Week 50: 52 Ancestor 52 Week Blog: Rolling on into my Meadows…

Week 50: December 13, 2014

Rolling on into my Meadows…

Week 50 – Wow where did the weeks go? I don’t know if I really believed I would go this far, but I’m still here with only two weeks left in this challenge. It has been a struggle this year, between work, weekly research and writing, and that NaNoWriMo November novel writing challenge that roped me in – which really stressed me, but I still managed to still stay on track.

Meadows is an English surname, coming from the Old English words – ‘maed’ and ‘maedwe’ which refers to a grassy area, a meadow. The spelling variations are many for Meadows – including Meadow, Meddows, Medows, Medors, Medowes, Medus, Medis, Meadowes, Meadus and Meddus. In England the earliest Meadows families lived in Suffolk and eventually spread over into all of England and parts of Wales. It has been noted that the areas with the greatest Meadows populations was the city of London, Northamptonshire, Suffolk and Lancashire. In Scotland the Orkney Islands to the east of the country also have many Meadows families living there. Within the United States the Meadows families seem to have originated in Virginia and spread out to Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Missouri and Kentucky. The Bermuda Hundred in Virginia is the earliest Virginia location I’ve found my Daniel Meadows mentioned.

As I began my Meadows research. I discovered much well documented information through the work of Michal M. Farmer: The site is quite extensive and many thanks go to Michal on her early research. http://michalfarmer.com/index.html I was able to follow my lines there to verify what I already knew and add in other information I discovered through Ancestry.

Daniel Meadows was born abt. 1685, possibly in Virginia and married Jane (unk); he died April 7, 1755 in Granville, County, North Carolina. It seems he was found lying dead several yards from his house; the coroner, James Paine, reported him dying of natural causes at the inquest which also included the names of Silvanus Stanton, Mary Medows, and Thos. Morris – their connection to Daniel is not known.

We can assume that Daniel moved to Prince George between 1704 – 1712 as there were no Meadows listed in the 1704 Rent Rolls; Daniel was the only Meadows listed in Prince George County, Virginia. Through the research of another family history, I found Daniel listed as a tailor in 1712 in the Bermuda Hundred; I have not proved that as of yet, but decided to include it here as speculation for more research at a later date.

The Bermuda Hundred was the first incorporated town in the English colony of Virginia; it was founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1613, just six years after Jamestown. It was a port shipping town for many years but now instead a small community in the southeastern portion of Chesterfield, VA.

Can you imagine traveling like this? Great Wagon Road: Courtesy of the North Carolina Digital Archives.

Most of these migrants left to settle further westward of the Tidewater, finally following the Great Wagon Road in North Carolina, and the Wilderness Road which led them even further west.

The first deed recorded was when Daniel bought 50 acres in Prince George County, VA. in 1712; In 1717 he bought another 100 acres adjoining. This land was situated near Blackwater Swamp, about seven miles southeast of Petersburg, Virginia. Daniel and Jane began their  family in Virginia before moving back to  Granville County, N.C. about 1752.

We know he was in Bristol Parish, Prince George, VA. in 1740 as son, Isham Meadows, birth and baptism was recorded in the Parish books.

Children of Daniel and Jane Meadows:

1. James Meadows, born circa 1730, died after 1812; married Ellenor Shearman.
2. John Meadows married Hannah (unk); will made Nov. 10, 1773 Bute Co., N.C.
   

   Prince George, Virginia

3. Daniel Meadows, was a sworn chain carrier in 1761 in Granville Co., N.C. Lived in same household as Isham when they paid taxes in 1762 in Baptist Dist., Granville Co., N.C.
4. William Meadows born circa 1739/40 sold land in Granville by 1767 and moved to Caswell Co., N.C.
5. Isham Meadows, born Feb. 16, 1740 and baptized on Jan. 3, 1741 in Bristol Parish, Prince George, VA. He died April 4, 1829 in Harris Co., GA. at age 89. (He became an orphan at age 15 years on Feb. 16, 1755 when his father died; he was bound to Colonel William Person to learn the cooper’s trade (barrel-maker) and to give him two years of schooling.) Did he go to N.C. with Colonel William Person – maybe that is why he married there, but eventually he found his way into Georgia.
   

   Isham Meadows Birth and Christening at Bristol Parish, Prince George, Virginia

Granville co., N.C.

Isham married first to possibly Frances Goode in Warren Co., N.C. in 1764; she was named daughter in will of a William Acree (1730-1796) in Wilkes Co., GA.; his second wife’s name has not been proven, but we believe his second wife was the daughter of a John Coggin, as his son Daniel Meadows named a son, John Coggin Meadows. Not knowing when he remarried, it is hard to tell which children went with what mother, but possibly Daniel was the son of the second wife and she may have been the daughter of a John Coggin – as I noted above. Isham was a sworn chain carrier with a John Coggin and also I found mention of a John Coggin Sr. paying taxes around same time of 1762 in Granville Co., N.C.

