Ann Meredith was the daughter of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox, of Baltimore, Maryland. On the 13 Nov 1764, Thomas Couch, Sr., husband of Mary Couch, and father of John Couch (b: ca. 1745) sold Thomas Meredith 160 acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina (Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret). When Thomas Couch sold Thomas Meredith 160 acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina, Baltimore, Maryland, was very sparsely populated. The town of Baltimore (called Baltimore City) was created by act of the Maryland General Assembly, Aug. 8, 1729, and named in honor of Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore. The town was laid out January 12, 1730. Population in 1752 was just 200; 1,500 to 2,000 in 1764; and 13,503 when the 1790 census was taken. Thus when Thomas Meredith left Baltimore County in 1764 to move to the land he acquired from Thomas Couch, the town and county of Baltimore were so sparsely populated that it was likely that most people knew each other.
It is uncertain as to why Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox Meredith moved with their family to Orange County, North Carolina. When John Meredith, Thomas Meredith’s father, died in 1764, he left only one slave and no land to Thomas. Perhaps this is the reason Thomas Meredith moved from his home state and became a neighbor of the Couch families in Orange County, North Carolina.
It is apparent that the Couches and Medediths became neighbors for a few years in Orange County, North Carolina, which would explain how John Couch first met Ann Meredith. We have a good record of the Meredith Family from the Baltimore County, Maryland, Parish Register for the St. John’s Anglican Church. The Meredith Family is listed below.
• Thomas MEREDITH (Born: 8 APR 1739 Died: About 1796)
Father: John Meredith b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD
Mother: Anne Griffith b: Abt 1709 in Baltimore, Maryland (Ann Griffith and John Meredith married on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland.)
• Marriage of Thomas Meredith: Susanna (Susan) COX (b: 14 Jul 1739 in Baltimore, MD)
• [Daughter of: John Cox and Elizabeth Lee]
Marriage Date: 22 May 1755 in Baltimore, MD (St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50)
Known, Documented Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
1. Susanna (Ann) MEREDITH b: 7 Mar 1756 in Baltimore, Maryland
Married: JOHN COUCH (b: ca. 1745) Marriage was in 1772 in Orange County, NC
2. Captain Henry Meredith b: 4 AUG 1757 in Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC; Married: Parmelia NELSON, 28 March 1785 in Orange County, North Carolina
The Meredith families were among the early settlers of the colony of Maryland. John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland. One grant, called Meredith’s Chance, was for 100 acres, granted 29 May 1682. The other grant, called Tewksbury, was for 50 acres, granted 28 Mary 1682. (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) This John Meredith, The Immigrant, is projected to have been born about 1655 in Ireland. He is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD). John Meredith (b: ca. 1680) is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann Co., Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore Co, Maryland). John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) married Anne Griffith on 5 October 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann County, Maryland) and his wife, Anne Griffith, moved to Baltimore County, Maryland, and lived in St. John’s Parish. The Anglican Church the Meredith family attended was St. John’s Parish Church.
According to the will that John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) left, he had the following children: (1) John Meredith (2) William Meredith, (3) Thomas Meredith (b: 8 April 1739), (4) Sarah Meredith Coston. Perhaps there were other children but they are not listed in his will. An excerpt from his will reads as follows (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992): D: 14 July 1764, P: 25 October 1764.
“TO son William Meredith, 80 A., where he now lives.
TO son John Meredith, dwelling plantation, tract called ‘Trustram’s Ridge’; 100 A. adjoining called ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’; clothing; if son, John, die without issue, then his pt. of lands shd. be disposed of as follows: dwelling place called ‘Trustram Ridge,’ to my son William Meredith, being the remainder of tract to him before bequeathed; land being pt. of ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’ to my son Thomas Meredith.
TO son Thomas Meredith, one slave.
TO dau. Sarah Coston, one slave.
TO grandson James Meredith, son of my William Meredith, one slave.
Desire after debts are paid, remainder to be divided between above-named children: William, John, Thomas, and Sarah.
