NATHAN MERITT, farmer, P.O. Burnt Prairie, was born November 6, 1819, in Anderson County, S.C. He is a son of Alfred Meritt, a native of Granville Couny, N.C., born August 7, 1796. He died in 1868 in this county. He participated in the war of 1812, being stationed almost three years at the mouth of the Savannah River. He farmed twenty-three years in Tennessee, and followed that vocation in this county, to which he came in 1842 to claim his land claim for serving as a soldier. His father, Steven Meritt, was of Welsh descent, a native of Virginia and a soldier in the Revolutionary war, fighting mostly under Gen. Greene in South Carolina. He was wounded in the battle at Cowpens, but never would draw a pension. He died in West Tennessee. His wife's name was Winnie Rose, born in Granville County, N.C., of Irish descent.
The mother of our subject was Susan Howard, born May 12, 1799 in South Carolina. She died here in 1847. She was a daughter of Jonathan and Anna (Gibbs) Howard, natives of North Carolina. She was the mother of nine children.
Our subject went to the old fashioned subscription schools, which were so common in Tennessee, and who were well known, even to the pioneers of Wayne County. After living twenty years in Tennessee, Mr. Meritt emigrated to Illinois in 1840, and on November 18, the following year, was married to Mrs. Ferriba McLin, born February 12, 1815, in Union County, Ky. She is yet living, the mother of seven children, of whom four are now living, viz.;
Mrs. Ferriba Meritt was a daughter of Ephraim Meritt, one of Wayne County's oldest and well known pioneers who came here August 3, 1816, a half hour before sundown, as Uncle George Meritt says, who ought to know as he is Mrs. Meritt's oldest brother, and was born January 30, 1799, and is probably the oldest living pioneer in the county.
Ephraim Meritt was born in Granville County, N.C., where he married Elizabeth Micklejohn, of English descent. Her father was born in England and was an officer of high standing in the Episcopalian Church.
Our subject is a self made man in every respect and one of the best read men in this part of Wayne County. In 1841, he bought 40 acres, at $3.75 per acres, to which he added from time to tome, till he owned 440 acres which he divided among his four children, who are living around him. He only retained the old homestead of 80 acres.
Mr. and Mrs. Meritt are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He has been in some township or school office pretty much all his life; was Justice of the Peace twenty-four years; was the first Supervisor in the county after it was organized, and has filled several terms since.Politically, he holds with the Republican party.
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