David Meriwether was born at "Clover Fields" (home of the Meriwether family), near Charlottesville in the Virginia Colony, on April 10, 1755. During his early years in Virginia, Meriwether developed a personal friendship with Thomas Jefferson who was a plantation neighbor of the family. Some time later, Jefferson hired one of Meriwether's cousins, Meriwether Lewis as his personal secretary, before eventually commissioning the young Captain to undertake the exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase along with William Clark.