Ex: Son, John
Wit: Henry Conneall, John Scrivener, Elizabeth Griffith 32.326”
When the Anglican Church became the official church of Maryland in 1692, the parishes were instructed to register the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents. Every county formed in Maryland by 1770 has at least one pre-Revolution parish register. We are very fortunate in this regard because some of the Meredith family history can be pieced together from information recorded by the Anglican Church, more specifically the St. John’s Church in St. John’s Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland. The information yields Ann Meredith’s exact birth date.
Three volumes of Maryland Marriages from 1634 through 1820 were compiled by Robert Barnes and were gathered from church and estate as well as public records. A similar compilation by F. Edward Wright is Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records and Supplement, 6 volumes, which covers births, marriages, and deaths (1648-1825) from church and court records.
St. Paul’s Parish was founded in 1692 under the Establishment Act, which created 30 Anglican parishes in the colony of Maryland. The first church was located somewhere along Colgate Creek, between modern-day Dundalk and southeastern Baltimore City. When Baltimore City was founded in its present location in 1729, the parish moved to “Lot 19,” the highest point in the original city boundaries. The present church is located on a portion of that property. All Episcopal parishes in Baltimore City and many in Baltimore County are in some way traced to Old St. Paul’s Parish.
The Meredith Family is pretty well documented by church, court, and land records. A partial chronological summary follows.
• John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1682 (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) .
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) marries Anne Griffith on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) prepared a will and died on 14 July 1764; will probated on 25 October 1764. John Meredith names some or all of his children in the will, one of whom was Thomas Meredith (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992).
• Thomas Meredith marries Susanna (Susan) Cox on 22 May 1755 (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989, and St. John’s Parish Register – 1796-1851 by Henry C. Peden, Jr., Family Line Publishing, 1987).
• Meredith, Thomas and Susanna Cox had issue; ANN, b: 7 March 1756; HENRY, b: 4 August 1757 [131:46, 131/r] (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989)
• Thomas Meredith acquired 160 acres of land from Thomas Couch on 13 November 1764 in Orange County, North Carolina, several months after his father, John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) died (Source:Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret).
• Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox’s daughter, Susanna (Ann) Meredith marries John Couch in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1772 (Orange County, NC Marriage Records).
A simplified chart of the Meredith family is shown below:
1 – John Meredith, [likely The Immigrant] (b: ca. 1655, possibly Ireland)
2 – John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD)
Spouse: Sophia
3 – John Meredith (b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD)
Spouse: Anne (Ann) Griffith (b: abt. 1709 in Baltimore Co, MD d: before 14
Jul 1764)
Married: on 5 Oct 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., MD Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index,
1634-1777 (Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index, 1634-1777; 1 QA-38)
(Note: John Meredith left a will. Died: 14 Jul 1764 Estate administration: 25 Oct 1764. William, John,
Thomas, and Sarah are mentioned in the will as his children. There is no mention of his wife Ann, thus
she likely died prior to the making of the will.)
Known Children of John Meredith and Ann Griffith:
• William Meredith
• John Meredith
• Thomas Meredith (b: 8 Apr 1739)
• Sarah Meredith
4 – Thomas Meredith (b: 8 APR 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD d: About 1796)
Spouse: Susanna (Ann) Cox (b: 14 Jul 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD)
Known Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
• Susanna (Ann) (b: 7 Mar 1756; Baltimore, MD d: 1821; Lawrence Co, AL)
Spouse: John Couch (b: ca. 1745 d: 30 Mar 1840 in Tishomingo Co, MS)
Married in 1772 in Orange County, NC
• Henry [Captain] (b: 4 Aug 1757, Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC)
Spouse: Parmelia Nelson (b: 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC)
Married 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC
Ann Meredith married John Couch in 1772 in Orange County, North Carolina. John and Ann would become true pioneers, moving from Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, to the Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina, then to Mississippi Territory, and finally to Lawrence County, Alabama. They were members of the Old Enon Baptist Church in Lawrence County, Alabama, for many years. Susanna “Ann” Meredith died in Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1821 (Source: Tishomingo, MS Deed Bk E, 127, 129, 142, 143, and 331). She was likely buried in the Old Enon Baptist Church Cemetery, which was about ½ mile from the present location.
