Meredith/David Fitzjerrell
David/Meredith Fitzjerrell
Meredith Fitzjerrell was the youngest son of William Fitzjerrell and Elizabeth Courtney. All of Elizabeth and William’s children have been fairly easy to track down and document their marriages and children. However, Meredith has been an elusive son. Meredith was living with his father during the 1860 and 1870 census but could not be found anywhere in the 1880 census. For the past three years I have looked for Meredith without success. While looking for an unrelated ancestor in the history of Cass and Bates Counties Missouri I came across a biography for a David FitzJerrell. The biography is as follows:
David R. Fitzjerrell
“section 20, was born in Macoupin County, Illinois, May 18, 1852, and was the son of William Fitzjerrell, a native of New Jersey, who was born in October 1816. He moved to Illinois with his parents in 1831, and located in Macoupin County, being one of its early settlers. He married Elizabeth Courtney. David R. Fitzjerrell accompanied his parents to Montgomery County in the fall of 1855, where he grew to manhood. His youth was spent on his father’s farm and at the public schools. He was married in Montgomery County, October 17, 1872, to Miss Rachel McGowen, a daughter of Brook McGowen. She was born in Greene County, Illinois. After this, Mr. Fitzjerrell was engaged in farming in Illinois for about eight years. In the spring of 1880 he came to Missouri and bought land and settled on his present farm in Bates County. He has ninety acres, all fenced and in cultivation, upon which is a good orchard of 120 bearing apple, 50 peach trees, and some small fruits. Mr. and Mrs. F. have two children: James, born February 22, 1875, and Alice E., born September 17, 1877.”
Wow! I copied the biography and rushed home to check my information on William. There are a few discrepancies in the biography but enough positive connections to point to a son of William Fitzjerrell and Elizabeth Courtney. The only problem is I had never found a David Fitzjerrell. All of William’s children were listed by name in his will and no David was ever listed.
After checking the information I did have on Meredith I saw a marriage record to Rachel McGowen, October 17, 1872 in Montgomery County IL (Illinois Marriage online database). I really don’t think Meredith and David married the same girl on the same day so the only other logical conclusion was David R. Fitzjerrell of Bates County Missouri was the elusive Meredith Fitzjerrell, youngest son of William and Elizabeth.
I am going down to the Missouri State Archives today to see if anymore information is to be found on Meredith, aka David Fitzjerrell.
David/Meredith Fitzjerrell
Meredith Fitzjerrell was the youngest son of William Fitzjerrell and Elizabeth Courtney. All of Elizabeth and William’s children have been fairly easy to track down and document their marriages and children. However, Meredith has been an elusive son. Meredith was living with his father during the 1860 and 1870 census but could not be found anywhere in the 1880 census. For the past three years I have looked for Meredith without success. While looking for an unrelated ancestor in the history of Cass and Bates Counties Missouri I came across a biography for a David FitzJerrell. The biography is as follows:
David R. Fitzjerrell
“section 20, was born in Macoupin County, Illinois, May 18, 1852, and was the son of William Fitzjerrell, a native of New Jersey, who was born in October 1816. He moved to Illinois with his parents in 1831, and located in Macoupin County, being one of its early settlers. He married Elizabeth Courtney. David R. Fitzjerrell accompanied his parents to Montgomery County in the fall of 1855, where he grew to manhood. His youth was spent on his father’s farm and at the public schools. He was married in Montgomery County, October 17, 1872, to Miss Rachel McGowen, a daughter of Brook McGowen. She was born in Greene County, Illinois. After this, Mr. Fitzjerrell was engaged in farming in Illinois for about eight years. In the spring of 1880 he came to Missouri and bought land and settled on his present farm in Bates County. He has ninety acres, all fenced and in cultivation, upon which is a good orchard of 120 bearing apple, 50 peach trees, and some small fruits. Mr. and Mrs. F. have two children: James, born February 22, 1875, and Alice E., born September 17, 1877.”
Wow! I copied the biography and rushed home to check my information on William. There are a few discrepancies in the biography but enough positive connections to point to a son of William Fitzjerrell and Elizabeth Courtney. The only problem is I had never found a David Fitzjerrell. All of William’s children were listed by name in his will and no David was ever listed.
After checking the information I did have on Meredith I saw a marriage record to Rachel McGowen, October 17, 1872 in Montgomery County IL (Illinois Marriage online database). I really don’t think Meredith and David married the same girl on the same day so the only other logical conclusion was David R. Fitzjerrell of Bates County Missouri was the elusive Meredith Fitzjerrell, youngest son of William and Elizabeth.
I am going down to the Missouri State Archives today to see if anymore information is to be found on Meredith, aka David Fitzjerrell.
