William Meeker

William Goodman Meeker came from England aboard the "Abigail" arriving with his brother Robert Meeker on 9 September 1635 to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Each of the brothers had four sons. By July 1644 he had moved to the New Haven Colony. William moved to Newark, New Jersey, then known as Elizabethtown Point, NJ about 1664. He married first, 1646, Sarah Jane Preston, daughter of William Preston and Elizabeth Sale, in New Haven, Removed from New Haven, CT to Elizabeth Town Point, NJ about 1665. He was presented a tract of land at Lyons Farms by the people of Elizabethtown and Newark in appreciation his "fidelity to their interests". This information was extracted from New Haven Colony Records 1638-1649.

He took the oath of fidelity in New Haven CT on 1 July 1644 and was one of the subscribers to the New Haven Fundamental Agreement on 4 June 1639. He took the oath of Allegiance on 19 Feb 1685. The spelling, Meaker is the English spelling of Meeker. He was among the original "Elizabethtown Associates", 78 men who purchased 500,000 acres known as the "Elizabethtown Grant" from the Indians. He was "Constable of the Town" as chosen by associates and under a commission from Gov. Carteret.

Two sons of William Goodman Meeker (Daniel and younger brother Robert) preceded him to America. They first came to Dorchester, MA. Son Daniel remained there but the rest came to New Haven, CT. The younger brother, Robert, came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, moved to New Haven, CT, and remained in Connecticut.