It is uncertain as to why Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox Meredith moved with their family to Orange County, North Carolina. When John Meredith, Thomas Meredith’s father, died in 1764, he left only one slave and no land to Thomas. Perhaps this is the reason Thomas Meredith moved from his home state and became a neighbor of the Couch families in Orange County, North Carolina.
It is apparent that the Couches and Medediths became neighbors for a few years in Orange County, North Carolina, which would explain how John Couch first met Ann Meredith. We have a good record of the Meredith Family from the Baltimore County, Maryland, Parish Register for the St. John’s Anglican Church. The Meredith Family is listed below.
• Thomas MEREDITH (Born: 8 APR 1739 Died: About 1796)
Father: John Meredith b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD
Mother: Anne Griffith b: Abt 1709 in Baltimore, Maryland (Ann Griffith and John Meredith married on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland.)
• Marriage of Thomas Meredith: Susanna (Susan) COX (b: 14 Jul 1739 in Baltimore, MD)
• [Daughter of: John Cox and Elizabeth Lee]
Marriage Date: 22 May 1755 in Baltimore, MD (St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50)
Known, Documented Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
1. Susanna (Ann) MEREDITH b: 7 Mar 1756 in Baltimore, Maryland
Married: JOHN COUCH (b: ca. 1745) Marriage was in 1772 in Orange County, NC
2. Captain Henry Meredith b: 4 AUG 1757 in Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC; Married: Parmelia NELSON, 28 March 1785 in Orange County, North Carolina
The Meredith families were among the early settlers of the colony of Maryland. John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland. One grant, called Meredith’s Chance, was for 100 acres, granted 29 May 1682. The other grant, called Tewksbury, was for 50 acres, granted 28 Mary 1682. (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) This John Meredith, The Immigrant, is projected to have been born about 1655 in Ireland. He is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD). John Meredith (b: ca. 1680) is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann Co., Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore Co, Maryland). John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) married Anne Griffith on 5 October 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann County, Maryland) and his wife, Anne Griffith, moved to Baltimore County, Maryland, and lived in St. John’s Parish. The Anglican Church the Meredith family attended was St. John’s Parish Church.
According to the will that John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) left, he had the following children: (1) John Meredith (2) William Meredith, (3) Thomas Meredith (b: 8 April 1739), (4) Sarah Meredith Coston. Perhaps there were other children but they are not listed in his will. An excerpt from his will reads as follows (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992): D: 14 July 1764, P: 25 October 1764.
“TO son William Meredith, 80 A., where he now lives.
TO son John Meredith, dwelling plantation, tract called ‘Trustram’s Ridge’; 100 A. adjoining called ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’; clothing; if son, John, die without issue, then his pt. of lands shd. be disposed of as follows: dwelling place called ‘Trustram Ridge,’ to my son William Meredith, being the remainder of tract to him before bequeathed; land being pt. of ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’ to my son Thomas Meredith.
TO son Thomas Meredith, one slave.
TO dau. Sarah Coston, one slave.
TO grandson James Meredith, son of my William Meredith, one slave.
Desire after debts are paid, remainder to be divided between above-named children: William, John, Thomas, and Sarah.
Ex: Son, John
Wit: Henry Conneall, John Scrivener, Elizabeth Griffith 32.326”
When the Anglican Church became the official church of Maryland in 1692, the parishes were instructed to register the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents. Every county formed in Maryland by 1770 has at least one pre-Revolution parish register. We are very fortunate in this regard because some of the Meredith family history can be pieced together from information recorded by the Anglican Church, more specifically the St. John’s Church in St. John’s Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland. The information yields Ann Meredith’s exact birth date.
Three volumes of Maryland Marriages from 1634 through 1820 were compiled by Robert Barnes and were gathered from church and estate as well as public records. A similar compilation by F. Edward Wright is Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records and Supplement, 6 volumes, which covers births, marriages, and deaths (1648-1825) from church and court records.
