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This File was Donated by  John Stevens  For More info Click on his name.

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Ancestors  of the Grand Manan Meigs Family

 

 

Generation No. 1

 

1.  DR. JOHN1 MEIGS was born Abt. 1725 in Bethlehem, Connecticut, and died Abt. 1770 in Bethlehem, Connecticut.  He married REBECCA CLARK January 21, 1743/44 in Bethlehem, Connecticut.  She was born Abt. 1726, and died August 01, 1795 in Bethlehem, Connecticut.

 

Notes for DR. JOHN MEIGS:

John was a physician in Bethlehem society. He was a man of good reputation,skillful in his profession and had an extensive practice. He was of the 6th generation of Meigs in America desending from Vincent Meigs who was born in Bradford, Peverell, Dorset, England about 1583. Vincent died about 1658 in Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut.

       

Children of DR. MEIGS and REBECCA CLARK are:

                   i.    IRENE2 MEIGS, b. September 21, 1745; m. ELISHA CLARK, December 15, 1763.

2.               ii.    DR. ABNER MEIGS, b. June 12, 1747, Bethlehem, Litchfield, Connecticut; d. Abt. 1835, probably Lyndon, Vermont.

                 iii.    SARAH MEIGS, b. December 10, 1750.

                 iv.    WAITSTILL MEIGS, b. April 18, 1752.

                  v.    REBECCA MEIGS, b. March 05, 1755.

                 vi.    PHINEAS MEIGS, b. July 11, 1760.

                vii.    JESSE MEIGS, b. March 07, 1763.

 

 

Generation No. 2

 

2.  DR. ABNER2 MEIGS (DR. JOHN1) was born June 12, 1747 in Bethlehem, Litchfield, Connecticut, and died Abt. 1835 in probably Lyndon, Vermont.  He married (1) SARAH CHURCH Abt. 1770 in Bethlehem, Litchfield, Connecticut.  She was born Abt. 1750 in Bethlehem, Litchfield, Connecticut, and died Abt. 1788 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire.  He married (2) SARAH KENNEDY September 12, 1790 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire.  She was born Abt. 1750, and died Bef. 1838.

 

Notes for DR. ABNER MEIGS:

This Genealogy is under construction and is the product of secondary literature or sources. You are at risk of compounding errors if any material is used from this Family History. I have not verified any of the sources used to produce this genealogical report. Please consider this document as information only and an avenue to explore the clues provided. This is not to say that what follows is inaccurate. It is only as accurate as those who research before me. Once again: PLEASE VERIFY any material found within before you add it to your own Family History. There is additional information that can be gleaned from the 3 books mentioned below:

 

"The Meigs Family in America", Henry B. Meigs, 1901

"History of Claremont, NH (1764-1894)", Otis F.R. Waite, 1895

"History of Charlestown, NH", Rev. Henry H. Saunderson, 1876

 

All three of these books can be viewed at the Maine State Library, Augusta, ME

 

Abner's Father John was a physician in Bethlehem. Connecticut.  "He was a man of good reputation,skillful in his profession and had an extensive practice."  He was of the 6th generation of Meigs in America descending from Vincent Meigs who was born in Bradford, Peverell, Dorset, England about 1583. Vincent died about 1658 in Guilford, New Haven, Connecticut.  The early generations can be gleaned from the "Meigs Family in America" book mentioned above. As a researcher my only interest in the Family is the story of Dr. Abner Meigs who was born in Connecticut and lived in NH,VT,ME and in New Brunswick & Quebec Provinces of Canada. What drove this man, a physician, to feel it necessary to relocate so frequently. He came to  Claremont during the Rev, War and practised Medicine there for 20 years The next 10 years he lived in VT and stopped twice in Maine before he showed up Grand Manan about 1803.  He lived on Grand Manan until at least 1814 and was missing in the 1821 census of Grand Manan. He next is found in Quebec and finally in Lyndon, VT 2 or 3 years before his death.

 

His Father gave Abner his "Medical and Surgical books" through his Will. Grand Manan Deeds label Abner a physik.

