BIOGRAPHY OF JOHN BRACKEN SHANNON OF SHELBY COUNTY, KENTUCKY

John B. Shannon was the son of Samuel Shannon and Martha Bracken. Samuel was
born in Lancaster County, Pa. and was a Captain of Militia moving west to the frontier
into Washington County, Pa. John was born in Washington County April 28, 1784. He was
still an infant when the family came to Shelby County, Kentucky in 1785. Samuel's
brother William was already in Jefferson County and had made many land acquisitions in
his and Samuel's names. William had been a Captain with George Rogers Clark as the
General Conductor of Commissary supplies at Fort Pitt and into the Illinois Territory
and The Falls Of Ohio. Southwest Pennsylvania was part of Augusta Co. at that time so
William is listed as a soldier of The Va. Continental Line
Thomas and John, two more of the brothers of Samuel and William also came to Shelby
County and had been in Albemarle and Augusta County, Virginia for several years. The
father (John Sr.) had been an officer in the French and Indian War and lead colonial troops
into northern New York from Lancaster County, Pa.
John married Polly Finley, daughter of John Finley and Esther Reid of Augusta county,
Virginia on October 30, 1804 in Shelby County. John was a Sergeant in the War of 1812,
first with troops at The Battle of The Thames and later at The Seige Of New Orleans. Both
John and Polly died very young, Polly in 1811 and John in 1819, and left several young
orphan children, all being taken in by the sisters and brothers of John. Many of these same
families that were neighbors in Pennsylvania emigrated into Virginia and Kentucky together
and intermarried for the next three generations. The Shannons, Reids, Finleys, Wallaces and
others.
My third great grandfather, Dennis Rearden, married Polly Shannon (daughter of John and
Polly) in Franklin County, Ky. on November 10, 1829. Dennis had lived in Shelby County with
his father before moving over into Franklin County.
I placed a headstone for Sgt. John Shannon in the old Shannon Cemetery on Taylorsville Rd.
on October 3, 2009 to commemorate his time served in the War of 1812. I also placed a
headstone for Capt. Samuel Shannon commemorating his time of service in The Revolution
in the Pennsylvania Militia and one for Capt. William Shannon for his time in the Revolutionary
War with the Illinois Regiment of The Virginia Continental Line. William , a bachelor was
killed by another Shelbyville resident in 1794 so is not recognized in The DAR or SAR
and does not have family.

Revolutionary War Patriots and soldiers, ancestors of Harold William Rarden

Fourth or fifth great grandfathers.

James Thompson of Kentucky County and Lincoln County Virginia
(Kentucky) Deputy Surveyor of Kentucky Co. and first head surveyor
of Lincoln County, Representative and Senator, wagonmaster for General Benjamin Logan at The falls of Ohio, Illinois Territory, salt mines and
Battle Of Blue Licks in Kentucky 1778. Put gravestone in Forks of Dix
Baptist Church Cemetery on Rt. 27 North of Lancaster in 2008. DAR

Hugh Martin, Fayette Co. Kentucky Militia. Moved to Muhlenburg Co.
Ky. Buried at Mt Pleasant Cemetery. Near Greenville. Into Ky. 1779 Put
gravestone in 2003. DAR

Capt. Samuel Shannon, Franklin Co. Pennsylvania Militia and Va. Cont.
Line. Moved to Shelby County in 1785 where he already had land. Buried
in Shannon Cemetery on Taylorsville Rd. Shelbyville, Ky. Put a gravestone
in on November 3, 2009 DAR

Benedict Swope, Sr. German Reformed Minister, Pennsylvania and
Md. Chaplain and Patriot in The Revolution. Member of Council when
Kentucky became a State. In Ky. 1779 Buried in Swope Cemetery, Garrard
Co. Ky. Will try to put a gravestone in 2010. DAR

Samuel Pepper Sr. Patriot in Rev. from Fauquier County, Va. Moved to
Mason County, Ky. Buried on farm at Minerva. No gravesite found yet. DAR

