Leaving Ireland in 1767 for the land of opportunity, two brothers, William and Thomas Shanley, landed in Charleston, South Carolina, then a colony named Charles Town. The older brother, William, who was 15 years old, received 150 acres: 100 for himself and 50 as parents’ right for his younger brother, Thomas, who was under 15. The land was given as bounty for coming to the new land. The land is located in Abbeville County, South Carolina.
My Great-Great-Great-Grandfather Thomas later served in the American Revolutionary War. He also had the distinction of being listed in the first U.S. Census for South Carolina, which was published in 1789 or 1790.
Janice I. Kinman
Carthage, Missouri
Back in 1955 a call went out from the editors of the then CAPPER’s Weekly asking for readers to send in articles on true pioneers. Hundreds of letters came pouring in from early settlers and their children, many now in their 80s and 90s, and from grandchildren of settlers, all with tales to tell. So many articles were received that a decision was made to create a book, and in 1956, the first My Folks title – My Folks Came in a Covered Wagon – hit the shelves. Nine other books have since been published in the My Folks series, all filled to the brim with true tales from CAPPER’s readers, and we are proud to make those stories available to our growing online community.
