Complex sentence: In 1813 the house was purchased by merchant Major Samuel Hutchinson, the adopted son of General Amos Shepard, a prominent figure in the commercial, political and military affairs of the period.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1813 the house was purchased by merchant Major Samuel Hutchinson the adopted son of General Amos Shepard. General Shepard was a prominent figure in the commercial, political and military affairs of the period.