The Meatyard - Meteyard - Holden - Lofy - Ackerman - Eddy Families

of Southwark, England to Wisconsin, USA

Contributed by Michele Krietenstein


From research of Caroline Meatyard, England: The first known "Meatyard" would be Richard 
Metiarewe in the tax lists of 1327 and 1332 living in the village of Stour Provost in East 
Dorset. The majority of surnames came into being from the mid-1250's so think he was 
probably the first person to hold this surname and it appears to be completely exclusive 
to this part of Dorset.   

I will skip sown the centuries, although if anyone is interested, I do have the line from 
there down, although sketchally, as records were scarce. ROBERT MEATYARD was apprenticed 
into the cloth trade when he was around fourteen years old and went to live and work with 
his master in the City of Salisbury in Wiltshire,England.  Most apprenticeships lasted seven 
years and this seems to have been true for Robert as the following year when he was twenty 
two, he married MARTHA RILEY at the FRIENDS MEETING HOUSE in New Serum, just outside of 
Salisbury.  Possibly  ROBERT'S master has been a QUAKER and he had converted during his 
apprenticeship.  They were to have ten children, sadly only four surviving to adulthood. 
There are no christening records for their children, but their births were registered at 
the MEETING HOUSE  in Ringwood, Hampshire, although they were living in the village of 
Fisherton Anger which is now a suburb of Salisbury: 

1. Amey 25 Apr 1791 - 23 Feb 1796 
2. Martin Riley 25 Jun 1792 - 26 Jul 1792 
3. Francis Cartwright 25 Jun 1792 - 4 Aug 1792 
4. Eliza 19 Jan 1795 - 
5. CHARLES 19 Oct 1796 - 
6. Robert 14 Oct 1798 - 
7. Alexander 6 Nov 1800 - 6 Dec 1800 
8. Sarah Ann 24 Mar 1802 - 6 Apr 1807 
9. Ellen Cartwright 4 Jan 1805 - 
10. William Ghost 18 Jan 1807 - 5 Feb 1807 

The family moved to Castle Street in Salisbury by 1799.  In 1824, Both CHARLES and ROBERT 
were married.  They married twice, one at the Friends Meeting House in Longford, Surrey 
( now under Heathrow Airport) and then later in the year ar the Friends Meeting House in 
New Sarum, Wiltshire: 

ROBERT MEATYARD  married SARAH STORRS 24th November 1824 

CHARLES MEATYARD married MARY STORRS  24th November 1824 

From later records, itis known that Mary STORRS was born on 16 Jan 1797, in Tottenham and I
ts assumed that Sarah was her younger sister though at present this hasn't been confirmed.  
Robert and Sarah had five daughters: Elizabeth, Emma, Mary ann, Rachel, and Martha.   
Only Elizabith and Emma married, Elizabeth to George PALMER  having two sons: Alfred and 
Eustace PALMER.   

Charles and Mary MEATYARD had 7 children: 
1. Mary 22Feb 1825 in Southwark, Eng. 
2. Catherine 5Jul 1827  in Southwark,Eng 
3. CHARLES 27Jan 1830 in Southwark, Eng. 

In 1827, Robert and Charles' mother Martha died and is listed in the Friend's register for 
that area: Martha MEATYARD buried 25 Mar 1827 (Poole, Ringwood Quaker) age 56. 
So far no record has been found of their father's death, but it is known that he was alive 
in 1829, as he was named as of the legatees in his sister Mary' will. 

In the 1830 KELLY'S  Directory, both Robert and Charles are listee as living at 22/23 Bridge 
Street in Southwark, London and wre employed as brassfinders.  By 1832, Robert was settled 
in the town of Basingstoke in Hampshire with his family where he worked as a chemist. 

CHARLES and MARY  emigrated to the USA in 1830/31 and Settled in East Hamburg, Erie Co., 
New York, where their other children were born: 
4. Robert 8Jul 1833 E. Hamburg 
5. Phoebe 5Jun 1835 
6. Joseph 3Mar 1837-Aug 1838 
7. Henry 31 Oct 1840 

I do have 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, etc. If anyone is interested, contact me. 

Robert bought land under the land patent in Chippewa Co. Wis. in 21 May 1859, under the 
name Meteyard. I am assuming Charles went with him at the time, as he was not on the 1860 
census   for NY, and his obit. said he went to Eau Claire, where he was in the "lumbering 
business"  Robert evidently returned to New York as he was in the 1860 New York census. By 
this time official records were slaughtering the name!  1860 Census listed them as MEACHARD. 
By 1860, Mary, Charles' wife was not on the census, so I assume she died between 1850 and 
1860.  Haven't gotten transcription for ORCHARD PARK QUAKER CEMETERY yet where most of them 
are buried in ERIE CO. NY. 

