Michael was born in Surbiton London at a private Hotel run by his Father and Mother on the 20th of September 1921 and lived for 83 years.

He went to Shrewsbury House Preparatory School Wimbledon, followed by Dover College Kent.

He and his older brother Gabriel went to School as Michael and Gabriel de Vesselitsky but as there was a lot of bad feeling against anyone with a name that sounded as though it might have Russian associations or Communist connections his parents decided to change their names by Deed Poll to Merriman the nearest literal translation of de Vesselitsky to English.

On a sailing holiday in Norfolk with his brother, he met the love of his life Beryl Fairey and  he used to cycle on a three speed bike from London to Norfolk to see her when on family holidays in Norfolk.

They later married and had two children, Peter and Timothy. After school he worked for the Orient Line which was to become the P&O Shipping Line, this was owned by the Scottish Mc Andrew family who were Cousins of  his mother Aelfreda.

He did not enjoy this work. He then enlisted in the Royal Marines (enlisted Wed 9th July 1941) for War Service, he went into training at Deal in Kent and also in Dorset and Dalditch Devon with Peter Shakespeare.

He saw action in South Africa where he had sunstroke badly (he had to be Hospitalised for many months and this affected him badly for the rest of his life.), he also served in France and Germany.

Following demobilisation he went to University in Cardiff Wales to study Social Sciences to train to be a Probation Officer. Then he changed plans and trained in Environmental Health.

He enjoyed a long career finishing as Chief Environmental Health Officer for his Local Authority.

His religion was very important to him and he played a leading role in his local Churches of England, in his younger years he started and ran Youth clubs and supported Scout Groups and Bible Classes.

Michael was a good and supportive father with a good sense of humour who was passionate about Family History and particularly local History.

He published Moulton Memories with good friend … And also a history of Weedon Bec.