St. Paul’s Parish was founded in 1692 under the Establishment Act, which created 30 Anglican parishes in the colony of Maryland. The first church was located somewhere along Colgate Creek, between modern-day Dundalk and southeastern Baltimore City. When Baltimore City was founded in its present location in 1729, the parish moved to “Lot 19,” the highest point in the original city boundaries. The present church is located on a portion of that property. All Episcopal parishes in Baltimore City and many in Baltimore County are in some way traced to Old St. Paul’s Parish.
The Meredith Family is pretty well documented by church, court, and land records. A partial chronological summary follows.
• John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1682 (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) .
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) marries Anne Griffith on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) prepared a will and died on 14 July 1764; will probated on 25 October 1764. John Meredith names some or all of his children in the will, one of whom was Thomas Meredith (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992).
• Thomas Meredith marries Susanna (Susan) Cox on 22 May 1755 (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989, and St. John’s Parish Register – 1796-1851 by Henry C. Peden, Jr., Family Line Publishing, 1987).
• Meredith, Thomas and Susanna Cox had issue; ANN, b: 7 March 1756; HENRY, b: 4 August 1757 [131:46, 131/r] (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989)
• Thomas Meredith acquired 160 acres of land from Thomas Couch on 13 November 1764 in Orange County, North Carolina, several months after his father, John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) died (Source:Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret).
• Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox’s daughter, Susanna (Ann) Meredith marries John Couch in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1772 (Orange County, NC Marriage Records).
A simplified chart of the Meredith family is shown below:
1 – John Meredith, [likely The Immigrant] (b: ca. 1655, possibly Ireland)
2 – John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD)
Spouse: Sophia
3 – John Meredith (b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD)
Spouse: Anne (Ann) Griffith (b: abt. 1709 in Baltimore Co, MD d: before 14
Jul 1764)
Married: on 5 Oct 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., MD Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index,
1634-1777 (Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index, 1634-1777; 1 QA-38)
(Note: John Meredith left a will. Died: 14 Jul 1764 Estate administration: 25 Oct 1764. William, John,
Thomas, and Sarah are mentioned in the will as his children. There is no mention of his wife Ann, thus
she likely died prior to the making of the will.)
Known Children of John Meredith and Ann Griffith:
• William Meredith
• John Meredith
• Thomas Meredith (b: 8 Apr 1739)
• Sarah Meredith
4 – Thomas Meredith (b: 8 APR 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD d: About 1796)
Spouse: Susanna (Ann) Cox (b: 14 Jul 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD)
Known Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
• Susanna (Ann) (b: 7 Mar 1756; Baltimore, MD d: 1821; Lawrence Co, AL)
Spouse: John Couch (b: ca. 1745 d: 30 Mar 1840 in Tishomingo Co, MS)
Married in 1772 in Orange County, NC
• Henry [Captain] (b: 4 Aug 1757, Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC)
Spouse: Parmelia Nelson (b: 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC)
Married 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC
Ann Meredith married John Couch in 1772 in Orange County, North Carolina. John and Ann would become true pioneers, moving from Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, to the Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina, then to Mississippi Territory, and finally to Lawrence County, Alabama. They were members of the Old Enon Baptist Church in Lawrence County, Alabama, for many years. Susanna “Ann” Meredith died in Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1821 (Source: Tishomingo, MS Deed Bk E, 127, 129, 142, 143, and 331). She was likely buried in the Old Enon Baptist Church Cemetery, which was about ½ mile from the present location.
Ann Meredith was the daughter of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox, of Baltimore, Maryland. On the 13 Nov 1764, Thomas Couch, Sr., husband of Mary Couch, and father of John Couch (b: ca. 1745) sold Thomas Meredith 160 acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina (Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret). When Thomas Couch sold Thomas Meredith 160 acres of land in Orange County, North Carolina, Baltimore, Maryland, was very sparsely populated. The town of Baltimore (called Baltimore City) was created by act of the Maryland General Assembly, Aug. 8, 1729, and named in honor of Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore. The town was laid out January 12, 1730. Population in 1752 was just 200; 1,500 to 2,000 in 1764; and 13,503 when the 1790 census was taken. Thus when Thomas Meredith left Baltimore County in 1764 to move to the land he acquired from Thomas Couch, the town and county of Baltimore were so sparsely populated that it was likely that most people knew each other.
