THOMAS WOODHOUSE died ca 1655-56 in James City, Virginia. It is unknown if he was born or emigrated to Virginia. He is thought to be the nephew of Henry Woodhouse I, Governor General of Bermuda, 1623-26, who had settled in Norfolk. Thomas was in Virginia in 1651. He had a plantation of 400 acres in Surry County and 200 acres on the east side of Grayes Creek in Surry County. Thomas lived on Jamestown Island in 1655 as did Nicholas Meriwether. There was apparently a close bond of friendship and trust between them as Thomas had employed Nicholas on legal matters and named him as executor of his last will and testament.
References: "Surry County, Virginia Court Recrods, 1652-1663 Book I" Weynette Parks Haun, "Surry County Records, Surry County, Virginia, 1652-1684 Book II" by Eliza Timberlake Davis.
ELIZABETH WOODHOUSE was born ca 1633-38 in Virginia, and died ca Jan 1692 in Surry County, Virginia. She married 1) ca 1655-56 in Jamestown, Virginia to Nicholas Meriwether, son of ---- Meriwether and 2) ca 1679-80 to William Browne.
Nicholas Meriwether I was born in 1631 in Kent, England, and died before 4 March 1678 in Surry County, Virginia. He owned in the 1650's properties totaling some thousands of acres along the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. He was for many years a Surry County Court Commissioner, where he had been a Clerk in 1652. The respect and confidence with which he was held by his contemporaries is indicated by the people who appointed him as attorney or executor of their wills, among them Edward Warren of Surry, Thomas Woodhouse, of Surry County and Jamestown Island, and William May, of Jamestown Island. Nicholas knew and supported Nathanial Bacon until the burning of Jamestown and then he like so many others supported the Governor.
In Surry County Court, Elizabeth Meriwether was listed as the executrix of Mr. Nicholas Meriwether, deceased, on 4 March 1678. 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. Elizabeth had made a wise choice in her second marriage. William Browne had been a member of the Council from Surry County in 1640.
References: "The Meriwethers and Their Connections", by Nelson Heath Meriwether, "Albemarle County in Virginia" by Rev. Edgar Woods, "Early Virginia Families Along the James River Volume III" Compiled by Louise Pledge Heath Foley, "Virginia Land Records" Indexed by Gary Parks Isle of Wight County Deeds and Other Records Deeds, Orders, etc, "Surry County, Virginia Court Records 1652-1663 Book I" Weynette Parks Hawn, "Surry County, Virginia Court Records 1664-1671 Book II" Weynette Parks Hawn, "Surry County Virginia Court Records 1672-1682" Book III Weynette Parks Hawn, "Surry County Records, Surry County, Virginia 1652-1684 Book II" by Eliza Timberlake Davis, "Wills and Administrations of Surry County, Virginia 1671-1750" Compiled by Eliza Timberlake Davis, " Essex County, Virginia Deeds and Wills No. 13 1707-1711" compiled by John Frederick Dorman, "Minutes of the Council and General Court of Colonial Virginia" 2nd Edition Edited by H. R. NcIlwaine, and "Virginia Colonial Abstracts" by Beverley Fleet Vol II, "Colonial Surry" by John B. Boddie.
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