Shilling, Leonidus Vincent

Submitter: Beth Shilling Van Cleave Date Submitted: 25 Sep 2006

Excerpts taken from the book LEONIDUS VINCENT SHILLING HIS ANCESTORS, DESCENDANTS AND RELATED FAMILIES FROM 1737 TO PRESENT DAY by Co-authors Beth Shilling Van Cleave and Sue Shilling Gibbs. The following are various paragraphs from the chapter on John Jacob Shilling who was one of the early settlers of Washington Parish, LA.

JOHN JACOB SHILLING 1760 - ca. 1853 John Jacob SHILLING was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina in 1760 and baptized in the Church of the Redeemer as recorded in their church records. He married Eleanor MCCARTY ca. 1788. She was born ca. 1771 in South Carolina. It is believed she may be the daughter of Michael and Martha MCCARTY, II. Michael was born February 16, 1754 and was presumed to be the son of Michael MCCARTY, I of Cork County, Ireland.

The first record we find of John SHILLING is in the First Census of the United States in 1790, Orangeburg District (South Part), South Carolina. He is listed as having in the household one male under 16, one male over 16 (himself) and 2 females, (Eleanor and it is believed a daughter named Rebecca). In the 1800 U.S. census in Orange Co., South Carolina he is noted as being on the Forks of the Edisto River. Members of household included one male under 10, one male between 26-45 (John would have been 40), two females under 10 (Rebecca and Rachael) and one female 26-45 (Eleanor). The male listed on the 1790 census is no longer listed so is assumed to have died.

Known children of John and Eleanor SHILLING are: Rachael, John Jr., Henry, Michael, Jacob and Valzane. It is believed that Rebecca was their first born. In the 1810 U.S. Census of Amite Co., MS we find John SHILLING with a household of one male and one female over 21, four males under 21, and three females under 21. He is listed as being next door to William BILES (BOILE, who came west with them). In the 1820 U.S. Census of Washington Parish, LA, John "SHILLINS" was listed with a male and female between 26 and 45, two males under 10, two males between 10-16, one male between 10-18, one male between 16-26, one female under 10, one female between 10 and 16.

In the 1830 U.S. Census of Washington Parish, LA, John SHILLING, Senr. was listed with a male and female between 60-70, two males 10-15, and one female 15-20. In the 1840 U.S. Census of Washington Parish, LA, John "SHILLINGS" was listed in a household containing a male between 80-90 and a female from 70-80. John Jacob SHILLING died around 1841 and his widow, Eleanor SHILLING is listed one more time in the 1850 census of Washington Parish, LA living in the household of her daughter Rachel BRADFORD. Her age is listed as 79.

John Jacob and Eleanor SHILLING died before the devastation of the Civil War. It certainly would have been heart wrenching for them to have so many grandsons involved in the war. Vol III Records of Louisiana Confederate Soldiers and Louisiana Confederate Commands lists those who served from Louisiana in the Confederacy. There is a listing of forty men by the name of SHILLING. A monument on the Washington Parish, LA courthouse square pays tribute to men who served from Washington Parish and the ones who lost their lives. Listed among the names are fifteen men by the name of SCHILLING who served and three who served and died from this parish alone. There are others listed in the book from other parishes that are also know to be first and second cousins of those on the Washington Parish monument. Many can be traced as grandsons of John and Eleanor SHILLING.