| John and Elizabeth Mefford of Brown Co, OH Back to John and Elizabeth Back to Contents Please note that sources are provided when possible. We hope the reader will consider unreferenced data, and data from secondary sources, unproven until verified. At this time it is not known for certain which of John Mefford's children were from which of his reported two marriages. In Historical Collections of Brown County, Ohio, by Carl N. Thompson, on page 829, it is stated that John Mefford was married twice, that Elizabeth was his first wife, that she was born in 1775 and that they had seven children with the oldest born in Pennsylvania in 1786, but it seems that at least some of that would have to be in error. Tombstone Inscriptions of Brown County, Ohio Volume I, Compiled by Lillian Colletta and Leslie Puckett, records the following on p67: Elizabeth Mefford, consort of John, died 8/11/1846 aged 71, This would seem to confirm that Elizabeth was born in 1775, so in1786 she would have only been 11 years old. It seems more likely that Elizabeth was John's second wife and that the first three children, possibly four, were from his first marriage. Henry was born in 1795 and Rachel in 1799, so perhaps one of them was Elizabeth's oldest child. Clearly a marriage record needs to be located. We have read that the first settlers to move across the river from Mason Co, KY into Ohio did not do so until around 1797, so Mason Co seems a likely place to start searching for records of John and Elizabeth's marriage. Also Bracken Co, KY was formed from Mason and has some records from the early years. Corrections and additions are welcome, please e-mail. |
| -------------------------------------------------- Husband: John MEFFORD ®33 -------------------------------------------------- Birth: 19 Apr 1764 ®6 Death: 2 Apr 1834 ®72 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Old Red Oak Cem, Union Twp, Brown Co, OH ®33 ®72 Father: Johannes George MEFFORD (1730-1788) Mother: Anna Magdalena [---?---] -------------------------------------------------- Marriage: -------------------------------------------------- Wife: Elizabeth [---?---] ®72 -------------------------------------------------- Birth: 1775 ®72 Death: 11 Aug 1846 ®72 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Old Red Oak Cem, Union Twp, Brown Co, OH ®33 ®72 -------------------------------------------------- Children...which of these are Elizabeth's and which John's first wife's? -------------------------------------------------- 1. M Child: George MEFFORD Birth: 22 Nov 1786/1787 ®72 Place: Pennsylvania ®6 Death: 30 Oct 1872 ®72 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Old Red Oak Cem, Union Twp, Brown Co, OH ®72 Spouse: Matilda Evans Widow ®29 Spouse: Polly ELLIS Marriage: 7 Nov 1811 ®59 Place: Clermont Co, OH ®59 -------------------------------------------------- 2. F Child: Ann MEFFORD Birth: 1789 Death: 16 Feb 1822 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Old Red Oak Cemetery Spouse: David KILLPATRICK Marriage: 4 Sep 1817 ®59 Place: Clermont Co, OH ®59 -------------------------------------------------- 3. F Child: Polly MEFFORD Birth: Circa 1791 -------------------------------------------------- 4. M Child: Henry MEFFORD ®72 Birth: 24 Oct 1795 Death: 3 Feb 1849 ®72 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Old Red Oak Cem, Union Twp, Brown Co, OH ®72 Spouse: Elizabeth [---?---] ®72 -------------------------------------------------- 5. F Child: Rachel MEFFORD Birth: 1799 Death: 24 Jun 1845 ®72 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Pisgah Ridge Cem, Brown Co, OH ®72 Spouse: William SELLS ®72 Marriage: 26 Jun 1817 ®59 Place: Clermont Co, OH ®59 -------------------------------------------------- 6. F Child: Sarah Jane "Sally" MEFFORD Birth: 10 Dec 1800 Death: 22 Apr 1847 Place: Brown Co, OH Burial: Place: Pisgah Ridge -------------------------------------------------- 7. F Child: Malinda MEFFORD Birth: Circa 1809 Death: 1856 Burial: Place: Pisgah Ridge Cem, Union Twp, Brown Co, OH ®33 Spouse: John Y. HENRY ®33 Marriage: 2 Nov 1826 ®27 Place: Brown Co, OH ®27 Husband’s Notes... John Mefford...became a large land owner and wealthy man in the State of Virginia. However, in 1787, he moved with his family, coming down the Ohio River via flatboat and stopping at Limestone (now Maysville), Kentucky, where he remained a few years, after which he removed to Ohio and located in what is now known as Brown County, near the present site of Ripley, Ohio. Here he erected a log house on Pisgah Ridge, near the land later owned by Mrs. Rachel Myers, and which is presently known as the old Mefford Homestead. Shortly after his locating in this county, he purchased 500 acres of land below Ripley and up Pisgah Hill, northwest of the town, which he put into tight cultivation. During the frontier period, John served as Lieutenant of Militia in the district between Elk River (now known as Eagle Creek) and Straight Creek. He was twice married, his first wife was Elizabeth, who was born in 1775 and died August 11, 1846. Both are buried in the Old Red Oak Cemetery. Seven children were born to this union: George, Henry, Rachel, Polly, Sallie, Malinda and Ann. ®6 Wife’s Notes... Last Modified: 19 Nov 1998 Reference Note 6 Reference Note 27 Reference Note 29 Reference Note 33 Reference Note 59 Reference Note 72 Terry Bodkin |