Chasing the Past

This journey begins with Oney Ledbetter Raiford Shankle. Initially, I don’t know much about Oney. She was mentioned in the will of George Shankle as his beloved wife.¹ He left to her one cow and calf, one negro by the name of Snip, her dowry of land one hundred and twenty five acres known by the name of the Skinner place and one hundred and fifty dollars in money to return to the use of his family at her death. He wrote his will on 27 January 1840 and was proven in the 1841 November Session.

On 6 July 1841, George and his wife Oney Shankle sold Oney’s rights of dower of all the lands of her former husband, James Raiford, to Robert J. Raiford and Zekiah L. Raiford for $10.²

With these two documents, we know Oney was twice married. First to James Raiford and second to George Shankle.

In 1850, Oney was living with Robert J Raiford. Sometime shortly after the 1850 census, Robert J. Raiford moved to Cahoun, Arkansas and died before 17 February 1859.³

On 16 March 1855, the Southern Christian Advocate reported that Mrs. Oney Shankle had died in Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama on Feb 24. ⁴ Her obituary gave a few details of the time between 1851 and her death. The obituary leaves little doubt this is the same woman as it stated she was married successively to James Rayford and George Shankle. It stated she was born in Montgomery County, NC about the year 1781 and was the daughter of Zede kiah and Tabitha Ledbetter. She went to Arkansas with her son in 1851, where she remained a couple of years. In April of 1854 she was on her way back to her native state and stopped to see her sister who resides in Camden.

Her obituary brings at least one question to mind. Who was her sister? However, this one question brings forth multiple questions, all surrounding Zedekiah Ledbetter.

Oney’s obituary stated she died at her sisters. Lucy H Mason was living in Wilcox County per the 1850 and 1860 census. Lucy’s obituary stated she died 10 February 1866 and was the daughter of Rev. Zedekiah Ledbetter.⁵

Zedekiah Ledbetter

In 1790, Zedekiah Ledbetter was enumerated in Guilford Dudley’s Division of Anson County.⁶

On Ancestry, there is a typewritten transcript which is supposed to be of a letter written by Thomas Benson Ledbetter on 12 May 1896. In this letter, he spoke of his grandfather, “I think my grandfather’s name was Charles.” as well as his father, Henry, and Henry’s siblings.

Of Zedekiah, he says:

He once owned the plantation at the mouth of Brown Creek, now owned by John R. Little. His daughter married a Raiford and Uncke Kiah was burried at the Raiford place on Little River in Montgomery County not more than a half a mile above John Little Jr’s home and the Raiford place is now owned by Little.⁷

Other tidbits which raise more questions than answers:

• In 1809, Zedekiah Ledbetter makes complaint against Henry Branson, guardian of Benjamin and Sarah Ivey’s five children. Zedekiah married Sarah Ivy in November 1803.⁸
• Inability to find Zedekiah in 1810 census.
• David Hyde willing one negro to Zedekiah Ledbetter, no relationship given.⁹ In 1785, Zedekiah attended the estate sale and purchased several items.¹⁰ In 1792, Stephen Hyde sells land in Anson County to Zedekiah Ledbetter¹¹. There is certainly a close connection with the Hyde family.
• A Zedekiah Ledbetter can be found in both Caldwell County, KY and Louisiana. Was this the same person? Perhaps a son?

See also:

Zedekiah Ledbetter at WikiTree

Oney Ledbetter Raiford Shankle at WikiTree

Lucy Hyde Ledbetter at WikiTree

1. “North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-X2WF-9?cc=1867501&wc=32L2-PTG%3A169988501%2C170045501 : 21 May 2014), Stanly > Wills, 1841-1865, Vol. 1 > image 2 of 160; county courthouses, North Carolina, Will of George Shankle Sr ↩︎
2. “Montgomery County, North Carolina, Register of Deeds,” imaged, “Deed records, 1774-1961; deed index, 1838-1964,” page 426 FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-896S-QW6Z?lang=en&i=317: accessed 3 November 2025); citing G. Shankle and wife to R J Raiford. ↩︎
3. “Anson, North Carolina, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9G4-S9K8-W?view=explore : Nov 4, 2025), image 1284 of 1786; North Carolina. Division of Archives and History.
   Image Group Number: 007639834, citing Will of Samuel Spencer. ↩︎
4. Southern Christian advocate. (Augusta, GA) 16 Mar. 1855, p. 4. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/item/sn87065702/1855-03-16/ed-1/ ↩︎
5. Southern Christian advocate
   . (Augusta, GA) 20 Apr. 1866, p. 7. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/item/sn87065702/1866-04-20/ed-1/. ↩︎
6. “Anson, North Carolina, United States records,” images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYY8-3758?view=explore : Nov 4, 2025), image 449 of 601; United States. National Archives and Records Administration.
   Image Group Number: 005157139
   ↩︎
7. ” TB Ledbetter Letter,” Typewritten Transcript of Letter on Ancestry. ↩︎
8. Montgomery County Court Minutes 1804-1824: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLZ-R9PL-D : accessed 11 November 2025)
   citing > image 12 of 90. ↩︎
9. “North Carolina, Probate Records, 1735-1970,” images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:2:77T2-JPDF?cc=1867501&wc=32L6-SP6%3A169791301%2C170283501 : 21 May 2014), Northampton > Wills, 1762-1791, Vol. A > image 373 of 550; county courthouses, North Carolina. ↩︎
10. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9G8-2WXJ?view=fullText&keywords=Zedekiah%20Ledbetter&lang=en&groupId= ↩︎
11. Anson County Record of Deeds, Volume C-2. database with images
    ( https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9Z1-NQM6
    : accessed 4 November 2025) citing > image 23 of 856, Stephen Hyde to Zedekiah Ledbetter. ↩︎