Overview of the Collection
Charles E. Shepard
Onondaga County Public
Library
Local History & Genealogy Department
447 South Salina St.
Street
Syracuse, New York, 13202
(315) 435-1900
English
A genealogical record of the Shepard,
Williams, and Cuyler families of Aurora, N.Y., including an autobiography written
for his children in 1847 and 1848
1939-1941
1.34 linear feet
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This collection consists of
manuscripts of the families of Shepard, Williams and Cuyler of Aurora, N.Y. Among
the materials in the collection are maps, letters, certificates and journals
chronicling these families from the late 1700's to the mid 1800's.
Biographical History
The Shepard family is traced in this collection to Joseph Shepard of Plainville,
Connecticut. Joseph purchased land in Hector, NY in the late 1700's, when this land
had recently been divided into military tracts in the state of New York. Joseph's
oldest son Daniel married Electra Williams and moved to Aurora, NY. It was there
that his oldest son Charles E. Shepard married Catharine Cuyler in 1831. Charles
chronicles the family history in two autobiographies to his children, written in
1847 and 1848. Catharine Shepard also contributed a journal of the family's daily
activities and is placed within the autobiography of her husband. These family
documents and letters were saved in a shirtwaist box, and given to the Syracuse
Public Library in 1971.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
This collection consists of a copy of the 1793 Simeon Dewitt map "1st Sheet of De
Witt's State-map of New York", published in 179u, a leather bound copy book
containing business transactions, and 2 autobiographies written by Charles E.
Shepard to his children, a daily journal of family activities written by Catharine
Shepard,a letter to Daniel Shepard from his father Joseph Shepard, a letter to
Cornelia Shepard from Charles E. Shepard, a military sworn statement from Charles E.
Shepard, a marriage record for Charles and Catharine Shepard, 2 licenses to practice
law, and several letters concerning the acquisition of this collection to the
Syracuse Public Library.
Arrangement of the Collection
The collection is foldered and is contained in one box, as it was arranged when the
library acquired the collection in 1971.
Access Restrictions
User must have a valid Onondaga County Public Library card.
Use Restrictions
User must use materials in the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Central
Library.
Permission must be obtained from staff for reproduction of any
materials.
Subject Headings
Persons
Shepard, Charles E., 1801-1891
Shepard, Catherine, 1806-1837
Shepard, Cornelia, d. 1834
Shepard, Daniel, 1771-1819
Shepard, Joseph
Thomas, Joseph
Williams, Electra
Williams, Judah
Williams, Polly
Williams, Nathan, d. 1835
Williams, Pamela
Williams, Charles
Rathburn, Amos
Rathburn, Hiram
Benedict, Sally
Benedict, Benjamin F.
Benedict, Uriah
Brown, Jacob
Kirby, Eliza
Williams, Henry
Barton, Samuel
Fanning, Thomas
Fanning, Cornelia
Fanning, Andrew
Paige, Mary
Cuyler, Richard Glen
Cuyler, Glen, 1775-1832
Cuyler, John L.
Cuyler, Jacob
Cuyler, Cornelius
Ledyard, Mary Forman 1775-1848
Ledyard, Benjamin
Ledyard, Catharine
Ledyard, Samuel
Cuyler, Mary Forman
Morrell, Charles
Morrell, Louisa F.
Morrell, Theodore L.
Wheaton, Julia
Duell, Mary
Cuyler, Jane Maria, 1804-1834
Barton, Caty
Marsh, E. Coleman
Marsh, Elizabeth
Goodrich, Herman
Goodrich, Lydia
Shepard, Jeanne
Shepard, Mary
Brown, Pamela
Cone, Frederick
Cuyler, Sophia
Cuyler, Samuel
Shepard, Rebecca
Cuyler, Samuel
Morgan, William
Morgan, Shepard
Morgan, Cornelia
Shepard, Harriet, b. 1832
Shepard, Daniel, b. 1835
Shepard, Jane Cuyler, b. 1832
Onondaga County Public Library
Aurora (NY) - Genealogy
Plainfield (CT) - Genealogy
Williamstown (MA) - Genealogy
Pultneyville (NY) - Genealogy
Land Grants - New York (State) -
Maps
Bounties, Military - New York (State) -
Maps
Notebooks
Biography (document)
Maps (Documents)
Diary (document)
Letters (correspondence)
Genealogies (histories)
Ledgers (Account Books)
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
A genealogical record of the Shepard, Williams, and Cuyler families of Aurora, N.Y.,
including an autobiography written for his children in 1847 and 1848
Local
History and Genealogy Department
Shelf Location: MS-30
Acquisition Information
This collection was donated to the Syracuse Public Library by Louis D. Hartson of
Oberlin, Ohio in 1971. Mr. Hartson acquired this material from his cousin, Mrs.
Abbott P. Herman of Redlands, California. Mrs. Herman found these manuscripts in a
shirtwaist box in the home she purchased in Redlands, California in 1945. This home
had previously been owned by Mrs. Harriet Shepard in the early 1900's. Mrs. Shepard
moved to California after the death of her husband, a Chicago lawyer with her four
adult daughters. One of the daughters had tuberculosis and it was thought that
California a healthier place for her to live. It is believed that this collection
belonged to Mrs. Shepard and was left in the home after it was sold to new
owners.
Inventory
A Genealogical Record of the Shepard, Williams, and Cuyler families
of Aurora, N.Y.
Leather Bound Copy Book of Charles E. Shepard
Copybook containing the business transactions of Charles E.
Shepard, 1831-1835
1
Autobiography of Charles E. Shepard to his children,
1847
1
Diary of Catharine Shepard, 1834
1
Autobiography of Charles E. Shepard to his children,
1848
1
Correspondence
Correspondence regarding the finding and donation of this
collection to the Syracuse Public Library, 1971
1
1
Correspondence regarding the collection and further
information concerning the Shepard family in Aurora, NY, 1971
1
2
Letter from Joseph Shepard to Daniel Shepard, describing the
plot of military tract land he purchased in the town of Hector,
1801
1
3
Letter from Charles E. Shepard to his sister Cornelia
Shepard, 1818
1
3
Sworn military declaration by Charles E. Shepard, Brigade of
New York Riflemen, 1829
1
3
A letter from official to agree to marry Charles E. Shepard
to Catharine Cuyler, 1831
1
3
Map
A black and white copy of the 1793 Simeon Dewitt map "1st
Sheet of De Witt's State-map of New York", backed with linen,
179u
2
1
Certificates
Licence to practice as an attorney in the Supreme Court of
New York for Charles E. Shepard, 1842
1
5
Licence to practice as an counsellor in the Supreme Court of
New York for Charles E. Shepard, 1845
1
6
Transcription of Autobiographies
A typed transcription of the original manuscript of the
Autobiographies of Charles E. Shepard, 1848 and 1849, and family
charts compiled from the original account, with additional data
provided by Gerald J. Parsons, Syracuse Public Library, 1971