Martha Shapard was born about 1808, probably in Caswell County, NC, the daughter of Lewis Shapard and Martha Paine. She married Joshua Wilson McCown 28 April 1828 in Columbia, Maury County, TN.

The young McCown family lived in Williamson County, TN only for about one year before they moved to New Orleans, and they stayed there only about one year, before returning to Williamson County, TN. In 1832 the young couple moved to adjacent Rutherford County. In early 1837 the family moved again, this time to Texas, and eventually settled in Washington County near Martha’s brother, Thomas Paine Shapard.

By late 1852 the McCown family had moved again, this time to Houston, and there Martha (Shapard) McCown died in 1853:

“Martha McCown, nee Shapard, w/o J. W. McCown, died Houston, Texas, Feb 23, 1853.” [March 17, 1853 edition of the Louisville and Nashville Christian Advocate, p. 32.]

Martha and one of her young sons who died in July of the same year were probably victims of the repeated and frequent epidemics of yellow fever or cholera. During these epidemics so many people died that the city officials had to arrange for their burial in mass graves. But if Joshua McCown was not forced to bury his beloved wife in a mass grave, then he probably buried her in one of the earliest cemeteries in Houston – the Masonic Cemetery – which is now defunct (Joshua was a Mason). Most of the graves were thought to have been moved from this cemetery to another cemetery in the early 1900s, but as recently as 1992 one grave was found in the old cemetery, and in 2013 two more graves were found (i.e., not all the remains were moved).

Joshua and Martha (Shapard) McCown were the parents of 16 children, six of whom died in childhood:
1. William B. McCown; b. 13 Mar 1829; d. 13 Mar 1830 in New Orleans
2. Joshua Wilson McCown, Jr.; b. 8 Jul 1830; d. 18 Jul 1894; m. (1) Margaret Chalmer, 7 Oct 1852, (2) Susan Turnham 9 May 1854
3. Alexander McCown; b. 14 Jan 1831; d. 28 Nov 1844
4. Marjorie/Margery McCown; b. 19 Dec 1832 in Tenn.; d. 13 Dec 1891 in Round Rock, Tex.; m. William D. Herrick 26 Mar 1864 in Washington County
5. Thomas Paine Shapard (T.P.S.) McCown; b. 6 Feb 1834; d. 10 Jul 1914 in Whitney, Tex.; m. (1) Hattie Alice Whitfield, (2) Mary Ruth Darden on 4 Jul 1878 in Washington Co., Tex.
6. Mary Eliza McCown; b 17 Feb 1835; d. 1895 in Hillsboro, TX; m. James Harvey Littlefield 24 Sept 1853
7. James McCown; b. 3 Apr 1836; d. 22 Jun 1917; m. (1) Martha Wall Texana Gathings 25 Apr 1872, (2) Emma Davis Gathings 19 Jul 1874
8. Sophia Athelia McCown; b. 8 May 1837; d. 16 May 1877 in Rockdale, TX; m. Solon Joynes in 1872
9. Robert McCown; b. 5 Sep 1839; d. 13 Jul 1845
10. Martha Ann McCown; b. 5 Jan 1840; d. 7 Apr 1915; m. James Burger
11. Jane McCown; b. 19 Jul 1841; ; d. 27 Jul 1927 in Hill Co., Tex.; m. William G. Bunger 29 Oct 1868 in Brazos County
12. Samuel Houston McCown; b. 23 Oct 1842; d. 14 Nov 1844
13. Jerome Robertson McCown; b. 23 Mar 1844; d. 28 Apr 1857
14. Robert Alexander McCown; b. 10 Dec 1847; d. Jul 1853 in Houston
15. Frances New McCown; b. 10 Jul 1850; d. 30 Dec 1909; m. Alfred Andrew Burke 9 Jun 1870 in Brazos County
16. Susan Rebecca McCown; b. 19 Jun 1851; d. 1876; m. J. C. Wilborne 9 Jun 1870 in Brazos County