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Over twenty years ago, Joan [CONE] MEEKER, [Mrs. Merrit MEEKER] was kind enough to share with me the contents of her mother's notes on the family. Included in those notes was the statement that William MEEKER, 1802-1880, married first a lady by the last name of DEAKIN, and that they had a daughter. No further information. At about the same time another cousin helped me identify the second wife of the same William MEEKER, as Anna COON.
Research over the ensuing years pretty much bore out the statement on the first wife. Both histories of Susquehanna Co. PA state that John DEAKIN was a member of the 1818 English expedition, landing first in Philadelphia, then going on to Susquehanna County PA. I have the original diary of one of my ancestors who sailed on that ship, out of Kingston-on-Hull, York, England, landing in Philadelphia. However, the ship did make one more stop in England's west in order to take on more passengers.
John DEAKIN is enumerated in the 1820 census in Great Bend, Susquehanna Co. PA: 20020-10010.
Then the mystery begins. The aforementioned histories of Susquehanna County infer [but do not actually state] that he and/or he and his wife either died soon, or left the area. Coupled with that information is a biographical sketch of John DEAKIN of Susquehanna Co. PA. The sketch reports that his parents, born England, died fairly soon after arriving in the county, and he was raised by members of the WILBUR family. He subsequently married a lady named Emeline, and reared a family in the county. The LDS IGI contains one interesting entry: John DAKAN [sic], born 8Sept1816 PA, son of William DAKAN & Jane ROSS. However, census records for this John DEAKIN maintain he was born either 1817 or 1818 in PENNSYLVANIA--entirely possible. The same sketch identifies John DAKIN's sister, Amanda, who married and also reared a family in the county.
Well, after all of these years, I finally went back and reread the 1880 census. The first TWO children of William MEEKER [1802-1880] both report that their mother was born in ENGLAND [emphasis mine]. Later in this narrative, I will detail the children of William MEEKER 1802-1880, but suffice it to say that looking at the dates in question, his first wife could not possibly have been Amanda DEAKIN, sister of John DEAKIN, both of Susquehanna Co. PA.
I then went and reread the entire cemetary listings for Brackney PA, place of burial for the early generations of the family in the county. There was only ONE stone for a person I could not identify. That stone is for POLLY MEEKER - stone partially buried - adjacent/next to Deborah [HOLMES] MEEKER, mother of William MEEKER 1802-1880.
Looking at that census, it would appear that John DAKIN, from England, was 26-45 years old, as was his wife, in 1820. They appear to have had two sons and one daughter, ages 0-10. That accounts for the son, John DEAKIN, and his sister, Amanda DEAKIN. Unaccounted for is another male in the household, age 26-45, and another child, age 0-10. Relatives? Possible. However, that leaves only the widow of John DEAKIN, the father, as the possible first wife of William MEEKER 1802-1880.
Looking closer at the probable ages of various members of the DEAKIN household, we can make certain assumptions. Throughout the early years, the average age of a first marriage for a young woman was age 18. If John DEAKIN, the son, was born 1818, he was probably not their first child. Let's suppose that he had a sibling born in 1816, and perhaps a sibling born in 1814, making his parent's marriage circa 1813..........then his mother was probably born circa 1785. To complicate matters further, William MEEKER 1802-1880 - his father, Eli/Ely MEEKER/MEAKER, had a 2nd marriage circa 1823 to a woman named Jane or Jennie [Landers?], her dates being 1783-1825.
So, all questions are open for discussion, and I am eager for feedback. Below, am giving a brief recap of the marriages and children of William MEEKER 1802-1880.
WILLIAM MEEKER/MEAKER, was born Hillsdale, Columbia Co. NY 23July1802, son of Eli/Ely MEEKER/MEEKER & Deborah HOLMES. He died Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 10April1880. He married 1st circa 1826 in either Broome Co. NY or Susquehanna Co. PA MARY 'POLLY' DEAKIN. I have located the birth of a Mary DEAKIN in Sheffield, York, England 25Jan1806, daughter of John DEAKIN & Ann. Whether or not she is our lady, I don't know. She was deceased in Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA before 1833. He married 2nd by 1833 ANNA COON, born Duanesburg, Schenectady Co. NY 18April1809; died Quaker Lake PA 26July1873; daughter of Jesse COON & Mercy MANNING. William & Anna MEEKER were members of the Vestal, Broome Co. NY Methodist-Episcopal Church from 1833 onward. Thus we know that they were married by that time.
