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94. Mary Meek (Mary Stewart) (Married: Gabriel Steely/ Stely/ Steelly/ Stahle (#93) about 1784 in Pennsylvania or Virginia; (According to communication with April Potts, e-mail address: <potts@home.ffni.com>; Gabriel and Mary Meek were married in Pickaway, Ohio according to April's father-in-law who had studied the genealogy of his family.) [Note: To the webmaster, Susan Leach Snyder, it seems much more likely that the marriage took place in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. That is where the 1790 and 1800 censuses list Gabriel's family. John, their first child was born in 1785.]

[Note: Confusion occurs because according to April's research and other genealogist's research, Mary Meek was the mother of Meek Steely (#47) , but on Gabriel's tombstone (erected in 1914 by Gabriel's Great-Grandson H. M. Steely) it is inscribed that Gabriel married Mary Stewart and that she was Meek's mother. Is Mary Stewart... Mary Meek?]

Born: 1767 (January 28, 1767...according to April Potts) (1767 according to Find- A -Grave). in Hopewell Township, Cumberland County Pennsylvania) of George Meek (#187) & Rachel Herron (#188). (Source: Christopher A. Meek in posted online family history September 14, 2017)

Died: January 25, 1850 in Fountain County, Indiana (according to April Potts). (In an e-mail dated 10/18/05 to Susan Snyder (#2) from Richard V. Shelby, "Mary Meek is buried in THE STEELY/BEND CEMETERY, 4 miles north of Covington, Indiana, as are her son, George Steely and her daughter, Sarah Steely Shelby, my great, great grandmother. Gabriel Steely passed away in Ohio and Mary Meek came to Indiana after his death and lived with her children until she passed away and was buried in the (then) Steely cemetery which her son, George carved out of his holdings. At that time George was the largest landowner in Troy Township of Fountain County, Indiana." Her tombstone posted at Find-A-Grave is posted at the bottom of this page.

 

[Her siblings, include:

a) Robert Meek: Married: Elizabeth Young in 1799 Born: 22 Sep 1768 at Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (1769 in Cumberland County, PA. ; Died: 2 Aug 1816 at Centre County, Pennsylvania at the age of 47; Miscellaneous: Robert was Captain George Meek's oldest child. Robert lived and died in Ferguson Township, Pennsylvania (formerly a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania. He lived next door to his brother William. Robert's child was George Young Meek Sr. His sons were George Y. and William, and his two daughters were Rachael and Eliza.

b) David Meek :Married: Polly Bailey Born:? ; Died:? Miscellaneous: "supposed to have gone into the Ohio Valley"

c) John Meek: Married: Esther ___ Born:? ; Died: ? Miscellaneous: "supposed to have gone into the Ohio Valley"

d) William Jerome Meek: Married: Elizabeth Breckenridge (Breckinridge), daughter of Robert Breckenridge Born:1773 at Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania ; Died: 1806 at Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania ; Miscellaneous: He lived on his father's farm in Huntindon County, Penn. When he died, he left behind a wife and four sons. His daughter was born 3 months after his death. The children were: Rev. John Breckenridge Meek, George Washington Meek, Reuben Heron Meek, William Jerome Meek Jr. and Harriet Jane Meek. He lived in Ferguson Township, Pennsylvania next door to his brother Robert.“William Meek died when about thirty years old and was buried at Spruce Creek and has a stone at his grave. “ William Meek’s children were John Breckinridge, George W., Reuben Herron, William Jay and Harriet Jane.”

e) Jane (Jean) Meek: Born: 1779 ; Died: 8 March 1859 at Centre County, Pennsylvania; Miscellaneous: She was buried after 8 March 1859 at Meek's Cemetery, Fairbrook, Centre Co., Pennsylvania. She never married.

f) Isabella (Isabell) (Isabelle) Meek: Married: Abel Benton who came from the New England States. Born:? ; Died:? Miscellaneous: She and her husband had no children and lived in Ferguson Township. Isabelle is buried in Phillpsburg.

g) Sarah Meek: Married: Squire Thomas H. Hold Born:?; Died: ? Miscellaneous: She and her husband lived in Clearfield]. (Source: Online Posting: Ancestors of Alexandra Catlin Vaut, Reference: EDV4, Last edited 10 Aug 2017) (Source: Typed notes of genealogy 1931 by Elizabeth Breckenridge Meek. Elizabeth Breckenridge Meek was the great-great-great granddaughter of Captain George Meek and Rachael Heron.) (Source: Centre County, PA...AMERICAN REVOLUTION SOLDIERS AND PATRIOTS, Compiled by Nancy Lee Stover.) (Source: Christopher A. Meek in posted online family history September 14, 2017)

Miscellaneous:

Mary married Stahle and went West.

