Wishful Wednesday

William Thomas Meadows

The wish for Wednesday is there will be a marriage record for William Thomas Meadows and Nancy Oliver placed online. The other wish is that their place of burial will be found and there will be a memorial and headstone for them. William was a Confederate Veteran and he deserves a memorial to be placed on his grave site to honor his service for his country. William and his wife Nancy were the typical hard working farmers. While researching the Meadows family, there has been a recurrent occupation listed on the censuses – farmers or farm laborer; and own their farm or rent their farm. The Meadows families worked the land. Their wives kept house. William Thomas Meadows was no different than his ancestors. He was a farmer and a veteran. He served in the Confederate War, survived, and came home to his family.  

There isn’t much to tell about William Thomas Meadows. He was born 10 December 1842 in Harris County, Georgia. He died after the 1910 census was taken and before 1920. He isn’t found in the census after 1910. He died intestate or he died without having a will.  Nancy Oliver was his wife, and they married about 1864 in Tallapoosa County, Alabama. There isn't a record of death for either of them. 

William Thomas Meadows was the oldest child of John Calvin Meadows and his wife Sarah Ann Oliver. William is listed on the 1850 District 69, Troupe County, Georgia census with his parents and siblings. Before the next census was taken the family was on the move from Georgia to Alabama. They are on the 1860 New Site, Western Division, Tallapoosa County, Alabama Census. He is eighteen years old on this census. 

On the 1870 census has William Meadow age twenty-six living with Nancy Meadow age twenty-four, William Jr. is five years old, Sapronia is three, and John is one year old. In 1870 William is surrounded by family. His Uncle Caleb Oliver lives nearby in dwelling 307, where William is 304. Uncle Thomas Oliver brother to Caleb and Sarah Ann William's mother live in 308. There were Oliver families living all around the Daviston, Tallapoosa area where William lived. Then living in 309 is William's parents John and Sarah with his siblings. 

These folks were farm laborers and the paper trail was almost nonexistent except for censuses. However, censuses tell a story about the family. The one great feature of censuses is that a family can be tracked through time.  The next census is the 1880 Daviston, Tallapoosa County, Alabama Census W. T. is on there with his wife and three children and an uncle C. C. Oliver living with them. C. C. Oliver is Caleb C. and is the brother Sarah Ann Oliver mother of William Thomas.

The next census William Thomas is on is the District 70, New Site, Tallapoosa County 1900 census. He is widowed by 1900 and his thirty-five-year-old son William Jr., his two daughters Sophronia, and Evie are living with him. Sopronia was a widow and her daughter, Johnie M. Abbett, was seven years old. Sopronia his daughter was born March 1867, Evie was born October 1886, and William was born July 1865. Sopronia was married to an Unknown Abbett. The 1900 census was of poor quality. It looks like the name was written through on the original copy of the census. 

In 1910 William Thomas is sixty-seven years old and living with his son William T. Jr. Junior is forty-four years old. Sophronia and her daughter are still living with them.  Junior is single, and his father is widowed. He didn’t marry again after the death of Nancy. Nancy was about fifty-one years old when she died.

The census or enumeration of Confederate Soldiers residing in Alabama record provided the vital information for William Thomas Meadows. His birth date and place of birth was on the record, as was his military information.  

Census or Enumeration of Confederate Soldiers Residing in Alabama in 1907

William Thomas Meadows was born in Harris County, Georgia 10 December 1842. He was a private on 4 March 1862 at Montgomery, Alabama in the Company H 8^th Confederate Calvary. He continued until paroled at Greensboro, North Carolina May 1865.