Person:Jason Meador (8)

Biography

Jason Meador was born between 1704 and 1707 in Essex County, Virginia, the son of John Meador and his second wife. He was probably the twin of Job.^[5][4][6] He is named in his father's will, which states:

Item I give to my son Jonas Meador, a small piece of land joining upon Thomas Evinses land and running up to the church that goes from my house , then up a long? road a small course till it comes to the forks of the branch to where it begins and from the forks to ye first beginning. And the rest of my land I give to my other four sons, to be equally divided with all my houses and orchards thereon belonging and I do appoint my two sons Job and Jason my lawful executors

Item I give to my son Joshua Meador one chest to be apprasied and the rest of my estate to be equally divided among my children and leave my two youngest sons to be age at 17. I do leave my son Jonas Meador to look after them 3 years.

. . . .Witness my hand and seal Oct 17, 1721. (Signed) John Meador seal^[5]

Jason married Elizabeth, the daughter of William and Ann Stone, between 1729 and 1730, based on the estimated dates of birth of their oldest son, Lewis.

Jason and Elizabeth had at least six children, four boys and two girls: Lewis, Jason [Jr], Job, Thomas, Drucilla, and Mariah. (Meador and Meador^[5] state that Jason and Elizabeth had three daughters, and include "Zilphia", husband of Thomas Rushing (p. 111). They do not give any sources. However, "Zilphia" does not appear in Jason's will, and more recent research has raised questions about her parentage. (See her page.))

Jason followed his brother Jonas into Caroline County, where he purchased property in 1739. In 1743, Jonas and brother Jason were indicted by the Caroline County Grand Jury for not attending St. Margaret's, the local Anglican parish church, and fined 5 shillings or 50 pounds of tobacco each. The men stated they were Quakers, and the charges were dismissed. Being a Quaker, Jason refused to bear arms and was fined. Some of his property was seized to pay the fine, and he was then denied the use of his horse for one year. In 1745, Jason was chosen by Elizabeth Turner as her guardian, and in 1747 Jason helped Jonas in the clearing of a road.^[5]

Jason moved on, to Amelia County, where he received a land patent for 551 acres on 12 January 1747. By 1750, Jason was in Lunenburg County, where he appears on the tax lists. Selling his land in Amelia County, he purchased property in Lunenburg, another 500 acres, in two separate purchases.^[5][1]

One of Jason's neighbours in Lunenburg County was Edward Moberly.^[1] Jason's four sons all married daughters of Edward Moberly, and one of Jason's daughters married a son of Edward.

Sometime in the 1760s, both the Meador and Moberly families moved, yet again. Jason, in particular, moved to Anson county, North Carolina, where Jason and his sons Lewis, Jason [Jr] and Job, received land grants in 1769 and 1770.^[6][5] Jason, by this time, was in his early to mid-60s.

Jason, now aged about 70, wrote or at least signed his will on 23 March 1774.^[8] He begins, in his will, by saying:

"I, Jason Meador of the County of Anson in the province of North Carolina being in perfect sence & memory Thanks be to the Almighty God for the same but Calling to mind the Certainty of Death & Uncertainty of life . . . ."

He might have been old, but was neither sick nor senile. His will goes on to say:

I give unto my beloved wife Elizabeth the plantation as I now possess and all other my substance During her natural life & at her Decease it is my will that the said plantation & Tract of land Decend unto my children. . . .

I give unto my Eldest son Lewis five shillings sterling & also Drucilla Mariah and Thomas one Shilling Sterling each.

Item it is my Will that at the decease of my wife Elizabeth that my plantation and Land and other substance be equally Divided amongst several Children herein named Lewis Jason Job and Mariah to them & their heirs and assigns forever

Lastly I do constitute and appoint my Beloved wife Elizabeth my son Lewis & Jobe sole Executors of this my last Will & Testament. . . .

Witnesses included Job and Jason Meadors.

