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From: "William Jervois" <>
Subject: Re: Meaker/Meeker/Maker/Mecar
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998 11:53:23 +0000


Hello Christo

I have a file on a Meaker family of the Eastern Cape - their
principal associations were with Grahamstown and Somerset East.

The founders of this family were John and Sarah Meaker, who came from
Warminster in Wiltshire, where they had children baptised between
1824 and 1835. However, the name is comparitively rare in
Wiltshire and far more common in the neighbouring county of Somerset,
where it occurs in the earliest church registers, i.e., the
mid-1500's.

John Meaker was, according to his D.N., born in Wiltshire and died
in Grahamstown in 1848, aged "46 & some months". He was a smith and
wheelwright by trade.

I have not succeeded in finding any etymological explanation for the
name, but it does not appear to be associated with the variations
that you have given, nor yet with the Irish name "Meagher", which is
sometimes supposed.

with best wishes

William

------------------------
William Jervois Resident Genealogist, Albany Museum
Somerset Street, Grahamstown
6139
South Africa
Tel: 046 6622312 Fax: 046 6622398
e-mail: International Code: 27-46-
http://www.ru.ac.za/departments/am/geneal.htm

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