James H. Merritt came to Arkansas County, Arkansas in 1857. He was a merchant. He was first elected to county office in 1862, and to county judge in 1880.
He married Charlotte Stephen in 1859. They had eleven children. They were original members of the Dewitt Baptist Church. Charlotte was the daughter of Henry Keene Stephen and was born in Indiana. Henry Stephen migrated to Arkansas about 1846. He was a physician. He married second Amanda Maxwell and raised a large family in Arkansas County.
James H. and Charlotte E. Merritt had eleven children. Eight are known, the others having died very young between census years.
| Mary Alice MERRITT | b 1860 d 1912 | |
| William A. MERRITT | b 1861 | m Sarah Hardy |
| Sarah Sanders MERRITT | b 1864 d 1898 | m James Clark Barnett |
| Irwin MERRITT | b 1868 d bef 1880 | |
| Joe MERRITT | b 1869 d 1906 | m Lewis Haller |
| Angie MERRITT | b 1871 | m Guy Keeney |
| J Harry MERRITT | b 1874 d 1905 | |
| Maggie M. MERRITT | b 1878 d 1957 | m Frank Goodwin |