This paper concerns information about men named Jacob Meek and Jeremiah Meek born before 1780. It appears that many of the men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek lived in a relatively small area of the country between 1750 and 1800. Many of these men are unidentified with little information pointing to where they came from or who their parents were. The purpose of this paper is to explore the identity of the parents, whey they came from or find what relationship these men might have had to each other.

There were actually very few known men named Jacob Meek and Jeremiah Meek born before 1780. There are six documented men name Jacob Meek with known families and 10 references to men named Jacob in various records. There are five documented men name Jeremiah Meek with known families and nine references to men named Jeremiah in various records.

There are a couple of interesting points about these men. It is speculated that many of them came out of Maryland. There appears to be two distinct migration patterns that join in Kentucky. One route was through Washington Co., PA to Kentucky and the other was through York Co., SC and East Tennessee. Many of these men were concentrated in an area around East Tennessee and Central Kentucky about 1800. It seems that many of these men knew each other either through where they lived or by being related.

This article is based on research from different sources, which is probably fairly comprehensive but not necessarily complete. It is based on reference to actual records and does not include undocumented genealogies. Jacob Meek, son of Adam Meek of Lincolnshire is acknowledged but not include. There is no evidence that he was ever in America.

Part 1

Men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek found in various records with genealogy available.

Men with known fathers and unknown children.

(A) Jacob Meek b: 1717, a son of Guy Meek and Dorothy Cubby. Lived in Maryland.
(1) Jeremiah Meek b: 1740, son of Joshua in the Guy Meek line. Lived in Maryland.

(B) Jacob Meek b: 1760, son of Samuel. He was in Washington Co., PA and went to Ohio.
(C) Jacob Meeks b: abt 1760, son of Walter Meeks. Resided in Pitt Co., NC in 1800.
(2) Jeremiah Meek b: 1776, son of John b: 1754
(3) Jeremiah Meek b: 1776, son of Nathan Meek.
(4) Jeremiah Meek b: 1780 son of Jacob b: 1755

(D) Jacob Meek b: 1755 Brother of John (Y2) b: 1754. Born Maryland. Went to Washington Co., PA to Henry Co., KY. Migrated to Indiana.
(E) Jacob Meek (Vera's) b: abt 1760. Henry Co., TN>AR>TX. Children after 1782
(F) Jacob (Blue Jacob) Meek b: abt 1764. East TN>AR>TX. Children after 1800
(5) Jeremiah (Shotgun Jerry) Meek b: 1771-1780 Married Betsy Blevins in 1802. Blount Co., TN>AR>TX. Associated with Jacob (F). Children after 1800

(Y1) Basil Meek b: 1740 in Maryland.
Resided Washington Co., PA, York Co., SC and Henry Co., KY
(Y2) John Meek b: 1754 died in 1803 Henry Co., KY. Brother of Jacob (D)
(Y3) Nathan Meek 1783 Washington Co., PA>Pulaski Co., KY>Indiana
(Y4) Basil Meek b: 1763 Washington Co., PA>Pulaski Co., KY>Indiana
(Y5) Joshua Meek b: 1731 Resided in Allegheny Co., PA
(Y6) Isaac Meek from Washington Co., PA. 1773 and 1783 tax list.

Update: DNA allows us to group these men.
DNA Unknown: A, 1
DNA Group A: 2, 4, D, Y1, Y2, Y5
DNA Group B: B, 3, C, E, F, 5, Y3, Y4, Y6

It is noteworthy that all known men in Part 1 named Jacob and Jeremiah fall into two unrelated families except for two in the Guy Meek line who may or may not belong in one of these groups.

Part 2

Men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek found in various records with no genealogy available.

It is assumed that the following list does not represent 19 different individuals. Rather some individuals probably account for more than one of the references in the records. It is impossible to determine if the men listed under Maryland, or their sons ever migrated.

Maryland

(10) Jeremiah Meek b: before 1713 - married Sarah Lee 1731. May be (12) or (14)
(G) Jacob Meek of Somerset Co., MD 9 May 1771 sells one acre. Wife Sarah mentioned. Children Unknown. Little else is known.

