Dorcas SHELBY

HAIRSTON.org ID#1656, b. about 1791, d. 5 February 1869
Father*Evan SHELBY b. a 1748, d. Apr 1813
Mother*Susannah Polk ALEXANDER b. 1759, d. Jan 1837
Birth*Dorcas SHELBY was born about 1791 in North Carolina.1,2 
She was the daughter of Evan SHELBY and Susannah Polk ALEXANDER. 
Marriage*Dorcas SHELBY married William Alexander KERR about 1807 in North Carolina. A marriage bond was signed by William A. Kerr on 9 February 1807 in Mecklenberg, North Carolina. William's surety was William Carr.3,4 
WillIn William Alexander KERR's will dated 6 September 1856 in Shelby County, Tennessee, Dorcas SHELBY was named as an heir; His will mentions his wife Dorcas and her brother John M. Shelby. His sons Milton, Harvey, Moses H. and his daughters Mary C. Rudisill and Margaret Ware. He also mentions his granddaughter Joanna Kerr (a minor) and his grandsons Rufus and William Rudisill. William Kerr signed with his mark, not a signature.4,5 
Death Spouse*Her husband, William Alexander Kerr, died about 1857.4 
Census 1860*She was Head of Household on 17 September 1860 in Shelby County, Tennessee. Dorcas Kerr is living next to her brother, John Milton Shelby.2 
Newspaper*"In the matter of petition of Milton A. Kerr et al. vs Dorcas S. Kerr, heard yesterday before the Clerk and Master, a jury was summoned under a writ de lunatico inquivendo, the jury returned the following verdict: "We the jury find Mrs. Dorcas S. Kerr not an idiot, a lunatic, nor of unsound mind unusual to a woman of her age, but believe her incompetent, owning to physical disability, to transact her business or take care of herself."
Printed in Memphis Daily Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, 15 July 1868, Wednesday, Page 4. 
Death*She died on 5 February 1869 in Shelby County, Tennessee.6 

Family

William Alexander KERR b. a 1783, d. a 1857
Children

Sources (www.HAIRSTON.org)

  1. [S1850] 1850 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  2. [S1860] 1860 Federal Census - National Archives and Records Administration - Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org.
  3. [S84] Shelby, Cass Knight - Paternal Ancestry of Louis Shelby - May 12, 1953, Hollidaysburg. Penn'a. Binder given to Louis Coffman Shelby (1888-1969) in 1953. Contains genealogy information, maps, photographs and an appendix with sources. Starts Evan Shelby Jr., Moses Shelby, Evan Shelby, John Milton Shelby, Charles Shelby and then Louis Shelby. There are handwritten notations indicating additional information.
  4. [S3547] Will of William A. Kerr - 6 September 1856, Probate 17 December 1857, Shelby County, Tennessee - Case #1788, unknown repository.
  5. [S3251] Tennessee Wills & Probate Records 1779-2008, Ancestry.com.
  6. [S3548] Jones, Caroline Poole - Lineage and Tradition of the Family of John Springs III, Press of Foote and davis Co, Atlanta 1921, Family Search Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Last Edited1 Feb 2021