Meares (Mears) Genealogy
James B. Hartline
2009
Thomas Meares
(1602-1674)
Thomas Meares was born January 22, 1602-3 in Sidlesham, Sussex County, England.
He married (1) Katherine Eltonhead Ca. 1638, a daughter of Richard Eltonhead and Ann Massey. Katherine was born Ca. 1615 in Eltonhead, Lancashire, England. She died by 1647.
Children of Thomas Meares and Katherine Eltonhead:
Elizabeth Meares born Ca. 1640.
Jane Meares, born Ca. 1642.
Alice Meares, born Ca. 1645.
Martha Meares born Ca. 1647, married Edwin Conway.
Thomas Meares married (2) Katherine Hoskins Ca. 1647, daughter of Bartholomew Hoskins. She died Ca. 1649.
Children of Thomas Meares and Katherine Hoskins:
Bartholomew Mears, Sr. was born Ca. 1648 in England.
William Meares, born in 1649, Talbot County, Maryland.
Thomas Meares married (3) Elizabeth Freeman Ca. 1649, daughter of William Freeman and Mary.
Children of Thomas Meares and Elizabeth Freeman:
Sarah Meares, born Ca. 1650, married Phillip Homewood.
John Meares, born in 1651, Talbot County, Maryland, died in 1675, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
Thomas Meares married (4) Alice Howard Ca. 1652, daughter of John Howard. She was born Ca. 1600 in Feversham, England.
Thomas Meares and Alice Howard had a daughter:
Alice Meares, born Ca. 1653.
Thomas Meares lived in England at the death of Katherine Eltonhead in 1647and his marriage to Katherine Hoskins. His first son by Katherine Hoskins, Bartholomew Mears, Sr., was born in England in 1648, they were in Maryland in 1649, when his son William was born.
Thomas Meares (1602-3) died in 1674 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
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Bartholomew Mears, Sr.
(1648-1682)
Bartholomew Mears, Sr. was born in England in 1648, and died December 1682 in Accomack County, Virginia.
In 1668, he married Mary Hughes, born Ca. 1648 in England. Mary died Ca. 1703-05 in Accomack County, Virginia.
Children of Bartholomew Mears and Mary are:
Bartholomew Mears, Jr., born in 1670, Accomack County, Virginia. He died in 1766.
Robert Mears, born 1672, Accomack County, Virginia, married Anne.
Robert died 1707.
Elizabeth Mears, born 1674, Accomack County, Virginia, married George Freshwater.
John Mears, Sr., born in 1675, at Keller in Accomack County, Virginia.
Dorothy Mears, born Ca. 1676 at Accomack County, Virginia.
Mary Mears, born Ca. 1676, Accomack County, Virginia. Mary married Thomas Ames.
Richard Mears, born Ca. 1677, Accomack County, Virginia, married Margaret.
William Mears, Sr., born Ca. 1679, Accomack County, Virginia, died About 1745.
Elisha Mears, born Ca. 1680, at Accomack County, Virginia.
In March of 1679, Bartholomew Mears was among the appraisers of the estate of John Devenish.
Bartholomew Mears, Sr., died Ca. 1682, Accomack County, Virginia. Bartholomew’s will was made December 16, 1682 and was probated December 28, 1682. Will for Mary (Hughes) Mears was made June 28, 1703 and probated April 3, 1705.
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John Mears born in 1675
(1675-1747)
John Mears was born 1675 in Keller, Accomack County, Virginia. Some records indicate he married Elizabeth other records say he married Margaret Garrison in 1694, in Accomack County, Virginia, a daughter of Richard Garrison and Rose Kellam. Margaret Garrison could have been his second wife. A son Mark was among those listed as his family.
Children of John Mears and Margaret Garrison:
George Mears.
Elizabeth Mears.
Mary Mears, died Ca. 1747.
Bartholomew Mears, born Ca. 1693.
John Mears, Jr., born Ca. 1698, Accomack County, VA; died Ca. 1762, Accomack County, Virginia.
Thomas Mears, born Ca. 1708, Accomack County, Virginia, died in 1800 in Surry County, North Carolina.
Mark Mears, born in 1710, Accomack County, Virginia.
John Mears, Sr. died Ca. 1747 in Accomack County, Virginia. The will of John Mears, Sr. was made August 14, 1745 and probated September 29, 1747.
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Mark Mears
(1710-1779)
Mark Mears was born Ca.1710 in Accomack County, Virginia. He married (1) Sarah Johnson in 1733 in Accomack County, Virginia.
Children of Mark Mears and Sarah Johnson:
George Mears, died in 1795.
Anthony Mears.
