Robert Lee Shaw (1869 - 1929)

Robert Lee Shaw was born 12 November 1869 in Bradford county, Florida to Hezekiah Daniel Shaw & Mary Croft. (Source: Florida Death records at pilot.familysearch.org) He was the youngest surviving child that we have record of. (The 1900 census reports Mary as having 15 children, 5 living. I have names for 9: Eliza B, Elizabeth C, William Henry, Melvina Serrilda, Daniel F, Missouri, Leleigh, Leavy, & Robert Lee).

Robert appears in the 1870 census at age 8/12 in Bradford county, Florida. His parents are listed as H D Shaw & Mary. His siblings "Vina", Daniel & Missouri appear as well.

In the 1880 census, Robert is the only child living at home. He is 10 years old and his parents are 56 and 52.

Robert appears in the 1885 census with his parents as well. He is 15 and the only child at home.

On the 4th of May, 1890, Robert Lee Shaw & Mary Priscilla Sistrunk were married in Columbia County, Florida. Mary was the daughter of Stephen David Sistrunk and Sarah Catherine Cheshire.

In the 1900 census, Robert & Priscilla have been married 10 years and have 4 children, all living.They are in Lake Butler, Bradford, Florida.

In 1901 Robert's mother dies and then in 1902 his father dies as well.

In the 1910 census, Robert & Priscilla have all 6 children living with them in Pine Hill, Bradford, Florida. The record indicates that they only have had 6 children and all 6 are present. So nice of them!

In the 1920 census, Robert & Priscilla are living in Fort Meade, Polk, Florida. Only their youngest daughter remains at home.

Family story says that some time in his life, Robert had a crop dispute with another individual and was shot in the leg. He was crippled for the rest of his life and the bullet was still in him when he died.

Robert Lee Shaw died on the 27 Mar 1929 in Avon Park, Highlands, Florida.

David L Duff mention

A google search turned up David L Duff mentioned as a settler arriving in Anderson County, Kansas in the Spring of 1857. (Page 267 of The History of Anderson County from its first settlement to the Fourth of July 1876 by William A Johnson published in 1877 by Kaufmann & Iler.)

So the widows' pension said 1855, the book says 1857... somewhere in there they moved to Kansas and were there until about 1868. Still doesn't tell us why I can't find him in the 1870 census!

Leonard Lake Randall

Leonard Lake Randall was born 16 Nov 1814 in Rockingham, Windham Vermont to Martha Jerrolds & David Randall. His birthdate and parents names are given in his LDS patriarchal blessing. Leonard was an early Mormon pioneer and so you would think there was more information out there about him. But I have not found much out there and there are still many unanswered questions.

Leonard would be living with his parents as of the 1820 census. David Randall appears in Rockingham, Windham, Vermont. It is he, a sister, and his parents. From other sources I need to look into, I know he had several brothers and sisters who died young.

Based on the deaths of these siblings, sometime between 1822 and 1827, the family moved to Charlotte, Chatauqua, New York. They are locate in Charlotte, Chatauqua, New York in the 1830 census. Again, there is Leonard, one sister, and his parents. (Sadly the sister would die in a few years, though she did reach adulthood, Leonard is the only known child to have children himself.)

Leonard married Maria Louisa Warren on 28 Dec 1834 in New York. She was a New York native and daughter of Porter Warren & Lydia Howard.

They are living in Charlotte, Chatauqua, New York in 1840. They have 2 daughters and 1 son living with them, as well as a teenage boy and an older woman. Perhaps a mother or mother in law and brother/brother in law.

On 6 Aug 1841 Leonard and Maria are baptized into the LDS church and shortly thereafter the family moves to Nauvoo, Illinois. They receive LDS temple ordinances on 8 Jan 1846 in Nauvoo shortly before having to leave for Iowa. Leonard was probably instructed to stay in Lee, Iowa for a while to help other pioneers coming after them because they stay for several years in Iowa. Maria dies 22 Apr 1847 in Lee, Keokuk, Iowa and Leonard is a widow in the 1850 census.

Sometime after 1852, Leonard marries Mary Jane Brooks Williams, whose husband William Williams, dies in 1852 in Iowa. Mary Jane Brooks was a LDS emigrant from England. Some sources say Leonard married Mary Jane earlier than this, but I have found Mary Jane & William together in the 1850 census, so I disagree.

Leonard & Mary Jane have 3 sons, Leonard (1856), George (1859) and Joseph (1862).

Based on a small blurb in the Deseret News on July 27, 1859, we know that Leonard had land in the Great Salt Lake county that he needed to pick up a deed about. Link to blurb here. The blended family is living in Salt Lake, Utah in the 1860 census. 

There is a lovely biography of Harriet Banner here that includes a history of the settling of Upton, Utah. Leonard L Randall was the second settler in Upton and it talks about him. He also helped build the sawmill.

In 1870 for some reason, both Leonard L and his son Leonard W are listed as Levi Randall in Coalville, Summit, Utah.

In 1880, Leonard and Mary are empty-nesters in Upton, Summit, Utah. Their youngest two are not married yet, but living with an older half-sister's family as servants.

Mary Jane dies on 28 Aug 1893 and Leonard is a widow living by himself in the 1900 census (though next door to his youngest son Joseph). He dies 13 Jan 1901 and is buried in the Upton Cemetery in Upton, Summit, Utah.

Buried next to his wife Mary Jane.

View of Upton Cemetery in Utah

View of Randall Holler (Hollow) in Upton, UT.

Thank you to new found cousin Stephen for providing pictures of the grave, cemetery & hollow! If you have a picture of Leonard Lake Randall or his family, I'd love to see them! Hope you enjoyed reading what I have pieced together on Leonard Lake Randall. If you have more information to share, please do!

(Last Updated February 18, 2012)