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Note: N112 Elizabeth (?) Meriwether Browne, Second Wife
© The Meriwether Society, Inc.
We definitely know that the name of Nicholas' wife at the time of his death was Elizabeth, though we have no clue as to her maiden name. We do know that she had a sister named Jane, who eventually married Henry Hartwell. Elizabeth and Nicholas probably married in late 1664 or early 1665, as their first known child, Nicholas II, was born in Oct 1665; she subsequently gave birth to four additional known children: Francis, Jane, Thomas and William Meriwether. In Surry County Court on 4 March 1678/9, Elizabeth was listed as the executrix of Nicholas Meriwether, who had died the previous December. In July 1679 she was granted a Commission of Administration for the estate and orphan of Lewis Williams; her relationship to Mr. Williams is not known but it seems likely she was closely connected to him to justify taking on this task while still recovering from the loss of Nicholas. By July 1680 she has married Lt. Col. William Browne and has moved to "Four Mile Tree" to continue raising her family. She and Browne had a daughter, Elizabeth Browne, who is mentioned in the 1699 Will of Elizabeth's brother-in-law, Henry Hartwell. She is apparently dead by 21 Apr 1695, when Nicholas II and his (half?) sister Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clements are appointed administrators of the estate of their brother, William. She is certainly dead by Jan 1695/6, when her son Thomas is assigned a guardian. She is most likely buried in the family cemetery at "Four Mile Tree".
For more details and evidence of these events, see "The Meriwether Family in America: Volume I, The Colonists" published in 2017 by The Meriwether Society, Inc.
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Note: N111 In Surry County Court on 4 March 1678/9, Elizabeth Meriwether was listed as the executrix of Mr. Nicholas Meriwether, deceased. On 13 Jun 1680 in James City, Coll. Browne represented Ni. Meriwether and on 6 July 1680 there is a judgement to Lt. Col. William Browne as marrying the executrix of Mr. Ni. Meriwether which would be Elizabeth Meriwether. In Aug, 1679, she is granted a Commission of Administration for the estate and orphan of Lewis Williams. She is apparently dead by 21 Apr 1695, when Nicholas II and his (half?) sister Elizabeth (Meriwether) Clements are appointed administrators of the estate of their brother, William. She is certainly dead by Jan 1695/6, when her son Thomas is assigned a guardian.
In 1899, William Ridgely Griffith stated in his book that he thought Elizabeth's maiden name was Woodhouse(?), but that may have been in reference to his first wife.
It is likely that Elizabeth (?), his second wife, was the sister of Jane (?) White Hartwell, wife of William Hartwell. There is some support for their maiden names being May (a partner of Nicholas) or Williams (see above association of Elizabeth with the estate of Lewis Williams).
Recent correspondence has suggested that Elizabeth was the daughter of an Underwood family, but no verification has been located.
(copyright 2011 The Meriwether Society, Inc)
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