Hugh Meglone of Lexington, KY (?- 1811)

The earliest known Meglone in Kentucky is Hugh Meglone of Lexington. Earliest records found thus far place him in Lexington in 1807 in business with a man named Daniel Halstead. Halstead & Meglone operated what may have been a general store on Cheapside. The two also apparently owned land in Green County which may have been for tobacco production, and may have owned a tobacco warehouse also in Lexington.

Cheapside, alongside the old Courthouse, Lexington.

Hugh was married to a woman named Mary (not fully confirmed) and had a number of children. Hugh died in Lexington in 1811 from unknown causes, and his obituary and estate inventory are on record.

It's my belief that Hugh Meglone of Lexington may have come from either Pennsylvania or New York City prior to coming to Lexington. He may have brought goods from Philadelphia through PA by land and water routes and finally by pack mule into Lexington. There are records of a Hugh Meglone in NY who married a Mary White, and a record of a Hugh who was listed as a carpenter. On the estate inventory of Hugh Meglone of Lexington there is a mention of a set of carpenters tools. In other records there is a Hugh Meglone in PA records near the same time period, but it is not known if this is a relation to Hugh of Lexington or not. It does not seem to be the same man due to the dates he appears.

I am currently operating on the hunch that at least three of Hugh and Mary Meglone's children were Martha, Montgomery, and Theophilus. More details on these Meglones can be found in separate posts. I am a descendant of Martha Meglone.

Sources for this information on Hugh Meglone (?- 1811) include but is not limited to:

The Kentucky Gazette 1801-1820, by Karen Mauer Green, Baltimore: Gateway Press Inc., 1985

p. 98 Vol. XX, Number 1138, Tuesday, 18 August 1807, Holsted & Meglone have a house and a lot for sale, the property of Robert Russell in Lexington.

p. 99 Vol. XX, Number 1141, Tuesday 8 September 1807, Holsted & Meglone, of Lexington, have land for sale, the property of Robert Russel.

p. 123 Vol. XXII, Number 1215, Tuesday, 7 February 1809, Halsted and Meglone have land for sale.

p. 137 Vol. XXIV, Number 1269, Tuesday, 27 February 1810, Halstead & Meglone want to buy tobacco and whiskey.

p. 139 Vol, XXIV, Number 1278, Tuesday, 1 May 1810, Halstead & Meglone of Lexington have land for sale.

p. 150 Number 11, Volume II, Tuesday, 12 March 1811, No. 1326, Volume 25, Obituary: Hugh Meglone, merchant of the house of Halstead & Meglone, died in Lexington on Friday, 9 March 1811.

p. 152 Number 20, Volume II, Tuesday 14 May 1811, Number 1335, Volume 25 (sic), Morrison, Fisher & Sutton, merchants of Lexington, have a new shipment of goods at the house lately occupied by Halstead & Meglone.

p. 159 Number 43, Volume II, Tuesday, 22 October 1811, Number 1358, Volume 25, C. Smedley, living in Lexington, next door to Mr. Young, has land for sale opposite Mr. Sander’s factory, presently occupied by Mrs. Meglone.

[A very special thanks to Jim Gill for locating these records in March of 2009]

A link to a webpage where I first learned about Daniel Halstead and his partnership with Hugh Meglone as well as the location of their place of business:

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyfayett/dunn/halstead_daniel.htm

Halstead & Meglone 5 Cheapside on the public square, bordering Mill St., Lexington, KY (Google Map)

The 1806 Lexington City Directory does not list any Meglones or any similar names.

1810 Fayette County Census lists Hugh Maglone with 10 people in the household and one slave. There may have been an older couple in the home, possibly in-laws, and at least 5 young children, mostly boys. It is also possible that the older male and female in the home were actually Hugh and Mary, and the younger adult male and female could have been older children. If this Hugh and Mary are the same Hugh and Mary Meglone married in 1792, it is possible they had children who were nearly grown.

In my possession:
Paper copy of microfilm image of the Kentucky Gazette, Tuesday, February 19, 1811, front page advertisements: "WANTED, TWO HUNDRED HOGSHEADS TOBACCO AND TEN THOUSAND GALLONS WHISKEY, For which the highest going price will be given. Halstead & Meglone."
"For Sale: A VALUABLE tract of LAND, situated on the waters of Green river, in Green county, containing 666 2/3 acres. Negroes or Cotton will be taken in part or whole payment. The subscribers have also for sale, 6000 lbs. Coffee, first quality-- 10 barrels Muscovado and Havannah Sugars of an excellent quality-- 6 barrels Tanners Oil-- 1 hogshead 4th proof Jamaican Rum-- 1 pipe Cogniac Brandy-- 1000 gallons old Whiskey; all of which will be sold low [?] for cash or approved notes at 30 and 60 days.
Also Trunks of every size and description, with any kind of Covering; Carpenter's and Joiner's tools, viz. Sash Plains double and single, with prickers and templets, Groving Plains with and without arms, different sizes, complete setts of Bench Plains, single and double ironed, Hallows and Rounds, Moulding Plains of every description, Braces and Bitts, &c. &c.
Halstead & Meglone.
Opposite the Markett House Lexington, K."

The same ad also appears in other issues of the KY Gazette, and I have paper copies of microfilm images of these issues:
Tuesday, February 26, 1811
Tuesday March 5, 1811
Tuesday March 12, 1811

A paper copy of Hugh Meglone's obituary from the Kentucky Gazette which reads:
"DIED-- In this place, on Friday last, Mr. HUGH MEGLONE, Merchant, of the house of Messrs. Holstead & Meglone." 12 March 1811

A paper copy of the microfilmed images of the estate inventory of Hugh Meglone, dated 10th July, 1811. Approved and ordered to be recorded in August Court, 1811. (page 243-244)

Paper copy of microfilm image of 1804 New York City Directory of listing for Hugh Meglone, carpenter, of 12 barclay.

Paper copy of:
Mary Meglone on 1811 Tax List, Fayette, with 2 slaves (1 over 16), and 1 horse. Microfilm #07958, page 89

Hugh Meglone of NY (b. abt 1770) married Mary Polly White 19 May 1792 (possible daughter Mary Ann Meglone? b. 1804?)

Current Research:

Researching Presbyterian church records of Lexington for older records with any mention of the Meglone family. I believe that it is likely the Meglones attended a church such as the First Presbyterian Church of Lexington because of the good probability that they were Scottish and that they were a prosperous merchant family. According to an article in the Kentucky Register, the upper classes of Lexington (including merchants) tended to favor the Episcopal church and the Presbyterian churches that did not follow the “revival” style preachings that were becoming all the rage in more rural areas. If the Meglones were Scottish, it is most likely they would either be Catholic or Presbyterian rather than Episcopal. If they followed the social trend of attending church within their social class, then the First Presbyterian Church would be the first place to check for records. The church was within walking distance of the store owned by Hugh Meglone and Daniel Halstead on Cheapside. It is believed the Hugh Meglone home was in the vicinity of the store and church. Since newspaper records provide the name of the man who performed the marriage of Montgomery and Maria, further research on this man may determine if he was a pastor at a local church. Further research into that church’s older records (if they exist) may add more to the Meglone family story.

I am currently tracking church records and hope to look at them in person if there is a chance they could contain valuable information.