Richard King's 1853 Obituary

    ©  Kathy Duncan, 2021

My ancestor, Vincent Meadows, who was the son of Daniel Meadows, married Martha E. King in Taliaferro County, Georgia on 9 August 1827.

So far, I cannot positively link her to any other Kings in Taliaferro County even though there were several Kings living there. Most family researchers link her and several other Kings who were close to her age to supposed parents Richard King and his wife Rachel Dearman.

At this point, the strongest case I have for linking my Martha E. King to Richard King Sr. is proximity. I've done a little poking around and can see that both the King and Meadows families lived in the same area of Taliaferro County when Vincent Meadows and Martha King married. One big factor is that both families attended the Bethel Baptist Church in Crawfordville during the same time period although neither Vincent nor Martha appear in those records. I have a lot more information to check and organize before I can draw any conclusions for myself. I've been checking tax lists, church registers, census records, obituaries, land records, and Richard King's Revolutionary War pension. So far, a definitive list of Richard King's children eludes me. I can attribute some children to Richard King, but not all of them, and not my Martha. 

It was exciting, however, to find Richard King's detailed 1853 obituary in the 12 August 1853 Daily Chronicle and Sentinel of Augusta, Georgia. Unfortunately, as detailed as it was, it did not name even one of the members of the large family of children he left behind: 

Obituary

Another Revolutionary Patriot Gone!

Departed this life, on Friday, the 5th inst., at his residence in Taliaferro County county, Mr. Richard King, in the 93d year of his age.

Mr. King was born in North Carolina in 1760, and when sixteen years old took the place of his father in the continental army, and continued in service during the greater part of the war of Independence. He was at the battle of Eutaw Springs. After peace was secured, he moved to Georgia; and for the last fifty years he lived near where he died. He was a man of strict integrity, sterling worth and unquestioned piety--at Church his seat was never vacant. He was a member of the Bethel (Baptist) Church, which he joined in 1802, and of which was ordained a Deacon in 1807.

In politics he always took a lively interest, but without giving offence to any one. He was seldom absent from the polls on the day of election--he exercised his right of suffrage from a sense of public duty--he was a Republican in the beginning, and adhered to the same faith through life.

He left a large family of children and grandchildren, an aged widow, and a wide circle of acquaintances to mourn his loss.  It is true, we shall never see him again--neither at home, nor on the way, nor on the camp-ground, nor in his well known seat at Church--"These places that once knew him shall know him no more." But so long as the virtues of a good citizen, an obliging neighbor, a kind father, an affectionate husband, a humane master, an honest man, a true patriot and ardent Christian, shall be esteemed and cherished by those with whom he associated in life, so long will the memory of the venerable Richard King live in the hearts and affections of his striving friends.

Crawfordville, Ga., 8th August, 1853.