Buckingham P. "Bucky" Merriman was born in Waterbury (New Haven County), Connecticut in 1889, the son of William B. Merriman and Miss Sarah Kingsbury Parsons.  He descended from an old New England family and from Revolutionary War service.  His various family members were prominent in business, government, and church affairs in the early history of the city of Waterbury, as well as elsewhere in the state of Connecticut.

A 'History of New Haven County Connecticut', published by The Pioneer Historical Publishing Company in 1930, provides the following historical detail:

   "Buckingham Parsons Merriman is a prominent native son and successful attorney of Waterbury, where he has been actively engaged in law practice during the past fifteen years.  He was born August 18, 1887, a son of William Buckingham and Sarah Kingsbury (Parsons) Merriman.  He is the only surviving representative of one of the oldest and most prominent families of Connecticut and traces his lineage back through eight generations to Captain Nathaniel Merriman, who became one of the original settlers of Wallingford in 1670.  The children of Captain Nathaniel Merriman were: John, born September 26, 1651; Hannah, born May 5, 1653; Abigail, April 18, 1654; Mamre, July 12, 1657; John, February 28, 1659; Samuel, September 29, 1662; Caleb, May 16, 1665; Moses, in 1667; and Elizabeth, September 14, 1669.

    Of this family Caleb Merriman wedded Mary Preston and at his death, which occurred July 9, 1703, left an estate valued at four hundred and thirty-nine pounds sterling.  His children, born at Wallingford, were Moses, Elizabeth, Eliasaph, Phebe, Hannah, Phebe and Lydia.

    The second son, Eliasaph Merriman, was born May 21, 1695, and died August 14, 1758.  His wife, who bore the maiden name of Abigail Hall, was killed by the Indians, together with her daughter Abigail, August 4, 1758.  The children of this family, all born at Wallingford, were: Eunice, who died in early life; Eunice; Sarah; Titus; Caleb; Amasa; Elizabeth; Esther; and Abigail.

    Amasa Merriman, son of Eliasaph and Abigail (Hall) Merriman, was born at Wallingford in 1730 and to him and his wife Sarah there was born a son, Charles, on the 20th of August, 1762, at Wallingford.  He served as a soldier of the Revolutionary war, enlisting as a drummer in 1776 and becoming a drum major.  He was married May 16, 1784, to Anna Punderson, of New Haven, who died April 1, 1844, at the age of eighty years.  Settling in Watertown, Charles Merriman there commenced business as a tailor, but ill health compelled him to abandon that work and he "rode post" from New Haven to Suffield for four years.  He afterward went on a voyage to the West Indies and later he engaged in business as a merchant of Watertown until his death, which occurred August 26, 1829.  He was of a genial nature and was also distinguished for his decision of character and for his sterling integrity.  His children were: Charles P., who died in 1794; Betsy, who became the wife of Dr. Samuel Elton, of Watertown; William H., who was born September 27, 1788; Nancy, who was born in 1792 and died in early childhood; Nancy, born August 8, 1796; Charles P., who was born August 7, 1798; and died July 10, 1835; Anna, who was born July 7, 1801, and died in Alabama, November 1, 1836; William Punderson, who was born September 6, 1805, and became a merchant of Augusta, Georgia; and George F., born August 5, 1808.

    William H. Merriman, of the above mentioned family, was born September 27, 1788, and on the 8th of January 1809, was married to Sarah Buckingham, who was born February 16, 1790, a daughter of David and Chloe (Merrill) Buckingham.  William H. Merriman was an enterprising merchant and leading citizen of Watertown, Connecticut, whence he afterward removed to Waterbury.  His children, born in Watertown, were: Charles Buckingham, born October 9, 1809; Sarah A., who was born September 27, 1811, and became the wife of Thomas Norton adn after his death wedded James Mitchell Lamson Scovill; Joseph P., who was born September 24, 1813, and was married in 1840 to Julia Judd; David, who was born May 27, 1816, and died March 28, 1834; and Henry, who was born March 25, 1820.

