Merriman, Philip

Gender: Male

Cecil Sharp visited Philip Merriman aged 69 in Chipping Campden on 13 January 1909 when he sang Crow In The Gutter.

Philip Merriman came from an old Gloucestershire family. His ancestors lived in Stow on the Wold from 1624 until his grandfather, Robert Merriman, moved to Chipping Campden upon his marriage to Sarah Wigginton, who came from Chipping Campden, on 11 October 1803. Robert Merriman worked in Chipping Campden as a slater and plasterer and died and was buried there on 5 May 1858. He and his wife had eleven children, one of whom was Philip Merriman’s father, Thomas Merriman, who was born in Chipping Campden on 27 August 1809. Thomas Merriman married twice, firstly to Fanny Smith on 12 October 1830 then to Caroline Smith, a widow, on 15 July 1839, both in Chipping Campden. Between them they had seven children, including Philip Merriman. Thomas was an agricultural labourer and in 1851 was living in Back Ends, Chipping Campden. He died in Chipping Campden in 1872.

Philip Merriman worked as a sawyer and married Diana Wain, he daughter of a labourer, in Campden on 27 August 1860.

In 1861 they were living with Diana’s father in one of several houses called Box Hedge in Sheep Street Lane, Chipping Campden with a 3 month old son, William E. Merriman. By 1871 they were living at 34 Sheep Street, Chipping Campden, where Philip was working as a labourer, with another four children, Edward born about 1861, Lucy born about 1864, Sarah born about 1866 and Kezia born about 1870. In 1881 they were still in Sheep Street Lane where Philip was working as an agricultural labourer and sawyer. They had a further three children, Frederick born about 1873, John born about 1875 and Lily born about 1878. By 1891 they were one of six families living at Box Hedge, Chipping Campden where Philip was working as a general labourer, timber seller and woodman. His sons, Fred and John, were working as agricultural labourers and his daughter, Keziah, was working as cook and general servant. A granddaughter, Lucy James, was also living with them, probably the child of Philip’s daughter, Sarah.

By 1901 they were still living at the same address where Philip was described in the census as a labourer or timber feller working at home with no regular occupation. Their granddaughter, Lucy James, was still living with them. One of their children had died by this time. Philip Merriman died in the Shipston on Stour registration district, which included Chipping Campden, in 1921.

Philip Merriman’s children

Philip Merriman’s son, Edward W. Merriman also known as William Edward Merriman married Eliza Mary Knight of Thornton Heath on 4 February 1882 when he was working as a labourer. In 1891 they were living in Croydon but by 1901 they had moved back to Chipping Campden where they were living in Sheep Street and William Edward was working as an ordinary labourer on a farm. They had five children, Alfred Merriman born1882, Ada Merriman born1889, Bertha Merriman born 1893, Mary Merriman born 1897 and Ethel Merriman born 1899. 

Philip Merriman’s daughter, Sarah Merriman married James James, a Blacksmith of Claverdon,Warwickshire, on 3 March 1885.

Philip Merriman’s daughter, Keziah Merriman married James Henry Ashwin, an agricultural labourer on a farm, in 1897. They then lived in Watery Lane, Chipping Campden and had five children, Harold D Ashwin born 1894, Charles Ashwin born1899, Edith Mary Ashwin born 1902, Rose Ellen Ashwin born 1905 and Marjorie Florance Ashwin born 1910.Keziah Ashwin died in 1936 in the Stow on the Wold registration district. Keziah’s son, Private Harold D. Ashwin, moved to County Cork where he enlisted during World War I in 2nd Batallion Prince of Wales’s Volunteers (South Lancashire) Regiment   but was killed in action on 14 November 1914 in France & Flanders.

Philip Merriman’s son, Frederick Merriman, was working as a porter and lamperson in 1892 in Stanton Gate in Derbyshire for the Midland Railway Company. He later joined the City of London Police and was a British tug of war competitor who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.

He was part of the British team which won the gold medal in the tug of war competition. He died on 19 April 1941 in Chipping Campden. He was living at 2 Hale Street, Islington in 1901 then married Charlotte Henrietta Gibbs from Islington there on 30 September1902. They were still in London by 1911 but then returned to Chipping Campden where he died on 19 April 1941.

Philip Merriman’s son, John Merriman, was living in South Littleton, Worcestershire in 1901. He died in Chipping Campden in April 1941.

Notes by Carol Davies July 2015