Elizabeth Bushrod
© The Meriwether Society, Inc.
 
Elizabeth was the daughter of John Bushrod (1623–1720) and Hanna Keene (~1663–1738). She was born about 1690 in Westmoreland County and was the mother of at least eight children. When and where she died and was buried is not known. No further information.

Elizabeth is mentioned in her father's will, dated 1719, as "Elizabeth Meriwether".

William Meriwether (M121)
© The Meriwether Society, Inc.

William Meriwether was the first son of Nicholas II and Elizabeth Crawford, born about 1688, most likely in James City County where his father was living at the time. While the first son was usually named for his paternal grandfather, in this case Nicholas I had died while Nicholas II was quite young and the family had been raised by William Browne, who had married Nicholas I's widow, Elizabeth. So it seems likely that William Meriwether was named for William Browne, his step-grandfather.

William moved with his father to New Kent County and upon adulthood lived on land he inherited from his grandfather, David Crawford, supplemented by additional acreage he purchased over the years. In 1719 this area of New Kent became Hanover County. About 1723 he built the Hanover Tavern, which exists today and operates on the same site, in what is now the town of Hanover. In 1735 the Hanover Court House was proposed and finally built in 1738, most like by William. At some point William sold the Tavern to William Parks, who in 1736 had founded the colony’s first newspaper, the Virginia Gazette. It was at the Hanover Tavern that a young Patrick Henry started to become noticed.

William was active in the political life of the county and was a burgess from 1734 to 1740.

About 1739 William began developing his property on the Pamunkey River, which became the town of Newcastle. Lots sold quickly and the town became a successful port, as open-going ships could reach it on the river. At one point Newcastle was in consideration to replace Williamsburg as the state Capital, which eventually moved to Richmond. In the early 1800s the Pamunkey began silting up and ship traffic declined, with the town eventually abandoned. Today the site is farmland.

About 1714, William married Elizabeth, daughter of John Bushrod, of Westmoreland county. The first of eight known children was born in 1714.

William died in Hanover County before 15 Oct 1751, when Supry Harden was appointed to take his place as a vestryman in the parish church.

1. William Meriwether’s birth is given as 1688 in Louisa County. First there was no Louisa County in 1688 and second, his father was living in James City County as late as 1/3/1692 (from deed of that date). Therefore, William must have been born in James City County or possibly even Jamestowne or Surry County. I have no idea why Louisa County was ever suggested since even when Nicholas II moved to New Kent (by 1695) it was to an area that was never included in Louisa County. In fact, William probably never lived in Louisa County nor an area later included in that county.

2. William’s date of death is usually given as “about 1756.” According to “Old Homes of Hanover County,” p. 35, he died in 1751. This is supported by the St. Paul’s Vestry Book entry dated 10/15/1751: “Supry Harden is Elected Vestry man for this Parish in ye room of Colo. Wm. Meriwether Decesd.”

William Meriwether
Virginia Encyclopedia Britanica 12,31

Son of Colonel Nicholas Meriwether, of Hanover county, was a burgess in 1734-1740. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Bushrod, of Westmoreland county and had issue. (IV--Burgesses and Other Prominent Persons)

Newcastle/Broaddus Flats 172

In 1693, the [Nicholas] Meriwether’s son, William, was given a 400-acre tract by his grandfather, David Crafford—part of his farm called Assassquin Plantation. In 1730, according to Hening, Meriwether laid off 40 acres of this property for a tobacco warehouse on the Pamunkey River and shortly afterwards a town, which he called Newcastle. It was surveyed by Patrick Henry’s father, John, into half-acre lots with six streets parallel to the river and three leading down to the large commons adjacent to the river. The 52 lots apparently sold quickly, with Meriwether taking a full acre lot by the commons. In 1740, the Virginia General Assembly gave the power to William Meriwether and three other “Justices of Hanover” to build a bridge 12 ft. wide from Newcastle over the Pamunkey to King William County—the first bridge to span a tidal river in the thirteen American colonies.

Although the location of the town of Newcastle is well known today, nothing remains of its earlier splendor when, in the mid-18th century, it was seriously considered to be the new Virginia capital. Richmond won out in that race; towns such as Newcastle and Hanovertown (old Page’s Warehouse located a few miles up the Pamunkey) became ghost towns as the century wore on. A short study of the USGS Quadrangle map containing Broaddus Flats quickly reveals that Assassquin Plantation was bounded on three sides by water—on the west and north by the Pamunkey River, on the east by Assassquin Creek, and on the south by a steep 90 ft. gradient leading up to the flatlands of Old Church.