 

Abner married (about 1770) Sarah (b. July 3, 1748, d. c1790), dau. of Samuel and Sarah (Porter) Church.  They moved to Claremont, New Hampshire. His oldest dau. Sarah (Meigs) Kibbey describes the time of the move as follows:  "I have a perfect recollection of my fathers starting for the American Army in the west from Claremont in New Hampshire (enlisted on July 1, 1777) where he had moved with his family between the time of his serving at or near Boston and New York (late 1775 for a one year enlistment) and the time he went to the army at the west and of his return to Claremont after the taking of Burguoine." (pension records)

 

 

The book "The Meigs family in America", by Henry B. Meigs. Published in 1901 states Abner Meigs died in 1824. Rick Meigs who is the owner of the Web Page Meigs.org states the following: " His date of death in early Meigs records is shown as 1824, but his grandson John has date of death as 1835 in B.B. Hubbard's "Forest & Clearings - History of Stanstead Co., Province of Quebec, " Montreal, 1874,

page 146.  Also, U.S. Pension Bureau revolutionary pension claim records show Abner Meigs as personally appearing before Judge Benjamin F. Deming, District of Caledonia, Vermont, USA, on September 18, 1832, and again before Stephen McGaffey, Justice of the Peace, on October 21, 1833.  He was living in Lyndon, Vermont at the time."

 

Rick Meigs stated:  "Abner and Sarah had seven children." Six children are listed below. The seventh was probably Rebecca, who I have assigned as a child of Abner's 2nd wife Sarah (Who?) Labaree based on age given in 1851 & 1861 census records of Grand Manan Island.

 

 

 

 

 

Notes for SARAH CHURCH:

Sarah probably died in childbirth delivering, her twin sons Anson & Church Meigs.

 

Marriage Notes for DR. MEIGS and SARAH CHURCH:

At this point I am not sure if Rebecca was a product of Abner's 1st or his 2nd wife. Abner's 1st wife, Sarah Church supposedly died in 1788. Vital Records show that Abner married his 2nd wife, Sarah Labaree in 1790. The 1851 & 1861 census indicate that Rebecca was born in 1791. However, census records have been known to be in error. For now will go with what the records are telling us and assign Rebecca as a product of his second marriage.

 

Notes for SARAH KENNEDY:

The Charlestown, NH book states that Peter Labaree, Jr.,  first married Sarah Kennedy. The marriage produced 6 children. It further states that after the Revolutionary War, Peter Labaree, Jr.  removed to Lincoln Co., ME and married Sarah Longfellow on January 1, 1788. This marriage produced 10 children. The Charlestown book indicated a daughter Sarah was born in each marriage. Since the Sarah of the first marriage was still alive for the birth of the second Sarah, then it may be that we are dealing with two Peter, Jr.'s. This Labaree would have to have been a first cousin or a brother of Peter Sr. No brother of Peter was found.

 

Here lies the problem. Abner Meigs m(1) Sarah Church who supposedly died about 1790. He  m(2) Sarah Who? Labaree on September 12, 1790. This record is a Vital Record of New Hampshire. To date there is only one Sarah who could fit the bill and that is Sarah Kennedy, the first wife of Peter, Jr. The Peter, Jr., in the Charlestown Book had 6 children with Sarah Kennedy and 10 children with Sarah Longfellow. Whoever she was, she had a daughter Sarah Labaree who was born in 1779. If the History of Charlestown , NH is correct and Peter, Jr. had 2 marriages to women named Sarah, then the first marriage ended in Divorce. That is the way I have chosen to carry Sarah Kennedy until I find the solution to this problem. Abner was found in the 1790 census in Cheshire Co., NH.(At that time Claremont and all of Sullivan Co were part of Cheshire Co.) . He was in financial troubles on April 9, 1798, a "command to attach the goods, chattels, or estate of Abner Meigs" was issued by the State of Vermont to the Sheriff of the county of Orange.  It was around this time that it appears that Abner headed North.  He was of Montville, Lincoln County, ME for the 1800 census. Upon arriving at Grand Manan Island he purchased land from Thomas Ross. In 1814 he deeded part of that land to Sarah Labaree with the stipulation that she was not to have the land until after the death of Abner and his wife, Sarah. In 1838, Sarah as Sarah Sprague gave Church Meigs, son of Abner, a quitclaim deed for the same property as described in the 1814 deed. It could be that Abner's financial problems go back to 1790 and were the result of an affair with Mrs. Sarah Labaree. It is odd that only two of Abner's seven children came to Grand Manan with him.