CHARLES (2) bought land in Wis. in Eau Claire Co., 10 Jan 1868, Rusk, and Barron Co. in 11 
Jan 1872. 
Did find out most of the land was forest, probably for lumber. 

By 1869, Charles married ANGELINE NANCY CANFIELD in Eau Claire and had daughter RETTE.  
Haven't found marriage or birth certificates yet.  Believe they may be registered with 
Friends.  Believe son Forest was also born in Eau Claire  he was born in 1872 and Charles 
bought the land in 1872. 

By 1880, Charles and Angeline and family had moved to White Creek, Wisconsin. as they are 
in the 1880 census, living at Dwelling 6. 

CLAUDE BYRON MEATYARD was born in 1880 after the census was taken. 

FOREST married Etta ACKERMAN , I believe possibly in Eau Claire.  As there is an obit for 
her Father THEORUM  ACKERMAN, dying in Eau Claire.  ( For those resarching ACKERMAN, there 
is the birth announcement in White Creek, of the birth of his son CLARK with his first wife.
Etta was the daughter of  THEORUM'S 2nd wife.)  ( For those reseaching the EDDY line, Henry, 
Charles' brother, married RUTH EDDY in Erie Co. NY. Have census and live relatives that area 
descendents from that line) I noticed there are several EDDY families in White Creek area. 
I believe they may have come from New York and came to Wisconsin at the invitation of the 
Meatyard and Ackerman families. 

Rette MEATYARD  died in 1887 at age 17. 

Charles died 7Oct 1898.  His wife Angeline Nancy Meatyard moved to Easton with son Claude 
Byron. I understand that Nancy was a mid-wife as I have her book on Obstetrics.  She is also 
listed as delivering Ruth Holden in 1906 daughter of John and Ada Holden.  John would be 
the brother of her daughter-law Mary Grace. 

CLAUDE MEATYARD married MARY GRACE HOLDEN daughter of JOHN and ELEANOR LEWIS.  Mary Grace 
was born 2 Dec 1882 in Racine.  It was neat to note that the HOLDENs and MEATYARDs lived 
only 3 houses apart in the 1880 census in White Creek. 

Claude and Mary Grace had four children: 
1. Glenn Leslie  26Jan 1903-1972   married Evelyn ?  4 children Mary Lou, Glenn, David and 
Richard.  All still living with children and grandchildren.   
2.Alma  1905-1906 
3. Mary Grace  1906-1907 
4. Ruth Wilma  6Jan 1908- 1993  Married  Matthew Joseph LOFY 2 Dec 1924  2 children:  Matthew 
Glenn  2Sept 1925-28Mar 1965,  Richard Henry ?   

Claude was the clerk of courts for many years . They lived in Friendship.  He died falling 
out of bed after kidney stone surgery in Rochester.  
 
The Holdens and Meteyards are buried in White Creek Cemetery. Ruth Lofy and her Husband and 
son Richard are buried in St. Leo's in Friendship.  Ruth's other son Matthew died in a car 
accident near Tomah, Wis. He and his wife Phyllis Fuerst Lofy Csuti are buried in Cumberland, 
Wis.   

As far as I know, if your name is Meatyard, Meteyard, Mitchard, etc., Lofy, Lofey, Lofye, you
all related!  The two family names are quite unique and go back to 1300's and 1600's 
respectively.   The Lofy family is from Germany from Belgium and began with Longfils, Longfay,
Loffi, Lofi, Lofy.   The Holden is from England, I think possibly Yorkshire or Manchester.  
Lewis is from Wales.  Have more details if you think you are related, please contact me at:  
michelestitch@aol.com 

I am in contact with the English, Wisconsin, and New York Meatyards. Am also researching 
Illinois,Michigan, and another set of NY Meatyards. Also some of  the Lofy's.  I am still 
researching descendents and ancestors of the Holdens and Lewis' 


If you think you have found a family member here or wish to ask the
contributor a question, send  Michele  an e-mail here


This site is maintained by Joan and was last updated July 2002

Send Joan an e-mail if you would like her to design a page like this for your family of interest from Adams County
Back to the Adams Co. Pages Menu