(11) Jeremiah Meek b: bef 1766 – 1787 Grant No. 2014 400 acres on Lick Creek, Holston River. 10 Sep 1796 Greene Co., TN Deed Book #6, p 117 sells 400 acres on Lick Creek. Of Blount County.
(12) Jeremiah Meek b: bef 1755 – 20 May 1773 deed 100 acres on Garmore Creek, Broad River. 1 Dec 1778 on 35 days military service. 17 Sep1784 Broad River, note on military pay.
(H) Jacob Meek b: bef 1774 - Blount County Jury 1795-96
(I) Jacob Meek b: bef 1763 - 1784 petition NC-E. TN
(O) Jacob Meek 1805-1820 Overton County deed records
(P) Jacob Meek 1811 deed Bledsoe County court records

(L) Jacob Meek Sr. over 21 - Spring Creek, Cumberland River b: <1778
(M) Jacob Meek Jr. over 21 - Smith Creek, Cumberland River b: <1778
(15) Jeremiah Meek 1 over 21; 1 16/21; on Smith Creek b: <1767

(13) Jeremiah Meek b: bef 1762 - 1783 tax list of Washington Co., PA Bethlehem TWP
(14) Jeremiah Meek will dated 2 Oct 1783 Westmoreland Co., PA
(14a) Jeremiah Meek possible son of Jeremiah (14), mentioned in deed records.
(J) Jacob Meek 1783 tax list Bethlehem TWP, Washington Co., PA not son of Samuel
(K) Jacob Meek 1783 tax list Tyrone TWP, Westmoreland Co., PA

(N) Jacob Meek 1802-1805 b: <1781
(16) Jeremiah Meek 1801-1804 b: <1780
(17) Jeremiah Meek Jr. 1802-1804 b: <1781

Update-Summary

DNA Unknown: A, 1, Pt 2 MD: 10, G
DNA Unknown PA: Pt 2 SW PA: 13, J, K
DNA Unknown KY: M, 15, N, 16, 17
DNA Group A: 2, 4, D, Y1, Y2, Y5—Pt 2 SW PA: 14, 14a
DNA Group B: B, 3, C, E, F, 5, Y3, Y4, Y6---P2 E TN: 11, 12, H, I—O, P, L

(Gray=MD, Purple=SW PA, Green=DNA Gp A, Blue=DNA Gp B, Yellow=probable Gp B)

The focus of the study is on the area of south central Kentucky and Tennessee because that seems to be where the question marks are. It should be noted that in early Tennessee records there were no other Meek families in that time and area being looking at who could have been related. There was another family but it has been excluded from this study due to DNA evidence and the lack of the names Jacob and Jeremiah in their history.

There is no reason to believe than Jacob (A) born 1717 went to Tennessee. Like wise Jeremiah (1) born 1740 had a will probated in Maryland in 1790. Jacob (G) of Somerset Co., MD seems unlikely to have moved south but what happened to him is unknown. Jeremiah (10) who married Sarah Lee in 1731 Maryland is thought to have been the same person as Jeremiah (14) but there is no proof of that. He may have been the person who went to York Co., SC.

While it is known that Nathan and Basil born 1773 moved from Washington Co., PA to Pulaski Co., KY most of the other related men in Washington County can be accounted for and did not go south. However, the three men in DNA Unknown PA group (purple) were named Jeremiah or Jacob and who they were or where they went is unknown.

The men in DNA Group A (Green) did not go to Tennessee with the possible exception the son of Jeremiah (14), Jeremiah (14a). There is no record of what happened to him. While it is interesting that most men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek born before 1780 fall into both DNA group A and B and no other these families were totally unrelated. There is no evidence of Group A men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek in the South before the Civil War.

On the other hand men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek in DNA Group B have a proven presence in Blount Co., TN and Henry Co., TN shortly after 1800. They were likely related to the men with same names in early East Tennessee (11), (12), (H) & (I). Jacob (E) in Henry Co., TN was documented to be the same person in Cumberland Co., KY (L). One cannot avoid the strong possibility that he was related to the other men in Cumberland County, Jacob (M) and Jeremiah (15).

Part 3

First Group - East Tennessee

Basil Meek (Y1) b: 1740 was born in Maryland. Served in the Rev War and was in Washington Co., PA about 1780. However, he owned land in York Co., SC as early as 1770 and migrated to Henry Co., KY about 1805. He is included because of his possible connection to the others. His known sons were John and Jesse. Update: DNA Group A.

Jeremiah Meek (12) b: before 1755. He appears to have owned land near Basil (Y1) on Garnmore Creek, Broad River in 1773. The last record of him on the Broad River is 1784.

Jacob Meek (I) b: before 1763. Signed a petition in 1784 in East Tennessee.

Previous researchers suggest a connection between these three men and suggested that they came from Maryland. Basil is the only one who is documented after 1800. He died in 1840 in Henry Co., KY.

Jeremiah and Jacob could be the same people in the Blount County records (11) & (H). Jeremiah (11) receives and land grant in Blount County in 1787. He sells that land in 1796.

Second group - "Blue" Jacob and "Shotgun" Jerry

Jacob (Blue Jacob) Meek (F) b: abt 1764. He is likely Jacob (H). He was reported in the 1850 Arkansas census.

