The date of birth of James Shackelford is not known, nor the date of his death, but he married Elizabeth Robbins, daughter of Christopher Robbins, July, 14, 1687, in Abingdon Parish, Gloucester Co, Va. See Abingdon Parish Register, Christ's Church, Gloucester County.2901,2902
Her sister Ann had married one Robert Freeman. They, James and Elizabeth, had the following children: James, Jr, born June, 10, 1690, Mary, John, Charles, Roger, Robert, Richard, Jane and Diana.
It appears that James Shackelford and Robert Freeman had sold the most of the land that, by inheritance, was the property of their wives, with the result that they were left in desperate and destitute circumstances.
In an effort to rescue themselves and their children, Elizabeth Shackelford and her eldest son-James, and Anne Freeman and her eldest
son-Robert made the following petition to the House of Burgesses for their relief:
Quoting from Henning's Statutes at Large, Vol IV, Chapter XXIX, pages 461-64, August, 8, 1734 - Reign of George II.
"An act for docking the entail of certain lands in the Counties of Gloucester and Elizabeth City, and vesting the same in Henry Willis in fee simple, and for settling other lands and tenements and several slaves to the same uses.
I. Whereas John Robbins, late of Robbin's Neck in the County of Gloucester, now deceased, was in his life time seised in fee simple of two thousand acres of land, with the appurtenances, lying and being in Robbin's Neck aforesaid, between the Rivers Ware and Severn, in the parishes of Ware and Abingdon, in the County aforesaid; and five hundred acres of land with the appurtenances, lying and being in the parish of Elizabeth City, in the County of Elizabeth City, and so being thereof seised, did make his last will and Testament in writing, bearing date the two and twentieth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and fifty five, and thereby, among other things, did devise unto his second son - William Robbins, the plantation lying in Elizabeth City County, in the possession of Lieutenant Lee, George Martin, and Mr Linnor; and all that part of his dividend in the County of Gloucester, lying on the westward side of Gowlett's Creek, part whereof was in the possession of John Walker and Robert Gowlett, to him and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, forever; and devised to his third son - Thomas Robbins, and to the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, in the occupation of James Andrews and John Hanson, and six hundred acres, part of his divident in Gloucester County. And he devised his plantation in Elizabeth City, now in possession of Robert Gray and John Lee and Simon Sleeder, and his plantation in Gloucester County, where he then lived with all the remainder of that dividend of land not before given, to his eldest son Christopher Robbins, and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, forever; and declared his will to be, that if either of his sons died without heirs of their bodies the two surviving sons should enjoy all the said lands equally to them and their heirs forever.
And if two of his sons should die without heirs of their bodies, then the survivor should enjoy all of the said lands to him and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten, forever.
And if it should happen that all three of his sons should die without issue then he devised all the said lands to his two daughters, their heirs and assigns forever, as by the said last will, relation thereunto being had, as more fully and at large may appear.
II. And whereas the said William Robbins, the second son, some time afterwards, departed this life without issue, thereby the land devised to him, vested in the said Christopher Robbins and Thomas Robbins, according to the said will, and the said Christopher Robbins thereby became seised in fee tail of one moity of the said several dividends of land, in the Counties of Gloucester and Elizabeth City; and so being thereof seised, the said Ann inter-married with one Robert Freeman, and the said Elizabeth inter-married with one James Shackelford, which the said Robert and James did sell and alien to divers persons all the lands so as aforesaid descended to their respective wives, except sixty acres; and some time afterwards departed this life; and the said Robert leaving issue by the said Anne, Robert Freeman their eldest son; and the said James leaving issue by the said Elizabeth, James Shackelford, their eldest son, besides many other children who were left in very poor circumstances; and since their decease the said Anne Freeman, and Elizabeth Shackelford, have been obliged to bring several ejectments for recovering their rights to the said lands, sold as aforesaid, by their husbands, and in the prosecution thereof, have been put to great expenses for law charges; and in order to defray the same, have been forced to sell their estate in the said lands, and have executed conveyances accordingly to Henry Willis of the County of Spottsylvania, gentleman; and for the better assuring of his title the said Robert Freeman and James Shackelford, the eldest sons and heirs apparent of the said Anne and Elizabeth, joined in said conveyances so that the said Anne and Elizabeth, Robert and James van never in their life time receive any benefit or advantages from said lands; and the said Anne and Elizabeth have now a very numerous issue consisting of upwards of three score children and grand children, who are all in miserable circumstances, unable to support themselves but by hard labor of those who are able to work.
