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. If she is the second wife as believed, 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.

Elizabeth 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 Browne family cemetery at “Four Mile Tree”.

For more details and evidence of these events, as well as other surname possibilities, see The Meriwether Family in America: Volume I, The Colonists published in 2017 by The Meriwether Society, Inc.

Sister Jane
Meriwether genealogies before 2017 stated that Nicholas Meriwether had a sister, Jane, who married Henry Hartwell. In his Will dated 1699, Henry Hartwell names the known living children of Nicholas (Nicholas, Francis, Thomas and Jane), and Elizabeth Browne, daughter of widow Elizabeth (?) Meriwether by her second marriage to Col. William Browne, as nephews and nieces of “my wife”, Jane Hartwell. This proves that Jane was the sister of Elizabeth, not Nicholas. (Parish records in England have since proven that Nicholas did not have a sister named Jane.)

Property Sale
On April 7, 1685, [William] Browne and his wife, Elizabeth, sold George Lee their ¾-acre lot in urban Jamestown. The tract, which contained the easternmost bays of a long row house on Back Street, was described as formerly belonging to Thomas Woodhurst (Woodhouse?). This raises the possibility that Elizabeth Brown was Woodhurst’s widow or daughter.74

Commission of Administration, Lewis Williams Estate

In the following, Elizabeth is granted a Commission of Administration for the estate and orphan of Lewis Williams. This has led TMSI to speculate that Lewis Williams was perhaps a brother or father of Elizabeth.

Know all men by these presents that wee Robert Caufield & Ar: Allen Justices of the Peace in Quorum for the County of Surry & we send greeting in our Lord God Everlasting, whereas Lewis Williams late of this Collony dyeing & leaving an Estate in Divers goods, In _____ where of Mrs. Eliz: Meriwether hath made humble suite to the Cort that a Commission of Administration might be granted her of the said Estate in Right of the Orphan of the said ______, now know all men that wee the said Robert Caufield & Ar: Allen According to an Order of Surry County Cort beareing date June 16th 1679 for the better ordering & secureing of the said Estate, do give & grant unto the said Eliz: Meriwether the administration of all & singular the goods Rights & Credits of the Estate of the said deced, of what nature Quallity or Condition they bee or in whose custody soever they remain within this Collony, And doo by these presents further Order & appoynte that the said Eliz: Meriwether shall present unto ye ______ (Court or Commission) of the said County of Surry at the next Cort a true & perfect Inventory of the said Estate being lawfully Appraysed by Suffisient men upon oath, & further that shee satisfy & pay all such debts as remain due & oweing from ye said Estate unto any person or persons within the Collony as far as the Estate will affoard, & after such debts are paid then the said Eliz: to bring a true & Just account of the surplusage or remainder of the said Estate when shee shall be thereunto Lawfully Called and diliver the Same unto the _____ (Court or Commission) for the use of such person or persons unto whome of Right it shall belong or lawfully appertain. Given at Southwarke this 25th day of July 1679

Ro: Caufield
Ar: Allen

Mrs. Eliz: Meriwethers Commission of Administration on Estate of Lewis Wms deced in R. of deceds Orp.
Test William Edwards, C or Cr, Coun. of Sur.

Vera Record: Aug. 1st 1679 per WE C or Cr

(Published in Meriwether Connections, v1 no. 4)