William Marcus Shipp was born 1819 in Lincoln County, NC, the eldest of 3 known surviving children (1 boy/2 girls) born to attorney & State legislator, Bartlett Shipp and his wife, Susan Forney.

He was the paternal grandson of Thomas Shipp & Hannah Joyce who came to Stokes County, NC from Lunenburg Co, VA ca. 1785; and he is descended from a long line of Shipps in Virginia dating back to the family patriarch, William Shipp (1606-ca. 1667) who came to Lower Norfolk in the Virignian Colonies ca. 1630. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandson of Peter Forney & Lucy Nancy Abernathy of Stokes County.

William Shipp graduated at the University of North Carolna in 1840, delivering the salutatory address; and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He began the practice of law in the western part of the state.

William first married in about 1852 to Catherine "Kate" L. F. Cameron, daughter of Judge Cameron of Florida. The young attorney settled in Hendersonville, Henderson Co, NC where the couple would become parents to 5 known children: Ann Cameron Shipp (c. 1853), Mary Edmonds Shipp (c. 1855), Catherine Cameron Shipp (1859-1932), Lt. William Ewan Shipp (c. 1861), and Bartlett Shipp (c. 1865).

In Henderson County, Shipp served in the House of Commons, and in 1861, William was elected to represent Henderson County during the Secession vote in May. As North Carolina entered the war, he enlisted as Captain with a volunteer unit raised in Henderson Co, that became part of the NC 16th Infantry.

The 16th NC was sent to Virginia with about 1,200 men, assigned to General W. Hampton's, Pender's, and Scales' Brigade. It served in many battles of the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, was involved in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River, and was active around Appomattox. It had a force of 721 men in April, 1862, lost 33 killed and 199 wounded during the Seven Days' Battles, had 8 killed and 44 wounded at Second Manassas, and suffered 6 killed and 48 wounded at Fredericksburg. The unit reported 105 casualties at Chancellorsville, and of the 321 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-seven percent were disabled. It surrendered 12 officers and 83 men.

William's service with the 16th NC ended when he was elected Senator of his district and returned to fulfill his duties in North Carolina. In 1866, his wife of 14 years died at age 41. The distraught widower was unable to carry on his duties and raise the children, and they were temporarily sent to live with his mother.

In 1870 he was nominated by the Democratic party for Attorney-General on the ticket with Hon. A. S. Merrimon, candidate for Governor, etc., and was the only Democrat elected. He served from 1870-1873.

On November 6, 1872, the 53-year old took as his second wife, 39-year old Margaret Iredell, daughter of Gov. James Iredell, Jr. The couple would become parents to 2 known children, both daughters: Frances Johnston Shipp (c. 1873), who died in infancy; and Mary Preston Shipp (1875-1969).

Leaving Raleigh after 1873, William practiced law in Charlotte from 1872 to 1881, when he was appointed by Governor Jarvis judge of the Superior Court to succeed Hon. David Schenck. He was re-elected for eight years in 1882.

The Hon. William Marcus Shipp died in 1890 at age 71. He was remembered as a man of wonderful popularity, both as a judge and as a citizen. In the former capacity he was conceded to be one of the finest judges of law known to the State. He was, on all occasions, a modest man. Oftentimes subject to unjust criticism, he always presented the even tenor of his way and in the end he was always vindicated. It was seldom indeed that one of his decisions was reversed. As a judge he ranked amongst the foremost of the State.

As a citizen, Charlotte was proud of him. A genial man, upright in all the walks of his life, both private and public, his death was a loss to the State and was mourned not only by Charlotte, but by every town and hamlet in the State.

One contemporary remarked at the time of his death: "Judge Shipp was one of the best informed lawyers in the State. He had a marked legal mind, he reasoned closely, and as a jurist was eminent. He had no superior on the bench. He was fond of history and literature of our language, especially the standard works. He was interesting and alive in conversation, and had much wit and humor."

His wife of 18 years, Margaret Iredell Shipp, survived him 13 years, passing in 1903 at age 70.

Of interest, or perhaps just a footnote to this fine man's life, is the fact that Judge Shipp was the judge who presided over Tom Dula's second trial. Tom Dula being the former Confederate soldier, who was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. The trial and hanging received national publicity from newspapers such as The New York Times, thus turning Dula's story into a folk legend. In subsequent years, a folk song was written (entitled "Tom Dooley", based on the pronunciation in the local dialect), most often remembered by the rendition done by The Kingston Trio recording in 1958.