He married (2) Elizabeth Van Pelt About 1752, daughter of Daniel Van Pelt.
Children of Mark Mears and Elizabeth Van Pelt:
Jesse Mears, born in Dobbs County, North Carolina.
Joab Mears, born in Dobbs County, North Carolina, died in 1818.
Joel Mears, born May 1754 in Dobbs County, North Carolina, died December 21, 1835, in Warren County, Tennessee.
James Mears, born in 1760, Dobbs County, North Carolina. He died 1806, Bladen County, North Carolina.
Moses Mears, born in 1762, Dobbs County, North Carolina.
William Mears, born June 05, 1770 in Dobbs County, North Carolina, died November 10, 1849.
Jonathan Mears, born Ca. 1775, Dobbs County, North Carolina. He died in 1822, at Columbus County, North Carolina.
Mark Meares died sometime around October 28, 1779, old Dobbs (now Craven) County, North Carolina. Elizabeth (Van Pelt) Mears died in Dobbs County, North Carolina.
Mark Meares and Daniel Van Pelt settled on Contentnea Creek in what is now Craven County, NC. Mark and four of his sons are said to have fought in the Revolutionary War.
I have found numerous listings of Mark Mears in the area of Contentnea creek in Old Dobbs County which is now Craven County. I haven't been able to prove for certain that Mark Meares of Old Dobbs County was the son of John Mears of Accomack County, VA.
It is said that Elizabeth Van Pelt's ancestors came to NY and settled in 1663. There is a record of an Anthony Van Pelt who arrived in New Amsterdam (original name for New York) in 1663. The family home was on Long Island. It is said that he brought President Roosevelt's ancestors over with him on the Rosetree, Van Pelt being a patron, brought a shipload over. The old records state that "the Van Pelt Manor is still standing, as it was built of stone." I'm not sure that it is standing today. There is no proof that Elizabeth was from that lineage, although it may be true. I'm still searching.
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James Meares
(1760-1806)
James Meares born 1760 at Dobbs County, NC, son of Mark Meares and Elizabeth Van Pelt Meares. He married Naomi Van Tice, born 1760 in NC.
James Meares (Mears) is listed by the DAR as a Pvt from NC during the American Revolution. He was also said to be the first Episcopal Missionary sent to the Wilmington, NC district. He was an itinerant missionary, but was finally developed into a Baptist preacher.
James Meares died in Bladen County, NC in 1806. Naomi Van Tice Meares died after 1810.
Chlld:
Bethel Mark Meares, born 1803.
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Bethel Mark Meares was born February 6, 1803 in Bladen County, NC, son of James Meares and Naomi Van Tice Meares. Bethel Mark married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Ann Council, who is buried at the old plantation in Columbus County beside where Bethel Mark was originally buried. His grave was later moved to White Plains Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Bethel Mark and Elizabeth Meares had four children:
William J. Meares
Adaline Naomi Meares married Andrew H. Perry.
Bethel Mark Meares, Jr. born April 8, 1834, died
August 26, 1859.
John Meares
His second wife was Obeda Granthon of Robeson County. They
had no children.
His third wife was Margaret Ann Perry, born September 19, 1830, a daughter of Daniel and Margaret J. Campbell Perry, born February 25, 1807, died January 18, 1889. Bethel Mark Meares (1803) married (3) Margaret Ann Perry on July 26, 1860.
They had three children:
Bethel Mark, III, born September 10, 1864, died January 16,
1934, married Mary Newkirk Wayne, February 2, 1886. Mary N.
was born March 3, 1861 and died January 18, 1897. She is bur-
ied at White Plains Church.
Obeda Meares, born October 18, 1861 in Bladen County, NC.
Daniel Pelt Meares, born 1866, married (1) Trudy Edwards, (2) Rose Perry.
Margaret Ann (Perry) Meares had a brother, Andrew H. Perry, born October 15, 1829, married Adaline Meares and had a son Clement Meares Perry born 1857, died 1929, and a daughter, Roxine Perry. Roxine married a McDougald, and was the first person baptised in the White Plains Presbyterian Church. Andrew H. Perry was a leader in his community in social and civic affairs. He was engaged in the terpentine business at what was then Perryville, between Rosendale and Council. There he operated a store, Post Office and terpentine still, in addition to his other Naval store operations. Andrew H. Perry died September 30, 1896.
Bethel Mark Meares died June 28, 1884 and was buried on his plantation in Columbus County, near Lake Waccamaw, NC. His grave was later moved to White Plains Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Margaret Ann Perry Meares died June 26, 1906.
