Darius Mead

DAR Ancestor #: A076648

From Descendants of William Mead: Working file of Mary Lou Cook, updated 4 June 2011

http://collectornuts.com/mead.pdf

Darius Mead (Mar. 8, 1729 - April 1791), son of Jonathan, grandson of Jonathan, great grandson of John, second great grandson of William, said to be born in Horseneck, Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony, and died near Fort Franklin, Mercer County, Pennsylvania.

Asserted that he married Ruth Curtis (May 26, 1734 - 1794) in 1750 in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony, who is born in Stamford and died in Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

Sold land in Dutchess County, Province of New York on Feb. 25, 1770, to Simon Dakin (source: Dutchess County, NY Land Record, County Clerk's Office, Book 5, pp. 412-414, Distributed 10 May 2004 to the Mead Researchers Group by Campbell, Wanda Mead).

Said to have relocated in 1774 from Hudson, Albany County (today Columbia County) in New York to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania (Lackawanna, Luzerne, or Wyoming County). In 1776, enlisted in Lancaster County militia, after which adverse land claims forced him to move six miles north of the town of Northumberland in Northumberland County. He later moved to Sunbury in Northumberland County, where he took on the job of an inn-keeper and started a distillery.

By the time the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, he used his large estate to return to the Wyoming Valley and reassert his land claims. Eventually, after three years of making improvements, he was forced to leave with only a small portion of his household furniture (source: Reynolds, 1938).

In 1787, he was back in Sunbury serving as an inn-keeper, but he was unable to earn back the fortune he lost in the Wyoming Valley (later, the state would pay for some of his losses there). In 1788, he and his brother John explored the country to the north and west of Northumberland County, and by 1789, he and his family moved to the banks of French Creek in Crawford County before moving on to Meadville with his sons David and John.

In 1794, he took his family to Franklin in Venango County, Pennsylvania, about 25 miles from Meadville. In the summer he was captured by the Delware: "His body was found side by side with that of one of his captors, Captain Bull, a Delaware Chief. The duel had been to the death and they were buried side by side where found, near the Shenango creek in Mercer County" (Albert, 1896).

Said to be buried in Meadville.

Ruth Curtis, his wife, was the first white settler to die in Crawford County of natural causes.

Children asserted to be:

• 1. David Mead (Jan. 17, 1752 - Aug. 28, 1816) born in Hudson, Albany County, Province of New York, died at age 65 in Meadville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. Served as a military major general. Founded Meadville on May 12, 1788, by leading a group of settlers there.
• 2. Ashel Mead (Aug. 9, 1754 - July 3, 1778) born in Hudson, died in the Wyoming Valley in present Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, when, as a militiaman, he fell in the Battle of Wyoming (apparently before the massacre).
• 3. John C. Mead (July 22, 1756 - June 22, 1819) born in Hudson, died in Meadville.
• 4. Ruth Mead (Apr. 16, 1761 - June 1819) born in Hudson, married Hugh Depree.
• 5. Darius Mead, Jr. (Dec. 9, 1764 - May 19, 1813) born in Hudson, died in Brokenstraw, Warren County, Pennsylvania.
• 6. Elizabeth or Betsy Mead (b. June 1, 1769) born in Hudson, married a Mr. Garner.
• 7. Joseph Mead (June 25, 1772 - 1848) married Hannah Boone (Oct. 7, 1778 - Feb. 24, 1856) who was born in Exeter, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and died in Warren, Warren County, Pennsylvania
• 8. Ansel Mead (b. 1774), born in the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania (probably Luzerne County).