(need picture) can you help? Benjamin Batchelor Medders
Date of birth: Astrological Sign: Capricorn	January 11th, 1809
Place of birth:	Brunswick County, North Carolina
Death Date:	May 12, 1900
Place of Death:	Baxley, Appling County, Georgia
Burial:	Big Creek Cemetery, Alma, Bacon County, Georgia
Marriage (1): by June 1860 Appling County, Georgia	Nancy C LNU (TUCKER)
Children:	1 Martha P Medders 1834  2 John S Medders 1836 3 Mary Medders 1837 4 James R Medders 1838 5 Cinderella Medders 1841 6 William W Medders 1845 7 Nancy D Medders 1847 8 Margaret Medders 1849
Marriage (2): to stepdaughter Abt 1850	Elizabeth Tucker 1828
Children:	1 Sarah L Medders 1850 2 FNU Medders 1852-1852 3 FNU Medders 1854-1856 2 Charles J Medders 1859
Sources:	1 Ancestry.com GEDCOM 2 Biography by, R.M. Medders 11/1/1999 3 The History of Alma & Bacon County, Georgia. Published 1984   4 Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, by Folks Huxford   5 Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce 6 Baxley Georgia Chamber of Commerce 7 1830 US Census, Appling County, Georgia, SWP 8 1840 US Census, Appling County, Georgia, SWP 9 1850 US Census, Appling County, Georgia 10 1860 US Census, Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia 11 1880 US Census, Taylorton, Appling County. Georgia 12 Family Circle, author unknown 13 North Carolina Nature Conservancy 14 Department of Homeland Security
Direct Line Paternal Ancestors of Benjamin B Medders starting with Father;	1 William W Medders 1785
Direct Line Maternal Ancestors of Benjamin B Medders starting with Mother;	1 Nancy Rogers 1790
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Benjamin Batchelor "Meadows" Medders, 1809-1900  

¹Benjamin Batchelor "Meadows" MEDDERS was born 11 Jan 1809 in Brunswick County, North Carolina and died 12 May 1900 in Baxley, Appling County, Georgia. He was the son of William Washington Medders* d. 1815 and Nancy Rogers*. He is the father of (12) known children across (2) marriages and three sons that fought for the South in the U.S. Civil War.

Birthplace ⁵History-Future  

Early Life  

Benjamin was born in the vicinity of Juniper Creek & Alligator Swamp in Brunswick County, North Carolina according to some family records. ^13,14Juniper Creek and Alligator Swamp were located in the unincorporated areas and the Coastal Plains of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Juniper Creek as of 17^th February 2006 was shown as having a depth of 35 feet. The size of Juniper Creek was 72 acres. Alligator Swamp was shown as having a depth of 16 feet. Most of the areas of Juniper Creek & Alligator Swamp are now under the direction of the North Carolina Nature Conservancy.

Benjamin B Medders until he was about 9 years old lived in Brunswick County, North Carolina with his mother and Father. Benjamin’s father died about 1815. There is great debate over who his father and mother are. The fact is the truth is still unknown. Unfortunately when Bonnie Taylor Baker wrote about the Pioneers of Wiregrass she only mentioned that he came to Bacon County, Georgia with his grandparents. She didn’t even mention which grandparents, so their names are unknown also. Much time has been spent researching Benjamin’s parents with very little success. Many researchers such as Judge Huxford and Judge Lawrence of Appling County, Georgia differ in the opinions of Benjamin’s ancestors. Even his middle name is still in doubt, as he appears in many documents including Bible Records as Benjamin Bennett Medders while in the 1860 Appling County Georgia Census shows him as being listed as Benjamin Batchelor. There is still much work to be done in ironing out a lot of the unknowns.

Judge Lawrence of Appling County stated that Benjamin was a descendant of Jason Medders (Meadors) of Brunswick County, North Carolina. Unfortunately he did not state which generation. There does appear in the 1820 Brunswick County, North Carolina census a Jason Medders, and he is the only Jason Medders listed. Jason is shown living in the Fayetteville District, Anson County, North Carolina. However we have not been able to make the connection to Jason as of yet.

