Joseph Meigs, youngest known child of Ebenzer Meigs and Mercy Weeks, b. of record Nov. 17, 1709 at Guilford, Conn. By the age of 2-1/2, Joseph's father was dead, with his mother called a widow in her father-in-law Dea. John Meigs' will of May 30, 1712. No ready record can be found indicating that Joseph's mother remarried and when and where she died cannot be found. Nonetheless, Joseph and his four siblings would relocate to greater Falmouth, Mass. near their mother's ancestral family and each would marry and raise families either at Barnstable, Falmouth, Rochester or Sandwich, Mass.

At some point the children of Joseph as well as the children of Joseph's next older brother Reuben at Sandwich added an additional "g" to the surname and became the "Meiggs" families of Falmouth and Sandwich. On the other hand, the family and descendants of eldest brother Ebenezer at Rochester, Mass. remained as the "Meigs" families.

On Aug. 25, 1732 at Falmouth, Mass., Joseph Meigs m. Martha Chadwick, dau. of Joseph Chadwick and Martha Lumbert (Thomas,3 Ens. Barnard,2 Thomas1), b. Dec. 17, 1709 at Falmouth. They had the following children recorded at Falmouth:

• i. Thankful Meigs, b. Oct. 6, 1734, d. an infant May 25, 1738 (g.s.)

• ii. Mary Meigs, b. Aug. 30, 1736, d. at Falmouth Jan. 4, 1817 (g.s.); m. Apr. 17, 1759 at Falmouth, Joseph Dimmick, s. of Samuel Dimmick and Hannah Davis, b. Feb. 19, 1733/4 at Barnstable, Mass. He served during the Rev. War. and retired as a Brig. Gen. of the Mass. Militia. He d. at Falmouth Sept. 21, 1822 (g.s.) Ten children recorded at Falmouth.

• iii. Benjamin Meigs, b. Oct. 11, 1741, d. before May 25, 1788 when his widow was propounded for full communion at the Falmouth Cong. Chh.; m. Feb. 23, 1766 at Falmouth, Ruth Jenkins, who d. at Falmouth Aug. 4, 1811. At least three children, perhaps others.

• iv. Joseph Meigs, b. July 26, 1743; no further record found.

• v. Jabez Meigs, b. Mar. 9, 1744/5, d "sometime in" June 1798; m. Nov. 24, 1768 at Falmouth, Lurana Dimmick (not Susanna Dimmick as claimed in the Meigs Geneal.), whose parents have not been found. Lurana was alive in July 1790 when she and husband Jabez were listed as living members in full communion of the Falmouth Chh. Lurana subsequently joined the Calvinistic Congregational Church of Sandwich, organized in 1813, with her death on Nov. 4, 1813 included in both the Sandwich and Calvinistic Church Society records. At least four children of the family.

• vi. Martha Meigs, b. Sept. 17, 1746, d. July 26, 1810 at Litchfield, Maine; m. at Falmouth, Jabez Robinson, Jr., s. Jabez Robinson (Joseph,3 John,2 Isaac,1 Rev. John,A) and Hannah Crocker (Thomas,3 Josiah,2 Dea. Willima,1), b. Nov. 14, 1737 at Falmouth. He d. Mar. 23, 1812 at Litchfield, Maine. They reportedly had 12 children, all probably b. in Maine.

• vii. Thankful Meigs, b. Jan. 14, 1748/9; she perhaps m. by an intention pub. at Falmouth Feb. 23, 1772, Ebenezer Hatch, whose parental identity cannot be readily determined despite Falmouth being the home of the extensive descendants of Jonathan and Sarah (Rowley) Hatch.