Family:Thomas Meadors and Elizabeth (1)

Problems with Reportage of Thomas and Elizabeth's Marriage

Reportage of Thomas’ marriage to Elizabeth is highly confused and essentially undocumented. Her family name is alternately given as Todd or Martin.^[1][2][3][4] The family name of Todd seems to come from some descendants, although without explanation; while the family name of Martin seems to be based on a recorded marriage by Jesse Fears of a Thomas Meador and Elizabeth Martin in Franklin County, Virginia on 16 October 1794.^[6] That Thomas, however, is not necessarily this Thomas.

Thomas’ family had lived in Bedford County, Virginia (parent county of Franklin) at one time but had moved to South Carolina probably before Thomas was born. Several other Meadows/Meadors families did live in Franklin County in the 1780s and 1790s, however. One, probably two of those families were cousins of Thomas' father, and their children were marrying in Franklin County in the 1790s, including the marriage of Meley Meadow (probably Milla Meadows) to John Martin (surety by Jesse Fears).^[6] It is just as likely, if not more so, that the Thomas Meadows who married Elizabeth Martin belonged to one of the Franklin County, Virginia, Meadows/Meadors families, not all of whom have been traced.

Given that Thomas likely grew up in South Carolina, whether or not he was born there, it would not be surprising if he also married there. However, South Carolina marriages did not have to be recorded until the early 20th century and a marriage record, as such, for Thomas may not exist. The use of the Franklin County, Virginia marriage record may be no more than an attempt to find any record with similar names without verifying that it is the correct record. Until reliable evidence is available regarding Elizabeth's family name, it is probably better left as "unknown", and the date of the marriage estimated based on the ages of the children.

1. ↑ Ancestral File.

   Thomas Meadors (PCWI-TP) b. 1771, Anson, NC, m. Elizabeth Martin, b. ca. 1775, prob. Anson, NC

2. ↑ Ancestral File.

   Thomas Meador (Meadows) Jr (5Q3R-X0) b. ca 1765-1775, prob. Cheraws, SC; m. Elizabeth Todd (b. 1779, NC)

3. ↑ "Meadows Update, Knox Co., KY", by R. M. "Russ" Meadors, in Knox County Genealogical Society (Louisville, Kentucky). Knox County, Kentucky kinfolk. (Louisville, Kentucky: Knox County Genealogical Society [Kentucky], 1977?]-)
   Vol. 10, p. 8 .

   Thomas Meadows, and Keziah Moberly Children:
   4. Thomas, b. 1771, NC, d. 1818, Whitley Co., KY, m. Elizabeth Todd (b. 27 Sep 1779 in N.C., d. 18 Apr 1861, buried Old Jellico Cemetery.

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Colleen Wilburn, 11 Dec 1999, in Meadows Family email.

   Thomas Jefferson Meadows and Elizabeth "Betsey" Martin m: October 16, 1794 Franklin Co., VA

5. ↑ .

   Hieronymus, Goldie Smith. Descendants of Nathaniel Smith, Knox-Whitley County, Kentucky
   pp. 83-86
   Thomas Meadows, Jr., b. NC, d. bef Jul 1829
   m. Elizabeth, who is buried in Old Jellico Creek Cemetery, Whitley County, KY
   Children of Thomas and Elizabeth Meadows/Meadors
   Tarvie,
   Elizabeth “Betsey –b. 23 Sept 1790, SC
   Thomas Mobley, b. ca 1794 – b. ca 1794
   Mary “Polly” – b. 1795, SC
   William Troy – b. 11 May 1803 NC
   Sarah “Sally” – b. ca 1805
   Pleasant – b. 1806
   Nancy – b. ca 1807
   Darcus – m. 9 May 1826
   Harrison W. – b. ca 1812
   Jemima – m. 11 Jul 1829, Whitley
   Jane S. – m. Andrew Jackson Hughes

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 Marriages of Franklin County, Virginia, in Nunnally, Perkins. Marriages of the Virginia Meadors/Meadows, ca. 1735-1955: also a number of related marriages in other states. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1982)
   p. 11 & ff.

   Sources used: Franklin County Marriage Records, "Over the Mountain Men" Wingfield's Marriage Records, Family and Cemetery records.

7. ↑ Mary Meadors is the oldest child of Thomas and Elizabeth for whom a birth date is given. Thomas and Elizabeth did have another daughter, "Tarvie", who died relatively early and who may have been older than Mary.
8.   See also: Carolina Meadors in Census 1790-1820