SHIELDS (1798-1844) married circa 1820 to Hiram MILLS (1784-1865)
  8. Ann SHIELDS (1801-1858) married 1817 to Samuel MILLS (1792-1863)


For more information on Peter and Elizabeth's  family or other Shields please go to
the Castor Directory. You will find more information and many more names.

I am interested in sharing any family history information and in correcting any misinformation.
Please send corrections or additions to my email box.