My Genealogy Hound

REV. WILLIAM M. SHAW, one of Bedford County’s old and prominent citizens, was born July 5, 1806, in Orange County, N. C., and immigrated to Bedford County, Tenn., in the year 1816. He was the son of John and Elizabeth (Scott) Shaw, natives, respectively, of South Carolina and Maryland. The father was born November 8, 1771, and died November 4, 1845. The mother was born in the year 1778 and died February 26, 1842. Our subject was reared on a farm and engaged in the farming interest till the year 1853, at which time he joined the Methodist Conference South, but was licensed to preach as a local preacher previous to this in the year 1845. In 1827 he wedded Mahala Wilson, of this county. She was born January 9, 1809. This marriage resulted in the birth of nine children only six of whom are living: John W., William S., Alexander M., Ambrose D., Ann E. and Mary L. In 1849 Rev. Shaw was ordained deacon at Shelbyville by Bishop Capers and retained this position until October, 1853, at which time he was ordained elder at Franklin, Tenn., by the same bishop. October, 1854, he joined the conference and has been a traveling minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South up to the present date. Mrs. Shaw died July 31, 1885; she was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Up to the time of the late war Rev. Shaw was an old-line Whig, but since that time he has been a Democrat.