It is uncertain as to why Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox Meredith moved with their family to Orange County, North Carolina. When John Meredith, Thomas Meredith’s father, died in 1764, he left only one slave and no land to Thomas. Perhaps this is the reason Thomas Meredith moved from his home state and became a neighbor of the Couch families in Orange County, North Carolina.
It is apparent that the Couches and Medediths became neighbors for a few years in Orange County, North Carolina, which would explain how John Couch first met Ann Meredith. We have a good record of the Meredith Family from the Baltimore County, Maryland, Parish Register for the St. John’s Anglican Church. The Meredith Family is listed below.
• Thomas MEREDITH (Born: 8 APR 1739 Died: About 1796)
Father: John Meredith b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD
Mother: Anne Griffith b: Abt 1709 in Baltimore, Maryland (Ann Griffith and John Meredith married on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland.)
• Marriage of Thomas Meredith: Susanna (Susan) COX (b: 14 Jul 1739 in Baltimore, MD)
• [Daughter of: John Cox and Elizabeth Lee]
Marriage Date: 22 May 1755 in Baltimore, MD (St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50)
Known, Documented Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
1. Susanna (Ann) MEREDITH b: 7 Mar 1756 in Baltimore, Maryland
Married: JOHN COUCH (b: ca. 1745) Marriage was in 1772 in Orange County, NC
2. Captain Henry Meredith b: 4 AUG 1757 in Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC; Married: Parmelia NELSON, 28 March 1785 in Orange County, North Carolina
The Meredith families were among the early settlers of the colony of Maryland. John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland. One grant, called Meredith’s Chance, was for 100 acres, granted 29 May 1682. The other grant, called Tewksbury, was for 50 acres, granted 28 Mary 1682. (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) This John Meredith, The Immigrant, is projected to have been born about 1655 in Ireland. He is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD). John Meredith (b: ca. 1680) is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann Co., Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore Co, Maryland). John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) married Anne Griffith on 5 October 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann County, Maryland) and his wife, Anne Griffith, moved to Baltimore County, Maryland, and lived in St. John’s Parish. The Anglican Church the Meredith family attended was St. John’s Parish Church.
According to the will that John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) left, he had the following children: (1) John Meredith (2) William Meredith, (3) Thomas Meredith (b: 8 April 1739), (4) Sarah Meredith Coston. Perhaps there were other children but they are not listed in his will. An excerpt from his will reads as follows (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992): D: 14 July 1764, P: 25 October 1764.
“TO son William Meredith, 80 A., where he now lives.
TO son John Meredith, dwelling plantation, tract called ‘Trustram’s Ridge’; 100 A. adjoining called ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’; clothing; if son, John, die without issue, then his pt. of lands shd. be disposed of as follows: dwelling place called ‘Trustram Ridge,’ to my son William Meredith, being the remainder of tract to him before bequeathed; land being pt. of ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’ to my son Thomas Meredith.
TO son Thomas Meredith, one slave.
TO dau. Sarah Coston, one slave.
TO grandson James Meredith, son of my William Meredith, one slave.
Desire after debts are paid, remainder to be divided between above-named children: William, John, Thomas, and Sarah.
Ex: Son, John
Wit: Henry Conneall, John Scrivener, Elizabeth Griffith 32.326”
When the Anglican Church became the official church of Maryland in 1692, the parishes were instructed to register the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents. Every county formed in Maryland by 1770 has at least one pre-Revolution parish register. We are very fortunate in this regard because some of the Meredith family history can be pieced together from information recorded by the Anglican Church, more specifically the St. John’s Church in St. John’s Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland. The information yields Ann Meredith’s exact birth date.
Three volumes of Maryland Marriages from 1634 through 1820 were compiled by Robert Barnes and were gathered from church and estate as well as public records. A similar compilation by F. Edward Wright is Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records and Supplement, 6 volumes, which covers births, marriages, and deaths (1648-1825) from church and court records.
