Elizabeth Merryman

Not the same as Elizabeth Lewis

Find-A-Grave shows that the parents of Elizabeth Pleasants were Joseph and Martha (Cocke) Pleasants, and that she was born at Curles Neck around 1705. She is mentioned in her grandmother's will: "Item - I give and bequeath unto my Son Joseph's Daughter Elizabeth one Negro Girl Named Moll, a great Pewter flaggon unto her the said Elizabeth and to her heirs forever", from the will of Jane Pleasants, Henrico Co. Wills, Vol. 1706-1709, p. 166, recorded June 1709.

She married about 1730 to John Merryman; see The William and Mary Quarterly, Second Series, Vol. 8, No. 2 (Apr., 1928), p. 134. Their children: Elizabeth Hobson/Hopson, Thomas Merryman, Agnes Burton, John Merryman, Jr., Jesse Merryman and Judith Colvard.

Pleasants Lineage:

Her remote ancestors possibly came from Rouen, France or the surrounding area and settled in Norwich, England in the 1100's.

• William Pleasants b.1530 & Katherine Patras
• Robert Pleasants & Johan (Marshall?)
• John Pleasants & Margaret Evered
• John Pleasants & Katherine
• John Pleasants & Jane Larcome
• Joseph Pleasants, Sr., & Martha Cocke
• Elizabeth Pleasants & John Merryman

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/121622944/elizabeth-merryman

Biography

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Pleasants-149

Many sources have this Elizabeth as the daughter of  Joseph Pleasants (abt. 1674 - 1725) and Martha Cocke (abt. 1676 - abt. 1757, however that may not be correct. The preponderance of data indicates their daughter, Elizabeth, married John Merryman III (1700 - 1767)

Wife of Joseph Lewis (Son of William Lewis and Elizabeth (Woodson) Lewis)

Children — born in Goochland Co., VA:

• William LEWIS, b. ca. 1720s
• (Maj.) John LEWIS, b. 13 Oct 1729; d. 1796, Goochland Co., VA; m. Elizabeth McBRIDE
• Elizabeth LEWIS, b. ca. 1738
• Sarah LEWIS, b. ca. 1747
• Ann/Anne LEWIS, b. ca. 1750
• Joseph LEWIS, Jr.; m1. Sarah WILLIAMSON; m2. Anne (PORTER) SAMPSON
• Mary LEWIS; m. James COCKE, Jr.
• Susannah LEWIS
• (Child) LEWIS; died young

Will of Elizabeth Lewis[1]

Will of Elizabeth Lewis, widow of Joseph Lewis (Bk 14, p 11) Dated 8 Mar 1784 & probated 15 Mar 1784, of Goochland Co., Va. Daughter Ann Mosby, daughter Elizabeth Robards, daughter Sarah Redford, grandsons Joseph Lewis and James Cocke, granddaughter Susanna Cocke, Sons John, Joseph, William and they to be executors. Wit: Robin Poor, Edmund Poor, John Poor

Regarding the marriage of Joseph LEWIS Sr to Elizabeth PLEASANTS, page 16 of "Cockes and Cousins" by Virginia W. Cocke quotes a letter dated 13 Jun 1956 by Katharine Cox Gottschald that says: "... I believe that through the build up of several records it is proven now to my satisfaction that the JOSEPH LEWIS who died testate in Goochland Co., 1783, did marry Elizabeth Pleasants, the daughter of Joseph and Martha (Cocke) Pleasants and that their daughter Mary married James Cocke and had two daughters ... one daughter SARAH LEWIS COCKE ... for the paternal grandmother Sarah (Lewis) Cocke ... another daughter ELIZABETH PLEASANTS COCKE ... for her MATERNAL grandmother Elizabeth (Pleasants) Lewis."[2]

Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia 1607-1624/5, 4th Ed., Vol. 1, p. 127, shows Elizabeth as a dau. of Joseph and Martha.

Footnote 70 says "Cocke, Cockes & Cousins, II, p. 16 sugests she may have married 39, Joseph Lewis (see Woodson). Wiliam Kenneth Rutherford and Anna Clay Zimmerman Rutherford, Genealogical History of Our Ancestors (rev. ed.; n.p., 1977), I, p. 505, and W(2), VIII, p. 134, states she married John Merryman but provide no documentation.

W. Mac Jones. 1927. "Index to Goochland County Wills, Etc., L to W." Pages 133-143 in (1993) Virginia Will Records... Genealogical Publ. Co., Baltimore, MD (Broderbund CD-174): p. 133 Lewis, Joseph (W), D.B. 13, p. 325, 20 Oct., 1783.