Francis M. Shearer collection
Collection
Identifier: L313
Scope and Contents
This collection contains legal documents, personal papers, receipts, genealogical information and photographs from the Shearer, Marshall, and English families in Indianapolis and other cities in Indiana, ranging from 1829 to 1974. The legal documents include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and an abstract of title for property John and William Marion Shearer obtained in Indianapolis and Marion County. Other documents include Michael Shearer's tax receipts, a copy of his 1829 land grant, and copies of the wills of John Shearer and William A. Shearer. There are numerous portrait photographs-- tintype, cabinet card, and carte-de-visite--Shearer, English, and Marshall families taken by a variety of photographers from Indianapolis and other Indiana towns (circa 1870-1890s).
There are also books on a variety of topics in the collection, as well as family Bibles, paper currency from the Bank of Indiana, Bank of Clifton, Northern Bank of Kentucky and the United States "fractional currency" circulated in the 1800s; the February 5, 1878 marriage certificate of William Marion Shearer and Maggie English; William Arthur Shearer's World War I identification card and photographs of him from the war; and Audrey Marshall Shearer's poetry.
There are also books on a variety of topics in the collection, as well as family Bibles, paper currency from the Bank of Indiana, Bank of Clifton, Northern Bank of Kentucky and the United States "fractional currency" circulated in the 1800s; the February 5, 1878 marriage certificate of William Marion Shearer and Maggie English; William Arthur Shearer's World War I identification card and photographs of him from the war; and Audrey Marshall Shearer's poetry.
Dates
- 1829-1974, undated
Creator
- Shearer, Francis Mathews, 1915-2003 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Biographical Note
Francis Mathews Shearer was a descendent of early 19th-century settlers of Marion County, Indiana. His great-great-grandparents, Michael (1775-1854) and Elizabeth (Knabb) Shearer (1792-1882) settled in Marion County in 1827. The family farm was located at what is now 21st and Ritter in Indianapolis. Their son, John Shearer(1825-1903) married Mary Ann Johnson (1833-1920) in 1855 and they had a son named William Marion Shearer (1856-1939). He married Margaret Ellen English (1855-1910) in 1878 and they had three sons: Charles English (1881-1925 ), John Edwin (1883-1940), and William Albert (1890-1973). William Albert Shearer married Audrey Marshall (1891-1968) in 1913 and they had a son, Francis M. Shearer (1915-2003).
Francis Mathews Shearer was born May 14, 1915 to William A. and Audrey (Marshall) Shearer in Indianapolis, Indiana. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, enlisting as a private on July 25, 1940 and serving until his discharge on August 14, 1945. He married Evelyn M. Nipple (1922-1954) on September 21, 1946 in Marion County, Indiana and they had two daughters, Jonquil S. (1948-) and Camelia A. (1951-). Evelyn died of breast cancer at age 31 on February 13, 1954, after three years of illness. Shearer married Dorothy Mae (Coyle) Birth (1926-2005) three months later on April 14, 1954 in Marion County and they had three children, Frances Mathews (1956-2014), Willima Alberta (1959-) and William Albert II (1962-2021). The couple divorced in the 1960s. Finally, Shearer married his third wife, Margaret Frances (Chapman) Randall (1921-2010) on August 3, 1968 in Brownsburg, Indiana. Shearer worked in various roles in the machinery industry, including in public relations at MacCallister Machinery Company. He died of cardiac arrest on October 3, 2003 in Brownsburg, Indiana and was cremated with a headstone in Anderson Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Evelyn May Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Web: Marion County, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1925-2012. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Ex-Exec at National, Shearer Dead at 83." Lafayette Journal and Courier, July 21, 1973.
Findagrave.com. "Francis Mathews Shearer." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16603564/francis-mathews-shearer.
"John E. Shearer Dies Unexpectedly." Indianapolis Star, March 30, 1940.
"Mrs. F. M. Shearer." Obituary. Indianapolis Star, February 15, 1954. Accessed January 2, 2025. ProQuest.
"William M. Shearer, 82, Lifelong Resident, Dies." Indianapolis Star, May 27, 1939.
Francis Mathews Shearer was born May 14, 1915 to William A. and Audrey (Marshall) Shearer in Indianapolis, Indiana. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II, enlisting as a private on July 25, 1940 and serving until his discharge on August 14, 1945. He married Evelyn M. Nipple (1922-1954) on September 21, 1946 in Marion County, Indiana and they had two daughters, Jonquil S. (1948-) and Camelia A. (1951-). Evelyn died of breast cancer at age 31 on February 13, 1954, after three years of illness. Shearer married Dorothy Mae (Coyle) Birth (1926-2005) three months later on April 14, 1954 in Marion County and they had three children, Frances Mathews (1956-2014), Willima Alberta (1959-) and William Albert II (1962-2021). The couple divorced in the 1960s. Finally, Shearer married his third wife, Margaret Frances (Chapman) Randall (1921-2010) on August 3, 1968 in Brownsburg, Indiana. Shearer worked in various roles in the machinery industry, including in public relations at MacCallister Machinery Company. He died of cardiac arrest on October 3, 2003 in Brownsburg, Indiana and was cremated with a headstone in Anderson Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
Ancestry.com. "Evelyn May Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1920 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1930 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." 1950 United States Federal Census. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Birth Certificates, 1907-1944. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2017. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2012. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., Phone and Address Directories, 1993-2002. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
Ancestry.com. "Francis M. Shearer." Web: Marion County, Indiana, U.S., Marriage Index, 1925-2012. Accessed January 2, 2025. http://www.ancestrylibrary.com.
"Ex-Exec at National, Shearer Dead at 83." Lafayette Journal and Courier, July 21, 1973.
Findagrave.com. "Francis Mathews Shearer." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16603564/francis-mathews-shearer.
"John E. Shearer Dies Unexpectedly." Indianapolis Star, March 30, 1940.
"Mrs. F. M. Shearer." Obituary. Indianapolis Star, February 15, 1954. Accessed January 2, 2025. ProQuest.
"William M. Shearer, 82, Lifelong Resident, Dies." Indianapolis Star, May 27, 1939.
Extent
2 Cubic Feet (3 manuscript boxes, 2 small flat boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in the following series:
Series 1: Family papers, 1829-1973, undated
Series 2: Publications, 1870-1974
Series 3: Family Bibles, 1806-1877
Series 4: Family photographs, circa 1878-1940, undated
Series 1: Family papers, 1829-1973, undated
Series 2: Publications, 1870-1974
Series 3: Family Bibles, 1806-1877
Series 4: Family photographs, circa 1878-1940, undated
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Frank Shearer in 1976/03.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2016/07/29 by Laura Eliason. EAD finding aid created 2016/07/29 by Laura Eliason. Collection reprocessing completed 2025/01/02 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2025/01/02 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Shearer, Francis Mathews, 1915-2003 (Person)
- Shearer family (Family)
- Title
- Francis M. Shearer collection
- Status
- Under Revision
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
