My Genealogy Hound

Thomas Meredith was born on the 9th of July, 1804, son of Frederick and Mary (Fulton) Meredith, who were born in North Carolina and Virginia, respectively, and came to Tennessee in 1800. They wore married the same year and became the parents of eight children, two of whom are yet living. The father was a farmer and located first in East Tennessee, and afterward lived in this State and Kentucky until 1816, when he located in Wayne County, on Buffalo River, and there died in 1826. His wife died in 1863. Up to 1824 our subject resided with his father. At that date he married Mary A. Rasbury, daughter of Lovick and Jane Rasbury. She was born in Georgia in 1805, and came to Tennessee when quite young. She became the mother of three daughters and seven sons. Three of the children are dead. Mrs. Meredith died May 20, 1872, and on the 20th of May, 1877, Mr. Meredith married Mary A. Benham, who was born in Tennessee in 1829, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Benham. Mr. Meredith has been a life-long farmer, and in his young days was very active and powerful, being always ready to assist his neighbors in log rolling, etc. He built a portion of the house, in which he now lives, about fifty years ago, hewed the logs and used the old whipsaw in making joist and other necessary articles. He purchased his present home-farm of 120 acres in 1837, and continued to purchase land from time to time until his real estate amounted to 2,000 acres. During the war he lost, in slaves and security debts, nearly all the property he had accumulated. He has been magistrate of the county for over half a century and has been trustee two terms. He also served as deputy sheriff for six successive years. He has been a life-long Democrat, and furnished five sons for the Confederate Army. He has been a member of the Hardshell Baptist Church for over fifty years. His son, Lovick E. Meredith, was born in Wayne County, in 1827. He remained with his parents until twenty-seven years of age, when he married Anna B. E. Matthews, who was born in Tennessee in 1832, daughter of William Matthews, and immediately began life for himself, working at the following callings: merchandising, stock trading, milling and farming, the latter occupying the principal part of his attention. He is a Democrat, and has served as constable of his district. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1862, and served until the final surrender, participating in many of the principal battles. In 1857 he located on his present farm of 1,000 acres, having, besides this, 500 acres in different tracts. He is a Mason, an honorable and well known citizen, and a Prohibitionist. His children are Mary E., Leonidas T., Ledru R., William W., Lenora E., Deborah O. and Belle M.