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Note: N375 On 21 Apr 1695, Francis Clements, his wife Elizabeth, and Nicholas Meriwether (II) petitioned the court to appoint them as administrators of the estate of William Meriwether "late of this colony dying and leaving an estate of divers goods... (The said Eliza'a. & Nicholas being sister and brother to the said dec'd.)...". This proves that Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clements was the daughter of Nicholas Meriwether I (but not, as we shall argue, necessarily the daughter of Elizabeth (?), wife of Nicholas I and mother of Nicholas II).
On 5 Jan 1685/6, Francis Clements is shown to have married the widow of Rev. John Clough: "The difference between Mr. Fra. Clemons as marreing Mrs. Eliz. Clough Exrx. of Mr. Jno. Clough and Mr. James Cane is refrd. to xt. Cort."
So this proves that Elizabeth was married to Rev. John Clough prior to marrying Francis Clements. Rev. Clough was minister in Jamestown during Bacon's Rebellion (1676) but was serving as minister of Southwarke Parish, Surry County, in 1680, where it is presumed that the Meriwether family was still worshiping. It is possible that Elizabeth & Rev. Clough met around that time, married, and subsequently moved back to Jamestown, where Clough died in Feb 1683/4.
The 1695/6document is the last we hear of Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clough Clements, and in 1703 Francis Clement's wife is shown to be named 'Lydia', indicating Elizabeth had died prior to 1702. It is believed that Francis Jr. is the only surviving child of Elizabeth and Francis.
Elizabeth was probably the eldest child of Nicholas, and perhaps the daughter of an unknown first wife of Nicholas. This is based on the fact that, except for Elizabeth, all the children of Nicholas and his wife Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne, plus Elizabeth Browne, issue of Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne and Col. William Brown, are named in the will of Henry Hartwell as being "nieces of my wife Jane". Since Elizabeth (Meriwether_ Clough Clements was not named, nor was her son Francis, this strongly indicates that she was not related to Jane (?) Hartwell, as all her (half?) siblings were. If true, this indicates that 1) Jane was probably the sister of Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne, not the sister of Nicholas Meriwether I as frequently cited, and 2) that Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clough Clements was not the daughter of Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne.
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