Cousins Cruise
 

Tracking Our Family Heritage

 

According to the book The Ark and the Dove (named ships); the first Meekins left England on February 24, 1634, and landed at Point Comfort, VA (known as Old Point Comfort, Hampton, VA).

 

The first census of the United States (1790) lists the first Meekins as residents of New Kent County, VA. Their names were David Meekins, Criss Meekins, Joseph Meekins and Christmas Meekins. Research tells us that Thomas and Mary Meekins were Christmas Meekins parents, named so because they were born on Christmas Day 1734. Per St. Peter’s Parish Church (New Kent County, VA) records, Christmas had siblings.

 

Unfortunately, census records in 1840 did not list household names. It is for this reason we do not have any information regarding any relatives directly related to David, Criss and Joseph.

 

The first actual Meekins marriage document dates to 1858. This was the year Ann Meekins married Bat D. Patterson. Ann was the daughter of Clairborne and Parthenia Osborn Meekins.

 

The Coles and Lemons were connected via the marriage of Hettie Coles and Scott Lemons in 1869. She was the daughter of Wilson and Judy Coles. Another Coles sister, Caroline married Bat Meekins in 1875.

 

The son of Scott and Hettie Coles Lemons, William Lemons married Susan Meekins in 1903, who was the daughter of Oliver and Redelia Meekins.

 

As years passed, the six names we have as our family reunion name: Coles, Lemons, Meekins, Williams, Winfree, Woodson have become intertwined.

 

Many family members know some of our contemporary lineage is traced back to Mary Jane Earves, who married three times; Albert Williams, Thomas Meekins (1872) and Wilson Coles (1885). Each marriage produced children. Mary Jane and Albert Williams’ daughter Ida Woodson married Robert Abrams in 1902 and their daughter Irene Virginia Abrams married Earl Meekins in 1942, the grandson of Clairborne and Parthenia Osborn Meekins.

 

The Winfrees entered the overall family structure when Eliza Winfree’s daughter, Martha Ella Winfree married William Samuel Williams. They had a daughter; Bertha Senobia Williams who married Gerald Garcia.

 

Eliza Winfree had a brother, William Winfree who married Sally Wickham in 1889. They had three daughters: Marie Winfree married Saunders Meekins in 1915, Catherine Winfree married Henry Meekins in 1916, and Florence Winfree married Colonel Coles in 1911.

 

Jim and Betsy Meekins’ son, Washington Meekins married Phillis Twine in 1871. Their daughter, Bessie Meekins married Andrew Woodson in 1907, son of Samuel and Alice Williams Woodson.

 

Mary Jane Earves Williams Meekins Coles is the aunt to Phillis Twine Meekins.