Jacob and Sally made the long
journey to Indiana, bringing with them their infant daughter
born in 1814. Jacob first purchased land in Orange County
Indiana on Feb 11, 1815. He and his wife made their home
on this land, which was adjacent to lands entered by his brother
Henry and by Thomas Sewell, husband of his sister, Anna Shirley.
After the death of Anna and Thomas Sewell, Jacob Shirley
was named guardian of their children. In 1816, the first school
in Orangeville Township was established at the Shirley place.
In 1837 Jacob and Sally deeded 3 acres of their land to the school
district of Congressional Township for $1.00. Sometime between
1815 and 1820, a log mill was built by Jacob Shirley at the rise
of Lost River, which was also known as the Big Spring. This mill
was run by an undershot wheel which had one set of burrs on which
corn was ground. The top of the burr of this
mill was one solid stone taken from the vicinity of Cave Spring.
It is of flinty limestone. This was the first mill on lower Lost
Rive, and it was greatly needed to grind the corn to make meal
for the first settlers in this vicinity. Jacob died in 1859...nearly
7 years later and Sarah in 1861. They are buried in a cemetery
on the property in Section 7 that they once owned and which Valentine
Shirley had entered in 1811. Jacob's brother Henry had been buried
there in 1847. Jacob's Bible was printed in 1833 and is
now located in the Museum of the Spring Mill State Park, Mitchell
Indiana. It records the dates of births, marriages, and deaths
of members of Jacob's family and also dates for the family of
his sister, Anna Shirley Sewell. It is said that Jacob did not
care to live in a log house. He built a house which was pronounced
by travelers as the best house in the Ohio River Valley at that
time. A large part of the house was still standing and
in use in 1920. It is also said that Jacob's personality was
sometime arrogant and overbearing. One winder when the wheat
crop had failed and the people were really suffering for want
of flour, Jacob Shirley has a large quantity stored in his mill,
but he refused either to grind or sell it except at an exorbitant
price. He hoarded the grain for two or three years, until
it deteriorated and the crops were again plentiful and the prices
consequently lowered. Jacob Shirley was a horse fancier. In his
later days he went to Virginia and came back with a span of trotters,
equipped with fine brass studded harnesses and hitched to a splendid
carriage. The horses were a bit too much for the old gentleman
to manage, however, and he sent back to Virginia for a Negro
coachman. Since he could not hold the man as a slave in Indiana,
he freed him and built a cabin for him and his wife, and allowed
them a tract of land to cultivate as long as they lived.
married Sally Cook Nov 22, 1810
Rockingham Co. VA. She was born Jan 9, 1791 VA and died Mar 30,
1861 IN.
children
2(i). Mary Ann Shirley born May 11, 1814 VA died 1879 married
Robert Higgins Aug 16, 1839.
Mary was about a year old when
her parents moved to Orange Co. IN. At the age of 25 she married
Robert Higgins, a farmer, living not far from her family. On
Feb 25, 1853 Robert and Mary Ann bought 400 acres from her parents.
Mary Ann died in 1879 In the 1880 census Robert Higgins is listed
as a liveryman living in the home of his daughter, Sarah Jane
Pipher at Shoals in Martin Co. IN. Both Mary Ann and Robert are
buried in the Higgins cemetery located on the land they had owned.
In 1978 the property was owned by Carl and Mildred Gromer.
2(ii). Felix Shirley born July 11, 1815 IN died April 25,
1818
2(iii). Jane Shirley born Sept 7, 1817 IN died Nov 27, 1878,
married 1st James Robert Hudelson who was born Jan 17, 1816 and
died Aug 16, 1843. They had four children. She married 2nd Daniel
Harrison Higgins June 14, 1846. He was born Mar 19, 1823 TN and
d. 1894 IN. He was the son of William and Nancy Harrison Higgins.
Jane and Daniel had one daughter.
2(iv). Peyton Shirley born Aug 2, 1819 died June 26, 1837,
age about 18
2(v). Thomas S. Shirley
born Mar 2, 1821,
died Feb 26, 1899,
married Mary Jane Lafferty April
14, 1844. She was born July 5, 1829 NC d. Dec 31, 1880.
children:
3(i). Sarah E. Shirley born Sept 3, 1845 d. 1866 buried Higgins
cemetery, married Francis M. Able Sept 3, 1865 son of William
and Mildred Link Able.
3(ii). Jacob P. Shirley born April 20, 1847
married __________
children:
4(i). Wilfred T. Shirley born 1871
4(ii). Thomas Shirley born 1873
4(iii). Wesley Shirley born 1875
4(iv). Ally Shirley born 1878
3(iii). George W. Shirley
born Aug 13, 1849 IN
d. April 9, 1917 Osage Co. KS,
married Margaret M. Denny Nov
26, 1869. After George W. Shirleys death, Margaret married Mr.
White.
children:
4(i). Flora Shirley born 1872
4(ii). Robert Allen Shirley
born 1874 d. 1916
married ________
children:
5(i). Harry John Shirley born Dec 25, 1898. Was a barber
in Hollywood, CA.
5(ii). Edward Victor Shirley
born July 2, 1902. After
the death of his father, he were adopted out. He took back the
Shirley name when he became of age.
married 1st. Frances Duane Hunt
married 2nd Bessie Ruth Jones.
5(iii). Gilbert Glen Shirley
5(iv). John Wayne Shirley
After the death of his
father, he were adopted out. He kept the surname name of his
adopted family. Name not known.
5(v). Lucile Lilly Shirley
5(vi). Bessie Sadie Shirley
5(vii). Robert Allen, Jr. Shirley
4(iii). Lydia A. Shirley born 1876
4(iv). James F. Shirley born 1878
4(v). Harry Shirley
4(vi). George Shirley he lived Pittsburg, Kansas
4(vii). Charles Shirley
4(viii). Fred Shirley lived Kansas City, Missouri
4(ix). William Shirley
4(x). Sadie Shirley
3(iv). Hester Ann Shirley
born May 12, 1852
3(v). John C. Shirley born Nov 5, 1854
3(vi). Eliza Ann Shirley born Feb 21, 1856
3(vii). Margaret E. Shirley
born April 27, 1859
m. Frank Burns, an undertaker in Lebo Kansas
3(viii). Mary (Molly) Shirley
born May 6, 1862
m. Nina Griggs
3(ix). Thomas Wilbur Shirley
born Aug 4, 1867 d. Dec
19, 1935 They lived Osage City KS
married Maggie Mae Keller Sept
1898.
children:
4(i). Arley Calvin Shirley
born Oct 22, 1898 d.
April 30, 1970
married Winona Mae Branning
4(ii). Lillian Victoria Shirley
born Oct 29, 1902 m.
1st. Ralph L. Baxter Feb 17, 1920, m. 2nd Emery Sunday, m. 3rd
Carl R. Bruner
2(vi). Eliza Ann Shirley born Oct 16, 1824 died Oct 3, 1905 married
Zimri Henson Mar 19, 1840. He was born 1818 Ohio and died April
15, 1873. Zimri Henson was a farmer in Orangeville. He died
in 1873 at age 55. Eliza Ann was living with her daughter and
son in law in the 1880 and 1900 census.