| Notes |
- The identity of Deborah Shaw (d. 1837, Dighton, Bristol County, Massachusetts) was evaluated through land, probate, census, and court records connected to the family of Samuel Shaw, son of Abraham Shaw Sr.. Abraham died in 1745, and a 4 April 1748 court complaint filed by Henry Jones (husband of Abraham’s daughter Amea Shaw) stated that “Samuel Shaw, the only son of the said Dec’d” had not divided the estate. This language strongly suggests that by 1748 Samuel was the only surviving son, implying that his brother Ebenezer (b. 1720) was likely deceased by that date or had no legally recognized surviving male issue.
In 1771–1772, Samuel Shaw executed a series of Bristol County deeds (Dighton) conveying land at monetary consideration. On 11 April 1771 he sold 100 acres to his son Abraham for £400. Between 18–21 February 1772 he sold four parcels of approximately 18 acres each for £70 apiece: to Deborah Shaw of Dighton (18 Feb 1772), to Lydia Shaw, a minor (19 Feb 1772), to Amea Shaw, a minor (20 Feb 1772), and to Hannah, wife of James Briggs (21 Feb 1772). All deeds use identical market-value consideration language (“for and in consideration of the sum of seventy pounds… well and truly paid”), indicating these were structured conveyances rather than nominal affection gifts. Deborah is not described as a minor in 1772, establishing that she was likely born before 1751. This positions her chronologically among Samuel’s known children (Hannah b. 1746; Abraham b. 1751; Amea b. 1759; Lydia b. 1762; Olive b. 1755), though Olive (a minor in 1772) was not included in that particular transfer sequence.
The 1790 federal census for Dighton lists Ruth Shaw (widow of Samuel, who died 1775) heading a household with three females and no adult males. This is consistent with an unmarried adult daughter such as Deborah residing in the household at that time. In 1807, Deborah Shaw, described as a “single woman,” conveyed land in Dighton to Isaac Pool of Ontario County, New York, with Ruth Shaw joining to release any right or title. The deed explicitly describes the parcel as “Deborah Shaw’s land,” demonstrating that Deborah held fee ownership in her own right, likely originating from the 1772 conveyance.
Deborah wrote her will in 1815 (proved 1837). In it she referred to Amy Pool, Abraham Shaw, Constant Shaw, Philip Shaw (heir of Lydia Phillips), all residing in New York, as “my cousins,” granting them token sums. The principal beneficiaries of her estate were Hannah (Shaw) Briggs’s line and their descendants (including Olive Atwood and Guilford Briggs). Probate proceedings in 1837 involved William Atwood, John Atwood, Matthew Briggs 2nd, James Briggs, and Thomas W. Pool—individuals directly descended from Samuel Shaw’s children. Additionally, Deborah appears to have been residing in the John Atwood household in the 1820 census (Wellington/Dighton), further embedding her within Samuel’s descendant network.
Two plausible conclusions remain. The first is that Deborah was a previously unrecorded daughter of Samuel Shaw, born circa 1748–1750, who remained unmarried and was later omitted from compiled genealogies because she left no descendants. This interpretation is strongly supported by the 1772 deed cluster, the age alignment, her 1790 residence in Ruth Shaw’s household, her independent land ownership, and the probate network centered entirely on Samuel’s line. The second possibility is that Deborah was the daughter of Ebenezer Shaw (b. 1720), likely deceased before 1748, and that she was raised within Samuel’s household as an orphaned niece. This model better explains her 1815 use of the term “cousins” in a formal probate document but requires assuming that Samuel integrated a niece into his 1772 land distributions alongside his daughters.
Weighing the combined land records (1771–1772 Bristol County deeds), the 1748 estate complaint, the 1790 census, the 1807 Dighton deed, and the 1837 probate proceedings, the balance of structural evidence slightly favors Deborah as a biological daughter of Samuel Shaw, though the orphaned-niece hypothesis remains viable pending discovery of additional records such as a baptism, guardianship, or burial entry for Ebenezer Shaw.
- Land Record:
Know all men by these presents that I Deborah Shaw of Dighton in the county of Bristol, single woman. In consideration of thirty eight dollars and fifty cents paid by Isaac Pool of Bristol in the county of Ontario and State of New York, Yeoman. The receipt where of I do hereby acknowledge do hereby give grant sell and convey unto the said Isaac Pool a certain piece or tract of land situated in Dighton aforesaid Beginning at the North west corner of said Deborah Shaw’s land and running easterly eight rods and one half of a rod by the road then running south thirty five rods and then running westerly eight rods and one half of a rod to land now owned by Stephen Lee then running northerly by said Lee’s land to the bounds first mentioned containing by estimation one acre and three quarters. To have and to hold the afore granted premises to the said Isaac Pool to him and to his heirs and assigns to his and their use and behold forever and I do convenant with the said Isaac Pool and his heirs and assigns that I am lawfully seized in fee of the afore granted premises that they are free of all in cumbrance that I have good right to sell and convey the same to the said Isaac Pool and that I will warrant and defend the same premises to the said Isaac Pool and to his heirs and assigns forever against the lawful claims and demands of all persons. In Witnesses where of I the said Deborah Shaw and Ruth Shaw of Dighton aforesaid widow in token of my seling wishing all my right and title in and to the premises have here unto set our hand and seals this tenth day of October in the year of our lord, one thousand eight hundred and seven. The erasurece in the fourth line above was made previous to signing and sealing. [Signed] Deborah (her mark) Shaw, and Ruth (her mark) Shaw. Signed sealed and delivered in presence of us: S. W. Baylies and James Briggs. Bristol [illegible] Oct 10 AD 1807 [illegible] personally appeared by above named Deborah Shaw and Ruth Shaw and acknowledged the foregoing instrument to be their free act and deed. Before me S. W. Baylies, Justice of Peace. Received Nov 2, 1807 and recorded by James Williams, Regr.
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Est 1750 - 1837 (~ 87 years)
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