Sue Wallace (wallace@accessone.com) of Seattle, WA, wrote:
 Does anyone have records of the parents and ancestors of POLLY MERRILL JOHNSON (1790-1863), my g2 grandmother? According to her obituary, she left New Hartford, CT in 1813 with her husband, William Johnson, and settled in Braceville, Trumbull County, Ohio, where she died in 1863.
 
As a veteran of the War of 1812, William may have been seeking cheap Western Reserve land. Polly may be related to Luman, Hiram and Aaron Merrill, who also settled about the same time very near her family in Braceville. Luman married a Nabby Johnson in 1819. Nabby is probably a sister of William Johnson. Polly and William had 9 children, one of whom they named Luman.

Any documented information or even just plain old clues will be greatly appreciated!.

We are convinced that Hiram is your Polly's cousin, Hiram⁶ (b 1797 in New Hartford CT), (Cyprian^5,4, John^3,2). He m Mary Sutherland in Trumbull Co in 1821. He may be the extra male (16-26) living with Luman Humphrey in 1820. We believe that he moved by 1850 into adjacent Crawford Co PA where he is living with a son and 3 daughters and next door to a fourth daughter and her husband. He must have lost his wife between 1840 and 1850. Do you have any Trumbull Co Cemetery records that would confirm that? Or records of other Merrills? He is still there in 1860. Thanks for the 1840 census data on Hiram - We and the census indexer missed him.

Aaron (b 1798 May 16 in Genesee Co NY) is Polly's 2nd cousin once removed, Aaron⁷ [Aaron⁶, Ephriam⁵, Nathaniel⁴, John^3,2]. He was in Austintown, Trumbull Co in 1840, but when we looked in Trumbull Co in 1850 we didn't find him. He was still in Austintown, but the county was split in 1842 so Austintown was in Mahoning Co in 1850. Aaron and his wife, Electa Wright are still there in 1860.
 

  Harold Peavey (merilp@worldnet.att.net) wrote:

I am searching for information on brothers Robert and Benjamin Merrill. Robert was born about 1755 in MD and died about 1823 in Montgomery County, AL. He married (1) Rebecca Reid and (2) Frances Wall Foy Browning Carpenter Stradley, August 22, 1816 in Tatnall County Georgia. Received land-grant in 1796 in Screven County, GA. Benjamin Merrill was born about 1765 and died before 1850 in Covington County, AL. He married Rachel Lewis, April 15, 1793 in Craven County, NC. Received land-grant in Screven County, GA in 1802.

Who were parents of Robert and Benjamin? Are they descendants of Richard Merrill (NY) or
Nathaniel Merrill of MA or from some other line?

Others who are descendants of Robert and who are actively searching for his parents, but to our knowledge have not found them, are:
          Ron Head (ronhead@wsnet.com)
          James W Merrill (FLDE96A@prodigy.com)
          Joseph M Merrill (jmerrill@storge.fm.bcm.tmc.edu)

Marilyn Howard  (airrow@ix.netcom.com) of La Canada, CA wrote:
I am just beginning some research about 5 generations back where I have a Sarah Merrill, b 9/22/1820 married to Hicks Seaman 12/8/1840.  Her parents supposedly were Pierpont Merrill, b 1787, d 10/3/1852 in NY and Electra, b 1797, d 1/17/1870 also in NY.  They married about 1814 in NY.  Any connection?  Suggestions for locating them?   Thanks.

Gideon⁵ was b. 1749 in Hartford, CT and died 1803 June 27 in West Hartford, CT.  He was the youngest son of Gideon⁴ and Mary (Bigelow)Merrill.  He m. Abigail Merrill 1776 Aug. 1 in West Hartford. She bore him 4 boys and 2 girls.  Abigail was bapt. 1753 June 10 and d.
1804.

Gideon⁴ was b. ca1716 in Hartford and d. there 1757 Sept. 9, the youngest son of Wilterton³ and second wife, Hannah Waters.  Gideon m.1740 June 5 Mary Bigelow, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Spencer) Bigelow.  She bore him 3 boys and 2 girls.  She d. 1750 Mar. 9, age 29.

Wilterton³ was b. 1675 June 28 in Hartford and d. there 1755 May 14, the fifth son of John² and Sarah Watson.  Wilterton m. first 1702/3 Jan 1 Ruth Pratt who bore him a daughter; m. second 1708/9 Jan 20  Hannah Waters, daughter of Bevil Waters, who bore him 2 sons and a daughter.  Hannah d. 1730 May 8, age 49 and he m. third Elizabeth Collier.

John² was bapt. 1735 Mar 13 in Lawford, Essex Co., England, son of Nathaniel¹ and Susanna __?__, and died 1712 July 18 in Hartford Ct. Susanna is believed to be the daughter by a prior marriage of Susan, the wife of Gregory Wilterton or Wolterton, proprietor of Hartford. John², after his father's death, went to Hartford and lived with Gregory and wife, Susan, his grandmother.  John learned the tanning trade and eventually inherited the bulk of childless Gregory's estate. John m. 1663 Sept. 23 Sarah Watson, daughter of John and Margaret
(Smith) Watson.  John and Sarah had 2 daughters and 8 sons.

