The earliest documented roots of the Shute family begin in 1778 Mecklenburg County, SC with Henry Shute, Sr. Henry was born 1766 and died prior to 1819 in Lancaster Co, SC. He was first married to a 'Mary' and had two children but their names are unknown. Henry secondly married Elizabeth Rape on Aug 18, 1787 in Rowan Co, NC. Elizabeth was born 1770 in Rowan Co, NC and died after 1850 in Lancaster Co, SC and was the daughter of Johann Peter and Anna Maria Reeb formerly of Pisdorf in the Grafschaft of Nassau-Saarwerden in Germany and later immigrated to America in 1752. An excellent source of the Rape/Reeb family is detailed in his book, REEB ROOTS IN EUROPE AND AMERICA by John V. Reeb, published in 1994. After Henry, Sr.'s death, his widow, Elizabeth, married Josiah Hancock.

Henry and Elizabeth had one known son, Henry Jr., born Oct 22, 1791 in Union Co, SC. In 1818, he married Frances 'Franky' Blakeney (Mar 2, 1800-Jan 17/1874). Franky was the daughter of John R. Blakeney, Jr. and Nancy May of NC, and granddaughter of Captain John R. Blakeney Sr. and Margaret Evans. Captain Blakeney was born in County Limerick, Ireland and died in 1832 in Pageland, Chesterfield Co, SC. In 1775, he was commissioned by the Provincial Congress to raise a company of troops at the time of Revolutionary War. The family histories of Pageland should refer to the book, THE VOICES OF PAGELAND, STORIES OF A SOUTH CAROLINA TOWN, by Beth Laney Smith & Ass., published in 1997.

Henry Jr. & Franky had 12 children; Elizabeth, Henry, Jane, John, Howell, Sylvester Wesley, Caroline, Elihu, Francis Marion, & Doctor James. Henry Jr. died Aug. 22, 1854 in Lancaster Co, SC.

According to the biography, THE SHUTE FAMILY OF PIEDMONT CAROLINA 1778-1978, by J. Ray Shute, published 1978, it is documented that brothers, John & Sylvester left South Carolina in 1855. John ended his journey in Monroe, NC but Sylvester continued southwest to Pickens Co, AL. After two years in Pickens Co, the family forwarded on to Mississippi which ended in Black Hawk.

Sylvester Wesley 'Wes' (Sept 18, 1828 in Lancaster Co, SC - Jun 11, 1916 Black Hawk) married Nancy Ann Funderburk on Aug 21, 1854 in Lancaster Co, SC. Nancy was one of 17 children of Henry Funderburk and Barbara Ann Poer of SC. Sylvester & Nancy had 9 children with the first two being born in Pickens County, AL. They were: Henry Sylvester, John Sylvester, Isabella, Arabella, Alice, Ida, James Marion 'Buster', Mattie, and Hattie Augusta.

On May 4, 1862, Sylvester enlisted as a Private with Company A, 30th Miss. Regiment, C.S.A. in Corinth, MS under Col. G. F. Neill. He served as a Teamster or Waggoner. Last muster rolls indicate he was given a clothes receipt on April 30, 1864.

Meanwhile, back in Lancaster Co, SC, was Sylvester's younger brother, Elihu 'Eli' (Jan 12,1836 in Lancaster Co, SC-Feb 14, 1878 in Black Hawk). Elihu married Mary Ann Clementine Massey on Dec 9, 1858 in Lancaster Co. Mary's father is unknown but her mother was Minerva McManus Massey, daughter of John H. McManus and Rebecca Terrell of SC. Elihu & Mary had six children: Frances M. 'Fannie'; John Amon; Marietta; Henry Augustus; Charles Edwin and Elihugh Sample Sylvester 'Hugh'.

Elihu enlisted on July 21, 1862 with Company D, South Carolina 1st Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. as a Private (Hagood's Regt). He was in Battles at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor and at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865 for the Civil War surrender.

About 1872, Elihu and Mary, along with their oldest four children, followed his brother, Sylvester, to Black Hawk. In Black Hawk, their last two children were born. At age 42, Elihu died in 1878 in part due to abdomen wounds received during the Civil War. He is buried at Black Hawk Cemetery. Mary Ann Clementine, who died in 1891, is also buried at Black Hawk Cemetery.

