Araminta Shipley Correspondence

November 22, 1926

Dear Cousin Nellie,

         I am writing to ask you to do me a favor. If I am asking too much, I beg pardon.

         I want the names of your mother's brothers and sisters and whom they married and also the names of your own brothers and sisters and whom they married.

         There is an effort by several to trace the Shipley family not only to its first coming to Maryland, but back to its ancestors in England. Much of interest is being found respecting the Shipleys in England.

         While others, brother Horace's son, Amos, one of them, are engaged in that part of the genealogy, I felt I would like to write up for ourselves Mother's branch beginning with her grandfather Richard Shipley. Richard Shipley's children were Enos (mother's father), William, Larkin, Sallie, and Mary. I have the names of all their children excepting those of your grandfather, William Shipley. Jemima has told me often, but I do not remember. If, when I get the tree completed, a copy would be any compensation for your trouble, I would give you one.

         Pleasant memories of your little visit years ago still linger with us. We would be glad if you would repeat it. We means Rebecca, Lauretta, and myself. Jemima is gone.

February 28, 1927

Dear Cousin Nellie,

         We were so glad of your letter. Your little visit awakened in us a warm affection for you, also for Louise, therefore we were much pleased that you remembered us by letter.

         This winter's ... text elided ...

         I have been at work on the tree and have done all I know. Am now waiting to know more in order to finish. When I came to copy my rough notes of what you kindly gave me, I found all I had taken respecting your Uncle Luther was that he had married Annie Linthicum, no mention of children. Also, I thought Louise told me whom my Uncle Billy's son Emory married, but I could not find it on the rough jotting down I did. Now, you see, I am still asking to be a bother. Want Cousin Luther's family. I think it would be ever so nice if the Shipley Reunion is held again at Mount Pleasant Church, Carroll Co. (the day set for each year is Sept. 12) for you to come again and go to it.

         Last year, Sept. 12 came on Sunday. They had Dr. B. F. Devries preach both morning and afternoon; singers from Balto. gave fine music. It was a most enjoyable day. Devrie's mother was Judge Joshua Shipley's daughter.

August 22, 1927

Dear Cousin Nellie,

         Another Shipley reunion is looming on the horizon and I must write something whether it expresses all the love and regard we hold for you or not, for you may want to attend. The reunion is to be held at Braddock's Heights, Sept. 11. I do not know what the program is to be. We in this part are very much disappointed. I do not think many will go of the Shipleys nearby. They are holding in memory the golden sunlight of an ideal Autumn day, a quiet church yard, two able sermons, wonderful voices rendering church hymns, and a happy concourse of persons, all imbued with the Sabbath service.

         The contrast in prospect does not appeal to them. Though, when the time comes, they may go. Much of interest has been added to the records during the year: two crests have been found for Shipleys, one a hand holding an olive branch, the other - which seems to be the one belonging to the Md. Shipleys - a helmeted warrior's head out of an earl's coronet. I have received much interesting matter, copies of old wills, etc., from Miss Lillie Rice, Ashland, Va., through Elsie Vaughan, Bernard's daughter. Miss Rice is a descendant of Samuel Shipley.

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         With more love from the three of us than I can express, I am

March 25, 1930

Dear Cousin Nellie,

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         I am something of a fanatic on genealogy. All genealogy is absorbing. I was struck in reading the books you left with me with this item. William the Conqueror had his descent from Rolls, the first Duke of Normandy - from the elder son. The two kinsmen with him from whom the Hammonds were descended had their descent from a younger son of Rolls, the first Duke of Normandy. Are we to infer that the Rolls family, as well as the Hammonds, entered England with the Norman Conquest? In the old Shipley Bible from which Jemima copied the names of the 22 children, the spelling of the name was Rolls. Richard Shipley married Ann Rolls. Can her descendants claim William the Conqueror as their first known ancestor? It would be a trouble to trace. If it could be traced like the Hammond line, what an additional feather would decorate our caps.

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June 11, 1929

Dear Cousin Nellie,

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         Mrs. Lillie E. Wells of McKeesport, Pa. has been writing to different ones of our family - John Evan at Ravenna (Bernard's boy), Matilda, Daniel, and Amos himself - to get the record of our family to present at the Shipley reunion.

         You may know I was angered. (Matilda and Daniel handed the letters to them over to me to make a reply.) I wrote her that the historian, Larkin A. Shipley, was one of our family, that all genealogical matter for our line had been fully researched and recorded. That her services were not needed. That the Wills and deeds, etc. she was willing to give us were those that had gone out from us, and we still had the originals. It was the anticipation of meeting up with just such as she that made Amos careful with the results of his investigations. It would have been well had I been a little more like him.

         Mrs. Wells had Mrs. Marvin Shipley's book of records; Mrs. Marvin had trouble to get it back, but she (Mrs. W.) is incompetent, cannot even copy straight.

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