Jeremiah (Shotgun Jerry) Meek (5) b: bet 1771-1780. He married Betsy Blevins in Blount County in 1802. He was reported in the 1840 Arkansas census. Update: DNA Group B

It is assumed that these two were brothers or otherwise closely related. They may have been too young to be number 12 or (I). These two migrated to Carroll Co., AR. They were documented to have associated with the Indian population and lived on the "fringes" of society. They did not seem to be associated with the family of Jacob (E) who also migrated to Carroll County from Tennessee. These men are well documented but many genealogists have mixed information about these families.

While there may be some relationship with the men in the first group these men appear to be younger.

Third Group - Cumberland Co., KY

Jacob Meek (E) b: about 1760. He died in 1824 in Henry Co., TN. His family migrated to Carroll Co., AR. 1813 Knox County court records imply Jacob and his children had been in Bledsoe County. Jacob (L) deed records say he was from Bledsoe County. Thus he is likely Jacob (L). He is also likely Jacob (P) in the 1811 Bledsoe deed record. May be Jacob (O) in Overton Co., TN deed record. Jacob's (E) sons by the names of Jacob and Jeremiah were under 21 years old in 1799. Update: DNA Group B

Jacob Meek (L) born before 1778. 1799 tax list Cumberland Co., KY & land grant Spring Creek. It is not known which one is the elder.

Jacob Meek (M) born before 1778. 1799 tax list Cumberland Co., KY & land grant on Smith Creek.

Jeremiah Meek (15) b: before 1767. He is listed in the Cumberland Co., KY of 1799 tax list with a male age 16-21. There is no known record to connect this person to an identified ancestor. His land on Smith Creek joined that of Jacob Meek (M).

Forth Group - Pulaski Co., KY

Jacob Meek (N) b: before 1781
Jeremiah Meek (16) b: before 1780
Jeremiah Meek Jr. (17) b: before 1780, younger that number (16)

This group is a mystery. They appeared in the 1801-1805 tax list of Pulaski Co., KY. There are no known records to connect them to any known ancestor.

It appears that they were not Jacob (F) and Jeremiah (5) because Jeremiah gets married in Blount County in 1802. They were not numbers (E), (L), (M) and (15) because they were in Cumberland County during this time. They were not numbers (D) or (2) as these men are clearly established in Henry Co., KY. Jeremiah (1) through (4) are not part of this group as they are listed separately in the records.

It should be noted that there were other men named Meek in Pulaski County during this time including Nathan, Basil b: 1763. These men came from Washington Co., PA. There were also land grants for Isaac and Thomas South of the Green River.

Fifth Group - SW Pennsylvania

Jeremiah Meek (14) died in 1882 Westmoreland Co., PA. Update: DNA Group A
Jeremiah Meek, Jr. (14a) Owned land next to Jeremiah in Westmoreland County. He was not in the tax list.
Jacob Meek (K) 1783 tax list of Tyrone TWP, Westmoreland County.

Jeremiah Meek (13) 1783 tax list Morgan TWP, Washington Co., PA. He may be the same as No. 14a.
Jacob Meek (J) 1783 tax list Bethlehem TWP, Washington Co., PA

The 1783 tax list of Mt. Pleasant TWP, Westmoreland Co., PA lists John Meek. Deed records suggest that Jeremiah (14) Jeremiah (14a) as well as Joshua Meek lived in the same vicinity. There is reason to believe that Joshua moved to Washington County. If that is true then it is possible that Jeremiah (14a) also moved to Washington County and was the person listed in the 1783 tax list of Morgan TWP (13). Joshua moved to Ohio.

Update: Jacob (K) maybe associated with Isaac (Y6) in DNA Group B. Jacob (K) could be the person in the Washington County tax records (J). Thus there were possibly 2 and as many as four men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek who could have moved to south central Kentucky with Nathan and Basil born 1763.

Part 4 - Summary

The names Jacob and Jeremiah were not common to the Meek family prior to 1800. Where they occurred, they seemed to be concentrated in the group that came out of Maryland to Washington Co., PA and the group of people in E. Tennessee and near by Kentucky. The known families of men on our list also had children named Jacob and Jeremiah.

Basil Meek (Y1) has a documented path back to Maryland. There were other families in York County from Maryland. This might support the theory that Jacob (I) and Jeremiah (12), from East Tennessee, were also from Maryland. There were also Meek people in Mecklenburg Co., NC who migrate into Tennessee. However, they appear to be a different group of people and the names Jacob and Jeremiah were not uses in this group.

The men in the first Group are difficult to evaluate due to the lack of information. Early researcher had some of the information presented in this paper. They assumed that Jacob and Jeremiah came from Maryland, settled in York Co., SC and migrated to Blount Co., TN. That is certainly a possible scenario.

