William MERRIMAN was born c.1798 in Hemington, Leicestershire, England. On 12 March 1827 at All Saints, Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, he married Sarah SHAW. Sarah was born about 1810. They had 9 children: Samuel, William, Daniel, Sarah, Alice, John, Joseph, Jane and Herbert Thomas.

We are seeking the English descendants of William and Sarah, do you have any information ?

William MERRIMAN b. 2 December 1832. He died on 30 July 1914 at Hopetoun St, Elsternwick. He married Elizabeth DANKS, b. 18 April 1837, daughter of John DANKS and Hannah HICKMAN. Elizabeth Merriman died on 5 March 1916 at Hopetoun St., Elsternwick. William & Elizabeth Merriman, with 2 yr old daughter Sarah, arrived in Melbourne on 27 March 1857, having sailed from England on the Mary Ann. William and Elizabeth had 11 children, all of whom carried the second given name of "Danks": Sarah Danks, Herbert Danks, John Danks, William Danks, Lizzie Danks, Samuel Danks, Anna Danks, Fanny Danks, Jane Danks and Clara Danks.

Sarah MERRIMAN b. c.1839 married Robert TRUBSHAW on 13 February 1860 in Lichfield Cathedral, England.

Herbert Thomas MERRIMAN b. c.1849 d. 1941. Married Mary Ann FISHER on 9 February 1869 in Aston, England. They had 10 children: Constance Gertrude, William Henry, Fredrick William, Sarah, Sarah Ellen, Elizabeth, Ada, Alice May, Mary Ann, and Amy.

Shipping records show a William Merriman ( age 71 years, single) [ perhaps widowed ? ] travelling to Melbourne on the Great Britain with Herbert Thomas and Mary Ann Merriman in May 1870. Could this be Herbert Thomas' father ?

In 1905 Mary Anne (nee FISHER) died from injuries received having been "accidentally run over by a cow". Herbert Thomas then married widow Mary STEWART (nee GRELCK) in 1906.

The children of William MERRIMAN and Elizabeth DANKS were:

Herbert Danks MERRIMAN, b. 1859, d. 22 November 1944, married Ruth PARRY on 21 December 1887 in St. James Church, Melbourne. They had 5 children: Herbert John, Ruth Elizabeth, Laura, William and Frank.

John Danks MERRIMAN b. 12 December 1863, d. 2 June 1942. John Danks Merriman first married Laura RAYMOND in 1885 at Geelong. They had 2 children: Ruth Amelia and Ethel Elizabeth. Laura Merriman died in 1888. John Danks MERRIMAN next married Minnie Jane OWEN in 1888. They had 7 children: Elsie May, Harold Stanley, Dorothy Isobel, Lewis Gordon, Phyllis Dagmar, Wilma Joan and Rhoda Lois.

Lizzie Danks MERRIMAN b. 17 December 1868 d. 26 October 1911, married Albert Egbert FORD in 1890.

Anna Danks MERRIMAN b. 2 June 1873 d. 9 July 1913, married Lewis Lorenzo MYERS in 1895. They had 7 children: Cecil Lewis Floyd, Muriel Clara, Leah Danks, Reginald Norman, Allen Gordon, William Owen and Rita Louise.

Fanny Danks MERRIMAN b. 1875 d. 1957, married Ernest North BUDDEN in 1895.

Jane Danks MERRIMAN b. 1878 d. 3 May 1944 married Alfred James CAPP in 1905.

Clara Danks MERRIMAN b. 23 August 1880 d. 5 August 1924, married David Henry FREEMAN on 15 December 1909.

The children of Herbert Thomas MERRIMAN and Mary Ann FISHER were:

William Henry MERRIMAN b. 1872 was usually called "Harry" or "Herbert" by the family.

Fredrick William MERRIMAN b. 1874 married Mary Jane CARSON in 1902. They had 2 children: Violet Doreen Carson and Florence Jean Mercer.

Elizabeth MERRIMAN (whom the family called Sarah) b. 1879 d. 1957, married Sam Mundy WOFF. They had 2 children: Reginald Clifford and Herbert George.

Ada MERRIMAN b. 1882 d. 1967, had a child Ada MERRIMAN, born out of wedlock in 1900 which died in 1901. Ada married Sidney Jonathan Overall ROBERTS on 31 December 1902 at Holy Trinity, Kew. They had 4 children: Charles Sidney, William Jonathan, Arthur Gordon and Betty May.

Alice May MERRIMAN b. 1 July 1884 d. 1965, married Alfred Overall ROBERTS on 19 December 1906 at Holy Trinity, Kew. They had 3 children: Hilda May, Dorothy Isabel and Ella Alice.

Mary Ann MERRIMAN b. 1886 d. 1974, married Walter Jonathan TWIGG in 1906.

Amy (Constance) MERRIMAN b. 5 November 1889 d. sometime after 1974, married Armer Hugh GRIFFITHS in 1907. They had 2 children: Beryl and Armer Richard.

Page revised: 18 June 1998.

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