Notes for Francis Meeks

Notes for Francis Meeks Our Merged Meeks Families

Notes for Francis Meeks

Francis MEEKS was listed on the Census in Pitt County, NC, in 1783, seemingly recently married and listed as "Francis Hseka Jr.". He was in Bladen County in 1800. Francis apparently married his first cousin, Mary MEEKS, and was living in Glasgow Co., North Carolina, when they sold her inheritance in Pitt County on 27 Mar 1799. However,he moved to Bladen County by the 1800 Census and by 1810 was in Georgia.

Folks HUXFORD, in "Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, and probably quoting family tradition , stated that Francis was a son of William MEEKS, who served in the Revolution in the NC Continental Line. As far as I can tell, this is probably wrong. The only William MEEKS I can identify at this time in the eastern part of the state is the one in Edgecombe County. He appears on a list of "Edgecombe drafts &substitutes" for 1782, age 23. This William, born abt 1 759, cannot very well have been the father of Francis MEEKS, born before 1770. In Edgecombe deeds we find that on 23 Jul 1783 Owen CRAVEY sold to William MEEKS of Edgecombe 100 acres on the county line near Lambs Pond, joining James DUPREE (witnessed by James STOCKDALE and Dennis STOCKDALE). This same tract was sold by William MEEKS of Pitt County to James HEARN of Edgecom be County on 1 Nov 1784 (witnessed by John"X" MEEKS and Sterling DUPREE) . William apparently obtained other land in the same neighborhood, perhaps inherited. William died in Edgecombe County in 1790 and his widow, Sarah, claimed dower in 220 acres joining DUPREE and others. A citation on the reverse of her petition shows "Amos HEARN is appointed Guardian for the use o f James MEEKES the Infant Heir", probably William's only son. I did not find later M EEKS deeds for this land, suggesting that James may have died, his claim passing to a sister and thus out of the family.
The only William on the 1740 Census was a William MEEKS, far to the west, in Surry County. This William, who also seems to have been a Revolutionary Soldier, was probably of German origin and unrelated to the Pitt County family.
-- Source: The Butcher Report - 6/1984 by Jonathan B. Butcher --

Francis was enumerated in Emanuel County, GA, in 1820 and apparently died intestate aroun d 1822. Charles MEEKS was appointed executor of the estate.