Nathaniel¹ was baptized 1601 May 4 in Wherstead, Suffolk Co., England and d. 1654/5 March 16 in Newbury, MA.  Nathaniel and his brother, John, immigrated to Newbury, MA; Nathaniel soon after his daughter, Susanna, was baptized, 1638 Dec 12 in Lawford; John somewhat earlier.  Nathaniel m. Susanna __?__.  They had six children.  The first four in Lawford the last two in Newbury, MA

Hicks Seaman was b. 1812 Jan 30 in Milton, NY son of Benjamin and Anna (__?__) Seaman and d. 1874 Jan. 23 in Jamesville, MI.  He m. Sarah Merrill 1840 Dec. 8 in Schenectady, NY and they had five children. 

(Just an interesting note that for six generations, from Jesse Wagner Merrell to Fred Merrill Jr., all of these sons were the first born child.)

I recently received a photocopy of a handwritten "article" for the second reunion of the Merrell family held at Benton Park (in Columbia County, PA) on August 31, 1935. The article was written by Myra G. Robbins. Here is what Myra states in the "article":

"History of the Merrell family (as I know it). Beginning with 'David' our direct ancestor: he being our great-great-grandfather whose parents came from England. David was born in Maryland, near the District of Columbia. He served in the Revolutionary War, as foot soldier, served seven years from the beginning, was in all the battles along the Delaware River, was with Washington at The Battle of Bunker Hill.

"After the War, he [David] settled near Hope in Warren County, New Jersey. A colony of Hollanders settled in the vicinity and he married one of these as his second wife, of whom Benjamin S. Merrell was a son. He [Benjamin] was born Hope, NJ, April 7, 1794. Died in Bloomsburg, PA on April 19, 1868, at the age of 74 years, 12 days. Benjamin S. Merrell married Mary Wagner, one of a family of nine children. She was born Dec. 29, 1798 and died April 10, 1864, age 66 years, 3 mos., 12 days. To this union there was born four sons and three daughters, namely: Jesse Wagner Merrell, Clark Merrell, John Roseberry Merrell, William Merrell, Mary C. Merrell, Caroline Matilda ("Tillie") Merrell and Hester E. Merrell."

So, I'm looking for proof of Benjamin's birth in Warren County, NJ as well as proof of his parents. Also need date of David's birth in Maryland and names of his parents. And, how can I find out if the info on David serving in the Rev. War is correct?

I think it's interesting that Benjamin has a son named "John Roseberry Merrell." Naming traditions being what they were, I'm thinking that maybe Benjamin's mother may have been a "Roseberry?" In checking out Warren Co., NJ, there are several people researching Roseberry. No connections, though, since I'm not sure who this son was named for. Also, I found a "Merrill Creek Reservoir" in Warren Co., NJ.

Please accept this query for research. I don't know how to proceed with researching this line.

The NJ records are very sparse; the census records before 1830 are missing. In 1840 we find in Hope twp. what are probably two younger sons of your David; Joseph and Daniel. The indexer of the 1830 census did not list any Merrills in Warren Co NJ.

We are attaching the reply we got back from Bob Davidson of Richmond VA regarding your David. We agree that David is most likely descended from William (1) and Grace (probably Staats), immigrant to Staten Island ca 1680, who later moved to Hopewell NJ.

[Following from Bob Davidson:] Warren County NJ was formed from Sussex Co in 1825, so all early Merrill records are there. I don't have an old township map, so not sure Hope and Oxford were at one time part of the same township, but they are closeby today, David Merrill was mentioned as being of Oxford Twsp in 1792. (NJ Archives Vol 37). In 1809 Charity Merrill married Caleb Swayze (IGI) and in 1810 Caleb Swayze and his wife "Else" deeded land to David Merrill, all of Oxford Twsp. (DB X-73)

In 1813 David Merrill and his wife Elizabeth sold this land to Charles Beatty. Witness: Barnabas Swayze. All of Oxford Twsp. (DB c2-34)

In 1814 David Merrill and Elizabeth his wife and Conrad Emory and Mary his wife sold to Aaron Brian of Mansfield Twsp all their share in the lands of Gray Pate dec'd, late of Mansfield. (DB 2-263)

In 1823 Joseph Merrill of Oxford Twsp sold to Lewis Merrill all claim he had to land where David Merrill of Oxford lived, which was 50 acres, adjacencies given. (DB X-2 p165)

Joseph Merrill (born 1789) and wife Mary are in the 1850 census of HopeTwsp, as is Hetty, widow of Daniel Merrill.

Lewis Merrill (1785-1851) is in Mansfield Twsp in 1850 with a large family.

I have not looked at later records. I know nothing about David Merrill, but have always thought he probably came from Hunterdon County, where a Timothy Merrill marrried Anna, daughter of David Stout about 1750. I have not been able to place this Timothy, but clearly he is a descendant of William and Grace Merrill who came to Hopewell, originally from Staten Island.

As you know there were Merrells in Maryland, but all the pre-revolutionary war ones I have seen lived on the Eastern Shore, not anywhere near D.C.