John Abercrombie MERRITT

  General Notes:

Named for his mother's brother, then fighting with Lee in Va., and Dr. Charles F. Abercrombie, on whose farm he was born (6 mi. southwest of Columbus GA on the Alabama side across Chattahoochee River). The Abercrombies were prominent Columbus businessmen, three brothers including Anderson who was a notable brick manufacturer. His father Lucius Manlius had been taken prisoner by U.S. (location unknown maybe Pensacola), was a blockade runner.

Played second base for the Dudes, a club in Pensacola. When he was twenty he fell in love with Mary Rosa Turner, who was only 14. So he waited six years until she was old enough to marry.

Worked for a lumber company, at the time of his marriage, which maybe explains the extravagance of the woodwork in the 619 N. Baylen house.

Came to Sewanee 1876-78 (Sewanee Grammer School). Later said that he was fired for snowballing a professor. Lived at Miss Lillie Green's.

Always wore a jacket for dinner. He thought Betty Nick was very remarkable. Friendly and gentle with his family.

Had ten children, of whom five died in childhood. In the 1890's they experienced the death of a newborn in childbirth and young child from whooping cough on the same day.

Being in the shipping business he traveled widely. But for some reason he refused to travel overseas.

He owned a large stretch of land on Pensacola Bay and intended to live out there with all of his married children, but Mary Rosa would not go out there because it was too rustic.

The only ones who did build there were Jack Merritt and Em Turner Nickinson. This area was called Turner's Camp (it belonged to a friend, a Hyer), all the way from Jack Merrritt's house to Bayou Texar. The train would stop in the morning to take the gentlemen to work, and drop them off in the evening.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Ship And Coal Broker.

• Education: Sewanee 1878, Mebane School NC 1879.

John married Mary Rosa TURNER, daughter of Richard Hill TURNER and Mary Harris GINGLES, on 22 Nov 1892 in Pensacola, FL. (Mary Rosa TURNER was born on 2 Sep 1870 in Pensacola, FL, died on 23 Aug 1961 in Pensacola, FL and was buried in St. John's, Pensacola, FL.)