Surname Saturday: Shriver, Schreiver, Shrivour, Schreiber

Another one of my difficult German surnames is SHRIVER, also spelled numerous other ways in records, but originally in German SCHREIBER.   This family has been the focus of much of my research time, lately.

I am descended from LAWRENCE SHRIVER (LORENTZ SCHREIBER) Sr b abt 1692 Essenheim, Palatinate, Germany, who migrated to Anne Arundel Co MD sometime after 1730. He married 1) URSULA ROTHENBUCHER on Nov 10, 1710 in Essenheim, Germany, several years before the family immigrated; and 2nd) MARY unknown as per his 1772 will.

My line is through his son JACOB SHRIVER b abt 1720-1730 in Essenheim, Germany. This family was the subject of a self-published book A History of the Shriver Family, with particular reference to JACOB SHRIVER and son LEWIS SHRIVER by Harry C. Shriver, which provides a good base for research, but leaves a lot of questions unanswered.  

Of all the families I have researched, this one has generated some of the most bizarre theories & wild speculation, mostly concerning the descendants of LAWRENCE SHRIVER Sr,  whose will was dated 1772 in Anne Arundel Co MD. In the will, LAWRENCE listed his children (all born 1710-1730) as:

--FREDERICK (Frederick William) SHRIVER
--LAWRENCE Jr SHRIVER
--LEWIS (Louis) SHRIVER
--JOHN SHRIVER
--ELIZABETH SHRIVER married JACOB MILLER
--HENRY SHRIVER
--MARY SHRIVER married RICHARD ROBOSSON
--MAGDALENA (Madllenor) SHRIVER married WILLIAM CROMWELL (still researching this marriage)
--CATHERINE (Cathereen) SHRIVER married WILLIAM SIBELLONS/SIPLE
--CHRISTINA (Christennor) SHRIVER who married SAMUEL SANTOR (Sanders) and was left one shilling, no more;
--CORNELIUS SHRIVER--executor
--and  "my poor broken-back'd son JACOB SHRIVER, to have two shares to all the Rest".

Well. Apparently the "two shares to all the rest" did not sit well with all the rest of the siblings, because according to court records from Anne Arundel Co MD, the estate of LAWRENCE SHRIVER Sr was not actually distributed by CORNELIUS SHRIVER, the executor of the will,  until 1796. Since JACOB SHRIVER died in 1794, as per his own will, he likely did not ever receive his two shares, nor did his children. I am guessing that the estate was intentionally tied up in the courts for over twenty years!

The persons to which the estate of LAWRENCE SHRIVER Sr of Anne Arundel MD was distributed in 1796 were:
--FREDERICK SHRIVER
--LAWRENCE SHRIVER Jr
--SAMUEL SANDERS (Santor) who married CHRISTINA SHRIVER
--WILLIAM SIBELLONS (Siple?) who married CATHERINE SHRIVER
--WILLIAM CROMWELL who married (?) MAGDALENA SHRIVER
--LEWIS SHRIVER
--CORNELIUS SHRIVER

Clearly, by the time the estate was distributed, siblings HENRY SHRIVER, JOHN SHRIVER, JACOB SHRIVER d 1794, MARY SHRIVER who married RICHARD ROBOSSON, and ELIZABETH SHRIVER who married JACOB MILLER had all died or relinquished their claim on the estate.

 The 1794 Anne Arundel Co MD will of JACOB SHRIVER shows that he left his own estate to his children:

--FREDERICK (Frederick William) SHRIVER b Feb 8, 1744; died Feb 27 1820, buried St John's Lutheran Church, Creagerstown, Frederick Co MD; married 1st) MARIA ELISABETH BEIRLE, and 2nd) to ELIZABETH SEESMAN
--LAWRENCE SHRIVER
--LEWIS SHRIVER b abt 1750  who married MARY SHEETS; died July 11, 1815 Cumberland, Adams Co PA
--HENRY SHRIVER
--ELIZABETH SHRIVER who married JESSE MILLER
--Will also mentioned  SAMUEL SANTOR (Sanders) who married CHRISTINA SHRIVER
--Will witnessed by Mrs J. E. Rowland

The big confusion here is that the names of the children of JACOB SHRIVER who died 1794 Anne Arundel Co MD  match the names of the children of LAWRENCE SHRIVER Sr who died 1772 Anne Arundel Co MD.  Plus JACOB mentioned CHRISTINA SHRIVER & SAMUEL SANTOR/SANDERS in his will. Plus daughter ELIZABETH married a MILLER.

I have had researchers contact me postulating (insisting, really) that JACOB SHRIVER who died 1794 Anne Arundel Co MD never married or  had any children, and simply left everything to his siblings.

The proponents of this theory are, I believe, quite mistaken.  In the 1790 Anne Arundel Co MD census, just a few years before his death, JACOB SHRIVER is listed as head of household with two males under twenty still in the household and 3 slaves.

Also on the transcription of JACOB's 1794 will, FREDERICK, LAWRENCE, LEWIS, HENRY & ELIZABETH are all listed as his children. If they were not his children, why were they listed as such? Not to mention that they were much younger than the previous folks with the same names --many of whom were born in Essenheim, Germany, and married different people!

 I have not seen an original copy of this will, but I think finding it would help to dispel the wild claims.

If anyone seeing this has more documentation on this family, I would appreciate a response!

Another wild theory has to do with HENRY SHRIVER, son of JACOB who died 1794,  and a name change --to HENRY CLARK--in West Virginia. But I'll save that for another time.

As always, your comments appreciated. Have a great day!

Betty