Parents of Joseph Meredith, b. c.1760, Virginia

Profile manager: Bill Vincent [send private message]

The goal of this project is to delineate the parents of Joseph Meredith (abt.1762-1840) who married Nancy Skaggs (1763-1840).

Right now this project just has one member, me. I am Bill Vincent.

Here are some of the tasks that I think need to be done. I'll be working on them, and would welcome any assistance.

• Document collected DNA Data related to Joseph Meredith (c1760 - 1840) and his parents.
• Identify any new information for the parents of Joseph Meredith (c1760 - 1840).
• Document refuted, but often-claimed, parents for Joseph Meredith (c1760 - 1840).

Please any comments here on this page, in G2G using the project tag, or send me a private message. Thanks!

Parents From Autosomal DNA

Autosomal DNA Analysis has demonstrated that the most likely parents of Joseph Meredith (abt.1762-1840) are:

• Bradley Meredith (abt.1730-aft.1796) and
• Dorothy Meredith (maiden name unknown)

The basis for this assessment are Multiple Autosomal DNA Triangulations which have recently been identified between the descendants of the following:

• Joseph Meredith (abt.1762-1840) and
• Judith (Meredith) Phifer (abt.1759-aft.1850)

Some of these Autosomal Triangulations are shown below:

Refuted Parents

Many modern oral histories have been brought forth over the last several decades, all based upon scraps of information related to Joseph Meredith. However, none of the reports have been found to have any validity from all known historical records.^[1]

Primary among these reports are:

1. Joseph Meredith was the son of Captain William Meredith (c1735 - 1833), who died in Warren County, Kentucky.
   1. The proximity and supposed age of this man may be the oldest source for oral history that Joseph was the son of William Meredith. It seems intuitive to many.
   2. Captain William Meredith is buried in Smith's Grove, on the border of Edmonson County, and can be easily found in nearby public records.
   3. Meredith descendants in that area have long been aware of how near he lived. Many naturally assumed William Meredith was the father of Joseph.
   4. However, Captain William Meredith left a will in Fayette County, Kentucky naming his son, William Lewis Meredith (c1786 - 1855), as his sole male heir.
   5. Finally, Captain William Meredith was born about 1760, rather than the earlier date reported in many family trees. He was the nephew of Elizabeth Henry, who is erroneously reported to be his wife.
2. Joseph Meredith was the son of Constable William Meredith (in 1767 Pittsylvania County, Virginia.)
   1. Charles Skaggs father-in-law of Joseph Meredith, is found living near a Constable William Meredith in 1767 Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
   2. This idea seems to be an extension of the first premise, that Joe's father was named William. The proximity of Charles Skaggs and Constable William Meredith made the William quite promising as Joe's father.
   3. However, there is no evidence of a paternal relationship between William and Joseph Meredith.
   4. Joseph brought Suit against William Meredith in 1792,Russell County, Virginia, but withdrew it later. (The complete text of this suit might reveal additional information.)
   5. James Meredith and Bradley Meredith also lived in the same area as Charles Skaggs and William Meredith. The unusual name Bradley is often found among Joseph's grandchildren and subsequent descendants.
3. Joseph Meredith was the son of Captain William Meredith and Elizabeth Henry (sister of Gov. Patrick Henry.)
   1. This oft-repeated parentage also seems to follow from the idea that Joseph's father was named William.
   2. Colonel Samuel Meredith (1732-1808) married Mary Jane Henry (another sister of Gov. Patrick Henry.) Captain William Meredith was their son.
   3. Henry family researchers, including those at the Patrick Henry Museum assure us that Elizabeth Henry did not marry any man of that name.
   4. The dissimilarity of y-DNA^[2] from descendants of Samuel Meredith (1732-1808) and Joseph Meredith descendants proves there is No Genetic Relationship.
4. Joseph Meredith was the son of Captain William Meredith and Anna Bonds.
   1. Anna Bonds was too young to be the mother of Joseph Meredith, and no earlier marriage or children are known for this William Meredith.

Sources

• Joseph Meredith & Nancy Skaggs DNA Project (Private FaceBook Group)
• Meredith-Merideth y-DNA Project Results (at FTDNA)