Ralph Shepard of Dedham

Ralph Shepard, born in England about 1606 died 11 Sept. 1693 aged 90; married Thanks (Thankslord or Thanks-ye-Lord), born in England about 1612, and died somewhere between 1666 and 1681. On 30 June 1635, Ralph, age 29 with his wife age 23, and daughter Sara took ship for New England on the Abigail, Robert Hackwell master.

He first settled in Dedham, Mass. Where he signed the Covenant and attended 2 town meetings on 18 Aug. 1636 and 17 May 1639, and sold land 21 Aug 1639. He next lived at Weymouth, where he had children recorded 1639 and 1641. He then moved to Rehoboth where he was an original purchaser and attended a town meeting 31 Aug 1644 and in 1645. He then moved to Malden where he had children recorded in 1651 and 1653. On 19 Mar 1650/1 Richard Palgrave of Charlestown physician, with the consent of his wife Anne, sold to Ralph Shepheard of Malden, tailor, five acres “on Mistik side” and four “cow Lotts”. Ralph Shepard of Malden, tailor, sold land there with consent of his wife Thankslord to Abraham Hill, 1 Feb 1663/4, and on 7 July 1666 with wife Thankslord sold to Benjamin Dunbar his dwelling house, barns, and 14 acres apparently his homestead, together with other pieces of land in Malden and Charlestown. He seems to have moved to Concord, Mass. In 1665-66. On 25 Mar 1666 calling himself of Concord, tailor, he conveyed with his wife Thankslord to his son-in-law Walter Power of Concord, planter, 60 acres in Concord which he had purchased of Lt. Joseph Wheeler, and this deed was witnessed by Isaac Shepard and Jacob Shepard. On 29 May 1681 without mention of his wife and in consideration of a sum paid mostly by Isaac Shepard, deceased, and the rest by Nathaniel Jewell, who married Isaac’s widow, he conveyed to the children of Isaac Shepard (Isaac, Mary, and Samuel), part of his farm bought of Lt. Joseph Wheeler, bounded on lands of himself, Abraham Shepard, and Walter Power.

Walter Power was husband of Trial Shepard

From The Shepherd Families of New England compiled by Gerald Faulkner Shepherd and edited by Donald lines Jacobus