Josiah Meador (1736-ca. 1795) was descended from Thomas Mead/Meador/ Meadows. Most of Josiah's own descendants seem to have spelled it "Meador." His wife was named Lavinia; they had four children. Most descendants are in West Virginia and surrounding states.
Josiah Meador II (b.1758) was a son of Josiah and Lavina Meador, and the surname had earlier been spelling Meadows. Josiah II chose to change the spelling , "... quite possibly to distinguish his family from those of his brothers"--Leaf 1. Josiah II served in the Revo- lutionary War, and married Juda Lilly about 1787. He lived in Cumberland, Bedford and Mercer Counties in Virginia, and died after 1840. Thomas Edmond Lilly (ca.1775-ca.1834) was a son of Robert Lilly Sr. and Francis Moody. He married Rosanna Meador and lived in Montgomery and Mercer Counties, Virginia. Descendants and relatives lived in Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Texas and elsewhere.
"The land grants listed herein were made by Lord Fairfax prior to the creation of the Virginia Land Office; by the Commonwealth of Virginia, of lands now embracing the State of West Virginia; and, by the State of West Virginia, under its first Constitution."--Page [1].
William Burdett, Sr. was born in about 1755 in Prince William, Virginia. His father was John Burdett, Sr. He married Sarah Cornwell (1762-1817). They had fourteen children. William died in 1839 in Flat Top, Monroe, Virginia. Descendants and relatives lived mainly in Virginia and West Virginia.
Thomas Meader Sr. (d.1664) immigrated from England to Rappahannock County, Virginia, and was the father of Thomas Meader Jr. and the grandfather of John Meader. Subsequent descendants (chiefly spelling the surname Meador) and relatives lived in Virginia, Tennessee, Ken- tucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Oregon, California and else- where.
This history covers the middle New River area from 1654 to 1905 with an emphasis on Mercer County, West Virginia. Mercer County was created in 1837 from Giles and Tazewell counties, Virginia, and was part of Virginia until 1863.