Merewether, John son of John of Marshfield, Gloucestershire, Gent, Queens
Colledge, matric 18 Oct 1814, aged 18, B.A. 1818, Ordained Priest by the
Bishop of Salisbury 1820, M.A.1822. BD. and D.D. 1832, F.A.S. 1836,
Curate at Gillingham from Dec 1819 to March 1823, Chaplin to the Duchess
of Clarence 1824, and to the Queen 1830, rector of New Radnor 1828, Dean
of Hereford 1832, deputy clerk of the closet 1833, vicar of Madeley 1836
until his death 4 April, 1850. source Alumni Oxonienses by J Foster 1968
JOHN MEREWETHER, DEAN OF HEREFORD according to Rev E A Merryweather
He was the son of John M. of Blackland (? see above), Wilts., born at
Marshfield, Gloucestershire, in 1797. His Father was a great grandson of
Dr. Merewether of Devizes (who attended Bishop Ken in his last illness at
Longleat under the roof of his friend Thomas, Viscount Weymouth. 19 March
1710), whose daughter Jane mar'd William Hawkins, a grandson of Isaac
Walton, and author of the short account of Ken's Life 1713. He was a
distant cousin of Serjeant Henry Aldworth Merewether.
John matriculated from Queen's College, Cambridge, 18 Oct. 1814,
graduated B.A. 1818, B.D. in 1832. He was ordained Priest in 1820 by the
Bishop of Sarum, and served curacies at Gillingham, Dorset, and Hampton,
Middlesex. While at Hampton he was instrumental in building a Chapel of
Ease at Hampton Wick, and attracted the favorable notice of the Duke of
Clarence afterwards King William IV, then residing at Bushey. He was
Chaplain to the Duchess of Clarence, afterwards Queen Adelaide 1824. In
1828 he was presented by the Lord Chancellor to the Benefice of New
Radnor in 1832; on the promotion of the Hon. Edward Grey to the
Bishoprics he succeeded him as Dean of Hereford. On 13 June, 1833,
William IV appointed him one of the deputy Clerks of the Closet, and
asked Lord Melbourne to have a care for his advancement.
In 1836, he was instituted to the Vicarage of Madeley in Shropshire. To
his disappointment, he was passed over again and again as vacancies
occurred on the Episcopal Bench.
In 1847, he was a strenuous opponent of the Election of Renn Dickson
Hampden, to the See of Hereford. After a fruitless memorial to the Queen,
he announced to Lord John Russell, the Prime Minister in a letter of
great length dated 22nd Dec. his intention of voting against Hampden's
election, in the Chapter Meeting, and he received in reply the laconic
note, Sir I had the Honour to receive your letter of the 22nd in which
you intimate to me your intention of violating the law.
The Dean finally refused to affix the Seal of the Dean and Chapter to the
Document recording the Bishop's formal election.
The Dean was an enthusiastic local antiquary. He was elected F.S.A. in
1836. In 1843 he issued an interesting statement on the condition and
circumstances of the Cathedral Church of Hereford, with Notes on the
Effigies and Excellent illustrations of the then condition of the
structure. He himself contributed œ500.
THE DIARY OF A DEAN
He was an active member of the Archaeological Institution in connection
with which, he did some important work in Wiltshire commemorated by the
posthumous publication in 1851 of the Diary of a Dean, being an account
of the Examination of Silberry Hill and of various Barrows and other
earth works on the Downs of North Wiltshire. The plates illustrating
human remains, flint instruments and pottery are from the Dean's own
drawings. He died at Madeley Vicarage on 4 April 1850 and was buried in
the Lady Chapel of Hereford Cathedral. The fine Lancet Windows at the
East End of the Cathedral, were fitted with stained glass to his memory.
By his wife Mary Ann Baker of Wiley, Wilts, he had six sons and three
daughters. His wife died 17 June 1879, age 71. "In Memoriam Johanni
Merewether, S.T.P. ecelesiae Heref Decani que stenuo factore huius sacrae
Aedis restitutis felicites est inchoata."
Birth date source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson
Account of funeral in Hereford Times, April 20th 1850
See Uncle Francis AM145* opinion of his nephew!
St Cath's Death Ref V26 P159 Jun 1850 Hereford, shown as Merewether

