Pleasants County, West Virginia, Biography of J. R. Shingleton

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J. R. SHINGLETON

J. R. Shingleton, commissioner of Pleasants county, was born in 
Harrison county, W.Va., June 7, 1833, his parents being Alexander and 
Eliza Shingleton.  The father was born in West Virginia and was the 
son of William Shingleton, a native of England, who emigrated to 
America at a very early age and settled in Hampshire county, W.Va.  
After remaining there a short time, he came to Harrison county in the 
year 1812 and there he remained until his death, which took place at 
the advanced age of one hundred and four years.  He was a soldier in 
the Revolutionary war and served as one of George Washington's body 
guards.  He was also a soldier during the war of 1812, together with 
three of his sons, to-wit:  Robert, Jeremiah and Sandford.  Our 
subject was reared on the farm and picked up the usual scanty crumbs 
of knowledge in the old log school-house.  In 1853, he was united in 
marriage to Margaret, daughter of Isaac and Mary Cox, who were 
settlers of Pleasants county.  The result of the union was the birth 
of five children, of whom only Isaac W. and Oliver A. are living.  
The mother who was a native of Pleasants county was an active member 
of the Baptist church during her life and died July 14, 1863.  In 
1864, Mr. Shingleton took a second wife in the person of Miss Amanda, 
daughter of Isaac and Nancy Locke.  The second union was productive 
of six children:  John S., Andrew J., Coleman L., Myrtle C., Edward 
T. and Margaret Ann.  The mother was a native of Pennsylvania and she 
and her husband are members of the Baptist church.  In 1869, Mr. 
Shingleton was ordained as a minister of the Baptist church and ever 
since that time has been actively engaged in ministerial work.  He 
served as justice of the peace of McKim district for eight years, and 
also for two terms as member of the board of supervisors of Pleasants 
county.  He was elected assessor of Pleasants county, and served a 
term of four years.  Mr. Shingleton has always taken an active 
interest in educational affairs.  He was elected president of the 
board of education for three terms, and served in that capacity 
during a term of six years.  He has been connected in some way with 
the board of education ever since the free school law came into 
effect, until last year.  In 1886, he was elected commissioner of 
Pleasants county, and at the organization of the board, he was chosen 
as its president.  He is a resident of Belmont, W.Va., which is in 
the center of Pleasants county oil field.  For twenty-three years Mr. 
Shingleton served as postmaster at Union Mills, which fact is quite 
complimentary to him, inasmuch as he has always been a leading 
democrat and an earnest worker for his party.  Nevertheless, he was 
frequently offered his resignation, it was continually refused and he 
did not finally get released until November 3, 1890.  Mr. Shingleton 
became a member of the Missionary Baptist church in 1867, and since 
he was ordained as the minister, he has baptized 580 people and 
performed the marriage ceremonies for 610 couples.  He owns some land 
in McKim district, besides a few acres in Belmont which contain six 
producing oil wells.  Mr. Shingleton is held in high esteem as one of 
the progressive and representative citizens of Pleasants county.          

From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I; Brant & Fuller, 1891.


(Linda Cunningham Fluharty)