"Will of Griffith Meyrick. In the name of God Amen. The Twenty fourth day of Ffebruary in the year of our Lord 1771 I Griffith Meyrick of the County of Loudoun and Colony of Virginia Planter being very sick and weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory Thanks be given unto God therefore calling unto mind the mortality of my Body, and knowing it is appointed for all men once to Die, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament; That is to say, principally and first of all I give and recommend my Soul into the the [sic] hands of God what gave it; and for my Body, I recommend it to the Earth, to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner, at the Discretion of my Executors ... And as touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this life, I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form. Imprimis I give and bequeath to Hannah my dearly beloved Wife, Whom I likewise constitute, make and ordain my only and sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament, the third part of my whole Estate Together with her side saddle for and during the Term of her natural life. Item I give to my well beloved Son James Meyrick all and singular my lands Messauges and Tenement by him to be possessed and enjoyed, and his heirs and assigns for ever. Item I give to my well Beloved Son John Meyrick the sum of five pounds to be paid by his Brother James Meyrick When the sd John shall be of age. Item I give to my well Beloved Daughter Hannah Meyrick the sum of five pounds to be paid likewise by her Brother James Meyrick when she shall arive to the age of Eighteen years. Item I leave the remainder part of Moveable Estate after my Wife has her thirds to be equally divided amongst my three children, James, John and Hannah ... In Witnes whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
In the presence of us: Jacob Wells, Caleb Greenwood, William Smith, Elias Ellis.
Griffith Meyrick
At a Court held for Loudoun County April the 8th 1771
This Will was proved by the Oaths of Caleb Greenwood and William Smith Witnesses thereto and ordered to be recorded And on the motion of Hannah Merrick the Executrix therein named who made Oath according to Law Certificate is granted her for obtaining a probate thereof in due form giving security, Whereupon the said Hannah together with Joshua Jones and William Melton her Securities Entered into and acknowledged their Bond in the penalty of ffive hundred pounds current money of Virginia conditioned as the Law directs." (4)
Griffith probably had Welsh ancestry. Some descendants have believed that he was christened at London St. Olave Parish in 1718; however, that International Genealogical Index entry states this child died as an infant. The original register should be searched for additional information.
(1) Probate Inventory of Thomas Lewis, Recorded 26 June 1750, Fairfax County, Virginia Will Book A-1 1742-1752: 367-374, Probing the Past, accessed 9 March 2007.
(2) "Griffith Merrick, John Davis, Theft: Simple Grand Larceny, 29th June, 1743," The Proceedings of the Old Bailey.
(3) Peter Wilson Coldham, Bonded Passengers to America, 2 Volumes in One (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1983), 2:184.
(4) Ruth Sparacio and Sam Sparacio, Will Abstracts of Loudoun County, Virginia Will Book A, 8 November 1757 - 9 December 1771 (McLean, Virginia: The Antient Press, 1988), 82-83.