John Meakins (1651 - 1705)

Born 21 Jan 1651 in Roxbury, Litchfield, Connecticut

Died 6 Jan 1705 at age 53 in East Hartford, Hartford, Connecticut

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Biography

John was born 21 JAN 1651, in Roxbury, CT.

John passed away on 06 JAN 1705 in East Hartford, CT.^[1]

On Jan. 6, 1705/6 at East Hartford, Conn., John Meakins died testate. He wrote his will on Nov. 22, 1702 proved Jan. 22, 1705/6. While these facts are certain, his parentage and place of origin are unknown. Barbour in "Families of Early Hartford" errors in calling him the son of Thomas Meakins (Thomas,2 Thomas,1) and Mary Bunce, whose actual s. John was b. Jan. 12, 1671/2 at Hatfield, Mass., married Ruth Belknap in 1696, and was living at Hatfield in 1754 when his will was probated.

By 1665 John Meakins, Sr. of Hartford m. Mary Bidwell, dau. of early Hartford settlers John Bidwell and his wife Sarah Wilcox. Mary (Bidwell) Meakins d. at East Hartford May 15, 1725, Æ 78 (g.s.), indicating she was born prior to May 15, 1648. It would be reasonable to assume that John Meakens was at least as old as his wife if not several years older. In the medical journal of John Winthrop, in Sept. 1665 Winthrop treated "John Meakins his wife dau. of G(oodman) Bidwell of Hartford." Sometime after the Feb. 10, 1669/70 organization of the Second Church of Hartford, Mary "Mekins" owned the baptism covenant of that church, her parents being founding members of the Second Church after having been early members of the First Church. John and Mary Meakins' two sons John and Joseph may have been bapt. at the First Church, but no baptism records exist for the First Church until 1685. John Meakins' first child of baptism record is dau. Mary on Feb. 4, 1671/2 at the Second Church (the four children of baptism record are listed as the child of John "Mekins").

In 1784 the Town of East Hartford, Conn. on the east side of the Conn. River was separately incorporated from the Town of Hartford on the west side of the river. The first mention of John Meakins in the Hartford town records is Dec. 31, 1678 when as John "Makins" he was chosen one of the "fence viewers for the East side ye river." He was chosen surveyor of highways on the east side of the river in 1681, 1685 and 1689 [Hart. Town Votes, 183, 211, 215, 299.] Between 1672 and 1693 John had multiple parcels of land recorded to him on the east side of the river. This includes a parcel of 36 acres given him Jan. 10, 1672/3 by his father-in-law [Orig. Dist. of Lands at Hartford, 312-3.] He as John "Makins" witnessed the Aug. 22, 1683 codicil to the initial Feb. 10, 1680/1 will of his father-in-law, latter in which wife Mary and son John were granted part of John Bidwell's land.

In the Nov. 22, 1702 will of John "Meakins," probated Jan. 22, 1705/6, wife Mary and all of the known children are included with various bequests either in movable estate, land or money. He made his wife Mary executrix and son John executor and appointed brother-in-law Dea. Daniel Bidwell and friend Roger Pitkin overseers, latter also the two witnesses to the will [Manwaring, 2:93-4.]

The following summary, with limited corrections, is adapted from the eminent Donald Lines Jacobus' extended outline of the John Bidwell family of Hartford in Hale, House and Related Families (1952, pp. 462-63.) The seven known children of John Meakins and Mary Bidwell, all b. at Hartford, either west of the Conn. River or east of the river at present-day East Hartford, are:

1. Lieut. John Meakins, Jr., b. circa 1665, d. testate and unmarried Aug. 28, 1739, purportedly Æ 76 (g.s.), suggesting he was b. before Aug. 28, 1663, but the 1934 transcribed age from his gravestone may be an error [there are obvious gravestone inscription errors in the printed Hale Conn. Cemetery Database regarding the Meakins family].
2. Joseph Meakins, b. aft. Jan. 1, 1669/70 but prob. before his mother owned the baptism covenent of the 2nd Church, d. Jan. 1, 1724/5 at East Hartford, Æ 55 (g.s.); m. Mary [Barbour calls her nee Goodwin], who d. Jan. 29, 1724/5, Æ 40 (g.s.) Six children of the family.
3. Mary Meakins, bp. Feb. 4, 1671/2 (Hart. 2nd Ch.), d. Mar. 19, 1739/40 at Wethersfield, Conn.; m. Joseph Belden (q.v Belding), s. of John Belden and Lydia Standish, b. Apr. 23, 1663 at Wethersfield where he d. Dec. 7, 1724 (g.s.) Seven children of the family.
4. Sarah Meakins, bp. Apr. 19, 1674 (Hart. 2nd Ch.), d. July 22, 1741 at East Hartford (g.s.); m. Thomas Spencer, s. of Obadiah Spencer (Sgt. Thomas,1 Gerard,A) and Mary Disborough, b. circa 1668 at Hartford. He d. June 14, 1761 at East Hartford (g.s.) Eight children of the family.
5. Lieut. Samuel Meakins, bp. Aug. 27, 1676 (Hart. 2nd Ch.), d. intestate Apr. 18, 1733 at East Hartford (g.s.); m. Mary Bidwell, dau. of Dea. Daniel2 Bidwell (John,1) and Dorothy Benton, b. circa 1668 at Hartford. She d. Jan. 18, 1729/30 at East Hartford, Æ 36 (g.s.) They died childless.
6. Rebecca Meakins, bp. Aug. 21, 1681 (Hart. 2nd Ch.), d. Mar. 22, 1760 at Wethersfield, Conn., Æ 79 (g.s.); m. Jan. 11, 1704/5 prob. at East Hartford, Thomas Hurlburt, s. of Stephen Hurlburt and Phebe Dickinson, b. Jan. 28, 1680/1 at Wethersfield where he d. Apr. 10, 1761, Æ 81 (g.s.) Nine children of the family.
7. Hannah Meakins, b. circa 1683, who survived her husband but her death is not of record; m. Jan. 12, 1709/10 at Hartford, John Arnold, s. of Henry Arnold and Elizabeth Colefax. He d. testate Nov. 30, 1741 at East Hartford, Æ 58 (g.s.). Six children of the family.

In addition, John Meakins, Sr. was the primary beneficiary of the June 14, 1692 will of Henry "Hollstead," who d. June 16, 1692 at East Hartford, his estate inventoried at £10-10-05. In his will, Hollstead declared: "for that little portion of the World God hath given me my Will is that my Master John Meekins sen. should have the whole dispose of it...when my Funeral charges are paid, and my Just Debts, that then the rest of my Estate I freely give to my kind and loving master John Meekins sen. for his owne, to have forever;...& my Will is that John Meekins Jr. should have my Bible and Mary Meekins my Iron Pott & Sarah Meekins my Iron Kettle." Who this individual was has not been uncovered.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #113420890