William Washington Merritt

Full Name: William Washington Merritt
Other surnames: Merrett
Date of birth: March 10, 1843
Date of death: July 14, 1892

Terms of Service
Biographical Notes
Committee Information

Terms of Service top

Chamber	District	Dates of Service	Legislatures	Party	City/County	Note	Counties in District
H	47	Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883	17th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾	Democrat	McKinney / Collin		Collin
H	47	Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 11, 1881	16th ⁽⁴⁾	Democrat	McKinney / Collin		Collin

(1) Democrat, 11/17/1880, p. 2. Galveston Daily News.
(2) Melissa, Collin County. Members of the Texas Congress 1836-1845; Members of the Texas Legislature 1846-2004, 2005.
(3) McKinney, Collin County. Pocket Directory of the Seventeenth Legislature of Texas, 1881.
(4) Democrat, 1/14/1879, p. 1. Galveston Daily News.

Terms of Service top

House District 47
Jan 11, 1881 - Jan 9, 1883
Legislatures: 17th ⁽¹⁾ ⁽²⁾ ⁽³⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: McKinney / Collin
Counties in district: Collin

House District 47
Jan 14, 1879 - Jan 11, 1881
Legislatures: 16th ⁽⁴⁾
Party: Democrat
Home City/County: McKinney / Collin
Counties in district: Collin

Biographical Information top

Resolutions and Journal entries

W.W. Merritt in 16th and 17th. House Journal. 16th R.S. 17th R.S.

Biographical Sketches

Biographical sketch, W.W. Merrett, pp. 264-265. Born 1844 in Springfield, Missouri. Elected and served two terms as Collin County sheriff. Last name Merritt on roster. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879. Roster

Military Service Notes

Confederate States Army, Missouri troops. Texas Legislative Manual, 1879-80, 1879.

Other Resources

Census of 1880 - W.W. Merritt, Collin County, born circa 1843 in Missouri, farmer, wife Jennie. FamilySearch.
W.W. Merritt, birth date 3/10/1843, death date 7/14/1892, burial in Pecan Grove Cemetery, McKinney, Collin County, with wife Jennie Merritt. Find a Grave.
Mentioned in son Robert Clarence Merritt's biographical sketch. "Clarence Merritt, United States district attorney for Texas, the son of William Washington and Virginia (Compton) Merritt, was born at McKinney, Texas, in 1872. His childhood interest in law and politics, probably stimulated by his father's activities as sheriff of Collin County and state legislator, led to his decision to become a lawyer." Handbook of Texas Online.
Obituary, Capt. W.W. Merritt, The Democrat (McKinney, Texas), 7/21/1892, p. 2, crediting Collin County Genealogical Society. Death date 7/14/1892 in Melissa; "entered the confederate service when only a boy in the state of Missouri." Portal to Texas History (University of North Texas Libraries).

Photographs

Photograph. W.W. Merritt, 17th Legislature, Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Composite Photographs on Display in the Capitol

17th session composite photo of House members (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Committee Information top

17th R.S. - 1881 Internal Improvements Penitentiaries Roads, Bridges and Ferries
16th R.S. - 1879 Assessment and Collection of Taxes Code of Criminal Procedure, Select Internal Improvements Military Affairs Roads, Bridges and Ferries State Affairs

This website is a work in progress. Information on this website is provided as a public service by the Legislative Reference Library. The Legislative Reference Library makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy and makes no warranty in regard to its use. Users assume all risk of reliance on the information included on this site.

Party information is not available for the 1st-11th Legislatures.

Have a question, comment or contribution? Email the Library or call 512-463-1252.

Many photos in Texas Legislators: Past and Present are used with permission of the Texas State Preservation Board. For permission to reproduce these photos, please contact the Texas State Preservation Board graphics coordinator at 512-475-3060.