Daniel Perry helped establish White Plains Presbyterian Church and served as elder. He was one of the first twelve admitted to membership at Mt. Horeb Presbyterian Church at its first meeting in the 1840s. Daniel Perry was descended from John Perry, Colonial merchant of Wilmington and Maurice Moore, famous Revolutionary Patriot of Old Brunswick Town on the Cape Fear river. The Perrys first came to America through Jamestown, VA to extend the merchantile business of Micajah Perry, merchant of Bond Street, London._________________________________________________________________________________
Obeda Meares
(1861-1957)
Obeda Meares, daughter of Bethel Mark Meares was born Friday, October 18, 1861. On December 9, 1885 she married Elisha Robert Brinkley born October 9, 1858, a son of Jackson Wilkins and Louisa Brinkley of Nansemond County, Virginia. Link to Jackson Brinkley.
They had six children:
Lonn Leland Brinkley born Elm City, NC, October 6, 1886.
Ethel Brinkley, born Elm City, NC, July 18, 1888, married H. I. Alexander.
Robert Lloyd Brinkley, born Elm City, NC, November 25, 1891, lived at Wilson, NC.
Edgar Burwell Brinkley, born Elm City, NC, June 5, 1893, lived at Elm City.
Harvey Meares Brinkley born Elm City, NC, September 1, 1896.
Ruth Meares Brinkley born Elm City, NC, December 15, 1902, married Dixon Bryan Hood at Elm City.
Elisha Robert Brinkley died August 15, 1940. He is buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery at Elm City, North Carolina.
Obeda Meares Brinkley died in 1958, age 96, and was laid to rest in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Elm City, NC, Sunday August 25, l958.
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Bethel Mark Mears
(1861-1934)
Bethel Mark Meares III born September 10, 1864, married Mary Newkirk Wayne on February 2, 1886. Mary N. Wayne was born March 3, 1861.
Children:
Rowena, born May 4, 1888, married Mitchell M. Bouie, March 22, 1904, died October 22, 1972.
Bethel Mark IV, born July 18, 1887, married Annie Guyton in the Spring of 1908, second
wife Dorothy.
Laurence Gray, Born October 25, 1890, married Flora Ann Collum, 1910.
Mary Varina, born January 11, 1892, married Hunter Baldwin March 8, l913.
Margaret Perry, born September 1893 and had a twin Harriet Newkirk.
George Wright Wayne Meares, born February 16, 1896, married Fodie Ann Atkins March 24, 1917, he died June 18, 1968.
Bethel Mark Meares III married Missouria Ann Register, born June 30, 1863, died April 3, 1956, married about 1898-1899 and had the following children:
Marie Madison, born February 5, 1900, married F. Beecher Batts July 29, 1941.
Mabel Evans, born December 20, 1903, never married.
Bethel Mark Meares III died January 16, 1934.
Mary Newkirk Wayne Meares died January 18, 1897. She is buried at White Plains Church.
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Ruth Meares Brinkley
(1902-1970)
Ruth Meares Brinkley, born December 15, 1902, married to Dixon Bryan Hood. They were married in the Methodist parsonage in Elm City, on May 2, 1923, the services being performed by Rev. E. B. Fisher, at three p.m. They owned and operated their own Pharmacy on Hargett Street in Richlands, NC.
They had the following children:
India Brinkley Hood graduated from Richlands High School and Woman's College in Greensboro, NC. She taught chemistry at Richlands High School for about two years, then worked for Buckeye Chemical. She later attended the University of Tennessee School of Pharmacy at Mempis and graduated in three years. She worked as a Pharmacist at several locations in NC, including Hood's Drug Store in Richlands and the Hood Drug Stores in Kinston, NC. India Brinkley Hood died of pulmonary hypertension, on April 19, 2012 at age 87, and was buried on April 23rd, 2012 at Onslow Memorial Park in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Dixon Bryan Hood, Jr. attended school at Richlands and at EMI at Pineland, NC, graduating at EMI. He served in WWII and the Korean War, in the U.S. Army. He married Betty Jean Graham in Charlotte, NC, on December 6, 1952 and resided in Charlotte until his death on December 11, 1961. They had two children:
Kay Frances Hood, born September 22, 1958.
David Bryan Hood, born July 26, 1961, both born in Charlotte, NC.
Ruth Obeda Meares Hood graduated from Richlands High, Peace College, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She majored in pharmacy. She worked in the pathology department of a Histology Laboratory from 1952-1960. Obeda married Andrew Joseph Lavin, July 21, 1950, at the Methodist Church in Durham, North Carolina. Her husband is a physicist, and worked for IBM in Endicott, New York until his retirement, then taught in a New York University.
