William Merriman is the younger brother of Felicity Merriman.
Personality and Facts[]
William is not quite three at the start of Felicity's series; he is three by the start of Happy Birthday, Felicity, implying a early quarter birthday sometime before March. He is an active little boy who likes playing in the mud, getting into mischief, and making messes. He enjoys following Felicity around and mimicking her actions.
William is shown often in either shifts or breeched pants. However as a child who is never older than three, he would have not worn breeches as he was not sufficiently toilet trained yet and breeching was generally done around age five. He would instead be dressed in stays and dresses like his sisters short enough to walk in.
In the Books[]
Meet Felicity: An American Girl[]
William in the background in Martha's arms as Felicity on Penny.
When Felicity is sent on an errand, she is made to take William and Nan along. William keeps playing in the mud with a stick and dropping stones in mud puddles. When they arrive at Mrs. Deare's house, she gives him and Nan a cake and fusses over them. He agrees with Nan about not going to the tannery, but this is probably due to his age and wanting to repeat things. He points out Penny as a horse and is called a brat by Jiggy Nye. When they get home after the confrontation with Jiggy Nye, William gives away over supper that they went to see Penny by saying "big horse" and "bad man" while waving his spoon around. He calls Penny "Lissie's horse" when Felicity rides up on her.
Illustrations show him in a long shift.
Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story[]
Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story[]
Happy Birthday, Felicity!: A Springtime Story[]
At the start of the book, William is supposed to be helping Felicity and Nan wash the chocolate pot, but he is instead using the stirrer as a drumstick.
William is illustrated to be wearing breeches for the first time, though he would not likely be wearing them.
Felicity Saves The Day: A Summer Story[]
Changes for Felicity: A Winter Story[]
Felicity Takes a Dare[]
William is impressed with Felicity's fence-walking; his and Nan's clapping alert Mother. William is lifted up to see the footrace and tries to mimic the tumbler somersaults. He does not appreciate the fiddle music and calls it too squeaky. At the treat booth he chooses gingerbread but drops it; Felicity gives him some of her cakes. Mother dusts him off.
When Felicity takes Nan and William to the horse pen, William plays with a stick in a mud puddle. He comes closer to Felicity when the rowdy boys come through.
Felicity's New Sister[]
William clinging to Felicity, as she coaxes Nan out of the broken carriage.
William is at the breakfast table that morning when it is suggested that the family go to King's Creek for a break before the birth due soon. He cheers when it is agreed to.
On the ride to the plantation, he falls asleep, but is jolted awake when the carriage crashes. He fearfully doesn't leave the carriage until Felicity coaxes him out and then clings to her. When Martha goes into labor and is taken to the other room in the abandoned house, he slips his hand into Felicity's and asks if Mother is having the baby, which inadvertently gets Felicity to refocus. He and Nan both fall asleep before Polly is born.
Peril at King's Creek[]
Traitor in Williamsburg[]
William plays with a set of toy soldiers by the fire in the parlor and he makes shooting noises with them. The soldiers were a gift from Grandfather. Felicity has to watch him and Nan later in the book. At the end, when Mr. Merriman has returned home and the family is eating dinner, Mrs. Merriman has to wipe sticky jam off William's face. As usual, he was trying to squirm away. She finishes her own dinner when his face is finally clean. William looked confused during most of the conversation about Mr. Capp's actions, but when the story is done, he stops frowning, his face lights up, and he says Felicity is a hero. When Father and Mother give Felicity a book as an early birthday present, William lets out a delighted cry at its reveal. Mother later tells off William for eating too fast and gulping his milk.
Lady Margaret's Ghost[]
William, along with Nan and Polly, accompanies Mother on her two-week trip to visit Mother's elderly Aunt Prudence in Norfolk.
Felicity: An American Girl Adventure[]
William appears in the film, but has no lines; he is seen handing a newspaper clipping to his Grandfather. His actor is left uncredited.