Christmas Meeting including William Merrifield & Family – with Roger Croxson. 

William Merrifield was, in a way, a classic Victorian; educated, and interested in many things. Except he was unusual, his father was a farm hand from Peter Tavy not from a wealthy family. His education was from Sunday school and the local school at a penny a week. Where his thirst for knowledge came from who knows, but he was well versed in several languages, in mathematics, in photography and the weather. He was the librarian at the Tavistock Subscription Library, a teacher at two local schools and a stone mason. His family were possibly even more famous, his eldest son went to Australia and his second son was a recognised navigator and founder of what would become the University of Plymouth.

Impage taken from a photo in the private collection of descendant Virginia Noonan – featured in her book ‘From Devon to Australia’ available for purchase from TLHS.