A FAMILY from Tavistock with a 'fascinating' story to tell dating back to 1613 is being researched by one of its descendants in Australia.

Virginia Noonan from Melbourne is the great, great, great granddaughter of William Merrifield, who was a librarian in Tavistock, and she wants to share what she has found with the town where he lived.

Virginia inherited original Merrifield family letters which date from 1860 through to 1916 which had been sent from Tavistock to her great, great grandfather Samuel Merrifield, who came to Australia in 1854 to make his fortune on the Victorian goldfields.

Since then, Virginia has been keen to uncover the lives of her ancestors and portray them in a self-published book.

Virginia said: 'I am writing the book as I believe the Merrifield family has a fascinating story to tell. It captures the lives of people who lived in Tavistock for hundreds of years.

'The book provides a history of Tavistock seen through the lives of individual Merrifield people.

'It examines how one man, William Merrifield (librarian), with sheer grit and determination, can change the course of his own life and that for future generations.'

The letters, mostly written by William (librarian and Samuel's father) and Samuel's brother John, tell the lives of the family members and what was happening at the time in Tavistock and England.

The history of the Merrifield family dates back to 1613 with the marriage of Digory Merrifield and Alice Veare on December 31, 1613, at St Eustachius' Church. With the official church records for birth, marriage and deaths starting from 1614, Virginia managed to trace the family tree from that year to the present day.

William Merrifield (librarian) was born in Tavistock in 1804 and died in 1885. He married Ann Sargent (1801-1873) on May 1, 1832, at the Tavistock Parish Church.

William, a learned man, was not only the librarian but also an amateur photographer who took some of the artiest photos in Tavistock and surrounding areas. He also collected weather reports for Tavistock and sent them through to the Meteorological Society in London.

Virginia added: 'William and his wife Ann had six children — Samuel, John, William, Richard, George and Mary Sarah Jane. The book traces the lives of all six children and their descendants, many of whom had fascinating lives. The lives of the individual Merrifield people are placed in an historical context for the time and it is my intention to launch the book in Tavistock in 2016.

'I am also after information relating to the Dolvin Road School, which first commenced about 1811 and was located at Higher Market Street, Tavistock.

'John Merrifield along with his brothers and sister went to the Dolvin Road School and as part of the family history I want to provide as much detail as possible.'

John went on to become the first headmaster at the Plymouth School of Navigation and even won awards for his nautical discoveries.

William was a teacher prior to becoming a librarian. He taught at the Peter Tavy National School from about 1832 to 1838 then, when the family moved into Tavistock and lived in Exeter Street, William became schoolmaster at a Tavistock school, believed to have been Dolvin Road School.

The National School moved to its present location in Dolvin Road in 1847.

Anyone who may have any information or hidden treasures on the Merrifield family or on Dolvin Road School, from newspaper clippings, photos and letters, to folklore, can contact Virginia on [email protected]">[email protected]