He was the he first Chief Justice of the Ohio State Supreme Court, a United States Senator, the fourth Governor of Ohio, the fifth United States Postmaster General, and he was a member of American Union Lodge 1 in Ohio. Born in 1774, his unusual name was Return Johnathan Meigs, Jr. In addition to serving in each of these important positions, Brother Meigs was a Brevet Colonel in the United States Army. Future President William Henry Harrison considered him to be so distinguished, he named Fort Meigs in Ohio in his honor during the War of 1812 and Meigs County in Ohio is also named for him; yet the very mention of him begs the question, where did Brother Return get such a unique first name?
The first step in the long journey to solve that mystery is an easy one. He was named after his father, Return Johnathan Meigs, Sr. The senior Return Meigs was born in 1740 and served as a colonel in the Army during the American Revolution. In May, 1777, he led what is now known as the Meigs Raid and, greatly outnumbered, defeated the British in a sea battle. In 1779, he put down a mutiny of Army troops and received a written thanks from General George Washington. Like his son, he was a member of American Union Lodge 1 in Ohio and served as Worshipful Master in 1801. Later, he became an Indian Agent in Tennessee, where Meigs County and Meigs Mountain are named for him; and, like his son, the mention of him begs the question, where did Brother Return senior get such a unique first name?
Well, like his son, Return Sr. Got his name from his father, Lieutenant Return Meigs, who was born in Guilford, Connecticut in 1707. He died in 1782 at the age of 75 and other than the fact he served in the military, not much is known about him. It is unlikely he was a Freemason.
Lieutenant Return Meigs was the fifth child of Janna and Hannah Willard Meigs. Hannah was a Puritan who refused to marry Janna on many occasions. Janna gave it one final try and upon being refused again, gave up and mounted his horse and rode off. At that, Hannah, realizing she was losing him forever, called out, "Return, Janna, return!" Janna did return and the couple was married May 16, 1698. Janna said when she cried out to him, "Return," it was the sweetest word he had ever heard, and named his son Return in honor of it; and his son, Lieutenant Return named his son, Return Johnathan, who named his son Return Johnathan, Jr., and the family has continued to pass the name down through more generations ever since. Return Johnathan Meigs. It's a love story.
