My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Arkansas County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

Judge James H. Merritt came to Arkansas in 1857 and entered a small tract of land in this county, but soon after moved to De Witt, when he was appointed deputy sheriff, also engaging in the mercantile business. In 1862 he was elected collector of revenue and census taker of Arkansas County. Having been thrown from a horse and injured, he was unable to join the Confederate troops during the war, which were organized in this county, but in 1864 he became a member of Hawthorne’s regiment, and was engaged in the commissary department. In 1873 he resumed merchandising, devoting his whole attention to that occupation until the fall of 1880, when he was elected county judge, a position that he still occupies. He is yet occupied in the mercantile business and carries one of the largest stocks of goods in the place. James H. Merritt was born in South Carolina in 1831, being the son of Allen and Mary (Willson) Merritt, natives of that State, as were also their parents. They removed to Alabama in 1834 and located in Fayette County, where the father was engaged in farming, and in 1844 went to Mississippi. Judge Merritt was married in 1859, to Miss Charlotte H. Stephen, of Indiana birth, daughter of Henry K. Stephen. The latter, a native of Eastern Tennessee, came to this county when Mrs. Merritt was a girl, and held a number of county offices; he was sheriff a number of years, and died in this county in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Merritt have had eleven children, seven of whom are still living: William A., Sallie (now Mrs. Barnett), Joseph, Ella, Ange E., James H. and Maggie M. Mr. Merritt and wife belong to the Baptist Church, which they helped to organize, and are the only original members of that church now living. He is a member of the Masonic order and of the I. O. O. F., in which he takes an active part, and at the time of the organization of the County Grange was elected manager of their store. He is one of the most influential and popular men in De Witt.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 50 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Arkansas County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Arkansas County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Arkansas County, Arkansas family biographies, click here

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.