Although the records are confusing it appears that Jeremiah (12) could have move into East Tennessee from South Carolina. This is based on limited records that seem to end in one place and start in another. Whether or not Jeremiah (12) is the person who obtained a land grant in Blount Co., TN in 1787 is not certain.

It is possible that Jeremiah (12) who owned land on Garmore Creek in 1773 was the father of a son Jeremiah. Jeremiah (12) may have been the person who received a land grant in Blount County in 1787. It may have been his son, Jeremiah (11) who sold it in 1796. However, it is also possible that Jeremiah (11) and Jeremiah (12) are the same person.

We than have to consider Jeremiah (5), in the second group, who marries Betsy Blevins in Blount County in 1802. We know that this man lived until after 1840 and was born between 1771 and 1880 according to census records. If true this would seem to preclude him from being either Jeremiah (11) or Jeremiah (12) due to age. Could there possibly have been three men named Jeremiah Meek in early east Tennessee?

Jacob (F), in the second group, would appear to be somewhat older than Jeremiah (5), having been born in 1764 according to the 1850 census. He could have been old enough to be both Jacob (H) and Jacob (I) although we are pushing the limits of his age for Jacob (I). Records of a Jacob Meek in east Tennessee start later than those for Jeremiah and they are centered in Blount County.

It is this authors opinion that Jeremiah (12) is the same person as Jeremiah (11) and that Jeremiah (5) was his son. In addition, Jacob (F) is the same person as Jacob (H) and Jacob (I) and he is also the son of Jeremiah (12).

If this is true Jacob (F) and Jeremiah (5) did not seem to have inherited much from their father who consistently own land. What we know about these two men is that they lived on the fringes of society and associated with the Indians. They migrated together to Carroll Co., AR. Since Jeremiah (5) gets married in 1802 in Blount County we can assume that Jacob (F) is the same person as Jacob (H) who served on a Jury in 1796 and possibly Jacob (I) who signed the petition in 1784. Beyond that there is no clear evidence to determine what the relationship was between the men in east Tennessee. Update: Jeremiah (5) is in DNA Group B.

We next turn to the men in the third group who were in Cumberland Co., KY in 1799. We are fairly certain that one of the men named Jacob Meek was Jacob (E) who later moved to Henry Co., TN. His family migrated to Carroll Co., AR as did Jeremiah (5) and Jacob (F). However, there did not appear to be much connection between them and Jacob (E) clearly had a more respectable family.

Jeremiah (15) would seem to be older than Jeremiah (5). In addition Jeremiah (5) gets married in Blount County a couple of years later. We cannot ignore the possibility that Jeremiah (11) was a different person than Jeremiah (12) and it was he that moved to Cumberland County. However, we really have nothing to tie any one but Jacob (E) to the men in Cumberland County. We do know the other men in Cumberland County were not the children of Jacob (E). Update: Jacob (E) is in DNA Group B. However, it appears that the DNA is different enough that a sibling or father/son relationship can be rules out between Jacob (E) and Jeremiah (5) and Jacob (F). The relationship may extend to the level of second cousin or greater.

The men in group four in the Pulaski Co., KY tax records are a mystery. Given the fact that Nathan Meek from Washington Co., PA settled in Pulaski County it is reasonable to speculate that Jacob and Jeremiah Meek from Washington County migrated with Nathan.

In addition to Jacob and Jeremiah of Washington County there was also a Jacob Meek in Westmoreland Co., PA. It is not known what happened to these three men after 1783. Men of this age group named Jeremiah and Jacob are not common. Since there is no other unidentified men with these names who have appeared anywhere else we have to consider that one or more of them went to southern Kentucky.

While this is a possible theory it should be pointed out that there is absolutely no evidence to identify the men in either Pennsylvania or Pulaski and Cumberland Counties with the exception of Jacob Meek (E). None of the speculation on this or the other groups should be repeated as fact.

It seems incredible that in the small area of East Tennessee and Southern Kentucky around the year 1800 there were three men named Jacob Meek and three named Jeremiah Meek. There were Jacob Meek and Jeremiah Meek in Blount Co., TN. In addition, there was one each slightly further north in Henry Co., KY.

Unfortunately, at this point we cannot form any solid conclusions about the relationship between the men named Jacob and Jeremiah Meek. However, I do believe that it is possible that all of these Meek men Jacob and Jeremiah originated from the same large extended family that came from Maryland. Update: Through DNA we know that there were at least two unrelated families that are involved in this analysis. Only DNA Group B is known to be in Tennessee.

Nov 11, 2003/Rev Jul 25, 2004/Rev Feb 2009

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