I am researching the family of JAMES F. MEREDITH who was born in Illinois 1 Feb 1830 and died in Bates Co., MO, 30 Jun 1901. James married Esther W. DEAN 17 Sep 1864 in Cuyahoga Co., OH. James and Esther are found in the 1870 and 1880 census living in Detroit Twp, Pike Co., IL. Their children were Clarissa b. abt 1865, Percy W. b. Mar 1867, Margaret b. abt 1868 and Erin A. b. Dec 1871 - (all born in Illinois). By the 1880 census only Percy and Erin are still with the family. Sometime between 1880 and 1900, James moved his family to Bates County, Missouri. James had a brother, DANIEL W. MEREDITH b. 1 Feb 1825 Pike Co., IL, and d. 17 Jan 1892 Springfield, Greene Co., MO. Daniel is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Butler, Bates Co., MO. That is the same cemetery where James & Esther Meredith are buried. Daniel was living in Bates Co., MO, by 1869, when he married Bertha Jane ROSE 18 Apr 1869. It is assumed that Daniel is the reason James moved to Bates Co., MO. An Ancestral File posting on FamilySearch.org shows Daniel Woodrow Meredith as the son of WILLIAM MEREDITH and MARGARET WHITE. This certainly makes sense since William Meredith seems to have been a pioneer resident of Pike County, Illinois. There is a record of Margaret Meredith marrying John LYSTER in Pike Co., IL, on 19 Jan 1842. This would appear to be William Meredith's widow (he died 10 May 1839 in Pike Co, IL). By the 1850 census, Daniel and James Meredith were of age and no longer "at home". I cannot find them in the 1850 census. D.W. MEREDITH is listed as a member of the 5th Illinois Volunteers of the Mexican War, organized in May 1847. Daniel may have been away with the troops in 1850. I can't find James Meredith at all in the 1850 census. Can anyone tell me more about the WILLIAM MEREDITH line? Was Margaret his second wife? Is he the son of DANIEL MEREDITH and HANNA COOK? And the grandson of JAMES MEREDITH and MILDRED BAGBY of North Carolina? Are there sources to verify the information? And, is the above JAMES MEREDITH the son of William Meredith & Margaret White? Thanks very much for whatever information you MeredithList subscribers can provide. Shirley Webb shirlwbb@ktc.com