Fourth great-grandparent – 1 of 64 in this generation
(1805-1884)
Mary was born on 9 August 1805 in Hampton, Windham, Connecticut, the daughter of David Fox and Allathea Robinson. She was the youngest child of 7. Her childhood was traumatic: at the age of 4, Mary lost her mother; her brother, Luther, age 6; and her sister, Clarissa, age 7, within a span of 13 days.
Mary’s father, David, remarried to Abigail Fuller sometime prior to 1814. Their son, Thomas Fuller Fox, was born in Hampton on 25 March 1814. Tragically, Abigail died shortly thereafter, leaving David widowed again. Young Mary was only 9 years old and probably had to become like a mother to baby Thomas. I imagine David being totally devastated and it must have been extremely hard for Mary to cope with her own grief as well as her father’s. Mary’s brother, Joel, died when Mary was 15.
Mary became the wife of Chester Shepard on 18 February 1827 in Brooklyn, Connecticut at the age of 21. They had ten children in twenty-two years:
- Mary Esther, b.28 Nov 1827 in Brooklyn, CT
- Louisa Gordon, b.25 Jul 1829 in Mansfield, CT
- Jane Maria, b.27 Jan 1831
- Joel Fox, b.19 April 1835 in Windham, CT
- Sarah Tweedy, b.29 Nov 1836 in Scotland, CT
- Chester, b.17 Sep 1838 in Scotland, CT
- Eunice A., b.about 1841
- Abby T., b.about 1844
- Margaret E., b.Oct 1846 in Plainville, CT
- Isadore Mildred, b.28 Mar 1849 in Windham, CT
They appear in the 1840 census in Windham, Windham, Connecticut; in 1850, they were in Mansfield; in 1860, Colchester; 1870-80, Middletown, CT. Mary died 16 February 1884 in Middletown at the age of 78 and was buried in Indian Hill Cemetery, Middletown.
Photo taken by Barbara D. Gaylord
A FAMILY HISTORY 