Benjamin Meeks (abt. 1784 - 1847)

Born about 1784 in Surry County, North Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca Atteberry — married 6 Feb 1806 in Hardin County, Kentucky

Died 1847 at about age 63 in Spencer County, Indiana

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Biography

Benjamin Meeks was born about 1784^[1]. He was the seventh child of Priddy Meeks and Elizabeth Denny^[2]

He was born in either Surry County North Carolina, or Kentucky. His family moved to Kentucky sometime in the early 1780's. This is a relatively early time to be moving to Kentucky. Some settlers crossed into Kentucky in 1775, but most waited until after the Revolutionary War. ^[3][4]

Benjamin likely grew up in Shelby County Kentucky as that is where records for his father start re-appearing in 1796.

About 1799/1800, when Benjamin was about sixteen years old, he moved with his family to Hardin County, Kentucky.^[5]

On February 3, 1806, at about the age of twenty two, Benjamin married Rebecca Atteberry in Hardin County Kentucky^[6]. The children born to this union are:

• Richard Meeks (1807-aft 1847)
• Mary Meeks (1809-1865)
• Elizabeth Meeks (1813- )
• William H. Meeks (1814-abt. 1855)
• Nancy Meeks (1815-)
• Indiana Meeks (1816-abt. 1858 )
• Matilda Meeks (1818-)

In 1810, at about the age of twenty six, Benjamin shows up as the head of house in the Hardin County Census records:^[7]

• 1 x male age 16-25 (1785-1794): Benjamin Meeks (off a year?)
• 2 x male age < 10 (1801-1810): Richard, Unknown
• 1 x female age 26-44 (1766-1784): Rebecca Atteberry Meeks
• 1 x female age 10-15 (1795-1800): Unknown

Benjamin is registered as serving in the 3rd regiment Kentucky Militia during the war of 1812. This war ran from 1812 to 1815, to which Benjamin was about the age of twenty eight to thirty one during the war.

In December 1816, when Benjamin was about thirty two years old, he shows up buying land in Spencer County Indiana^[8]. Benjamin's cousins had moved to Spencer County around 1810, and several of Benjamin's siblings would also follow in the coming decades.

In 1820, at about the age of thirty six, Benjamin shows up as the head of house on the Warrick County Census records:^[9]

• 1 x male age 26-44 (1776-1794): Benjamin Meeks
• 1 x male age 10-15 (1805-1810): Richard Meeks
• 1 x male age < 10 (1811-1820): William H. Meeks
• 1 x female age 26-44 (1776-1794): Rebecca Atteberry Meeks
• 1 x female age 10-15 (1805-1810): Mary Meeks
• 4 x female age < 10 (1811-1820): Elizabeth, Nancy, Indiana and Matilda Meeks

Sometime between 1820 and 1825, Benjamin's wife Rebecca died, leaving Benjamin a widower in his thirties.

On April 7, 1825, at about the age of forty one, Benjamin married Jane Young in Warrick County, Indiana.^[10] According to census records, she could not have been older than twenty four at the time.

In 1830, at about the age of forty six, Benjamin shows up as the head of house on the Spencer County census records:^[11]

• 1 x male age 40-49 (1781-1790): Benjamin Meeks
• 1 x male age 15-19 (1811-1815): William H. Meeks
• 1 x male age < 5 (1826-1830): Benjamin T. Meeks
• 1 x female age 20-29 (1801-1810): Jane Young Meeks
• 2 x female age 10-14 (1816-1820): Indiana and Matilda Meeks (Nancy Meeks?)
• 1 x female age < 5 (1826-1830): Martha Meeks

In 1840, at about the age of fifty six, Benjamin shows up as the head of house on the Spencer County census record:^[12]

• 1 x male age 50-59 (1781-1790): Benjamin Meeks
• 2 x male age < 5 (1836-1840): both unknown
• 1 x female age 30-39 (1801-1810): Jane Young Meeks
• 1 x female age 10-14 (1826-1830): Martha Meeks

Sometime between 1840 and 1841, Benjamin's wife Jane died, leaving Benjamin a two time widower.

On March 22, 1841, at about the age of fifty seven, Benjamin married Nancy Ray in Spencer County Indiana.^[13]

Benjamin wrote out his will on December 9, 1847, in this will all of his living children are mentioned. He does not appear on the 1850 census, so it is assumed that he died shortly after the will was written. His death is placed in early 1848, at about the age of sixty three.

Sources

1. ↑ Estimated based off estimated birth years of siblings and marriage date
2. ↑ Parentage comes from the Journal of Dr. Priddy Meeks
3. ↑ This time frame is a best guess based on available records
4. ↑ Benjamin's daughter Martha (1827-1882) claimed that Benjamin was born in Kentucky on the 1880 census
5. ↑ The Meeks Family Sage, Page 27
6. ↑ Kentucky, County Marriages, 1783-1965
7. ↑ Year: 1810; Census Place: Elizabethtown, Hardin, Kentucky; Roll: 6; Page: 285; Image: 00305; Family History Library Film: 0181351
8. ↑ History of Warrick, Spencer, Perry Counties, Indiana, page 266
9. ↑ 1820 U S Census; Census Place: Warrick, Indiana; Page: 152; NARA Roll: M33_15; Image: 92
10. ↑ Indiana, Marriage Index, 1800-1941
11. ↑ 1830; Census Place: Luce, Spencer, Indiana; Series: M19; Roll: 28; Page: 167; Family History Library Film: 0007717
12. ↑ Year: 1840; Census Place: Spencer, Indiana; Roll: 93; Page: 364; Image: 737; Family History Library Film: 0007729
13. ↑ Indiana, Index to Select Marriages, 1780-1992

• Priddy Meeks Journal, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo. 1879 [1]
• Meeks, Anthony. The Meeks Family Saga, Salt Lake City, UT, 2018[https://drive.google.com/open?
• Ancestry.com, Indiana, Marriage Index, 1800-1941, Provo Utah, 2005
• Ancestry.com, Kentucky, County Marriages 1783-1965, Provo UT. USA, 2016