St. Paul’s Parish was founded in 1692 under the Establishment Act, which created 30 Anglican parishes in the colony of Maryland. The first church was located somewhere along Colgate Creek, between modern-day Dundalk and southeastern Baltimore City. When Baltimore City was founded in its present location in 1729, the parish moved to “Lot 19,” the highest point in the original city boundaries. The present church is located on a portion of that property. All Episcopal parishes in Baltimore City and many in Baltimore County are in some way traced to Old St. Paul’s Parish.
The Meredith Family is pretty well documented by church, court, and land records. A partial chronological summary follows.
• John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1682 (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) .
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) marries Anne Griffith on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) prepared a will and died on 14 July 1764; will probated on 25 October 1764. John Meredith names some or all of his children in the will, one of whom was Thomas Meredith (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992).
• Thomas Meredith marries Susanna (Susan) Cox on 22 May 1755 (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989, and St. John’s Parish Register – 1796-1851 by Henry C. Peden, Jr., Family Line Publishing, 1987).
• Meredith, Thomas and Susanna Cox had issue; ANN, b: 7 March 1756; HENRY, b: 4 August 1757 [131:46, 131/r] (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989)
• Thomas Meredith acquired 160 acres of land from Thomas Couch on 13 November 1764 in Orange County, North Carolina, several months after his father, John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) died (Source:Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret).
• Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox’s daughter, Susanna (Ann) Meredith marries John Couch in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1772 (Orange County, NC Marriage Records).
A simplified chart of the Meredith family is shown below:
1 – John Meredith, [likely The Immigrant] (b: ca. 1655, possibly Ireland)
2 – John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD)
Spouse: Sophia
3 – John Meredith (b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD)
Spouse: Anne (Ann) Griffith (b: abt. 1709 in Baltimore Co, MD d: before 14
Jul 1764)
Married: on 5 Oct 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., MD Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index,
1634-1777 (Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index, 1634-1777; 1 QA-38)
(Note: John Meredith left a will. Died: 14 Jul 1764 Estate administration: 25 Oct 1764. William, John,
Thomas, and Sarah are mentioned in the will as his children. There is no mention of his wife Ann, thus
she likely died prior to the making of the will.)
Known Children of John Meredith and Ann Griffith:
• William Meredith
• John Meredith
• Thomas Meredith (b: 8 Apr 1739)
• Sarah Meredith
4 – Thomas Meredith (b: 8 APR 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD d: About 1796)
Spouse: Susanna (Ann) Cox (b: 14 Jul 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD)
Known Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
• Susanna (Ann) (b: 7 Mar 1756; Baltimore, MD d: 1821; Lawrence Co, AL)
Spouse: John Couch (b: ca. 1745 d: 30 Mar 1840 in Tishomingo Co, MS)
Married in 1772 in Orange County, NC
• Henry [Captain] (b: 4 Aug 1757, Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC)
Spouse: Parmelia Nelson (b: 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC)
Married 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC
Ann Meredith married John Couch in 1772 in Orange County, North Carolina. John and Ann would become true pioneers, moving from Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, to the Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina, then to Mississippi Territory, and finally to Lawrence County, Alabama. They were members of the Old Enon Baptist Church in Lawrence County, Alabama, for many years. Susanna “Ann” Meredith died in Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1821 (Source: Tishomingo, MS Deed Bk E, 127, 129, 142, 143, and 331). She was likely buried in the Old Enon Baptist Church Cemetery, which was about ½ mile from the present location.
It is uncertain as to why Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox Meredith moved with their family to Orange County, North Carolina. When John Meredith, Thomas Meredith’s father, died in 1764, he left only one slave and no land to Thomas. Perhaps this is the reason Thomas Meredith moved from his home state and became a neighbor of the Couch families in Orange County, North Carolina.
It is apparent that the Couches and Medediths became neighbors for a few years in Orange County, North Carolina, which would explain how John Couch first met Ann Meredith. We have a good record of the Meredith Family from the Baltimore County, Maryland, Parish Register for the St. John’s Anglican Church. The Meredith Family is listed below.
• Thomas MEREDITH (Born: 8 APR 1739 Died: About 1796)
Father: John Meredith b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD
Mother: Anne Griffith b: Abt 1709 in Baltimore, Maryland (Ann Griffith and John Meredith married on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland.)