Obeda and Andrew have five sons:
Andrew Joseph Lavin, Jr., born April 20, 1951 at Chapel Hill, NC.
Kevin Liam Lavin, born April 23, 1959 in Indicott, NY.
Keith Alan Lavin, born June 15, 1960 in Endicott, NY.
Kenneth Lyle Lavin, born May 2, 1962 in Endicott, NY.
Bryan Lavin, born October 24, 1967 in Endicott, NY.
Ruth Obeda Meares (Hood) Lavin died February 24, 2014.
Robert Lonn Hood attended school at Richlands, Kinston, and the University of North Carolina. He married on November 2, 1952 to Rowena Meares Buie. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1952, and was stationed at Lackland A.F.B. in Texas, then spent three years in Newfoundland. Then he continued his education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated from the school of Pharmacy. He worked for Brewer Drug Store, owned by his first cousin Marsha Hood Brewer and her husband William Brewer, until he opened his own Hood's Drug Store in Pink Hill, North Carolina. Bob has a doctorate degree in Pharmacology. They have two children Robert Lonn Hood, Jr., born April 6, 1964 and Tay Rett Buie Hood, born October 27, 1966, both adopted. Bob and Rowe divorced, and Bob later married Jennie Mae Jarman. Robert Lonn Hood died January 31, 2013 and is buried in Onslow Memorial Park at Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Ruth Dixon Hood attended Richlands schools and Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina. She trained in a histology laboratory in Charlotte, NC. She married on October 24, 1959 at the Methodist Church in Richlands, NC to Julian McElree Capps. He was an officer in the U.S. Air Force, and was stationed at Rhine Main Air Base, in Frankfurt, Germany, where a daughter, Anna Ruth Capps was born October 31, 1960, at the U.S. Army Hospital at Weisbaden. She was delivered by Dr. Vestal Brandt, at 2:12 a.m. Ruth's father died in 1961, and she returned to Richlands, NC with Anna. The marriage ended in 1963. Ruth and anna lived with her mother, Mrs. Dixon Bryan Hood, until Ruth married again on June 27, l964, in Conway, SC to James Buford Hartline.
To this union three daughter were born:
Barbara Susanne Hartline, born at 8:30 a.m., June 20, 1966, at Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC, delivered by Dr. Russell Barnes.
Tami Obeda Marie Hartline, born at 8:47 a.m., November 25, 1970, at Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, NC, delivered by Dr. Franklin Dill.
Jami Nicole Hartline, born at 9:33 a.m., on December 3, 1974 at the New Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, NC, delivered by Dr. Russell Barnes.
Dixon Bryan Hood died in March, 1961, buried at Onslow Memorial Gardens.
Ruth Brinkley Hood died December 8, 1970, buried beside her husband.
Levin Meares
(1799- )
Tombstone Photos Below
Levin Meares was born in 1799-1800. He migrated from Bladen County, North Carolina to Jackson County, Florida. Levin Meares was married several times. He had at least two children by his first wife: (1)
David James Mears, born September 17, 1819, d. March 1, 1888, buried in Shady Grove Cemetery, Grand Ridge, Jackson Co., FL. m. Mary Ann Davis 12/17/1848. Child: Milton Mears, twin. ( 2)
John S. Mears, born July 4, 1824, m. Mary Delitha Ann Mears. He died September 7, 1887 and his wife died February 22, 1896. Both are buried in Flat Creek Cemetery at Fountain Hill in Ashley County, AR.
Son: George Washington Mears, born July 23, 1856, died January 14, 1932, buried in Ashley County, AR
Daughter: Louesia C. Mears, born January 1, 1861, died March 26, 1886.
Daughter: Ellen Mears, born December 19, 1862, died March 28, 1884.
Son of George Washington Mears:
Carroll George Mears, Sr., born August 18, 1890, Drew County, AR, married Cora May Deal, born 5/4/1892, died March 14, 1979. Carroll George, Sr. died August 2, 1971, buried at Flat Creek Cemetery, Fountain Hill in Ashley County, AR.
Son: Carroll George Mears, Jr., born October 9, 1920, died December 31, 1995, buried in Jena, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana.
Son of Carroll G. Mears, Jr.: Don S. Mears. Lives at Ruston, Louisiana.
Source: 1-Don S. Mears. 2-Holly Horath. hollyhorath@gmail.com
3-The names of three of Levin’s wives are S. A. Montford, Rebecca Hobbs and Lydia (Kirkland) Durden. Further research is necessary. According to someone who wrote into a forum on line, there was a Daniel L. Mears, born to Levin Mears in 1865, in Jackson County, Florida.
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