*In a document found among other papers of Elizabeth Altman Medders, was a document written by Doreen Altman the granddaughter of Benjamin Newton Medders. In this document she stated that Benjamin’s father was William Washington Medders and his mother was Nancy Rogers. One of the documents was sent to me by Marguerite “Smith” Bullard the daughter of Maggie May Medders and 2^nd great granddaughter of Benjamin Batchelor Medders. It also shows whom Nancy married after coming to Georgia. Nancy, Benjamin’s mother married Jim I. Smith (about I assume) 1820. We do not have any supporting documentation on Nancy and Jim I. Smith except for this document, as of yet. I could see Benjamin naming one of his children after his father who died when Ben was very young. It could also be why many of us have been chasing a rabbit for so many years thinking that Ben’s mother was Martha Kennedy whom we have never been able to locate in information on.

This document also shows that Benjamin’s grandson Benjamin Newton Medders was the child of a Henry Deen.

²Move to Georgia

Benjamin traveled to Georgia with his mother and grandparents in 1818. (Early map of Bacon County, Georgia left).

³Bacon County Pioneers
"come sit a spell, and visit with us."

Since Bacon County was formed out of several other counties, we must look to what once were Appling County residents who settled in the land now called Bacon for it's earliest residents. These men settled where they felt that they could survive, and prosper, and raise their families regardless of the boundaries being drawn around them.

Benjamin B Medders is mentioned in Bonnie Taylor Baker's book, "The History of Alma & Bacon County, Georgia", published in 1984, pg 19-21. She originally obtained it from a Finding List of Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia published by Folks Huxford. Judy Strickland, a descendant of John Lee, RS, has made minor corrections. The following is a small excerpt of him from the book.

Benjamin B. Medders was born in North Carolina in 1809. He married Nancy C. Tucker who was born in Georgia. They bore and raised 7 children who married into the families of: Lastinger, Williams, Altman, Holton, Aldridge, and Smith. They are buried in Big Creek Cemetery in marked graves. Benjamin Medders died in 1900.

It is not know for sure how Benjamin Batchelor Medders namesake was determined. It is believed at this time that his middle name was given of his maternal grandmother’s maiden name (Batchelder or Batchelor). More than likely it was Batchelor because of his middle name. It is also believed that his maternal grandmother was the Sarah Batchelor that migrated from New Hampshire with her parents to North Carolina. We are still working on this too.

Benjamin B “Meadows” Medders married by 1^st June 1830 to the widow, Nancy C (LNU) TUCKER (1811-1849).. Nancy was widowed in the late 1820’s.

There is great uncertainty about whom Nancy was first married to. Some indications and statements by the older ancestors of the Medders family believed that she was first married to Pete Smith, and that Nancy was known as “Aunt Bett” because she had the middle name “Elizabeth” (the 1850 mortality schedule gave her middle initial as “C”). I believe this may be one area, which may have caused a lot of confusion. It is very possible that her last name is Cason, and her name might very well be Nancy Elizabeth Cason. A lot of women after they married would replace their middle name with their maiden name but we have not been able to prove this due the Appling County Courthouse fire that destroyed their records. They are lost forever and we may never know these facts.” Nancy had one child by her first marriage and her name was Elizabeth Tucker, but she was known as “Aunt Betts Pete”. However with Elizabeth having the maiden name Tucker is “why I tend to believe that she was married to a M. Tucker.” This is a very confused situation here.

Though little is known about Nancy Tucker, the Honorable, James Madison Medders his grandson was requested by the State of Georgia to complete a biographical questionnaire while he was serving in the Georgia State Legislature. In his questionnaire he stated that she was born in “old Appling” and died in Appling “now Bacon County, Georgia”.

The First Record of Benjamin B “Meadows” Medders shows him living in Appling County, Georgia in 1830 with his who we believe was his 1^st wife Nancy C Tucker and a stepdaughter who we believe to be Elizabeth age 0-5 (to be his second wife). Benjamin is recorded as B. B. Meadows (page #6, line 25, Sheet 10). Benjamin B Medders is living on lot 460 5th district Appling County, Georgia now Bacon County, Georgia.

Benjamin B “Meadows” Medders is living in Appling County, Georgia in 1840 with his wife who we believe is Nancy and family. He shown having (5) children, one being his stepdaughter Elizabeth Tucker and his children by Nancy; Martha Patsy, John Smith, Mary, James Riley and Cinderella. Also living and listed in Appling County, Georgia at this time are many of the family relatives such as Cinderella’s future father-in-law “Nathaniel Jackson Holton”, Seaborn Hall and may others. Many of these relatives including Benjamin were the founding settlers of what was know at that time as “Wiregrass Georgia”. Benjamin is recorded on (page #4, line 20).

