QUERIES

Answers to Queries from Vol. 5, No. 2

1) Janet Pease of Arvada, CO wrote seeking proof that Rachel, wife of Andrew Fouts Sr. of Randolph  Co. NC (1751-1834) was Rachel Merrill, daughter of William and Mary (Cornell) Merrill. 

The IGI Marriage Index gives Rachel’s marriage to Andrew in 1776 in Guilford Co. NC. The IGI Parent Index states that Rachel’s father was William Merrill (no mother listed) and that she was born ca 1755 in that part of Rowan Co. NC that became part of Guilford Co. in 1770, then Randolph Co. after 1779.  Since William and his brother, Captain Benjamin, were the only known Merrills in the “Jersey Settlement” at that time, it follows, but does not prove, that Rachel was William and Mary Cornell’s daughter. Since William did not come to NC from NJ until about 1758 it is likely that Rachel was born in NJ and was “of Rowan Co. NC”, not born there.  There is also some question about her approximate birth date in IGI, since William and Mary’s son Daniel was born 1755 May 17 in NJ according to his pension application. Of course, Rachel and Daniel could be twins and be born in the same year. William was abducted and presumably killed in 1782/83 by Tory soldiers who also split Mary's tongue and plundered the family homestead. Since William died intestate there is no will which might have independently confirmed Rachel as William and  Mary’s daughter. We are not aware of a will for Mary who died 1813 Aug. 13 in her 89th year. The “batch and sheet “ reference number for the two IGI records  have the same batch number and sheet numbers only four pages apart indicating that  these two records came from the same reference which strongly supports the supposition that they refer to the same Rachel.

2) William Browne of Tequesta FL wrote seeking the ancestry and birthplace of Marston b. ca 1822 in NH or ME, who m. Prudence Orilla Nye in Stonington CT in 1854.  In our records also, we have no record of Marston prior to his marriage to Prudence. We suspect that Marston may be his middle name, but almost certainly it was the surname of someone in the family, probably his mother or grandmother. We searched the ME, NH, and MA vital records for Marston as a given Merrill name or as the surname of a Merrill spouse. We found no Marston Merrill, and all the Marston females listed in the vital records are too recent to be Marston’s mother. A Merrill Memorial (MM) does have one Mary Marston marrying in 1808, as a third wife, Capt. Simon⁵ Merrill of Chester NH. They are shown with three sons and two daughters but no dates are given. From the 1850 census the known sons, Simon, Austin Guy, and George Washington were born about 1810, 1816, and 1820 respectively. In 1810 the Chester, NH census shows 1 male, 1 female (under 10). In 1820, however, Simon and Mary are listed with 3 males (under 10) and 1 male, 1 female (10-16). This means that they had FOUR sons, not just the three listed in MM.  By 1830 Simon and Mary have moved to Sandown NH and are listed with 1 female (5-10), 2 males (10-15), 1 male(15-20), and 1 female(20-30). Is it the oldest male or one of the teenage boys that has either died or left home? With Simon Jr. being born ca 1810, he could easily be classed as (15-20) or (20-30) depending on his birth date and the day the census was taken. Either way there seems to be a son of Simon and Mary Marston unaccounted for. His age, however, seems to be 6-12 years too old if Marston’s 1822 birth date is firm.

We found no Marston listed in the 1850  census nationwide.  In 1860, in Stonington CT, we found Prudence Merrill, 27, and Franklin, 6, living with her father, Stephen Nye, 68, along with 2 year old Edgar Farnell. Perhaps Marston was a seaman and one way or another was no longer on the scene. Stonington is a seaport town. By 1870 Frank P., 16, is a laborer living on a farm with Benjamin F. Stanton, 52, Mason M.,45 and Maria Stanton, 50. Frank P. is the only Merrill in Stonington, so Prudence has probably remarried, no sign of Marston.  Chances of proving Marston’s lineage seem pretty slim.

3)  Karen Merrill Martin of Newcastle, WA wrote seeking information regarding Charles b. May 1852 in Washington, Berkshire Co., MA and his parents who are believed to be Miner (or S. Miner) and Cornelia, a Methodist Minister recently assigned to Washington.

