Henry County AlArchives Biographies.....Meritte, Francis M. September 12 1836 - living in 1893
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 27, 2004, 1:17 pm

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    FRANCIS M. MERITTE, a prosperous farmer of Henry county, was born September
12, 1836. He is one of ten children born to Jacob and Sybil Meritte, the former
a native of North Carolina, who came to Georgia. while yet a young man, and
followed the occupation of a farmer. He enlisted in the late war. The mother of
Francis M. was also a native of North Carolina, grew to womanhood in her native
state, and married in her eighteenth year. In 1848 she removed with her family
to Alabama, settling in Henry county near Abbeville, and near the present home
of Francis M. She was mother of twelve children, four of whom now survive. One
of them, David W., of Abbeville, was deputy sheriff of Henry county for a number
of years. One sister lives in Geneva county, and one in Henry county. Mrs.
Meritte was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and died in 1863. Francis
M. Meritte was the fourth, and was brought up in Henry county. In early life he
was thrown upon his own resources, and worked at various occupations till the
war, when he enlisted in Col. William Oates' company, but was discharged on
account of ill health. He has since followed the occupation of a farmer. He was
married to Miss Alice Kirkland, daughter of Zachariah Kirkland, a farmer of
Henry county. This lady was educated in Henry county, as well as the schools of
the county would permit. She was married when quite young, and was the mother of
four children, three of whom still live: Mary S., who was first married to J.
Murphy, son of William Murphy, whose memoir appears elsewhere in this work; he
soon afterward died, and she was then married to J. D. Jackson; Melinda F., wife
of P. S. Whitehead, of Henry county, and Clifford L., wife of J. B. Whitehead.
The wife of Francis M. Meritte died September 20, 1872, and in November, 1882,
he was married to Miss Minerva L. Kirkland, cousin of his first wife, and a
daughter of Isaac Kirkland, a farmer of Henry county, who lost his life in the
late war. The present wife of Mr. Meritte was born in Henry county, in 1860. She
is the mother of two children, Ida C., living at home, and Leonard C., who also
lives at home. In 1866 Mr. Meritte bought 100 acres of land, to which he has
added, from time to time, until he now owns 1,500 acres. His home farm he has in
a high state of cultivation. He has recently erected a very commodious house,
which is finely equipped and painted, surrounded with broad and cool verandas,
so necessary in this warm climate, enabling the family to live most of the time
out of doors, and at the same time under cover. He has several tenant houses,
all of which are in good repair. His orchard is well supplied with the finest
fruit trees, and has convenient lots and stables for all his stock. He raises
all the necessary vegetables and cereals, as well as cotton, in order to be
independent, in case of a partial or total failure of the cotton crop. He also
raises horses, mules, cattle and hogs, and has a gin house on his farm, and
conducts a general farming business. He thus keeps himself employed, and his
attention occupied. He is a democrat, and takes great interest in the party's
politics. He and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist church. While they
started with little property and with but little to encourage him in his
struggle for existence, he has persevered, and his industry and perseverance
have been rewarded with success.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 1106-1107
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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