Elizabeth Mary Thornton
Birth: 1719 - Snow Creek, Spotsylvania, Virginia Colony
Death: Nov 16 1778 - Laurel, Kentucky, USA
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Daughter of Francis Thornton & Mary Taliaferro
Born at Snow Creek, originally Spotsyvania County, (Essex Co.), now Franklin County, Virginia

Married (1st) Major Thomas Meriwether (1714-06/25/1757) on 1735 in Louisa County, Virginia
Children (11):
(1) Col Nicholas Meriwether (09/07/1736 - 12/19/1772);
(2) Dr Francis "Frank" Meriwether Sr. (10/31/1737 - 01/02/1803);
(3) Mary MERIWETHER Gilmer (04/04/1742 - 09/ / 1805);
(4) Elizabeth Thornton MERIWETHER Johnson (03/03/1744 - 09/ /1812);
(5) Anne "Nancy" MERIWETHER Anderson (05/01/1750 - 08/05/1782);
(6) Lucy MERIWETHER Lewis Marks (02/04/1752 - 09/08/1837);
(7) Mildred MERIWETHER Gilmer (07/16/1753 - 07/10/1826);
(8) Jane Meriwether Dabney (04/08/1757 - 11/09/1833);

Married (2nd) Col. Robert Lewis of "Belvoir" (1702-1765) on 1761 in Louisa Co., VA;
The first wife of Col. Robert Lewis was Jane Meriwether (1705-09/01/1757), the Aunt of (1) Major Thomas Meriwether. Their son was William Lewis who married Lucy Meriwether, daughter of Elizabeth THORNTON Meriwether & her first husband, (1) Maj. Thomas Meriwether; their son was Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809).
She died 1774 & is buried at Belvoir Cemetery in Rivanna, Albemarle County, Virginia.
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Elizabeth Thornton was descended from one of the old families of England whose ancestry was well established in 1363. On her mother's side Elizabeth Thornton had ancestors who were among the most ancient in Europe. This was the Taliaferro family of Tuscany, Italy, one of whose members is said to have migrated to Normandy in the year 868, and whose descendant—a Taliaferro—was "among those present" when William the Conqueror successfully invaded Saxon England on Christmas Day, 1066. The mother of Elizabeth and Mildred Thornton (both of whom married a Meriwether) was Mary Taliaferro who married Francis Thornton, Sr.

The name Taliaferro has been subject to great abuse in its pronunciation by historians, members of the family who bear the name, and by the general public. The original pronunciation was "Tal-ya'-ferro," but it is today generally pronounced as "Tolliver," but at least its orthography is still Taliaferro. It seems a shame that a really beautiful gem like Tal-ya'-ferro should be rendered as Tolliver. O tempora! O mores! It is my hope that the gentle lecture here will induce those using this musical nomenclature, at least as to spelling, to pronounce it as it so justly deserves to be.

Elizabeth married Thomas Meriwether about 1735 and they had 11 children:

Nicholas, Francis, David, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Anne, Lucy, Mildred, Thomas, and Jane.

After Thomas died in 1756, she married Col. Robert Lewis about 1760. Robert was the widower of Jane Meriwether, the aunt of Thomas Meriwether; he died between Oct 1764 and Dec 1765. Elizabeth died before Oct 1774, when her will was probated in Albemarle County.

Thomas and Elizabeth were the grandparents of Capt. Meriwether Lewis through their daughter Lucy; Robert and Jane were the grandparents of Capt. Lewis through their son William Lewis.
Contributor: The Meriwether Society, Inc. (46827721) • [email protected]