MERIWETHER Nicholas, Sr.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Legal clerk, legal representative, planter, Justice
• Immigration: 1652
• Alt. Death: 15 Dec 1678, Lynnhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia
• Alt. Death: 17 Dec 1678, New Kent County, VA

Notes:

When Nicholas Meriwether was born in 1631 in Bramber, Sussex, his father, Francis, was 27 and his mother, Alice, was 46. He was married in 1655 in Virginia. He died on December 15, 1678, in Prince William County, Virginia, at the age of 47.

Nicholas Meriwether arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, probably about 1650. The first confirmation of his existence there was 4 July 1653 when he patented 300 acres of land in Lancaster County. From at least 13 Oct 1653 until 13 Dec 1656, Nicholas served as a clerk of the Quarter Court and Governor's Council for the Colony in Jamestown. Although many researchers state he was clerk of Surry County, there is no evidence that he was. About 1661, he bought "The Island House" from Elizabeth Kingsmill & her husband Nathaniel Bacon, a relative of the Bacon who started "Bacon's Rebellion"; a marker on Jamestown Island identifies the "Island House" location today.
Sometime in the 1660's, after the English monarchy was reestablished, Nicholas bought "Indian Springs" in Surry County and seems to have retired from public office to pursue land speculation and tobacco production and shipping. Since his entire government career was during the reign of Cromwell and he ceased upon restoration of the throne, this seems to contradict those who claim Nicholas was one of the "Cavaliers", supporters of the Crown who came to the Colony to escape persecution.
Recent research has tried, without success, to determine if Nicholas came to Virginia in 1652 as part of the Parliamentary fleet that sought the surrender of Virginia to the Cromwellian government. This would certainly explain his appearance in 1653 as a clerk of the Quarter Court and subsequent years working for the colonial government.
The birth date of Nicholas was derived from an affidavit in which he stated his age. His death date was supposedly found in the bible of Nicholas Meriwether II, in possession of descendants in Louisville, Ky, in the late 1800's. Efforts to locate this bible in the late 1900's have failed. Documents created in the mid 1800's, 200 years after Nicholas was in the Colonies, refer to him, or possibly his son, Nicholas II, as "The Welshman". No evidence has been found to indicate that he was from Wales, however. Nothing has been found to track him to a particular location in England, either; efforts to locate Nicholas in Kent or Wiltshire, where many English Meriwether families are found, have not been successful.
A Thomas Meriwether, merchant, of Bristol & London, had business dealings with Nicholas and it was at one time believed he could be a brother or uncle. Evidence found in 2004 no longer supports this.

Children
Elizabeth MERIWETHER b: ABT 1662 in Virginia
Nicholas MERIWETHER b: 26 OCT 1665 in Virginia
Francis MERIWETHER b: ABT 1670 in Virginia
Jane MERIWETHER b: ABT 1675 in Virginia
Thomas MERIWETHER b: ABT 1677 in Virginia
William MERIWETHER b: AFT 17 JUN 1678 in Virginia

The Meriwether Family
were the men that settled central and southwestern Virginia? They were few in number, and their families rose to prominence throughout the formative years of the United States of America. One of these men, Nicholas Meriwether I, came to the shores of Virginia in 1652 to claim a large tract of land in Northrern Neck and Surry Counties. Supposedly, there is a record "in Virginia land registry office between 1652 and 1669 of patents to the extent of 5,250 acres in Westmoreland Co. done by Nicholas Meriwether." (Anderson, 1984) The family, so-called because they were happy all the time, hailed from either Wales or England (this is still in dispute.). The name was originally spelled Merryweather.) Nicholas I married Elizabeth Woodhouse, who gave birth to seven children. They were Nicholas, Jane, Elizabeth, Francis, Thomas, William and David. (Minor, 1892)
Nicholas II was the only one to extend the family name. He lived on a land grant which he secured from King George II in 1727 at the base of the Southwest Mountains. This 13,762-acre tract of land grew another 3,000 acres in 1730. In 1735, he added another 1,190 acres to his holdings, on which he built "The Farm." Charlottesville now lies over the land on which "The Farm" existed. (Minor, 1892) It all exists in what is currently Albemarle county, and history sometimes refers to Nicholas as "the Father of Albemarle." Albemarle County was carved out of Goochland County in 1744, the year of Nicholas' death.
Nicholas Meriwether (II) met and married Elizabeth Crawford. Her family is said to be descendents of Sir Roland Crawford, the grandfather of Sir William Wallace (the subject of Mel Gibson's 1994 epic movie Braveheart.) (Anderson, 1984) Together, they had nine children. Their oldest, Jane Meriwether married Colonel Robert Lewis; they became Meriwether Lewis' paternal great-grandparents. The second oldest, Nicholas Meriwether III married Mildred Thornton. The other children were William, Thomas, Colonel David Meriwether, Elizabeth, Ann, Sarah, and Mary.

Alt. Death:
15 Dec 1678 • Lynnhaven Parish, Prince William, Virginia Colony, America

Nicholas married WOODHOUSE Elizabeth about 1664 in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA. Elizabeth was born about 1638; died about 21 Apr 1695 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States; was buried in Surry County, VA ("Four Mile Tree"). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Col MERIWETHER Nicholas, Jr. was born on 26 Oct 1667 in Dendron, Surry, Virginia, United States; died on 12 Dec 1743 in North Garden, Albemarle, Virginia, USA; was buried in Albermarle County, Va.

Nicholas married MERIWETHER Mrs. --FNU-- --LNU-- in 1661 in Greenville, Augusta, Virginia, USA. Mrs. and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
Marriage 1 Spouse Unknown
     Married: ABT 1661 in Virginia
     Note: This marriage is speculative, based on several factors.
     Note:

There is speculation, but no direct evidence, that Nicholas married twice and that his oldest child, Elizabeth, was the daughter of the first wife. This speculation is based on several indirect lines of evidence. First, we know that Nicholas, at the time of his death, was indeed married to an Elizabeth. She later remarried Col. William Browne and had a child, also named Elizabeth. This child was named by Henry Hartwell as "a niece of my wife...", along with all the other children of Nicholas except the first child, Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clough Clements. Henry Hartwell's wife was Jane (?) White Hartwell, who many early genealogies state was Jane Meriwether, sister to Nicholas. However, if she was sister to Nicholas, Elizabeth Browne, daughter of William Browne and Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne, would not be a niece! This strongly suggests that Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne and Jane (?) White Hartwell are sisters. It is assumed that Henry Hartwell would not mention Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clough Clements as a niece only because Elizabeth was the daughter of a previous marriage by Nicholas. Additional reasoning can be found in Meriwether Society publications.

Notes:

Francis Meriwether was born in 1604. He married Alice Crawford on January 7, 1623. They had two children during their marriage. He died on March 15, 1672, at the age of 68.

Francis married CRAWFORD Alice on 15 Mar 1672. Alice was born on 16 May 1585 in Great Mongeham, Kent, England; died in 1643 in Kent, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Alice Crawford was born on May 16, 1585, in Great Mongeham, Kent, the child of William and Anne. She married Francis Meriwether on January 7, 1623. They had two children during their marriage. She died in 1643 in Kent, at the age of 58.