• Marriage of Thomas Meredith: Susanna (Susan) COX (b: 14 Jul 1739 in Baltimore, MD)
• [Daughter of: John Cox and Elizabeth Lee]
Marriage Date: 22 May 1755 in Baltimore, MD (St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50)
Known, Documented Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
1. Susanna (Ann) MEREDITH b: 7 Mar 1756 in Baltimore, Maryland
Married: JOHN COUCH (b: ca. 1745) Marriage was in 1772 in Orange County, NC
2. Captain Henry Meredith b: 4 AUG 1757 in Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC; Married: Parmelia NELSON, 28 March 1785 in Orange County, North Carolina
The Meredith families were among the early settlers of the colony of Maryland. John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland. One grant, called Meredith’s Chance, was for 100 acres, granted 29 May 1682. The other grant, called Tewksbury, was for 50 acres, granted 28 Mary 1682. (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) This John Meredith, The Immigrant, is projected to have been born about 1655 in Ireland. He is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD). John Meredith (b: ca. 1680) is the father of John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann Co., Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore Co, Maryland). John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) married Anne Griffith on 5 October 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
John Meredith (b: ca. 1709 in Queen Ann County, Maryland) and his wife, Anne Griffith, moved to Baltimore County, Maryland, and lived in St. John’s Parish. The Anglican Church the Meredith family attended was St. John’s Parish Church.
According to the will that John Meredith (b: ca. 1709) left, he had the following children: (1) John Meredith (2) William Meredith, (3) Thomas Meredith (b: 8 April 1739), (4) Sarah Meredith Coston. Perhaps there were other children but they are not listed in his will. An excerpt from his will reads as follows (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992): D: 14 July 1764, P: 25 October 1764.
“TO son William Meredith, 80 A., where he now lives.
TO son John Meredith, dwelling plantation, tract called ‘Trustram’s Ridge’; 100 A. adjoining called ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’; clothing; if son, John, die without issue, then his pt. of lands shd. be disposed of as follows: dwelling place called ‘Trustram Ridge,’ to my son William Meredith, being the remainder of tract to him before bequeathed; land being pt. of ‘Tom’s Fancy Enlarged,’ to my son Thomas Meredith.
TO son Thomas Meredith, one slave.
TO dau. Sarah Coston, one slave.
TO grandson James Meredith, son of my William Meredith, one slave.
Desire after debts are paid, remainder to be divided between above-named children: William, John, Thomas, and Sarah.
Ex: Son, John
Wit: Henry Conneall, John Scrivener, Elizabeth Griffith 32.326”
When the Anglican Church became the official church of Maryland in 1692, the parishes were instructed to register the births, marriages, and deaths of all residents. Every county formed in Maryland by 1770 has at least one pre-Revolution parish register. We are very fortunate in this regard because some of the Meredith family history can be pieced together from information recorded by the Anglican Church, more specifically the St. John’s Church in St. John’s Parish in Baltimore County, Maryland. The information yields Ann Meredith’s exact birth date.
Three volumes of Maryland Marriages from 1634 through 1820 were compiled by Robert Barnes and were gathered from church and estate as well as public records. A similar compilation by F. Edward Wright is Maryland Eastern Shore Vital Records and Supplement, 6 volumes, which covers births, marriages, and deaths (1648-1825) from church and court records.
St. Paul’s Parish was founded in 1692 under the Establishment Act, which created 30 Anglican parishes in the colony of Maryland. The first church was located somewhere along Colgate Creek, between modern-day Dundalk and southeastern Baltimore City. When Baltimore City was founded in its present location in 1729, the parish moved to “Lot 19,” the highest point in the original city boundaries. The present church is located on a portion of that property. All Episcopal parishes in Baltimore City and many in Baltimore County are in some way traced to Old St. Paul’s Parish.
The Meredith Family is pretty well documented by church, court, and land records. A partial chronological summary follows.
• John Meredith received two land grants in Dorchester County, Maryland, in 1682 (Source: Settlers of Maryland – 1679-1700 by Peter Wilson Coldham of Surrey, England, Genealogical Publishing Co., 1995) .