Birth and Death date source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson
St Cath's Death Ref V1a P89 Sep 1879 Kensington, age 75. (the area that
her daughter Marian lived)
Alan Merryweather gave AM543* as alternative No

Emily Henrietta MEREWETHER, born at the Deanery, Hereford, May 3rd, 1843,
at 1/2 past 5 PM. Christened at the Cathedral December 19th, by the Dean.
Her sponsors; The Reverend Richard Lane F????, Rector of Bishopstone and
?azo?, The Right Honorable The Lady ?Emily Foley, and Mrs Wetherell, the
wife of the Archdeacon Wetherell.
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford
1881 census shows age 37 unmarried living at Coldharbour Lane, Dorking,
Surrey

Merewether, Rev, William Henry Ernest, second son John of Hampton,
Doctor, (after Dean of Hereford), Oriel Colledge, matric 8 Nov 1845, aged
17, B.A. 1849 died 13 June 1855. source=Alumni Oxonienses by J Foster 1968
William Henry Ernest MEREWETHER, born December 16th, 1829, at 20 minutes
(?) 12 noon. Privately baptised December 18th, (1828). Privately baptised
December 18th, by John. Christened at Hampton Church, April 18th, 1828,
by reverend S J Goodenough. Sponsors; HRH the Duke of Clarence,
afterwards King William IV, Ernest Adolphus Waller Esquire, Mrs Sergeant
Merewether, and Miss now Lady Wool more, Mrs (? Eraces) of Salisbury.
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford
pos, St Cath's Death Ref 1b P361 Jun 1855 Clerkenwell, shown as Merewether

Adelaide MEREWETHER, born December 19th, 1824, at 1/2 past 11 PM.
Privately baptised February 13th, (1825). Christened at Hampton Church,
by John, March 11th, 1825. Sponsors; HRH the Duchess of Clarence, by
(unfamiliar abbreviation ? Bishop) Augusta Fitzclarence, Mrs Twinning,
Mrs Place by MA Merewether her aunt, Reverend Dr Hawes, Prebendary of
(begins with "S" ends with "by"), Ernest Adolphus Waller Esquire,
Reverend G H(illegible), Vicar of (illegible)dersly and Little ?Parndora
Epe?(illegible). Died at the Deanery, Hereford, at 1/2 past 8 am, July
17th, 1841, of Typhus fever, brought on by debility caused by the
whooping cough. Buried in the lady Chapel, July 20th, (1841), aged 16
7/12 years.
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford
St Cath's Death Ref V26 P124 Sep 1841 Hereford

Marian MEREWETHER, born April 21st, 1826 at 1/2 past 2 am. Baptised and
christened at Hampton Church by John, October 15th, 1826. Sponsors; Mrs
?Keysall, and Mrs Chas Baker, by Mrs J Place, (unfamiliar abbreviation ?
Bishop) Place and the Reverend Dr Rog(?ers), Rector of Beddington Wilt.
(?) Reverend Jordan Place.
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford
1881 census shows age 54 Living at 36 Brompton Square, Kensington,
London, income from Annuity's
St Cath's Death Ref V1a P235 Mar 1884 Chelsea, age 57. shown as
Mereweather.

Charles Landon Wetherell Foreman MEREWETHER, born at Hampton, September
28th, (? 1830), at 10 minutes past 11 am. Baptised and christened at the
School Room licensed for Divine Service while the Parish church was being
rebuilt, March 27th, 1831. His sponsors were the Reverend Robert
Wetherell, Rector of (3 part name ? Loug??ille Bucks), ?Samuel Landon
Esquire of (Sal?bury) Middx, Walter Foreman Esquire RN Captain, the
Reverend Pownall Philenson Bastard, Rector of (Ho?th) Middx, Colonel Chas
King and Mrs (?a??) of Hampton, Middx, Mrs Currie of (2 part name
illegible).
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford

Edward Alworth MEREWETHER, born at Hereford Deanery, March 14th, at 5 PM.
(illegible) died March 15th, 1835, at 3 1/2 am. Hereford Deanery, Buried
Cathedral Yard, March 17th, 1835.
source= John Johnstone Gr Gr Grandson of the Dean of Hereford

A daughter, June 4th, 1846, at 5pm, at the Deanery, Hereford, stillborn.