Children, born Brackney/Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA to WILLIAM MEEKER & MARY 'POLLY' DEAKIN:
1. ANNA MEEKER, born 15Feb1827; died Highland, O'Brien Co. KS 23Feb1901 [dates of birth and death from her gravestone]. She is specifically mentioned in her father's will by her married name. She married, probably Broome Co. NY circa 1845 BENJAMIN COLEMAN HOWARD, born 1821 Susquehanna Co. PA; died Highland, O'Brien Co. KS 19Jan1886; son of Isaac HOWARD & Catherine 'Katie' COON [his dates also from his gravestone]. Eleven children.
2. WILLIAM C. MEEKER, born 5Sept1830; died Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 10Aug1892. He married 1st Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 13Dec1853 BETSEY T. HILL, born Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 23Sept1831; died Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 20March1882; daughter of Michael HILL & Diana BRIGGS. Eleven children. He married 2nd Silver Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 25March1885 MARY JANE CAMERON, born Silver Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 25March1857; died Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 1Nov1887; daughter of Dewitt CAMERON & Melissa TERWILLIGER. One child.
3. BRADLEY MEEKER, born 1832. He appears only in the notes of Joan [Mrs. Merrit] MEEKER. I find no cemetary or census record for him.
Children, born Brackney/Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA to WILLIAM MEEKER & ANNA COON:
4. AMANDA M. MEEKER, born 23Feb1834; died Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 30Jan1911; unmarried; school teacher.
5. HENRY MEEKER, born 9March1836; died Vestal, Broome Co. NY 13Feb1909. He married Vestal, Broome Co. NY circa 1859 DORCAS A. WHIPPLE, born Vestal, Broome Co. NY 19July1829; died Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 10March1911; daughter of Joseph WHIPPLE & Betsey FINCH. Three children.
6. ANSON T. MEEKER, born 2May1837; died Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 28March1880. He married Susquehanna Co. PA circa 1861 BETSEY FINCH GAGE, born Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 5Feb1845; died there 16Feb1914; daughter of James GAGE & Patty WHIPPLE. Two children.
7. AARON W. MEEKER, born March1839; died Silver Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 1928. He married 1st Susquehanna Co. PA circa 1867 MARY AMELIA JAYCOX, born Vestal, Broome Co. NY 26May1848; died Susquehanna Co. PA before 1904; daughter of Lewis JAYCOX & Rebecca LOCKWOOD. Three children. He married 2nd circa 1904 SARAH M. LILLY, born Apalachin, Tioga Co. NY 23March1851; died Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 8July1908; daughter of William LILLY & Hannah GARDNER. He married 3rd Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 1July1909 JENNNIE COWELL.
8. CHARLES J./WARREN MEEKER, born 1840; died Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 26May1916. He married Silver Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 17Nov1864 GEORGIANA A. WILBUR [his cousin], born Silver Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 1844; died Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 6June1826; daughter of Elijah WILBUR & Cynthia MEEKER. Two children.
9. NELSON WALLACE MEEKER, born 20April1842; died there 12Sept1903. He married 1st there 4June1864 EMILY/ELLEN LAY WHIPPLE, born Susquehanna Co. 1844; died Quaker Lake, Susquehanna Co. PA 15Oct1866. One child. He married 2nd Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 18Sept1868 SARAH M. LILLY, born Apalachin, Tioga Co. NY 23May1851; died Brackney, Susquehanna Co. PA 8July1908; daughter of William LILLY & Hannah GARDNER. Eight children. She married 2nd, circa 1904, his brother,Aaron W. MEEKER.
10. WARREN J. MEEKER, born 25April1844; died there 3July1861.
11. NORMAN A. MEEKER, born 2May1846; died Hawleyton, Broome Co. NY 25Dec1811. He married Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 1Jan1871 JENNIE LAURA HANCE, born Susquehanna Co. PA 1854; died Vestal, Broome Co. NY 1918; daughter of Asher HANCE & Joanna WHIPPLE. Six children.
12. WALTER S. MEEKER, born 2June1851; died there 6Dec1877. He married Binghamton, Broome Co. NY 30May1872 SARAH D. HOWARD, born Liberty, Susquehanna Co. PA 1848. No children.
So, for all the descendants of William C. MEEKER, born 1830, it is a whole new ball game. I will be glad to engage in a discussion with all cousins.
Tina
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