When Jason actually died is unclear. His memorial on Find A Grave^[7] says that he died in 1776. There is no supporting documentation.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Hill, George Anderson. Hill & Hill-Moberly connections of Fairfield County, South Carolina. (Ponca City, Oklahoma: Hill, c1961)
   pp. 235-6, 272.

   pp. 235-6
   On tax lists for the area "From Goose Creek to the Extent of the County Upwards." (Quoted from original in Hill.) Only a portion of this area, that located between Goose Creek and the Roanoke River, is in what is now Bedford County, Virginia. Bedford County was created in 1754, and includes the area where the Meadows and Mobberley families lived.
   p. 272 -
   Full transcription of will
   
   Note: Jason and family were not on tax list for 1749. In 1750 Lewis and Jason Jr. were listed with their father, implying that they were living in the same household with him and between the ages of 16 and 21. In 1752, Jason Jr. does not appear, while Joel and Lewis appear living separately, and Job is listed with his father Jason.
   There is also a Wm. Stone, with Robt Irons, Wm Stone Jr., and Euseibus Stone on the same list in 1750, with Wm. Stone, Wm Stone Jr. and Robert Irons appearing separately on the 1752 list. Several Mobberley families are also on the same list for both years, as well as earlier.

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} CREEKMORE-L Archives DeeDee Shackelford, 9 Jan 2001, Will of Jason Meadows, in RootsWeb Archiver
   accessed 17 Aug 2014.

   Land Grants in Anson County N.C. for Jason Meadors Sr, Lewis Meadors, Jason Meadors Jr, and Job Meadors are dated 1769 and 1770 (Ref; The late Alfred Walker of Corbin, KY)
   ------------------------
   Will Book, pg 16, Anson County, N.C.
   Will of Jason Meador:
   . . . .
   I give & bequeath in premise I give unto my beloved wife Elizabeth the plantation as I now possess and all other my substance During her natural life & at her Decease it is my will that the said plantation & Tract of land Decend unto my children. . . .
   I give unto my Eldest son Lewis five shillings sterling & also Duama [sic - should be Drucilla] Marion and Thomas one Shilling Sterling each.
   Item it is my Will that at the decease of my wife Elizabeth that my plantation and Land and other substance be equally Divided amongst several Children herein named
   Lewis Jason Job and Mariah to them & their heirs and assigns forever
   Lastly I do constitute and appoint my Beloved wife Elizabeth my son Lewis &
   Jobe sole Executors of this my last Will & Testament. . . .
   Witness my hand & seal this Twenty Third Day of March Anno Domini one Thousnad Seven hundred & Seventy four
   Witnesses: Willim Evess, Job Meador, Charles Bath [ could be Ball], Jason Meadors
   
   [See also: Hieronymus, "Descendants of Nathaniel Smith, Knox-Whitley County, Kentucky", contains a similar transcription of the will.]

   There has been much discussion of the "DuaMa" named in Jason Meador's will, based on a transcription of the will that has been copied repeatedly. An examination of the original record of the will makes it clear that "DuaMa" is a mis-transcription of Drucilla. There is no Duama, only Drucilla.
   
   As for "Marian", that is clearly "Marian" in the will, but unless other original documents demonstrate that Jason did have a child named Mariah, it seems more likely that this may well be a mis-transcription of "Mariah" from the original will to the original record.

3. ↑ Re: Ancestors of John Meadows Born 1637 VA, by Bob Johnson, 26 May 2002; ID #335, Meadors Family , in GenForum.

   The Jason Meadow homeplace is located at Gordon's Mountain, located in southern Anson Co., NC. Three cemeteries are located there. 1st is the Hubbard cemetery which has been restored, 2nd is the James Green cemetery which has been destroyed, and 3rd the Jason Meadow cemetery which is in ruinous condition. The three cemeteries are a result of intermarriages between the 3 families. There seems to be members of each family buried in each cemetery.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Meador, Victor P. (Victor Paul). Meador families of Virginia : and points west. (Independence, Missouri: V.P. Meador, c1989).

   Jason Meador, son of John Meador (3) and nn Awbrey, was born about 1704-7, VA, a twin. . . .
   Will of John (3) Meador: I do appoint my two sons Job Meador and Jason Meador my lawful Executors.
   I leave to my youngest Sons [Job and Jason] to be of age at seventeen and I do leave my son Jonas Meador to look after them three years.
   Dated 17 October 1721, John Meador Senier

5. ↑ ^{5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15} Meador, Victor P. (Victor Paul), and Bernal M. Meador. Our Meador families in colonial America: as found in the records of Isle of Wight, Lancaster, (old) Rappahannock, Richmond, Essex and Caroline Counties, Virginia. (Independence, Missouri: V.P. Meador, 1983).

