Person Page 276

He worked as a compositor for the Leinster Express. He is thought to be a brother of James Gray who also worked at the Leinster Express in the 1840s, but there is no documentary evidence for Thomas being a son of James Gray Sr and Elizabeth.

This is not a single person, but a device to connect the various branches of Merediths from Co. Sligo whose ancestry is uncertain.

Francis is the earliest-known Meredith to be born in Co. Sligo. He is believed to have been the son (possibly illegitimate) of Richard Meredith, recorded in the 1659 Census of Ireland as a titulado of Ballylonaghan, and a Miss French, daughter of Francis French of Sessuecommon, after whom he was named.

His will was proved in the diocesan court of Killala and Achonry in 1719.

Lex Johnson has provided strong circumstantial evidence that Richard Meredith was from the Welsh line of Merediths, being a grandson of Sir William Meredith of Stansty near Wrexham. He would thus be very distantly related to Richard Meredith, Bishop of Leighlin and a descendant of Rhodri Mawr, King of Wales. A common ancestor chart shows this distant relationship between Bishop Richard and Sir William.^5,3,6

Henry is known to be a son of Robert and Mary from the inscription on a headstone in Collooney graveyard which reads:
"Erected in memory of Robert Meredith and Mary his wife, their four sons Thomas, Robert, Matthew and Henry and their son-in-law Robert Robinson"

There appears to be no existing record of his birth or baptism. Information and DNA results from descendants point to him being the Henry Meredith who married Elizabeth Jane Wilson and emigrated to Pakenham, Ontario, Canada. He was recorded in the 1851 and 1861 Canada censuses at Pakenham, as well as in Tax Rolls for the township.

There is no consistent indication of his date of birth: the 1861 census gave his age as 60, whereas his gravestone gives his age at death in 1868 as 85. The census is perhaps more reliable, so for this biography we have adopted ca 1800 as the year of birth. The family appears in Land Records for Marlborough, Carleton, Ontario that have been digitised and transcribed by Family Search, his will being of particular interest. The following is a verbatim transcription form Family Search:

"I Henry Meredith of the Township of Pakenham and County of Lanark yeoman being advanced in years and knowing the uncertainty of life and being in a sound disposing State of mind do make the following distribution of my property both real and personally this my last will and testament First I leave to my beloved wife Eliz abeth Meredith the homestead and farm on which I now reside being the South East half of lot number Five in the eighth concession of the Township of Pakenham and County of Lamark together with my stock farming implements household furniture farm produce and all other my personal estate during her natural life for her own use and benefit the personal property to be disposed of by her at any time as she may think fit and proper by sale or otherwise or by will at her death . And my will further is that my son Thomas Meredith on the death of his mother shall have the above named homestead and farm for his own use and benefit his heirs and assigns for ever and further I will that in the event of my beloved wife 's death before mine my two daughters Jane Meredith and Elizabeth Meredith Shall each of them get three cows and six sheep and one cow to be kept during both the Summer and winter seasons for them so long as they choose to remain at the homestead and my will further is that my daughters above named have the free and interupted use of half of the dwelling house I now occupy with any reasonable amount of Firewood they may require together with their board and cloathing so long as they Chrise to remain or until they get married or are otherwise provided for from my wife or in the event of her death on from my son Thomas Meredith I further Will and bequeath to my son Robert , Meredith the South east or first half of lot number Five in the saith concession of the Township of Marlborough to hold to him his heirs and assigns for ever Subject to the following conditions that is to say the said Robert Meredith is to pay one hundred pounds of lawful mony of Canada in the annual payments of Fifty pounds each with interest thereon at the rate of six percent per annum to my two daughter Jane and Olivie above mentioned rese instalments togeth with the interest there to be equally divided between them - the 27 payment of these instalments by my son Robert to be as follows - The first to be due and payable on the first day of January AD 1869 . and the Second or last payment to be made on the First day of January next following further my will and desire is that my said son Robert do pay the additional sum of thirty pounds of lawful money of Canaan to my beloved wife Elizabeth nor before the first day of January A.D. 1871 to be by her disposed of by will or otherwise as she may think proper I further will that in the event of the death of my son Thomas Meredith before the marrage of my true daughter Jane and Olivil my will there is that no matter by whom the farm and homestead is owered then my daughters to have all the foregoing rights and privileges hereinbefore mentined until they be named further I leave to my two sons Mathew and Henry one dollar each I leave to my daughter ( Wido Calwell ) one cow also leave to my daughter ( Mrs Stein decent I also nominate and appoint my trusty friends John Stem ( my son in law ) of the Township of Pakenham and William Shedden also of the township of Pakenham to be my Executors of this this my last Will hereby revoking all former wills Henry Meredith SS . The undersigned being present on the 26th day of March A 1868 Saw Henry Mendith Sign and execute this as his last Will and testament Thomas Smith William McMunn
Entered and Register this 13th day of March ad 1869 at 15 , Clock P M N 44 Wm Schofield Dep Ry."^3,4,5