The MA vital records on file in Boston do confirm the birth of a son (unnamed) 1852 May 6 to Miner, a minister, and Cornelia in Washington, MA. This is our only reference to Miner or Charles. We did not find Miner in the 1850 or 1860 census anywhere.  No record of the marriage of Miner and Cornelia anywhere in New England.  However, in checking these records and keying on Cornelia rather than Miner, we found the marriage of Cordelia (close - there were no Cornelias) A. Stafford to Sherman M. Merrill 1849 June 11 in Darby VT and decided to check him out.   Sherman M (we have it as Morton from another correspondent) is, would you believe, a Methodist Minister!  In 1850 they are in Whitehall, Washington Co., NY:  Sherman, 22; Cordelia, 24. In 1860 they are in Greenwich, Washington Co., NY:  Sherman M, 32; Cordelia, 33; Adalide, 10, b. NY; Charles C,8, b. MA; Willie and Alice, twins 6, b. VT; John, 4, b. NY; Carrie,2 b. NY; Hattie, 3 months, b. NY. As is typical of Methodist Ministers they moved around a lot.  The Charles C b. 1852 in MA checks out and the S.M. and Cordelia and Methodist minister are just too much coincidence not to be correct.

The information we have on Sherman M⁸ is that he was a twin b. about 1827 in Sandyhill, NY (Warren Co.?) to Elam Potter⁷ (1799-1882) and Pheobe Ann Seelye (1805-1856); Benjamin⁶ (1767-1854) and Jemima Potter (1775-1856); Nathaniel⁵  (1732-after 1790) and Anna Baldwin (ca1734-ca1770); John⁴ (1707-1791) and Lydia Cage; Nathaniel³ (1665-1738) and Sarah Woodman; Nathaniel² (1634-1682) and Joanna Kinney; Nathaniel¹ (1601-1655) and Susanna.

4)  Fred Kirk Merrill of Chewalah, WA wrote seeking parents or siblings of Jesse Merrill Sr. born 1788 near Harper’s Ferry VA.  Fred, a long time correspondent, had previously sent an obit for Jesse which states “that as a child he went with his parents to MD where he lost his mother.  His father having married again, he crossed the mountains at the age of 17 years (1805) to Washington Co., PA.  Here he learned the coopers trade.”  The only Merrill listed in western MD in the 1800 census in Philip of Allegany Co., who is listed as (26-45), wife (26-45) with 2 males, 2 female (under 10) and l male, 1 female (10-16). Jesse would be 12 in 1800 so that fits. In 1810 there is no 22 year old in the family group which is also consistent with Jesse having left.

Thanks to Bob Davidson of Richmond, VA we feel pretty sure that this Philip is descended from Richard¹  of Staten Island through his son Philip². Bob’s NJ  research shows that Philip² married Elizabeth (daughter of Nicholas Bakker) and they had sons Philip³ (bapt. 1726/7) and Nicholas³ (bapt. 1728) who were both free holders in Bedminster Twp., Somerset Co., NJ.  This is about 10 miles from Roxbury Twp. in Morris Co. NJ where Andrew⁴ Merrill was born in 1757.  Andrew’s itinerary is given in his Revolutionary War Pension papers, from NJ to VA and MD and finally to KY in 1797/8.  He shows up with son Nicholas in the first KY census in 1810.  When Andrew went to Loudon Co., VA a Nicholas Merrill (father?, brother?) was already there. He was not a landowner and there is no record of him after 1787, but he had a son Steven who was in Allegany Co., MD by 1820.  Philip of Allegany Co. who was a little younger (b.1779-74) than Andrew and Nicholas named two of his sons Nicholas and Andrew.  There is also a Matthias Merrill in Louden Co. in 1787.  Harper’s Ferry is in Loudon Co., VA.

We feel that Jesse is probably the son of Philip of Allegany B. and may be named for Philip’s first wife’s father since no other Jesses show up in Philip's line. Philip, Nicholas, and Andrew (and perhaps Matthias) are probably brothers (or cousins), sons probably of Nicholas³ (or Philip³) Philip², Richard¹.  Are there enough “probably”s in that paragraph?

