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

Salathiel Shields

 

Salathiel SHIELD was the second son of Peter Shields the 3rd and Rachel Donohue. He was born in August of 1835 in Virginia. He married Amanda THORNTON about 1855 in Virginia. She was the daughter of John Henry THORNTON (1804-1880) and Susan DURST (1807-1881). On 19 July 1863, in Cottageville, Virginia, Salathiel enlisted in Captain Abraham BIBBEE's Company of the Jackson County Home Guard. I know little about the actions of this group.
bouquet of flowers
Salathiel and Amanda had fourteen children; Life in those days was hard and sometimes very sad. Seth and Mandy as they were named on church records lost four daughters in 1889 to diphtheria; the oldest was 16 years old and the youngest only 8 years. Somehow these brave people went on with their lives.

Seth died on 04 April 1919, in Mason County, West Virginia. Amanda was found living with her son Hiram on the 1920 census for Mason County, West Virginia. She died there on 19 November 1920.

Their children were:

  1. Hiram Shields (1857-1941) married Sarah Ann RIFFLE (1859-1941)
  2. Margaret SHIELDS (1858-1928) married George SNYDER, born 1858
  3. William M. SHIELDS born 1863; married Lillie M. LYONS born 1876
  4. Ervin Lewis SHIELDS (1862-1946) married Nora Riffle.
  5. Philip Sheridan SHIELDS, twin to Henry, born 1865; married Myrtle LYONS
  6. Henry S. SHIELDS, twin to Philip, born 1865; married Emma WALKER
  7. George M. SHIELDS born 1867;  married Cora HANING
  8. Peter E. SHIELDS (1869-1925) no marriage found
  9. Noah SHIELDS born 1871; married Della MERRITT (1877-1954)
  10. Viola SHIELDS (1873-1889) died at age 16 of diphtheria
  11. Maria "Mary" Jane SHIELDS (1876-1889) died at age 13 of diphtheria
  12. Sarah Frances SHIELDS (1877-1889) died at age 12 of diphtheria
  13. Rosa SHIELDS (1876-1894) died at age 18
  14. Cordelia SHIELDS (1881-1889) died at age 8 of diphtheria

Salathiel and/or his family can be found on the following censuses:


For more information on Salathiel and Amanda'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.