Notes for John Meeks
Our Merged Meeks Families



Notes for John Meeks


John MEEKS, Sr. likely was born sometime around 1710, probably inMaryland. He came to wha t was then Beaufort Co., North Carolina, (from which Pitt was created) by 1747, and on the 175 5 tax we find'Jno. MEEKS & son' for two white polls (males over 16). John was not,howev er , the first of the family there. He was either a son ofbrother of James MEEKS (in an y case , heir), who on 6 Dec 1747purchased for 40 pds. from Joseph BARROW of Beaufort 100 ac res o n the east side of Coneto Creek at Thomas LITTLE's line (witnessed byLettenonwood SMARK (sic ) , John AVERETT, John MEEKS). James must havesoon died, although no probate record s urvive s , for on 1 Mar 1757,John MEEKS of Beaufort sold this same tract for 12 pds. to Rober tGRAV E S (witnessed by Thomas ATKINSON, Edwd. COBB, James EDWARDS).
On 5 Mar 1761, John MEEKS received a grant from Lord GRANVILLE for542 acres on Grindal Poc osin, joining Edward COLLINS and DavidHATAWAY, for which he signed by mark. This was sur v e yed for him on22 Apr 1756, the chain carriers being John CHURCH and Samuel HICKS.Surviv i n g Pitt Co. taxes of 1762-1764 then show households ofFrancis, Thomas, Walter, James MEEK S , and John MEEKS, Constable, withNathan MEEKS at home. John apparently sold some of his l a nd i n thefirst Pitt Deed book which is lost. We then find a series of latersales, most a p paren tly to his sons, although relationships are notspecifically given. First, on 28 De c 1 762 Jo hn MEEKS sold to JohnDRAKE of Southampton Co., Virginia, 100 acres joining David H ATAWAY. On 24 Nov 1762, John MEEKS, Sr sold to John MEEKS, Jr. 100 acres and on15 Jan 176 4 h e sold 5 0 acres to Walter MEEKS, joining WilliamWRIGHT. Next, on 24 Jan 1768, John MEEK S , Sr. sold 100 acres toFrancis MEEKS (witnessed by Nathan MEEKS), and finally, on 22 Jan177 2, John s old to James MEEKS 100 acres joining Francis and Walter.John Sr. probably died no t long after this.
Finally, a note on the family's origin. John MEEKS, Sr. was a son or brother of James ME E KS, of Beaufort Co, NC. These two do not seemto have been directly related to any of the MEEKS families inVirginia. Instead, from the coincidence of names (Walter, James, Franci s , Robert), it seems highly likely that they derive from a MEEKS family early in northeastern Maryland. One Walter MEEKS made a will in Cecil Co., Maryland on 8 Oct 1687, proven 7 Aug 1688 , naming wife Sarah, son James, minor sons Walter, Francis, and Robert, anddaughter s Sara h RANDALL and Eliza MEEKS. The sons next seem to befound in adjacent Kent County, Maryland . Maryland Marriages showsthat Walter MEEKS married in Kent County on 27 Mar 1700 t o Jane R EED, and Francis MEEKS married in Kent County on 3 Jan 1704 to MarySMITH. The will of a Rober t MEEKS was probated in Kent County in1772."

-- Source: The Buther Report - 6/1984 by Jonathan B. Butcher --

Note: Jonathan B. Butcher of Cary, NC, was a professional genealogist hired around 1984 to determine the ancestors of Allen Meeks - hired by one of Allen's gg-granddaughters, Gladys M. Vindal of Asheville, NC.
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