A newspaper announcement referring to the below transcribed court paper from 1873 is attached. After Ransom Meadow´s widow´s death, the remaining property was sold in 1873.

A Petition was filed in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, 18 January 1873, by Gilbert Meadows. To the Hon. Allen D. Sturdevant, Judge of the Probate for said county: Gilbert Meadows, a resident citizen of said county over age twenty-one years. He stated that Ransom Meadows, late of said county, decd., died owning 352 acres off the west side of Section 20, Township 22, Range 21, in said county, with other lands. After the death of Ransom Meadows, the said lands above were set apart as the dower of the widow of Ransom, Sarah Meadows, who has since departed this life 3 November 1872 leaving real estate unadministered. Petition further states that the following named persons are the children and heirs at law of Ransom Meadows: (1) Mary Dick over 21 years old and resides in Pickens(?) County, Alabama; (2) William Meadows over 21 years old and resides in Lowndes County, Alabama; (3) adix Elias Meadows over 21 years old and resides in Pike [Polk] County, Texas; (4) Moses Meadows of lawful age and resides in Coosa County, Alabama; (5) adix Elizabeth Bankston over 21 years of age and resides somewhere in the State of Georgia, but petitioner is not informed as to her county; (6) Milas Meadows over 21 years residing in Coosa County, Alabama; (7) Stephen Meadows who is now decd., leaving surviving him Mary Hardey who is of lawful age and resides in Coosa County, Alabama; (8) Martha Farris who is also decd., leaving surviving her June Boss(?) and Francis Farris all of whom are of lawful age and reside in Coosa County, Alabama; (9) Sarah Ogletree who died leaving surviving her John & Thomas Ogletree over the age of 21 years – John resides in said county and state, Thomas having died last resided in Coosa County, Alabama leaving surviving him Daniel, Sidney, and Elizabeth Ogletree all under fourteen years of age; (10) Petitioner Gilbert Meadows who is of lawful age and residing in said county and state. Petitioner shows that all the above mentioned heirs at law & children of Ransom Meadows are joint owners and tenants in common in said lands above described and have each a one tenth interest in said lands. Lands cannot be equitably & fairly divided without a sale of same. Henry A. Garrett is guardian ad litem for the minors in this petition.
Transcribed by Russell Henderson from the original.

Children of Ransom Meadows and Sarah Stephens:
i. Sarah Meadows, born circa 1810, Greene County, Georgia, died September 1836 Georgia, married 30 January 1832, Lowndes County, Alabama, to Asbury Ogletree. Children 1. John R.M. OGLETREE MAR 1835 in Taliaferro Co. GA 2. Thomas R. OGLETREE who had 3 children Elizabeth Frances Ogletree b: 7 DEC 1861, Daniel, and Sidney.

ii. Martha D. "Patsy" Meadows, born circa 1812, Greene County, Georgia, died before 1873, married 2 December 1832, Lowndes County, Alabama, to Samuel Farris, born circa 1805. They lived in Lowndes County, in 1850, and 1860 with her brother William Meadows. Children 1. Samuel R FARRIS b: 1834 2. Sarah Jane FARRIS b: 18 JAN 1835 in AL 3. Mordecai FARRIS b: 1838 4. Cass Farris

iii. Stephen Meadows, born circa 1813, died before 1850.census from 1840 Lowndes he is born between 1811 and 1820. Family stories relate that he and his 2 brothers Tom and Gerry died with fever, causing his father to leave the lower swamp lands of Lowndes and seek land more north, moving to Tallapoosa Co across the river from the Hardy family in Nixburg, Coosa Cowhich he had known in Lowndes. His only child was Mary Ann Elizabeth Meadows who married 1st Robert W. Hardy about 1848 and had 3 sons by him. After he died she married his older brother William Allan Lansing Hardy and had 10 more children.

iv. Mary Meadows, born circa 1809-15, married 23 August 1836-marriage license at Lowndes Cty Courthouse, to Robert L. Dick born in GA, went to AL in the 1830's (land records). Their first two children, Martha and Sarah F. were born in AL. They moved to Union Parish, LA sometime prior to the birth of Ransom Meadows Dick who was born Sept. 24, 1840 in Union Parish. Robert acquired land in Union Parish, farmed and was somewhat influential in the affairs of Union Parish - served on a Police Jury several time, responsible for directing the placement of several roads and bridges in the Parish. Robert was a substantial slave owner according to slave schedules in the county. Family stories (principally from Robert L. Dick's grandson, Robert Ransom Dick who lived and died in AL) is that Robert L. left his family sometime prior to 1860, giving his wife thousands of dollars in gold and 30 slaves to sustain herself and the children. He was in Zandt County, Tx, 1860, showing R.L. Dick, age 51, born GA, listed with William Lauderdale family. Martha and Sarah stayed in Union Parish, but Mary took her young son, Ransom Meadows Dick back to AL to live near her Meadows family. She may have remarried to a Sanders. A woman named Mary Sanders is living with Ransom and has $5000.
House 1477 10 September page 219
Ransom Meadows 73 1786 NC Real Estate $56,680 per. prop. 103,000
Sarah Meadows 70 1789 Georgia
Mary Sanders 50 1809 Georgia per. property $5000
Noly Sanders 35 1824 Georgia
Ransom Meadows Dick served in the Confederate Calvary (military records), then married Nancy Browning Bankston (Coosa County, AL)in 1865. She was the daughter of Nancy Browning Hardy Bankston who was the the mother of John B. Hardy who married Elizabeth Jane Meadows. Nancy Browning Hardy Bankston was also the mother of Mary Ann Elizabeth Hardy who married Milous Meadows and she was the mother of Robert W. Hardy and William Allan Lansing Hardy who both married Mary Ann Elizabeth Meadows, daughter of Stephen Meadows. So 4 of nancy peebles Browning Hardy Bankston´s children married 3 of Ransom´s children and her last child married Ransom Meadows`grandson.