Below: 1790 United States census for Mifflin County Pennsylvania: The 1790 census instructed the marshals to identify, by age brackets, free white males sixteen years of age or older and those under sixteen. It was designed to determine the country’s industrial and military capabilities. Additionally, the first census was to count the number of free white females; all other free persons regardless of race or gender; and slaves. A twenty-dollar fine, to be split between the marshals’ assistants and the government, would be levied against anyone who refused to answer the enumerator’s questions. The first column is the number of free white males 16 or older; the second column is the number of free white males under 16; the third column is the number of free white females; the fourth are all other free persons; the last column is the number of slaves.

 

At the time of the 1790 census, Gabriel Steely (#93) would have been 27 years of age. He would have been married to Mary ~6 years. They had a son, John (age 5), and a son, George ( age 3). Mary was one of the females denoted in the census. The identity of the second female is unknown.

Gabriel and Mary had 7 children: John, George, Sarah, Meek (#47), Isabella, Reuben, and Eliza.

As shown in the 1800 Census for Mifflin, Pennsylvania, p. 496, Gabriel is listed along with three other Steely families. Listed as living with Gabriel are 3 males under the age of 10, 3 females under the age of 10, and a female age 26 to 44. That last female is Mary.

Mary Meek is mentioned in the will of Capt. George Meek (#187) on 11 March 1801 at Ferguson Township, Centre Co., Pennsylvania, USA; Synopsis from Fravel [1939:1]: "page 12, GEORGE MEEK, Ferguson Twp., 11/3/1801-1/19/1802, wife Rachel. friend Jonathan Wales, eldest son Robert, son William, David, John. Youngest Dr. Sarah not 21, Dtr. Mary Steelly, Dtr. Isabell, Dtr. Jean. Ex: Wife & Thomas Ferguson. Witness: Thomas Ferguson, Joseph Diven, John Barron."2. (Source: Online Posting: Ancestors of Alexandra Catlin Vaut, Reference: EDV4, Last edited 10 Aug 2017).

The History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Edited & Compiled by Hon. Aaron R. Van Cleaf, published by Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906, p. 161, states that Gabriel Steely came to Pickaway Township about 1807, but Ohio River Survey documents shown below prove that he came earlier than that.

Below: Survey of Range No 21 Township No 10 and Range No 22 Township No 3S, Pickaway Township, Pickaway Co, Ohio. Gabriel purchased land in sections 17 and 20 in 1805 and 1806. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

Below Left: Details of section 20 show that Gabriel purchased 160 acres on 29 July 1805, 160 acres of land on 31 July, 1805, and 160 acres on 26 October 1805. Below Right: Gabriel purchased 160 acres in the southeast quadrant of section 17 on 27 September 1806. The source of these maps is Section Maps with Entrymen on Lands East of the Scioto River in Pickaway, Ohio by L. Richard Kocher 1993. (Click on the images to enlarge.)

 

[Note: It would appear that Gabriel, Mary, and the rest of the family moved to Pickaway County ~1805]

The 1820 Census for Pickaway Township in Pickaway County Ohio shows Gabriel living near two of his son's (Georg and John). All of their last names were spelled "Stely." Still living at home are 3 males besides Gabriel, including probably sons Reuben and Meek (#94), and 3 females, one of whom is Mary. Three persons are involved in agriculture.

Mary Meek is mentioned in the will of Rachel Herron (#188) on 14 January 1822 at Ferguson Township, Centre Co., Pennsylvania, USA; Synopsis from Fravel [1939:14]: "Will Book A, page 231, RACHEL MEEK, widow of Ferguson Twp., husband was Geo.. Meek, dec'd. 1/14/1822-1/13/1827, dtr Jane Meeks [sic], dtr. Mary Steely, Ex: John Bailey, John Patton. Witness: Isaac McCamont, Robt. Patton."1. (Source: Online Posting: Ancestors of Alexandra Catlin Vaut, Reference: EDV4, Last edited 10 Aug 2017).