    Charles Buckingham Merriman, son of William H. and Sarah (Buckingham) Merriman, was a young man of thirty years when in 1839 he accompanied his parents on their removal from Watertown to Waterbury, where he spent the remainder of his life.  For a considerable period he was the president of the Hotchkiss & Merriman Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of susptnders, and he also became president of the Waterbury Gas Light Company, president of the Waterbury Savings Bank and a director of the Citizens National Bank.  For a number of terms he served as a member of the Waterbury common council and in 1869 was elected to the mayoralty.  He held membership in St. John's Episcopal Church of Waterbury for many years and for a long period filled the office of vestryman.  Mr. Merriman was married on the 30th of June, 1841, to Miss Mary Margaret Field, who was born in Enfield, Connecticut, March 12, 1817, adn was a daughter of Dr. Edward Field, of Waterbury.  She passed away October 5, 1866, leaving six children: Charlotte Buckingham, who was born August 21, 1843, and died February 9, 191; Sarah Morton, who was born August 7, 1845, and passed away February 20, 1903; Helen, who was born January 19, 1848, and died in March, 1923; Margaret Field, who was born March 16, 1850, and became the wife of Dr. Frank Castle, her death occurring January 23, 1911; William Buckingham, who was born June 11, 1853, and married Sarah Kingsbury Parsons; and Edward Field, who was born September 1, 1854, and died June 28, 1909.

    William Buckingham Merriman, son of Charles Buckingham and Mary Margaret (Field) Merriman, was born in Waterbury, June 11, 1853, and died April 17, 1916, when in his sixty-third year.  He was a prominent and well known resident of the city and was a factor in financial affairs as assistant cashier and a member of the board of directors of the Waterbury National Bank.  He was one of the original projectors of the Country Club of Waterbury, was a member of the Waterbury Club, of the Home Club and of the Farmington Club.  On the 17th of November, 1886, he married Miss Sarah Kingsbury Parsons, a daughter of Guernsey and Eliza (Brown) Parsons.  They became the parents of two children, Buckingham Parsons and William Buckingham Merriman, Jr.

    Buckingham Parsons Merriman, whose name introduces this review, attended Miss Lawton's school in Waterbury and later a prepatory school at Pomfret, Connectictu, prior to entering Yale University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1910, while four years later the Yale Law School conferred upon him the degree of LL. B. cum laude.  He served as secretary of his law class and was associate editor of the Yale Law Journal for three years.  In 1915 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Yale University.  He was admitted to the bar June 16, 1914, and from September, 1914, until May, 1915, he worked in the law office of Makepeace & Ells, after which he began practice independently.

    During the period of the World war Mr. Merriman was in the military service of the country.  From October 3, 1917, until July 8, 1918, he eas stationed at Camp Devens with the Three Hundred and Fourth Infantry, Seventy-sixth Division, and then was sent to France with the American Expeditionary Forces.  During the last few months of his service overseas he was a member of Headquarters Troop, G-2 and was assigned to special duty in connection with the intelligence and transportation departments.  Late in 1918, at Camp Devens, he received his honorable discharge from the army.  He is treasurer of the Three Hundred and Fourth United States Infantry Association.

    Mr. Merriman's name is on the membership rolls of the Waterbury Bar Association, the New Haven County Bar Association, the Connecticut State Bar Association and the American Bar Association.  He is now vice president and assistant treasurer of the R. K. Brown Company, and in office practice is specializing on probate work.

    Mr. Merriman finds his chief recreation in golf, and was a member of the Yale golf teams from 1907 to 1910 inclusive, being captain in 1910.  He played on the team for four years and has twice won the state golf championship, while four times he has won the championship in golf o fthe Country Club of Waterbury.  For two years he was captain of the Connecticut state golf team and for four years a member of the executive committee of the Connecticut State Golf Association.  He won the north and south amateur championship at Pinehurst in 1921, and runner-up in the same tournament in 1923.  He served for six terms on the green committee of the Contry Club of Waterbury and chairman four times and was also made a member of the committee on construction at the time of the erection of the new club buildings, supervising considerable of the work.  Mr. Merriman was a director of the Country Club of Waterbury from 1914 until 1917 and again from June 28 to October 28, 1928.  He is also a popular member of the Mattatuck Country Club, the Country Club of Farmington and the Madison (Conn.) Country Club and likewise belongs to the Yale Club of New York and to the Delta Kappa Epsilon Club of New York.  He is a consistent member of St. John's Episcopal Church, and in his political views he is a republican.  He was chosen a member of the town committee from the second ward, making a creditable record in that connection.  He is interested in amateur movies.  Aside from the various organizations above named Mr. Merriman is a member of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the Mattatuck Historical Society, the Connecticut Civic Association, the Society of Colonial Wars and the Sons of the American Revolution."

Upon his death in 1953, Mr. Merriman left one-sixth of his estate to the club his father helped establish, allowing his family name to endure into the future.