v. Gilbert Meadows, born 9 December 1818, Alabama, died 26 July 1902, testate, Tallapoosa County, Alabama, married 6 June 1844, Coosa County, Alabama, Rebecca Eden, born circa 1827. They lived in Tallapoosa County, in 1850 and 1860. Gilbert’s will was made 23 June 1902, Tallapoosa County. He left his property to his daughters, Martha A. and Rebecca J. Meadows. Executor was son–in–law, B. W. Richardson. Witnesses: H. H. Milner, D. R. Meadows.

vi. William Meadows, born 30 January 1821, Alabama, died 7 September 1882, Lowndes County, Alabama, married 16 August 1842, Angeline Virginia McClendon, born 30 August 1821, died 22 November 1863.Children 1. Alfonzo MEADOWS b: 1843 in Alabama 2.Ransom MEADOWS 18 JUN 1846 in Lowndes Al 3. Eugenia MEADOWS b: 1848 in Alabama 4. Sarah A MEADOWS b: 1851 in Alabama


vii. Elias Meadows, born 18 February 1823, Alabama, died 14 May 1891, Polk County, Texas, married 7 June 1846, Coosa County, Alabama, to Susan Antoinette Towns, born 29 August 1829, died 6 July 1906, Polk County, Texas. Children 1. Infant Meadows 2. Bartlett Ransom Meadows b: 28 APR 1847 in Coosa County, Al 3. Sarah Elizabeth Meadows b: 3 NOV 1848 in Coosa County, Al 4. Lucy Jane Meadows b: 26 MAR 1852 in Livingston, Polk County, Texas 5. William Jefferson Meadows b: 19 AUG 1854 in Sumpter, Polk County, Texas 6. Georgiann Virginia Meadows b: 7 DEC 1856 in Sumpter, Polk County, Texa 7. Henrietta Amison Meadows b: 14 JAN 1860 in Sumpter, Polk County, Texas 8. Priscilla Antonet Meadows b: 29 DEC 1862 in Sumpter, Polk County, Texas 9. Mary Eliza Meadows b: 7 OCT 1865 in Sumpter, Polk County, Texas

viii. Early Moses Meadows, born 1825, Alabama, died 7 September 1892, Coosa County, Alabama, married 15 DEC 1847 in Coosa Co. AL, Didema Peebles Hogan, born 5 December 1833, died 10 November 1912, daughter of Alonzo Hogan. Moses Meadows lived in Tallapoosa County, Alabama, in 1850. He lived in Coosa County, Alabama, in 1860, 1870, and 1880. Children 1. Emanuel Martin MEADOWS 2. Moses MEADOWS , Jr. 3. Daniel Ransom MEADOWS b: 26 MAY 1849 in Coosa Co. AL 4. William Malcome MEADOWS b: 1 MAR 1851 in Coosa Co. AL 5. John Thomas MEADOWS b: 1855 in Coosa Co. AL 6.Martha Frances MEADOWS b: 6 AUG 1858 in Fishpond, Coosa Co. AL 7. Macajah Y. MEADOWS b: 26 JUL 1859 in Coosa Co. AL 8. Sarah Ann MEADOWS b: 1861 in Coosa Co. AL 9. Benjamin MEADOWS b: 1863 in Coosa Co. AL 10. Charles Frank MEADOWS b: 15 SEP 1866 in Coosa Co. AL 11. Didema Hogan MEADOWS b: 15 SEP 1870 in Coosa Co. AL 12. Mary Browning MEADOWS b: 1874 in Coosa Co

ix. Elizabeth Jane Meadows, born April 1827, married 1st John B. Hardy b 1825 Edgefield SC, son of Robert Hardy and Nancy Peebles Browning of Nixburg, Coosa AL, They had Robert R. Hardy born 1845 who died by 1900 census. John B. Hardy died 1865-1868 according to family notes. 2nd Elizabeth married James Madison Bankston b. 1815 Spartanburg SC. He had been married to Elizabeth´s 1st husband´s mother -Nancy Peebles Browning Hardy and had had one child by her- Nancy Browning Bankston who married Ransom Meadows Dick who was a grandchild of Ransom Meadows. James M. Bankston may have divourced Nancy in order to marry Elizabeth, or he may have waited till Nancy P. Browning Hardy Bankston died on March 30, 1870. In 1900 Elizabeth Jane Meadows Hardy Bankston claims to have been married 35 years, but maybe she was counting both marriages.

x. Milous Meadows, born 23 August 1834, died 28 March 1926, married Mary Ann Elizabeth Hardy, born 8 February 1836, died 10 May 1921. Daughter of Robert Hardy and Nancy Browning of Nixburg, Coosa, AL. Milous served in Company 1, 61st Alabama Infantry, C.S.A. Children 1. Sarah "Sallie" Meadows b: 1866 in Coosa Co., Alabama 2. Ransom Meadows b: 1867 in Coosa Co., Alabama 3. Mary Ann Elizabeth Meadows

xi. Thomas "Tom" died young in Lowndes Co
xii. Gerald "Gerry" died young in Lowndes Co

Susan Aldridge