Children of Isham and (unk) Meadows:

1. John Meadows (born between 1763 and 1770)
2. Isham Meadows (born between 1763 and 1770)
3. James Meadows (born between 1763 and 1770)
4. William Meadows (born abt. 1778) Bute Co., N.C.
5. Daniel Meadows born Mar. 1, 1779 Bute/Warren Co., N.C., died Dec. 28, 1875 Coweta Co., GA., marr. Ann Thompson (1782-1873) The obit of Daniel Meadows published in the Hawksinsville Dispatch, Sept. 7, 1876 “Another Veteran of the War of 1812 has fallen. He was 96 years, 10 months, and 28 days old. He lived in N.C. 19 years, Taliaferro Co., GA. 39 years and in Coweta Co., GA. 39 years. He died in the latter county. He never had a doctor visit him in his life, never owned a time piece, nor bought a box of matches; never was sued nor left a debt unpaid, but always tried to help the preacher and the poor.”
6. Edward Meadows (abt. 1783) Warren Co., N.C., marr. Rebecca Thompson in 1815 Greene Co., GA. Edwards died 1869 Taliaferro Co., Ga.

When Isham Meadows moved from Warren Co., N.C. to Stephens Creek in Wilkes Co., Georgia in 1798, it was son William who moved with his father. William and Isham paid taxes in 1800 and 1801 in Wilkes Co., although he owned no land at that time. By 1802 county lines changed and the Meadows were now living in Greene Co., Georgia. (Warren Co. created in 1793)

1820 Greene Co., Georgia – William Meadows

William Meadows and Serena Kittrell/Kettrell – Nov. 30, 1823 Warren Co., GA.

William Meadows, born circa 1778 in Bute Co., North Carolina. He married first to wife unknown, married second to Serena Kittrell/Kettrell (b. S.C.) on November 30, 1823 in Warren Co., Georgia. Serena was born circa 1796 and died after April 24, 1873 in Taliaferro Co., Georgia. Her first name is also found listed with several variations from Serena to Cerena and Cyrene. I found her living with daughter Martha in 1870 census. (Marriage record found in Warren Co., Ga. marriage records; very hard to read the last name and along with others, we have concluded the spelling to be one or the other. I searched Warren Co., Georgia for families and found families using both the spelling of Kettrell and Kittrell – so at this point I’m hitting a brick wall on finding her parents or concluding the correct spelling; I do find more of the name spelling of Kittrell in South Carolina. Maybe one day I will find a written version of their marriage license to conclude the correct spelling, but as of now – it’s a coin toss.

Deed Book F., Taliaferro Co., Ga., pg. 367 lists Serene Meadows to daughter, Martha E. Meadows (Lunceford) all her estate. Wit: James B. Campbell, Silas M. Meadows (Silas M. Meadows lived next door to them and was Serena’s nephew, son of William’s brother Edward Meadows.)

In 1805 William Meadows registered for the Georgia Land Lottery in Greene County. By 1825 William was paying taxes on 148 acres of land on Stephens Creek and once again county lines changed and the Meadows were now living on those same acres of land in Taliaferro County, Georgia. You may often think your ancestors are moving around, but it’s actually the county lines changing that places them in a new county. Taliaferro County was created in 1825 from Greene, Hancock, Oglethorpe, Warren and Wilkes County, Georgia.

William was in the 1840 Greene Co. census and later after marrying, he and Serena were listed in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census in Taliaferro Co., Georgia.

Children of William and Serena (unk) Meadows: I assume the first four children were by the first marriage.

1. Wilie (Wiley) Meadows born circa 1807 Greene Co., GA., died bef. 1853; married Mary Allen on Jan. 22, 1828 Waliaferro Co., Ga.
2. Elijah Meadows b. circa 1813 Greene Co., Ga; married Delilah Greeson Feb. 16, 1836.
3. Susan Meadows b. circa 1818 Greene Co., GA. died after 1870 Taliaferro Co., GA.
4. Lucinda Meadows b. circa 1820, marr. April 14, 1841 to James Saxon; Lucinda and her children lived with father William in 1850 census.
5. James Meadows mar. July 19, 1829 to Elizabeth Allen; prob. Sister of Mary Allen.
6. Edward L. Meadows, died bef. 1870; married Louisa Hodge Feb. 1851, Taliaferro Co. GA.
7. William Meadows, b. circa 1828 Taliaferro Co., GA.; marr. Mary Baker; died 1860
8. Calvert Meadows b. circa 1831 Taliaferro Co., GA.
9. Martha A. Meadows b. circa 1834 Taliaferro Co., GA.
10. Narcissa Meadows circa 1838, Taliaferro Co., GA.; married Joseph T. Sharp Dec. 9, 1858 in Taliaferro Co., GA; They lived in Taliaferro Co., Ga. in 1860

My Meadows line continues through Narcissa Meadows and Joseph T. Sharp, which I have written on previously in week stories posted below:

Week No. 34:   Narcissa Meadows – daughter of William and Serena Meadows: https://jinsalacoblog.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/week-34-august-23-2014-52-ancestor-52-week-blog-narcissa-c-meadows-sharp/

Week No. 3:   Joseph T. Sharp – husband of Narcissa Meadows: https://jinsalacoblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/week-3-jan-18-2014/

Week No. 41: Rosa L. Sharp – daughter of Narcissa Meadows Sharp:  https://jinsalacoblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/week-41-october-13-2014-52-ancestor-52-week-blog-rosa-l-sharp-sharpe-mckinley-1869-1902/comment-page-1/