William Marcus Shipp was born 1819 in Lincoln County, NC, the eldest of 3 known surviving children (1 boy/2 girls) born to attorney & State legislator, Bartlett Shipp and his wife, Susan Forney.

He was the paternal grandson of Thomas Shipp & Hannah Joyce who came to Stokes County, NC from Lunenburg Co, VA ca. 1785; and he is descended from a long line of Shipps in Virginia dating back to the family patriarch, William Shipp (1606-ca. 1667) who came to Lower Norfolk in the Virignian Colonies ca. 1630. On his mother's side, he was the maternal grandson of Peter Forney & Lucy Nancy Abernathy of Stokes County.

William Shipp graduated at the University of North Carolna in 1840, delivering the salutatory address; and was admitted to the bar in 1842. He began the practice of law in the western part of the state.

William first married in about 1852 to Catherine "Kate" L. F. Cameron, daughter of Judge Cameron of Florida. The young attorney settled in Hendersonville, Henderson Co, NC where the couple would become parents to 5 known children: Ann Cameron Shipp (c. 1853), Mary Edmonds Shipp (c. 1855), Catherine Cameron Shipp (1859-1932), Lt. William Ewan Shipp (c. 1861), and Bartlett Shipp (c. 1865).

In Henderson County, Shipp served in the House of Commons, and in 1861, William was elected to represent Henderson County during the Secession vote in May. As North Carolina entered the war, he enlisted as Captain with a volunteer unit raised in Henderson Co, that became part of the NC 16th Infantry.

The 16th NC was sent to Virginia with about 1,200 men, assigned to General W. Hampton's, Pender's, and Scales' Brigade. It served in many battles of the Army of Northern Virginia from Seven Pines to Cold Harbor, was involved in the long Petersburg siege south of the James River, and was active around Appomattox. It had a force of 721 men in April, 1862, lost 33 killed and 199 wounded during the Seven Days' Battles, had 8 killed and 44 wounded at Second Manassas, and suffered 6 killed and 48 wounded at Fredericksburg. The unit reported 105 casualties at Chancellorsville, and of the 321 engaged at Gettysburg, thirty-seven percent were disabled. It surrendered 12 officers and 83 men.

William's service with the 16th NC ended when he was elected Senator of his district and returned to fulfill his duties in North Carolina. In 1866, his wife of 14 years died at age 41. The distraught widower was unable to carry on his duties and raise the children, and they were temporarily sent to live with his mother.

In 1870 he was nominated by the Democratic party for Attorney-General on the ticket with Hon. A. S. Merrimon, candidate for Governor, etc., and was the only Democrat elected. He served from 1870-1873.

On November 6, 1872, the 53-year old took as his second wife, 39-year old Margaret Iredell, daughter of Gov. James Iredell, Jr. The couple would become parents to 2 known children, both daughters: Frances Johnston Shipp (c. 1873), who died in infancy; and Mary Preston Shipp (1875-1969).

Leaving Raleigh after 1873, William practiced law in Charlotte from 1872 to 1881, when he was appointed by Governor Jarvis judge of the Superior Court to succeed Hon. David Schenck. He was re-elected for eight years in 1882.

The Hon. William Marcus Shipp died in 1890 at age 71. He was remembered as a man of wonderful popularity, both as a judge and as a citizen. In the former capacity he was conceded to be one of the finest judges of law known to the State. He was, on all occasions, a modest man. Oftentimes subject to unjust criticism, he always presented the even tenor of his way and in the end he was always vindicated. It was seldom indeed that one of his decisions was reversed. As a judge he ranked amongst the foremost of the State.

As a citizen, Charlotte was proud of him. A genial man, upright in all the walks of his life, both private and public, his death was a loss to the State and was mourned not only by Charlotte, but by every town and hamlet in the State.

One contemporary remarked at the time of his death: "Judge Shipp was one of the best informed lawyers in the State. He had a marked legal mind, he reasoned closely, and as a jurist was eminent. He had no superior on the bench. He was fond of history and literature of our language, especially the standard works. He was interesting and alive in conversation, and had much wit and humor."

His wife of 18 years, Margaret Iredell Shipp, survived him 13 years, passing in 1903 at age 70.

Of interest, or perhaps just a footnote to this fine man's life, is the fact that Judge Shipp was the judge who presided over Tom Dula's second trial. Tom Dula being the former Confederate soldier, who was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. The trial and hanging received national publicity from newspapers such as The New York Times, thus turning Dula's story into a folk legend. In subsequent years, a folk song was written (entitled "Tom Dooley", based on the pronunciation in the local dialect), most often remembered by the rendition done by The Kingston Trio recording in 1958.