5) Bob Meeboer of Las Vegas, NV wrote asking about William Washington, son of Nicholas Decatur, b. 1854 in KY.  The IGI gives his birth date as 1854 Oct. 12 in Estill Co. but in 1860 they are in Stanton, Powell Co., KY (formed from Estill in 1852).  Estill Co. marriages give their marriage date as 1853 Dec. 19 and her name as Martha Ann Snowden.  1860 Census confirms Martha.  We have their lineage (thanks to Bob Davidson) as Nicholas Decatur⁶ (ca1831 KY); Nicholas D⁵  (ca 1780/84 NJ/KY - ca1836) and Ida Cobb; Andrew⁴ (1757 May 8 NJ - 1835 May 25 KY) and (Ruth? possibly MacPherson); Nicholas³ (1728 Nov. 24  Staten Island, NY) and Lidea; Phillip² (1679  Sept. 17 Tysoe, Warwickshire, England - 1740) and Elizabeth Bakker; Richard¹ (1642 Warwickshire, England - 1727 May 19), immigrant to Staten Island, and Sarah Wells (1649-1722). We do not have any information on descendants of William Washington⁷  - do you?

Answers to Guestbook Queries from Subscribers:
Richard M. Ludwig requested information re Ebenezer Merrill, spouse Edith Spear, dau. Sarah A. b. ca 1851 Gardiner, Kennebec, ME m.1878 Mar 4 Thomas Colby Nickerson in Gardiner, another dau. of Ebenezer and Edith, Emily, was also m. to T.C. Nickerson.
Richard, your Ebenezer is in our "lineage unknown" file. Ebenezer and his family are in the Gardiner, ME census for 1830, '40, and '50 and his widow Edith Spear, ae 52, in 1860 is living with their son William H. and family in Farmingdale, ME (also Joanna, 23; George, 20; and your Sarah A, 9). In the death record of son, George 1912 Jan 15 (ME vital records in Augusta) father Eben's birthplace is given as Sanford, ME. This makes it likely that he is descended from Samuel Merrill of Sanford. Samuel was the only Merrill on the 1771 tax list for Sanford. In the Rev. War there was a Samuel Mereal of Sanford in Capt. Jedediah Goodwin's company. The 1790 Sanford census lists a Samuel Morel,[3 males over 16 and 1 male under 16 and 4 females]. This Samuel (and wife Eunice) had four sons who are believed to be Stephen, ca1767; Thomas 1769; Samuel, ca1771 and John after 1774 (Eunice ca1787 is the only one of their 3 daughters whose name we know). Sons, Samuel and Thomas, are listed in Sanford in 1810. There is no census listing at all for Sanford in 1800 - lost?

Son, Samuel, married Meriam Rankins 1793 Nov 14. When Samuel Jr made his will dated 1851 Dec 28 (d. 1852 Jan 6) he listed wife (2nd) Eunice, daughters Eunice (m. 1st __?__ Harrison, m. 2nd James Tebetts and Betsey (m. Henry Glass) sons, Nehemiah, William and Ebenezer and grandson Samuel Harrison. This Samuel is listed in Sanford census 1810-50.

We do not know who Samuel Sr. of Sanford is. We have one Samuel of known lineage about which we have no further information, which is a possible fit for Samuel of Sanford. A Samuel⁵ b. 1739 Jan 26 in Westford, MA to Stephen⁴ [b. 1700 Sept 10 Haverhill, MA, d. 1746 Apr 28 Methuen, MA] and Abiah. Stephen⁴ and his brother, John⁴, are known to have been in York, ME in 1718 but both returned to MA. Stephen⁴ died when his son, Samuel, was only 7 years old. The fact that Samuel of Sanford named his first son Stephen would lend credence to this postulated lineage.

Stephen⁴'s lineage is John³ [b. Newbury MA, 1663 Feb 16, d. Haverhill, MA 1705 May 15] and Lucy Webster; Nathaniel² [bapt 1634 May 25 in Lawford, Essex Co., England d. Newbury, MA 1682/3 Jan 1] and Joanna Ninian; Nathaniel¹ [bapt 1601 May, Wherstead, Suffolk Co., England d. Newbury MA, 1654/5 Mar 16] and Susanna ______ [believed to be daughter by prior marriage of Susanna, wife of Gregory Wolterton, proprietor of Hartford, CT - see Heritage Quest #25 Nov-Dec 1989 pg44]. Sorry we do not have a proven lineage for Ebenezer.