Joseph Meek of Ruardean 1751 not John MEEK (Parish Records)

by imarlb, Sunday, March 09, 2014, 21:49 (3946 days ago) @ MPGriffiths

The Will of John MEEK of Ruardean - mentions his Son, Joseph, and daughter, Elizabeth, Ann, Phebe & Mary

By using the Advance Search for children of John & Elizabeth MEEK at Ruardean

Betty - 1739
Betty - 1746
Sarah - 1748
Joseph - 1749
Shusanah - 1750
Feby - 1752 (assume Phebe)
Mary - 1753

By using the Advance Search - Francis MEEK didn't witness too many marriages - just 5 at Ruardean

1767- George ROBERTS to Betty MEEK
1768 - Richard VAUGHAN - to Betty GAGG (see GAGG previous reply i.e. Margaret MEEK married William GAGGE
1769 - William GAGG - Anne YEME
1775 - John GAGG to Priscilla MEEK
1779 - Joseph MEEK to Ann HARRIS

William & Margaret GAGG - at least two children at Ruardean : John 1751 and Mary - 1753

There is a Gagg tree on the net - giving these children of William & Margaret at Ruardean - William 1744, Thomas 1749 and Joseph 1751 **

The Fod Records give the child name of John - 1751 , however, the Church of Latter Day Saints has : Joseph - parents William & Margaret

http://www.alangagg.f2s.com/

This 1751 child is presumably yet another candidate for Joseph Meek born c. 1750. However looking for the marriage of John Meek with Elizabeth gives a 1745 marriage to Elizabeth SMART. Back to the wills gives the will of Henry SMART in which he mentions Joseph Meek, a collier, the husband of his daughter Elizabeth. So now with naming patterns we have eldest son of Joseph named John after his father, 2nd son named Joseph after himself, 3rd son named Henry after wife's father. So the children of John and Elizabeth baptized before 1745 must be for either a different couple altogether or for a previous wife also name Elizabeth or Betty.

It's quite a tangled web and I'm not sure that things are getting any clearer for my Joseph's ancestry but we are certainly making progress with the coal mining Joseph son of John and Elizabeth nee SMART.

I'll keep digging.

Thanks a bunch,
Irene