III. And whereas the said Henry Willis is and stands seised in fee simple, of and in water grist mill, two plantations and two thousand acres of good land, with the appurtenances, lying and being in the little fork of Rappahannock River in the County of Spottsylvania aforesaid, which he is willing to settle, wit eight slaves, to the uses of the said entailed lands, so that the fee simple estate of the said entailed lands may be confirmed to him whereby the said Anne and Elizabeth and their poor families may hereafter be comfortable subsisted; all of which appears very just and reasonable.

IV. And for as much as notice has been given in the several parish Churches wherein the said entailed lands lie, of the application of this general assembly, to dock the said entail pursuant to your majesty's instructions, may it please your most excellent majesty, at the humble suit of the said Anne Freeman, and Robert Freeman, her son and heir apparent; Elizabeth Shackelford, and her son James Shackelford, son and heir apparent, and the said Henry Willis, that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the Lieutenant governor, Council of Burgesses, of this present General assembly, and by the authority of the same, that all that part of the lands, so as aforesaid devised by the last Will and Testament of the said John Robbins, to the said Christopher Robbins, and the moity of the said lands devised to the said William Robbins, which upon his death without issue, remained to the said Christopher, and whereof the said Christopher died seised as aforesaid, with all and singular and appurtenances thereunto belonging, be and are hereby vested in the said Henry Willis, his heirs and assigns, to the only use and behoof of the said Henry Willis, his heirs and assigns forever; and he, the said Henry Willis, his heirs and assigns shall hold the same freed and discharged from all the limitations in the last Will and Testament of the said John Robbins; And that the water grist mill, two thousand acres of land with the appurtenances lying and being in St George's parish in the little fork of Rappahannock river, in the County of Spotsylvania, aforesaid, and two plantations, being part of three thousand acres of land granted to the said Henry Willis, by patent, bearing the date under the seal of The Colony of Virginia, the first day of February, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and twenty six, be and are hereby vested in the said Ann Freeman and Elizabeth Shackelford, and the heirs of the body of the said Christopher Robbins, forever; and that all and every person or persons whatsoever, who by the last Will and Testament of the said John Robbins, might have claimed the said first mentioned intailed lands now vested in the said Henry Willis, by virtue of the limitations of the said John Robbins' last Will and Testament shall forever hereafter, hold and enjoy all and singular the said last mentioned lands and premises, with the appurtenances, successively, one after another, as they might have claimed and held the same intailed lands, if that or this act had never been made.
V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid that the said Henry Willis shall, after the passing of this act, place upon the said lands, last mentioned, in the County of Spottsylvania, eight slaves, (towit) four men and four women, not exceeding the age of twenty years, and shall deliver in the names of such slaves so to be placed, into the court of the County where the said lands lie, there to be recorded; and forever afterwards the said slaves shall be annexed to the said last mentioned lands and premises; and shall pass in descent, remainder and reversion so long as they or any of their increase shall be living with the said last mentioned lands.
And shall forever after, from time to time vest in the person and persons claiming and holding the said last mentioned lands under the limitations of the Will and Testament of the said John Robbins respectively.
VI. Saving to the King's most excellent majesty, his heirs and successors, and to all and every other person or persons, bodies politic and corporate, their respective heirs and successors all such right, title estate, interest, claim and demand other that the persons claiming under the last Will and Testament of the said John Robbins as they, every or any of them should or might claim, if this act had never been made.
VII. Provided always that the execution of this act shall be suspended until his Majesty's approbation thereof shall be obtained. The end.

Note: Their petition was aproved and they moved in a body with their children and grand children to St George's Parish Spottsylvania County, in 1736. In the petition Ann and Elizabeth mentioned as widows in 1734.