   Jason Meador followed his brother Jonas to Caroline County,VA, and purchased land there in 1739. Jason married Elizabeth Stone, daughter of William and Ann Stone, about 1730-31.
   In 1743, Jonas and brother Jason were indicted by the Caroline County Grand Jury for not attending St. Margaret's, the local Anglican parish church, and fined 5 shillings or 50 pounds of tobacco each. The men stated they were Quakers, and the charges were dismissed.
   Being a Quaker, Jason refused to bear arms and was fined. Some of his property was seized to pay the fine, and he was the denied the use of his horse for one year.
   In 1745, Jason was chosen by Elizabeth Turner as her guardian, and in 1747 Jason helped Jonas in the clearing of a road. (The Turner and Meador families were closely related and intermarried into Smith and Sumner Counties, TN in the 1800s).
   On 12 January 1747 Jason Meador was granted a patent of 551 acres in Amelia County at the head of Sandy Creek.
   In 1751 Jason Meador sold his land in Amelia County, VA and purchased 200 acres on the Little Otter River near the Blue Ridge Mountains (then in Lunenberg County, now in Bedford County). Jason bought another 300 acres there in 1757.
   Jason went to North Carolina with the Moberly family in 1760. Edward Moberly m. Susannah DeRuel
   Jason Meador wrote his will 3 Mar 1774[sic]; Anson Co., NC

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} Hieronymus, Goldie Smith. Descendants of Nathaniel Smith, Knox/Whitley County, Kentucky: son of Elijah Smith, Revolutionary War patriot from New Jersey and Virginia. (Arlington, Virginia: G.S. Hieronymus, 1982)
   pp. 81-82.

   John Meadows, m2 ca 1695, possibly a sister of Richard Aubrey; Children: Jason b. ca 1700-1704, d. 1774 Anson, NC
   Land grants in Anson County, NC for Jason Meadors Sr., Lewis Meadors, Jason Meadors Jr and Job Meadors are dated 1769 and 1770
   A petition to the Governor dated 1770 with ref to moving County Court was signed by Jason Sr., Lewis, Jason Jr., Job and Thomas

7. ↑ ^7.0 7.1 Jason Meadows, Sr, in Find A Grave
   accessed 18 Aug 2014.

   Jason Meadows, Sr
   Birth: 1694, Essex County, Virginia, USA
   Death: 1776, Anson County, North Carolina, USA [NB -- seems to be date heirs sold his property -- not realistic or reliable]
   Burial: Jason Meadow cemetery, Anson County, North Carolina, USA
   [no photographs, no sources]

8. ↑ ^8.0 8.1 Anson > Wills, 1751-1779, Vol. 1, in North Carolina, United States. Probate Records, 1735-1970: Images. (FamilySearch: County courthouses, North Carolina, 14 June 2016)
   p. 16 (image 15).

   The original RECORD of the will.

9. ↑ Virginia. County Court (Bedford County), and Bedford County (Virginia). Clerk of the County Court. Deed books, 1754-1901; general indexes, 1754-1929. (Richmond [Virginia]: Virginia State Library, 1976-1977).

   Book 1, p. 104
   Indenture 28 March 1757
   Between Jeffery Crowley of Halifax County and Jason Meador of Bedford County
   Jason Meador paid 20£ to Crowley for 300 acres more or less on the South branch of Little Otter River
   Beginning at a Black Birch on the river running S45W 280 poles to a white lake
   Thence N34W 80 poles to a Hickory
   West 60 poles to a pine
   N34W 94 poles to a white oak in Randolf's line
   Thence N35E 86 poles on a Branch
   Thence continuing 140 poles to a White lake corner East
   Thence South 26 poles to a gum on the said River
   Thence down the said River as it meanders to the beginning.
   Signed Jeffery x his mark Crowley

10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Carolina Property Records for Jason Meador (Jr).

    24 April 1762
    22 July 1767
    18 January 1769
    11 December 1770
    24 December 1770
    July 1771
    January 1772
    24 May 1773
    10 June 1776
    14 September 1786

11. ↑ Minute docket 1771-1776, in North Carolina. County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions (Anson County). Minute docket, 1771-1777, 1848-1858, 1868. (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1942)
    p. 73, Image 72, FamilySearch.org.