Northeastern Banking Co.

PAID UP CAPITAL $100.000.00

SURPLUS $60.000.00

 

DR. L.G.HURDMAN, PRESIDENT

C.J.HOOD, CASHIER

A.G.SHANKLE, ASST.CASHIER

COMMERCE, GA

NOV. 6th, 1911

Mr. A. G. Shankle [1] ,

New Orleans, La.

Dear Sir:-

            Your letter of the 4th instant, was indeed very interesting to me, and the interest grew as I read your letter, and it gradually dawned upon me who you were, and the relation you bore more. I have always known that I was named for a cousin, Seaborn McKenzie Shankle, a son of my grandfather's [Jesse Shankle] brother, Eli [2] . I have a genealogical record of our family for over 200 years, and by referring to this it was easy to trace the relationship existing between us.

            In the latter part of the year 1860, soon after I was born your father [Seaborn McKendree Shankle] visited my grandfather's [Jesse Shankle] place in Panola County, Miss.[3], and asked my parents to name me for him. Thinking perhaps they might forget the name which he left, he wrote the name on a piece of paper and with a common brass pin stuck it over the door of the room in which I was born, and today this pin is still in the wall where your father  [Seaborn McKendree Shankle]  put it over fifty years ago. My mother still lives there with my only two brothers at the same place my grandfather [Jesse Shankle] settled in 1833.

            During the troubled years of the Civil War we lost sight, and knowledge of your father [Seaborn McKendree Shankle] , and you can imagine how glad I was to get your letter.

            It might be interesting to you to give you a little of our family history.

            In the year 1698 for the reason of some political or religious persecution one Avold Schankle [4] (notice the way the name is spelled) moved from the District of Oldenburg, Germany and settled in the country of Berwick, Scotland, and died there in 1745. He had two sons who came to America in 1750. One Abraham Schankle, settled in Va., and the other, Jacob, settled in New Jersey. This brother [Jacob] has descendants scattered over the states of New Jersey and New York. While on my vacation in the New York state several years ago I met several of the name.

            It is from the Virginia branch that we are descendants. This A. Schankle had seven sons most of whom

 

 

Page 2

 

Northeastern Banking Co.

PAID UP CAPITAL $100.000.00

SURPLUS $60.000.00

 

DR. L.G.HURDMAN, PRESIDENT

C.J.HOOD, CASHIER

A.G.SHANKLE, ASST.CASHIER

COMMERCE, GA

drifted down in North Carolina. Their names were: Jacob, Levi, Abraham (who was a physician), Felby, George, Valentine, and John, who was our great-grandfather[5] . This John Shankle had five sons, Wyley, John, Thomas, Eli, (your grandfather) and Jesse (my grandfather). A few years ago I corresponded with a descendant of George Shankle, Dr. Henry DeWitt Shankle[6] who lived in Mills' Springs, N. C.

            The descendants of Valentine live in Tenn. [7]

            As the story goes (traditional) our great-grandfather, John, was something of a "Sport" and addicted to horse racing. At one time he had a horse which he prized very highly, and which he rod in a race himself, and lost the race, and in a fit of passion shot the horse.

            Feeling himself disgraced he left North Carolina and went to Georgia. [8]

            I would like to know more of yourself and your immediate family, your mother and brothers.

            Hoping that some day I will have the pleasure of meeting you, I am,

                                                                Very truly yours,
                                                                    Seaborn McKenzie [9] Shankle.

NOTES:

	[1] A.G. Shankle is Arthur Grogan Shankle, son of Seaborn McKenzie Shankle (1825-1885) and Victoria Park (1841-1917). (Back)
	[2] Eli's brother is Jesse Shankle. Jesse is the grandfather of author of the letter, Seaborn McKenzie Shankle(1860-?). This Seaborn is named for his 1st cousin once removed, Seaborn McKenzie Shankle(1825-1885), son of Eli Shankle (1784-1852) (Back)
	[3] The 1840 Census of Panola, Co., Miss. shows three Shankle households headed by Anderson, Jesse and John. The 1850 Census of Panola, Co., Miss., shows three Shankle households headed by John Sr., and a Jesse and John (probably his sons). The 1860 Census of Panola, Co., Miss. shows only John Shankle.(Back)
	[4] This is the only known reference to Avold found so far. The spelling of Schankle given in the letter is almost certainly wrong. The most likely spelling would be Schenkel and is of German origin.(Back)
	[5] The 1790 Census of Montgomery Co., N.C., shows John Shankle with 1 free white male age 16+ (John himself), 3 free white males age < 16, 4 free white females. The 1800 Census of Montgomery Co., N.C., shows Abraham, George, Jacob, John and Valentine Shankle all living very close to one another.(Back)
	[6] Dr. Henry DeWitt Shankle's ancestor line is as follows: Claudius Shankle (1838-1902), Henry Shankle (1813-1877), George Shankle, Jr., (1754-1841), George Shankle, Abraham Shankle, Avold Schenkel. (Back)
	[7] Valetine Shankle (abt. 1760-1841), son of Abraham, settled in Henry Co., Tenn., and had at least 4 children, Eli (1789- ? ), Levi (1789-?), Beverly (1792-?), and Abia (1801-?). (Back)
	[8] John was in Montgomery Co, N.C in 1800 (see note 5 above).  He shows up again on the 1820 Census of Jackson Co., Tenn. as John Sr., along with a Jesse, Thomas and Willie Shankle. There are references to a John Shankle in Jackson Co., land records from about 1814-1818. The 1830, 1840 and 1850 Census of Jackson Co., Georgia shows Eli Shankle (John's son). In note 3 above, we see that John and Jesse ended up in Panola, Co., Miss. It would appear that John moved to Jackson Co., Georgia, where Eli stayed behind, then moved onto Jackson Co, Tennessee  with at least 3 of his sons, Jesse, Thomas and Willie. From there, some of this line moved into Panola, Co., Miss. (Back)
	[9] Even though the letter has been transcribed as Seaborn McKenzie Shankle, Seaborns descendants record his name as Seaborn McKendree Shankle.  (Back)