Shank Family History

Click on this link > Shank Family History

This is very interesting, does not APPEAR to related to our "Tennessee" Shanks, our Shanks legend says 6 brothers came from Dublin in the mid to late 1700's, and settled in Eastern Virgina. Our direct ancestor, Moses, who may have been one of brothers, or son of brother, fought in Revolution and received the 500 acre land grant in TN.

This incredibly research family tree is for a Michael Shank, who settled in PA.

There is a TON of detail here that I need to digest. More in a later post.

 Michael Shank, our ancestor, was the eldest son of the Christian Shank who died in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1724. 

 Michael and his wife Mary, came to America, along with his

 father and his brothers and sisters, as part of the large group of 363 Mennonites who settled on Pequea Creek (pronounced PECKWAY) in Lancaster County in September of 1717. Michael and Mary must have already been married and needing their own land when they 

arrived in Philadelphia, because he immediately made application to William Penn's Commissioners of Property for 200 acres. A       warrant, now recorded in Harrisburg in Book D, Volume 82, at 

page 159, states that on 27th of September in 1717 Commissioners Richard Hill, Isaac Norris and James Logan granted Michael Shank the right to take up and have surveyed to himself "in or near the township of Strasburg the quantity of 200 acres of land that has not been already surveyed, nor appropriated, nor is seated by 

the Indians". Being required by the terms of Penn's warrant to settle on unoccupied land, Michael selected a tract on the banks of the Pequea Creek, only a short distance downstream from 530 acres of land that his father Christian and Benedict Brakebill had 

jointly bought from John Funk only two days earlier on September 25, 1717. Michael's land was surveyed out to him the following spring on June 4, 1718 by Issac Taylor. Although the Indian tribes had roamed this area for hundreds of years, Michael Shank thus 

became the first white man to ever live at this site. Taylor, 

Penn's surveyor, allowed Michael 250 acres of land, it being the custom to allow additional acreage to the amount requested for 

the development of roads which, of course, were non-existent in 

those days. A plat of the land, showing Michael Shank's name may be found in the Pequea township map of early settlers which 

was prepared by the State of Pennsylvania in 1933. For anyone 

interested in seeing this first homestead of our pioneer Michael 

Shank, it can be easily found today. it lies partly in Strasburg and partly in Providence townships (formerly old Martic twp). 

Another survey on April 12, 1740 and recorded at Harrisburg in 

Book D., Volume 82, page 15 shows that the north boundary 

of the 250 acre rectangular tract runs almost directly east and 

west and lies no more the 50 feet south of the spot where the BigBeaver (Beaver Dam) Creek empties into the Pequea. The land 

extends more the three fourths of a mile southward from this 

point. The present day crossroads community of Herrsville is 

located just off the northwest corner of the tract. About 200 

yards south of the community, the rural Herrsville Road crosses 

Pequea Creek. Looking to the east from the bridge one can see what was once the land on which Michael Shank built his first rustic home in America. Although not proven, this is quite likely the 

birthplace of John Shank, one of Michael's older sons and our 

ancestor who will be discussed in a following article "John Shank (c1718-1791)". Some light is shed on Michael's early life and circumstances on  Pequea Creek by a deed, not made until April 7, 

1740. The foregoing survey of 1740 would have been made in 

connection with the transaction. Many early deeds were never 

recorded or were lost and this 1740 deed was made in order to 

clarify the title to the land. The deed was made by Thomas Penn, Richard Penn and John Penn; all sons of William Penn; and it is 

recorded in Lancaster County Book A, Volume 9, page