Prior to his death in 1830, Gabriel wrote his will. Abstracts of Wills, Pickaway County, Ohio Books 1,2,3,4,5,6, (1808-1892) P. 18, states: “Gabriel Steely p. 121” mentions wife Mary, sons John, George, Meek and Ruben; dau’s Elizabeth, Sally, and Isabell. Exct. wife Mary, son John and son-in-law Thomas K. Duncan. Made Mar. 2, 1826. Wit’s John Scott and John Burns. Codicil mentions Margaret wife of Joseph Shelby, Sarah, wife of George Seely, Elizabeth wife of George Ray, Meek and wife Martha, Isabell wife of Thomas K. Duncan, Ruben and wife Eliza, and John and wife Margaret. Wit’s Jonathan Ellis, John Fryback, John Boggs, George Ray Jr., James Hunter and Joseph Stroup. Probated Oct. 30, 1830.” [Note: Sarah was the wife of Joseph Shelby and Margaret was the wife of George Steely according to April Potts.] [In an e-mail from Robert Steely to Susan Snyder on 13 April 2007, Robert explained that the Sarah ("Sally" mentioned in line 18 of Gabriel's will) married to Joseph Shelby was Sarah Margaret Steely. Elizabeth Emerson, sister of John Steely's wife, Margaret Emerson, married George Steely, brother of John and Meek Steely].

Click on the following link to read Gabriel's will in its entirety and a transcription of same: Gabriel's Will. The will was written March 2, 1826 and probated October 25, 1830. (Source: posted information by William Biddle on 31 Dec. 2016 on ancestry.com. The document that is posted sites Will book 2pg. 121. The details for the Gabriel Steelly family were given to Biddle or someone he quoted from, originally from Virginia Bennett.)

Gabriel died on May 2, 1830. On June 8, 1830, a judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Pickaway County wrote a letter to Lucas Nebecker in Indiana asking him to have John Scott and James Burns, witnesses to Gabriel’s signing of his will, swear to him that they had been witnesses. Scott and Burns had moved from Ohio and were now residents of Fountain County in Indiana. The Pickaway County judge wanted Nebecker to send him a certified document. By October of that year, the estate had not been settled. Family members and witnesses signed a document appointing John Steely as the executor of Gabriel’s estate. On November 27, 1830, John, Meek, & Reuben (all sons of Gabriel) signed a $2000 bond with Pickaway County for John to assume the duty of executor of Gabriel’s will.

John Steely became executor and settled the estate. Click onto Estate Receipts to view receipts of money received by Mary.

As stated early, after Gabriel's death, Mary went to Indiana and lived with her children until she passed away.

Mary wrote a will before her death. Abstracts of Wills Pickaway County, Books, 1,2,3,4,5,6, (1808-1892) p. 34 states: “Mary Steely p. 253 mentions sons Meek and Ruben, grand-children John and Wallace sons of son Ruben, William M., Elizabeth E., Eliza J., Susan R. and Isabell children of my son Meek. Made Sept. 28, 1849. Wit’s J.T.F. Ward and C.N. Olds. Probated March 15, 1857."

 

Below: Mary's tombstone at Bend Cemetery, Fountain County, Indiana.

 

 

 

MARY Wife of GABRIEL STEELY DIED JAN. 25, 1850 AGED 82 YS. 11 MS. & 27 DS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lifetime Events Summary for Mary Meek:

Event	Date	Mary's age
Birth	1767	0
Revolutionary War	1775 - 1783	8 - 16
Marriage	~1784	17
Birth of her children	1785 - 1811	18 - 44
Death of Father	1802	35
Birth of Son Meek Steely (#47)	1798	31
War of 1812	1812 - 1815	45 - 48
Death of Husband	1830	63
Death	1850	83

 

The webmaster's DNA has matched no less than 15 other members in a Mary Meek DNA Circle in ancestry.com.

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Contact person for this website is Susan Snyder: susanleachsnyder@gmail.com