Hanover Courthouse & Hanover Tavern 29
“The original building of the Hanover Tavern, directly across Rt. 301 from the courthouse green, actually predates the courthouse. Records show that the ordinary was erected around 1723, and became a stopping-off place for people traveling from Philadelphia to Williamsburg. The owner, William Meriwether, founder of the town of Newcastle, built the Hanover Courthouse circa 1738 (it had been proposed in 1735), patterned after the courthouse building in King William County. The earliest part of the present tavern was built in the 1790’s.”

“William Parks, who in 1736 founded the first official newspaper in the colony, the Virginia Gazette, bought the tavern from Meriwether, and it is through his Granddaughter, Sarah Shelton, that young Patrick Henry, the "Voice of the Revolution" became connected with the tavern.”

Wikipedia:
“Hanover County was created in 1720 by the Colony of Virginia. The courthouse was built about 1735, supposedly by William Meriwether, who also built and operated the original Hanover Tavern, just across the main road. Its design was apparently based on the courthouse of King William County to the southeast.”

———————————————————————
Meriwether Connections, Vol. II No. 2, April 1983, p. 10

We Get Letters
Mrs. Virginia Shaw English, P.O. Box 267, Ashland, VA 23005 - “Our Genealogical Society bulletin contained a notice of THE MERIWETHER SOCIETY and I am enclosing a check for the news1etter.

“I am not a Meriwether, but in Hanover County, where we 1ive, they were an important part of and founded the town of Newcastle. I am of the opinion that William Meriwether built the graceful, now historic, Hanover County Courthouse (very similar to the one in King Wi11iam), but I have no proof positive, except that he sold it and 500 acres of land to William Parks. Any information would be important.

“A thought occurred to me when glancing through MERIWETHER CONNECTIONS. The Hanover County Courthouse will be 250 years old in 1985. Even if we cannot prove that William Meriwether built it, at least we know he owned it when he sold it to William Parks.

“So - why not plan your 1985 meeting in, well Richmond as headquarters, but in Newcastle. The site is identified - May 1 through 5 would be a worthy anniversary.

“On May 29th is Patrick Henry’s birthday, if May 1-5 is too early. Our Bicentennial Committee probably will have a special program on the 29th, and your SOCIETY members will be included.

P. 86–87: INDENT 173

1 July 1734 Ralph Hunt of St. Pauls Par., Hanover Co., planter, to William Meriwether of same par. and Co., Gent.; £26-8s currt. money of Va.; all his 200 a. of land in parish of (blank) and Co. of Henrico; part of a patent for 400 a. granted unto Stephen Hunter bearing date 18 Mar. 1722… t the second corner mentioned in sd. patent… on the main swamp. CONDITION: if sd. Hunt do truly pay unto the sd. Meriwether £28-8s curr. money with lawful interest from the date of these presents then this Indent. of Bargain and Sale shall be void.

Miscellaneous References to William

He was deeded 400 acres of “Assasquin”, in New Kent County, from his grandfather, David Crawford, in 1693.

In 1709 he was named as a son of Nicholas in the will of uncle Thomas Meriwether; in 1714 he was named as a son of Col. Nicholas Meriwether in a 1714 deed involving Thomas. 51

Nicholas II frequently mentions "my son William" in reference to his grandchildren, children of William.

In 1753 he is named by Elizabeth (Crawford) Meriwether as a son in her will.

The will of Nicholas II lists "John, Thomas, Richard, Jane, Sarah, and Mary, Sons and Daughters of my son William Meriwether." There was a "Nicholas" in William’s family , for there is a reference to John’s brother, "Nicolas, deceased." It has been shown that this Nicholas married Mildred Thornton.

Laurus Crawfordia has:174

1. John [19],
2. Thomas ; m. Elizabeth Thornton (whose sister Mildred m. Samuel, the brother of General Washington). Nicholas, their son, bore Gen. Braddock from the field at the t ime of his defeat, for which service Braddock’s sister sent to him “a gold-laced coat.”. He married Margaret, sister of Rev. Wm Douglas, a learned divine and tutor of Thomas Jefferson.
3. Richard,
4. Jane,
5. Sarah [23],
6. Mary [24].

George Wood Meriwether has: 23
1. Nicholas,
2. John,
3. Thomas,
4. Richard,
5. Jane,
6. Sarah,
7. Mary

LHAM has: 175

1. Nicholas
2. John
3. Thomas, b. 1708, d. 1756 - confused with son of David.
3. Richard
4. Jane
5. Sarah - m. William Littlepage
6. Mary
7. Elizabeth - m. Thomas Bray
8. Anne - m. Thomas Johnson