Collection for organization info
History
In the best of Southern traditions, descendants of Nicholas Meriwether have been determinedly focused on strong family connections and have a long history of documenting the family, starting with publications by George Wood Meriwether (1855/1889), Gov. George Rockingham Gilmer (185?), Louisa H. A. "Aunt Lou" Minor (1892), Col. Minor Meriwether (1895), William Ridgely Griffith (1899), George B. Wilds (1924), Sarah Travers Lewis (Scott) Anderson (193?), Lottie Wright Davis (195?) and, finally, Nelson Heath Meriwether (1964). So in a sense, a Meriwether Society has existed at least since the mid 1800s.
With the publication of The Meriwethers and Their Connections in 1964, a renewed sense of "family" began. Through the collaborative efforts of Mrs. Kenneth C. (Elise) Franklin and the author, Heath Meriwether, interested Meriwether “cousins” were invited to gather at Williamsburg, Virginia, in May 1979, just to get to know one another. The camaraderie present there led to the formation of The Meriwether Society at the close of that first gathering. It was decided that the group would meet biennially to renew friendships and foster new Meriwether connections.
Officers
The following officers have voting privileges:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Board of Directors
Newsletter Editor
Society Genealogist
Family Group MeriReps
Since Nicholas Meriwether's descendants were a prolific lot, the Society has identified major family groups, based mainly on third and fourth generation descendants, to better organize and direct our research and social activities. Each Family Group has an alpha-numeric code that can be used by members to recognize others from the same Family Group. And since our Meriwether forebearers had no restriction on marrying cousins of any degree, many TMSI members carry two or even more Family Groups! This numbering system is known as a "Henry Number" and makes identifying a particular individual in any generation very easy. Examples of Family Group codes are: M1, M1221, M124, M1227a, etc. The letter 'M' stands for Meriwether, of course, and the numeric code uniquely identifies a particular Meriwether, based on his or her birth order and the Family Group of their Meriwether parent. The Family Groups identified by the examples are:
M1 - Nicholas Meriwether I himself
M1221 - Thomas Meriwether & Elizabeth Thornton; Thomas is the first child of David (M122), who is the second child of Nicholas II (M12), who is the second child of Nicholas I. Hence 1 2 2 1!
Regional Reps
The Society has divided the United States into ten regions and assigned Regional Representative volunteers to each Region. The goal of a Regional Representative is to assist individual or Society researchers seeking information from a specific place withing the region, such as a local library or genealogical society, or perhaps one of the National Archives that might exist in a particular region. This program is in need of volunteers. See the entry in the Resources section for the current regions and assigned representatives.
Honors, Awards, Recognition
Memorial and Recognition Research Fund
To help support its research projects, the Society accepts donations to the Research Fund made by members to honor deceased (Memorial) or living (Recognition) family members. Donations are accepted in increments of $25 and can designate the name of a single individual or a husband and wife . The Society keeps a permanent roster of those so honored and publishes a list of new donations in the newsletter. This is an excellent way to pay your respect to an ancestor or other Meriwether relative and help support the Society's research goals. Use of the Research fund also allows the Society to keep research funding separate from operational expenses used to maintain the newsletter, web site, and annual meeting/Reunion planning.
If you would like to contribute, send a check made out to The Meriwether Society and a letter listing the name(s) to be honored. The mailing address is on the Welcome page.
Distinguished Member Award
The Distinguished Member Award was created to honor those who have contributed significantly to the goals and well being of The Meriwether Society. Members who have been awarded this honor carry the designation 'DM' after their name on Society materials. This is a very prestigious award and requires board approval by two separate boards.