In 1916, when Sylvester, or Uncle Wes, died at age 86, he was the largest land owner in Carroll County and farmed several thousand acres of land, according to his obituary. Shutes School was also donated by Sylvester in which is donated land and materials. The school existed until 1924. Shute Cemetery in Black Hawk was originated by the Shute family and Sylvester is buried along with his wife, Nancy Ann, and many children and other descendants. A quote from a family member said about Sylvester, "He used to ride horseback alone to South Carolina to visit his relatives and friends - it would take him a month to go and a month to come.he used to attend the Confederate reunions and have a bang up good time."

NINE CHILDREN OF SYLVESTER W. SHUTE & NANCY ANN FUNDERBURK:

1. Henry Sylvester (July 28, 1855-Jun 16, 1938) married Martha Harriet Warner. They had six children:    Walter K., Henry Sylvester, Jr., Norman, Oakley, and Floy.

2. John Sylvester (Feb 8, 1857-May 19, 1939) married Anna Carter, daughter of Charles & Elizabeth Matthews Carter.    They had an adopted son named Ford Shute.

3. Isabella (Oct 25,1859-Feb 22, 1918) married Joe A. Glenn.    Their children were: Joe, Clark A., William, and adopted Bernard Sanders.

4. Arabella (Dec 26, 1861-Jun13, 1945) first married William Phillips and had four sons: Lawrence, Carroll David, Paul M. and Luke. Secondly, Arabella married Johnson Barton Galey about 1900. He was son of James M. Galey and Frances M. Shute (daughter of Elihu). Arabella & Johnson had no children.

5. Alice (Dec 12, 1863-Sept 24, 1901) married Evander Robertson.

6. Ida (born 1865 and died in Lelfore County, married Walter Carpenter, son of William Carpenter and Sarah Cooley.    Their children were Sadie, Marie, Willie May and James P.

7. James Marion 'Buster' (Sept 16, 1867-Jul 27, 1924) married Christine R. 'Teenie' Cooley, daughter of Hiram Washington and Ida Cooley. They had no children.

8. Mattie (Jan 29, 1871-Dec 24, 1934) married Sam James Eugene Elliott.

9. Hattie Augusta (Feb 5, 1873-Jul 7, 1951) married John Edward Beard.    Their children were: Almeda Ozella, Johnnie Mae, Hattie, Robert Louis Shute 'Boy', and Clara Booth.

SIX CHILDREN OF ELLIHU SHUTE & MARY ANN CLEMENTINE MASSEY:

1. Frances M. 'Fannie' (Oct 12, 1860-Feb 18, 1937) married James Madison 'Mat' Galey, son of Johnson Barton Galey & Nancy Cooley. Their children were:    Lillie Catherine, Johnson Barton, Mattie Clementine 'Mattie', Evie, Hattie Augusta, Lonnie Edwin & Lewis Hugh.

2. John Amon (May 1, 1862-Apr 1943) married Mary Rebecca Smith (1869-1943). They had no children and are buried at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Leflore County.

3. Marietta (Jul 1, 1869-Apr 1956) first married James Cash Plyler. They had one known daughter, Johnnie Maud (1900-1901). After James' death in 1903, Marrietta married his brother, Lewis S. Plyler. They had two children: Lewis Cash and Mary Clementine.

4. Henry Augustus (Jun 30, 1871-Dec 19, 1946) married Leola L. Cooley, daughter of Hiram Washington and Ida Cooley. Their children were:    Ernest, Lucille, Eleanor, Willie, Enoch Marvin, John Allen, Ida Clementine, Benjamin Gus and Charlie.

5. Charles Edwin (Dec 8, 1873-Dec 1944) married Julia Catherine Phallon. Their children were:    Elihu Sylvester, Beatrice 'Bettie', Johnnie Wilna, Edwin Phallon 'Buck', Howell 'Howie', Howard Augustus, Tommie Cecil, Remus Judson, Caleb Wilson, Nelson Raymond and Mamie Catherine.

6. Elihugh Sample Sylvester 'Hugh' (Feb 8, 1877-Feb 11, 1948) first married Nancy Comila Grant. Their children were:    Frankie May, Elihu, Henry, John H. Nancy died in 1907 and Elihugh then married Minnie Belvia McBride in 1908. Their children were: Milton Dias, Mildred, Mary Beatrice, Marshall Sanders, and Ormond Harris.