Jefferson Davis Shatford was born in Hubbards, on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, in 1862. As a teenager, he left Hubbards and began a successful career that included the establishment of Shatford Oil Company. In his later years, Mr. Shatford based his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he died on September 5, 1955. J.D. Shatford was returned to his Hubbards home where he was buried in Pine Hill Cemetery.
His will directed that "a granite block monument be erected at my grave inscribed only with my name, date of birth and date of death." J.D. Shatford's last will and testament, after providing bequests to family members and others, provided that:
a) My said Trustees shall use such an amount thereof as may be necessary in their absolute discretion, but not to exceed the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) to construct and install, as a memorial to Jefferson D. Davis, Florence Lesley Shatford, Ellen Mathilda Shatford and John Edward Shatford, a set of chimes in the old Protestant Episcopal Church at my birthplace, Hubbards, Halifax County, Nova Scotia. I prefer that such chimes be installed to ring automatically, if possible, and in this event, they shall be rung daily at twelve o'clock noon and six o'clock in the evening. b) Any balance remaining, I direct my said Trustees to use, as herein provided, for the benefit of the people of Hubbards community, Halifax County, Nova Scotia, as a memorial to my mother, Ellen Mathilda Shatford, my father, John Edward Shatford, Florence Lesley Shatford and myself. The net income and principal of said fund shall be used by my said Trustees exclusively for religious, charitable or educational purposes including the proper care and necessary attention for the poor and indigent who are unable to care for themselves, the crippled and the blind or others suffering from misfortune and otherwise for the benefit of the people in the territory described or for the benefit of the community. |
Mr. Shatford directed that his will and the dispositions of his property were to be construed and regulated by the laws of the State of New York and accordingly, directed that the validity and effect of such dispositions would be determined by such laws. At the Chambers of Surrogate Court, held in and for the County of New York, at the Hall of Records in the County of New York on March 19, 1957, The Honorable S. Samuel DiFalco, Surrogate determined the geographic boundaries within which the J.D. Shatford Memorial Trust is permitted to assist residents and organizations through charitable and educational grants.
The J.D. Shatford Memorial Trust is a private foundation exempt from U.S. federal income taxation under Section 501(C)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The J.D. Shatford Memorial Trust is administered by its Trustee, the JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., through JPMorgan Philanthropic Services, New York, New York. The local advisors who serve on the Trust's Advisory Committee are Andy Hare and Dr. Jim MacLean.