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) marries Anne Griffith on 5 Oct 1731 in Baltimore, Maryland (Source: Maryland Marriages – 1634-1777, by Robert Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD, 1978).
• John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) prepared a will and died on 14 July 1764; will probated on 25 October 1764. John Meredith names some or all of his children in the will, one of whom was Thomas Meredith (Source: Maryland Calendar of Wills, Vol. 13, by Jane Baldwin Cotton, Family Life Publications, 1992).
• Thomas Meredith marries Susanna (Susan) Cox on 22 May 1755 (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989, and St. John’s Parish Register – 1796-1851 by Henry C. Peden, Jr., Family Line Publishing, 1987).
• Meredith, Thomas and Susanna Cox had issue; ANN, b: 7 March 1756; HENRY, b: 4 August 1757 [131:46, 131/r] (Source: St. Paul's Parish Church, Vol. II, Page 50 and Baltimore County Families, 1659-1759, by Robert A. Barnes, Genealogical Publishers, Baltimore, MD., 1989)
• Thomas Meredith acquired 160 acres of land from Thomas Couch on 13 November 1764 in Orange County, North Carolina, several months after his father, John Meredith (b: ca. 1705) died (Source:Register of Orange Co, NC, Deeds 1752-1768 and 1793, transcribed by Eve B. Weeks – Heritage Papers, Danielsville, GA 30633, Mary B. Warren 1984, page 35, Witnessed by Stephen Merret).
• Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox’s daughter, Susanna (Ann) Meredith marries John Couch in Orange County, North Carolina, in 1772 (Orange County, NC Marriage Records).
A simplified chart of the Meredith family is shown below:
1 – John Meredith, [likely The Immigrant] (b: ca. 1655, possibly Ireland)
2 – John Meredith (b: ca. 1680 in Queen Ann Co., MD d: 28 May 1748 in Baltimore Co., MD)
Spouse: Sophia
3 – John Meredith (b: Abt 1705 in Queen Ann, Maryland d: 14 Jul 1764 in Baltimore, MD)
Spouse: Anne (Ann) Griffith (b: abt. 1709 in Baltimore Co, MD d: before 14
Jul 1764)
Married: on 5 Oct 1731 in St. Luke’s Parish, Queen Ann Co., MD Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index,
1634-1777 (Maryland, Compiled Marriage Index, 1634-1777; 1 QA-38)
(Note: John Meredith left a will. Died: 14 Jul 1764 Estate administration: 25 Oct 1764. William, John,
Thomas, and Sarah are mentioned in the will as his children. There is no mention of his wife Ann, thus
she likely died prior to the making of the will.)
Known Children of John Meredith and Ann Griffith:
• William Meredith
• John Meredith
• Thomas Meredith (b: 8 Apr 1739)
• Sarah Meredith
4 – Thomas Meredith (b: 8 APR 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD d: About 1796)
Spouse: Susanna (Ann) Cox (b: 14 Jul 1739 in St. John’s Parish, Baltimore, MD)
Known Children of Thomas Meredith and Susanna Cox:
• Susanna (Ann) (b: 7 Mar 1756; Baltimore, MD d: 1821; Lawrence Co, AL)
Spouse: John Couch (b: ca. 1745 d: 30 Mar 1840 in Tishomingo Co, MS)
Married in 1772 in Orange County, NC
• Henry [Captain] (b: 4 Aug 1757, Baltimore, MD d: 3 Feb 1843, Laurens Co, SC)
Spouse: Parmelia Nelson (b: 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC)
Married 28 March 1785 in Orange County, NC
Ann Meredith married John Couch in 1772 in Orange County, North Carolina. John and Ann would become true pioneers, moving from Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina, to the Old Ninety Six District, South Carolina, then to Mississippi Territory, and finally to Lawrence County, Alabama. They were members of the Old Enon Baptist Church in Lawrence County, Alabama, for many years. Susanna “Ann” Meredith died in Lawrence County, Alabama, in 1821 (Source: Tishomingo, MS Deed Bk E, 127, 129, 142, 143, and 331). She was likely buried in the Old Enon Baptist Church Cemetery, which was about ½ mile from the present location.
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