Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of Edward C. SHEPHERD This file was submitted by Vivian Brinker, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 187 EDWARD C. SHEPHERD is one of the veteran merchants and business men of Martinsburg, but his family name connects him intimately with another town of the Eastern Panhandle, the college community founded and named for one of his ancestors. A brief account of the family through the successive generations has an appropriate place in any history of the state. The pioneer family in the Shenandoah Valley was Thomas Shepherd, a son of William Shepherd and grandson of Thomas Shepherd. The grandfather died in Maryland in 1698, and was probably one of three brothers who came from Wales to America in early Colonial times. Thomas Shepherd, the founder of Shepherdstown, was born in 1705, and died in 1776. About 1730 he received a land grant from King George the second, comprising 222 acres south of the Shenandoah River. He settled in that locality in 1732, and was founder of the community first known as Mecklenberg and later called Shepherdstown. A state law of 1765 established a ferry on the land of Thomas Shepherd at Mecklenberg over the Potomac. Thomas Shepherd married Elizabeth Van Metre, daughter of John Van Metre, the Indian trader. She died at Shepherdstown about 1792. They had a large family of children, several of whom settled and lived around Wheeling, West Virginia. Their youngest son was Capt. Abraham Shepherd, who was born at Shepherdstown, November 10, 1754. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and was lieutenant of a company at the battle of Kingsbridge, New York, in November, 1776. Soon afterward he was made captain of a company of Virginia and Maryland riflemen. It was said that during the war, while he was passing through Berkeley County, he stopped at the home of Capt. James Strode, who owned and occupied an extensive plantation south of Martinsburg. Captain Strode had in his employ at the time two prisoners of war, one a Hessian and the other an Indian. Captain Shepherd overheard their plans to kill Mr. Strode as he went to the spring for water. He placed himself in ambush and as the two men appeared to execute their plan he shot both of them down. In 1780 he married Captain Strode's daughter Eleanor, who was born in 1760. Abraham Shepherd subsequently became owner of the Strode homestead. He died September 7, 1822, and his wife survived until September 23, 1853. They had a family of eight children. Fifth among these children was Henry Shepherd, grandfather of Edward C. Shepherd, the Martinsburg merchant. Henry Shepherd was born in Shepherdstown, January 4, 1793, was reared in Jefferson County and became a man of prominence in Shepherdstown, where he filled a number of public offices. He was an extensive land holder. On May 7, 1822, he married Fanny E. Briscoe, daughter of Dr. John and Eleanor (Magruder) Briscoe, of Jefferson County. Henry Shepherd died October 12, 1870, and his wife, on July 5, 1881. Henry Shepherd was a very successful stock man, and was a breeder of fine cattle and thoroughbred horses. He and his wife had the following children: Mary Eleanor, Rezin Davis, Ann Elizabeth, Henry, John, Abraham, James T. The father of Edward C. Shepherd was Abraham Shepherd, who was born at Shepherdstown, March 21, 1836. He was well educated under private tutors, attended St. James College, and after he reached mature years he was presented by his father with a tract of land, including the old race track, and there he engaged in general farming. Soon after the breaking out of war between the states he entered the Confederate army, and was in several battles, including Gettysburg, at which time he was on detached duty as a courier. Later he was captured and was held a prisoner of war at Fort McHenry nearly a year. Following the war he continued his business as a farmer in Jefferson County, and in 1883 retired to Shepherdstown, where he lived until his death in 1907. He married Elizabeth Williams, who was born in Berkeley County, a daughter of Dr. Edward Cleggett and Sally (Shepherd) Williams. She is now living at Martinsburg, and her six children were named Edward C., James T., Elizabeth, Sally C., who became the wife of Charles Butler, Fannie, who became the wife of John Shaull, and Laura V. Edward C. Shepherd was born at Shepherdstown, and attended public schools there and also Shepherd College. As a youth he removed to Martinsburg and began clerking in the drug store of his uncle, E.C. Williams. When his uncle finally retired from business he continued in the same store under the new owners, and finally, in 1902, succeeded to the ownership of the business, and for twenty years has conducted a high class and prosperous establishment. Though now in the prime of his years, there are few men in business at Martinsburg who were here when he began. Mr. Shepherd is an attendant of Trinity Episcopal Church.