 

It has not been determined when Abner Meigs removed from Grand Manan Island. He is not mentioned in the 1821 census of Grand Manan and may have left before the census.

       

Children of DR. MEIGS and SARAH CHURCH are:

                   i.    SARAH3 MEIGS, b. Abt. 1770.

                  ii.    JOHN MEIGS, b. Abt. 1774, Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire; d. October 21, 1822, Lyndon, Caledonia Co., Vermont; m. ABIGAIL WEEKS; b. Abt. 1775; d. October 05, 1823, Lyndon, Caledonia Co., Vermont..

                 iii.    HEMAN MEIGS, b. June 09, 1781, Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire; d. May 21, 1857; m. LYDIA HUNT.

 

Notes for LYDIA HUNT:

Lydia was of Turnbridge, VT

 

Marriage Notes for HEMAN MEIGS and LYDIA HUNT:

Issued six.

 

                 iv.    LORENZO MEIGS, b. March 01, 1785; d. October 16, 1857; m. (1) MARY BRUSH; b. September 11, 1789; d. February 22, 1846; m. (2) MARY ARNOLD, August 20, 1809; b. August 16, 1785; d. June 21, 1821.

 

Notes for LORENZO MEIGS:

Issued 5. Two the 1st marriage and three the second. Lived in Malone, NY

 

                  v.    ANSON MEIGS, b. October 09, 1788; d. August 18, 1851; m. DOROTHY LEAVITT, March 08, 1809.

 

Notes for ANSON MEIGS:

A twin of Church. Lived in St. Johnsbury, VT and had 7 children.

 

3.              vi.    CHURCH MEIGS, b. October 09, 1788, Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire; d. March 09, 1849, Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.

       

Child of DR. MEIGS and SARAH KENNEDY is:

                vii.    REBECCA3 MEIGS, b. Abt. 1791, Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire; d. June 06, 1874, Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick; m. SAMUEL INGERSOLL, Bef. 1821, Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.

 

 

Generation No. 3

 

3.  CHURCH3 MEIGS (DR. ABNER2, DR. JOHN1) was born October 09, 1788 in Claremont, Sullivan Co., New Hampshire, and died March 09, 1849 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.  He married ELIZABETH WORMELL in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.  She was born Abt. 1789, and died April 27, 1862 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.

 

Notes for CHURCH MEIGS:

The Twin of Anson

       

Child of CHURCH MEIGS and ELIZABETH WORMELL is:

4.                i.    ISAAC4 MEIGS, b. Abt. 1806, Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick; d. Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.

 

 

Generation No. 4

 

4.  ISAAC4 MEIGS (CHURCH3, DR. ABNER2, DR. JOHN1) was born Abt. 1806 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick, and died in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.  He married PHOBE A. GUPTILL August 02, 1831 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.  She was born Abt. 1807 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick, and died April 25, 1866 in Grand Manan, Charlotte Co., New Brunswick.

       

Children of ISAAC MEIGS and PHOBE GUPTILL are:

                   i.    MARY ELIZABETH5 MEIGS, b. Abt. 1832.

                  ii.    JANE SOPHIA MEIGS, b. Abt. 1833; m. WILLIAM LEE GREEN, Abt. 1856; b. Abt. 1833.

                 iii.    JOHN W. MEIGS, b. Abt. 1835.

                 iv.    ALMEDIA MEIGS, b. Abt. 1837.

                  v.    ISAAC MEIGS, b. Abt. 1842.

vi.LORENZA MEIGS, b. Abt. 1842.

 

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