Benjamin’s wife Nancy C Tucker Medders died about 1849 and is believed to be buried in Fellowship Baptist Church, Patterson Cemetery, Patterson-Stewart Settlement Appling County, Georgia in an unmarked grave. The church is no longer there.

Marriage 2
After the death of his first wife Nancy C Tucker Medders, Benjamin as stated by Judge Huxford was to marry his stepdaughter Elizabeth TUCKER in 1850. The County Courthouse was burned during a fire and the records were lost forever so we do not have proof that they were legally married. Benjamin and his wife/stepdaughter Elizabeth Tucker Medders had (4) children together. However (3) of them died in infancy and only one of there names are known.

Benjamin B “Meadows” Medders is living in Appling, County, Georgia on the ⁹30^th August 1850 as a farmer with his wife/stepdaughter Elizabeth Tucker Medders and family. The children living with them at this time are; Martha age 21 – Mary age 15 - John S age 13 - James R age 10 – Cinderella age 5 - William W age 5 - Nancy age 3 and Margaret age 1. Benjamin is being recorded as “Benjamin B Meadows” on (schedule I, line #22, household #152).

Benjamin B “Meadows” Medders is living in Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia on ¹⁰14^th July 1860 as a farmer with his wife/stepdaughter Elizabeth Tucker Medders and family, the children living with them at this time are; Cinderella age 19 - William age 16 – Nancy age 13 – Margaret age 11 and his (2) children by Elizabeth; Sarah L age 10 and Charles age 1. Also living in the same household is Joseph Crapps age 19. It is believed that this Joseph is the father of Jake Crapps. Vinny Lou Medders Benjamin’s granddaughter married Berry M Crosby; their daughter Eudell Crosby married Jake Crapps. Also in the 1860 US Census it was noted that Benjamin could not read or write. He may not have known how to spell his name so this could be the difference as to the census takers spelling his name the way they thought it should be spelled. Benjamin is recorded only as Benjamin Batchelor with out the last name of “Meadows”. Benjamin is shown as having a net worth of $115.00, $100.00 in real estate (tract unknown) and $15.00 personal property. Benjamin is recorded on (page #60, line 19, household #368).  

On June 22^nd, 1861 Benjamin bought twenty-five acres of lot 58, 2^nd land district and moved onto the property. The transaction is recorded at DB W, page 53 and shows he bought twenty five acres from Jeremiah McDonald, paid $100 for the property, located on the east side of Red Oak Branch. It is a beautiful knoll, which falls rapidly down to the branch and is located in the small space separating Springfield Methodist Church from US 21. We know he moved onto the property, evidenced by a mortgage of the same property by a subsequent owner. The document includes "whereon Benjamin B Meaders (sic), Charles Johnson and others resided". He was to live there eight years, selling to Elias Altman not long before the 1870 census. (Rod Medders provided this information)

Benjamin is living in Taylorton, Appling County, Georgia in ¹¹1880 in the household of his son John Smith “Meadows” Medders along with several of his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law Mary Ann (Altman) “Meadows” Medders.

Death Place ⁶History-Future
Benjamin Batchelor “Meadows” Medders, died at the home of his son John Smith “Meadows” Medders on 12^th of May 1900 in Baxley, Appling County, Georgia.

*"Much thanks is owed to Mary Beth Marchant for which a lot of the census findings were due to her timeless efforts which could never be replaced. Thank you. Mary Beth is the mother-in-law of Homer Donald Spivey, the great grandson of Agnes Sophronia MEDDERS grand daughter of James Riley Medders".

Notes: the Medders-Meadows line is a mysterious line. It has not been determined when, where or why the name went from Meadows to Medders. All we know at this time is up through the 1880 census they were all referred to as Meadows in the census, this lasting for at least 70 years from 1810 through 1880. We do know that John Smith “Meadows” Medders. Is recorded in the Georgia State Archives as John Smith Medders when he applied for and received a civil war pension. It could be that they were always Medders and that they were illiterate, and the census takers spelled the name the way they though it should be spelled. Maybe one day we will be able to figure this out.