James Spilman, Member of Culpeper minutemen under John Marshall.
Buried in Culpeper County Va. Unknown Gravesite. DAR or SAR

John Thomas Kemper, Member of Culpeper Minutemen under Benjamin
Harrison. Buried at Forks of Dix Baptist Cemetery, Garrard County, Ky.
Already has a DAR Bronze plaque. DAR

Capt. James Peyton, DAR Botetourt County Militia and Capt. At
Boonsborough. Died in Nelson County, Kentucky. Cannot find gravesite.
DAR

Frederic Burdett, Virginia Militia and Patriot of Fauquier Co. Va. Buried
in Garrard Co. Ky. No Gravesite Found Member DAR

Capt. John Metcalfe, Fauquier County Virginia Militia. Seven years.
Died at his farm on Cedar Creek Mason Co. now Robertson County, Ky. but
he and his wife were moved and buried at Forest Retreat on Gov. Thomas
Metcalfe's old farm. Will place a stone for him this year, 2009 or 2010. DAR

Lt. John Finley. Augusta County Va. Militia. Buried in Augusta County
and no Gravesite found yet. DAR

Robert Caldwell Scroggins, Ensign, Md. Continental Line. Buried
near Versailles, Woodford Co. Ky. on farm. No gravesite found. DAR

Robert Elliot, Officer, Augusta County Virginia Militia. Buried on farm
on Shannons run. Near Versailles, Ky. Woodford Co. No gravesite. DAR

Capt. Joseph Smith Sr. Patriot and officer in Revolution. Fauquier County
Va. Militia. Buried in Fauquier Co. Virginia No Gravesite found. DAR

Henry Davis of Woodford County, Ky. Came from Prince George Co. Md.
Kentucky Militia. Filed for revolutionary pension according to Railey's
history of Woodford County. No gravesite found yet.

James Martin of Woodford Co. Ky. Kentucky Militia. Came from Augusta
Co. Va. Filed for Revolutionary pension according to Railey's history of
Woodford, Co. Ky. No gravesite found yet.

Capt. William Shannon, General Conductor of Commissary for George
Rogers Clark 1778 to 1783. Pa. Militia and Va. Continental Line. Brother of
my fourth Gr. Grandfather. Gave land for town of Shelbyville. Buried in
Shannon Cemetery at Shelbyville. Killed in 1794. Had no children of his
own so I put a gravestone in as next of kin. November 3, 2009

I most likely have other Rev. ancestors that I have not researched. Most
men of the right age had to be in the Militia.
The sites that I have listed that I have not found are sites that I have not
looked for diligently. Takes a lot of time and driving to find them all. Most
of them are on old family farms and hard to find.

New Family Gravestone placements

Three new stones that I put in yesterday at the Shannon Cemetery in Shelbyville, Ky. Sam is our fourth Gr granddad, John is our third and William is Samuel's brother. He gave the land for the town of Shelbyville and was the Conductor General of Commisaries for George Rogers Clark for the full time of the war. He was just ready to go into Ohio on Indian raids with Mad Anthony Wayne when he was killed by another guy in town who threw a rock at him. He turned around at the wrong time(he threw a knife and killed the other man instantly) and the rock hit him in the temple and he died the next day. He was never married and therefore was never entered in the DAR or SAR so I took it upon myself to get him a gravestone as next of kin. One man has made a statement that he had 300,000 acres at one time but I can only frnd about 80,000 in treasury warrants. John and Polly Finley Shannon's daughter, Polly married Dennis Reardon of Northern Franklin county(he had lived in Shelby Co, where Polly was born. The line, Henry, Hiram 1, Dennis, Hiram2, Robert, Enos and down to those mean kids of his. Stayed in Shelbyville last night and drove home this morning. Those stones weigh 230 pounds each and there is 200 pounds of concrete around each one. I dig the holes and get ready and unload them off the truck and Jeanne holds them while I finish leveling. I seeded them down and put straw around them. William Shannon of the Shannon Funeral home takes care of the place now. Love to all and Gooday Harold and Jeanne