REGINALD L. SHELBY was born in Lyon County, Ky., July 23, 1861, and is a son of Clark M. and Helen (Lyon) Shelby. The father was born in Montgomery County, Tenn.; the mother was a sister of Gen. H. B. Lyon, whose sketch is given elsewhere. The founder of the Shelby family in America was a Welshman, who immigrated to America about 1740, and settled in Maryland. He had two sons, the younger—Evan Shelby—the progenitor of our subject's family, was a captain in the English army during the French and Indian war of 1754; was later captain in the Provincial army, which reduced Fort DuQuesne, now Pittsburgh, in 1758. In 1772, he went West, and in 1774, commanded a company under Lewis and Dunmore against the Indians in the Scioto River country; was in the sanguinary battle of October 10, 1774, at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, and near the close of the action became commanding officer; in 1776, was made a major, under Col. Christian, against the Cherokees, and in 1779, led a strong expedition against the Indians on the Tennessee River, destroying their town, etc., at the precise period of Clark's victory at Vincennes. He (Evan Shelby) was father of three sons: Isaac, Evan and John. The eldest son, Isaac, was a colonel in the American army during the war of Independence; was twice governor of Kentucky and declined the offer of secretary of war in Monroe' s cabinet. Evan Shelby settled in Montgomery County, Tenn., and his son John, was one of the commissioners that laid out the counties of Tennessee, one of which is named after him. John's son, Clark M., the father of Reginald L. (our subject) came to Kentucky in 1847, when a young man, from Stewart County, Tenn., where he had been extensively engaged in the manufacture of iron, but upon coming to Lyon County, located in Eddyville and bought a large plantation, having brought with him a large number of slaves, which he lost during the war. He then sold his place and bought a beautiful fertile tract of land consisting of 1,000 acres in the Fredonia Valley, with a large, fine residence and surrounding lawn tastefully kept. Mr. Shelby was a polished, scholarly gentleman, who shunned public life and found his greatest pleasure with his family and well stocked library. His death occurred October 5, 1871. His widow survived until October 20, 1875. They were parents of nine children, only four of whom are now living: Maud, now wife of J. G. Leech, of Caldwell County; Helen M., wife of M. C. Marshall, of Kuttawa, Ky., whose sketch is published elsewhere, Reginald L., and May L., a highly cultured lady, residing on the homestead with her brother, Reginald L., who bought the homestead and manages the large plantation; he is doing an extensive tobacco and mercantile business aside from his farm interests. October 13, 1881, he was united in marriage with Nannie Marshall of Evansville, Ind. They are blessed with two children; Eveline and Alford.
Source: J. H. Battle, W. H. Perrin, & G. C. Kniffin. Kentucky. A History of the State. Louisville, KY, Chicago, IL: Battey, 1885. Pages 863-864.