You may post your free query at our Home Page http://www.merrill.wwh.net/TMN/TMNhome.html. Just scroll down to the Guestbook link and click on Sign Guestbook. We check the Guestbook frequently for new queries, and answer them by e-mail, before publication in this column. Please remember to include all known names, dates and locations to help us pinpoint your Merrill family.
Q. Duane E. Crabtree from Arlington, MA was seeking proof of parentage of True Merrill, born 1802; died 1846, Dover, ME.Q. I'm John Sullivan living in Greensboro NC, grew up in Huntsville, AL. My grandmother was Josie Merrill, a daughter of George Washington Merrill, lived in Giles Co, TN, married Issac Gatlin. Do you have marriage dates? I have the booklet about the TN Merrills written by Mrs. Broadway and others. I would also like to get additional information on the connection going back from Rowan Co. NC. to NJ to Staten Island NY.
Q. Jon Krause from Lubbock Texas said, I am working on a Merrill Line of Morris Pomeroy Merrill born in what is now Renssalear. Co., NY on Apr 13, 1779, came to Onieda Co. around 1800, married Rhoda Robbins in Utica 1807, died in Rising Sun Indiana. I believe he had a brother named William that died in Herkimer Co. N.Y. The LDS Church has his name as Moris Elijah Merrill. Would like to know if you have any information on this line. Will supply you with his family if you need. Thanks, Jon Krause, Grandson of Samuel Robin Merrill
Q. Russell Merrill from Riverton, KS: I am looking for information on my Great Great Grandfather Dudley Merrill b. 1814 Orange County, Vt to Oliver Merrill and Elizabeth Fellows Merrill. Any help would be Greatly Appreciated.
Q. Pat Hanson from: Ames, Iowa: I am doing some beginning research on my Merrill line. I do know that in the late 1800s that my great grandparents settled in Butler County Iowa. Over the years they had 14 children. My great grandparents names: Joseph and Clara (Malarky) Merrill. These children were: Percy, Everett, Francis, Gladys, Marlys, Frank, Maude, Nellie, Madge, Joseph, Gene, Richard, Jean, ? (I know but can't think or find it right now). My great aunt has a partial family tree worked up, and I am trying to get a copy with dates, etc. This is a new project for me. Don't really know how to go into it. I do know to work from myself back, and I'm starting that way. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Q. William Boston from Pocomoke MD: My great-great-great-great grandmother is Leah Merrill, dau. of Joshua Merrill, she mar. Esau Boston about 1780. Would like to trace Merrill family in Pocomoke area.
Q. Karen Loftus from Winslow, Maine: I just browsed the Merrill Genforum today and found where you are very helpful to many people searching the Merrill line. I will be subscribing to the Merrill Newsletter soon. Hope to be able to help some; and to fill in the gaps in my lines. My Merrill line from Nathaniel is Daniel; Daniel; Joseph; Daniel; Joseph (lived in Livermore, ME. m. Eunice Boothby) Jonathan; William; Charles E.; Charles E.; E. Maude; Glenys Goodwin; Karen DeRoch. I have printed out copies from my Family Tree Maker and will send them to you. I do have a few gaps in regards to the wives of Jonathan, William, and Charles E.
Q. Jimmy Merrell of Augusta Ga: I am originally from Huntsville,AL. I am just getting started with researching my family genealogy. I recently was back in Huntsville and went to an area of Marshall County AL, where a lot of my descendants lived back in the 1800's. The area in question is Merrill Mtn. It is located about 25 miles southeast of Huntsville near the Guntersville Dam (TVA). I was wondering if you had traced any relatives to this part of the country.
Q. Rodney Douglas Merrill was looking for information on Winthrop Merrill who worked in Stanstead, Quebec, Canada in the 1790's. Born 1771, Died 1866, Married Mary Bean 1812 in Bath, NY. Buried in Union Ridge Cemetery, Jefferson Park, Cook Co., IL Previous Queries and Answers
A. Your Winthrop is in our "lineage unknown " file as James Winthrop, b. NH, ca.1778, the son of John [1739] and Eliza Dean or Doan. The first time we are sure we have found him is in the 1820 census of Jersey, Steuben Co NY where he is listed as Winthrop [26-45]; wife, [26-45]; 1m [under 10]; 2m,1f [10-16]. We found him again in the 1840 census when he shows
up [60-70] in Jefferson, Cook Co IL with his son, George Edwin. Son, Washington, is also there.Winthrop is also there in 1850, age 72 with wife Polly, 71, and in 1860, age 83, Polly, 80. James Winthrop and Polly had 4 children that we know of: Mahala, ca. 1804; Washington, ca 1808; James Winthrop jr, 1810 June 18; George Edwin, 1812 Jan. 12, all believed b. Stanstead, Quebec .We don't have record of James' m. to Mary Bean. Your date for the m. seems too late, unless it is a 2nd m. There is also a m. of a James to a Mary Bean in Chelsea VT, 1810 June 17 [VT vital records], but we doubt this is the right James and Mary Bean. The VT 1810 census shows them in Corinth VT both [16-26] (that's too young) and no children (if we have the right time
frame for Mahala and Washington, they were b. before this James m. Mary Bean).One of our correspondents suggests that John [1739] is the son of an immigrant to ME, Winthrop, b. ca 1700 in England, d. ME, and wife Mary Groch. We have NO records which support this assertion, but also none that deny it.
The Merrill that is most associated with Stanstead is David (5) [Abraham (4), Jonathan (3),Abraham (2), Nathaniel (1)] who in 1800 took his wife and 12 children by oxcart from Fisherfield, now Newbury NH, to Canada, settling finally in Stanstead. All his family is said to have lived and raised large families in that area [History of Stanstead].
It has recently been shown that David (5)'s brother, John (5), is the John [1739] who resided in Dunbarton NH from at least 1768 to 1810. It is not known how many children John had, but he had at least 5 known sons and a daughter. It is interesting to speculate if your James Winthrop son of John [1739] might possibly be the son of John (5)[1739] of Dunbarton. If this
wild speculation were true, then your James Winthrop may have gone to Stanstead with his uncle David or followed him there. We have no evidence to support this. On a trip to Stanstead, several years ago, we found no evidence in the vital records or the land records that indicates Winthrop's presence there.
Q. Donna Nelson was looking for Rachel Merrill who married Andrew Fouts/Foutz/Pfautz abt. 1771 in Guilford (now Randolph) Co NC. Who were her parents?
A. The Rachel who m. Andrew Fouts is believed to be the daughter of William(3) [William (2,1) and Mary Cornell. This question was dealt with at length in the answer to Janet Pease's query in The Merrill Newsletter vol. 5 issue 3.
Q. Judie Merrill wrote " I am looking for my ggrandfather, A. Raymond Merrill, b. Bath Maine Sept.22,1832, and am having no luck. He married Hannah E. Barker from New York, on Jan.12, 1865, they moved to La Crosse WI and had 5 children: Mortimer, my grandfather; Leonard, who is buried with them; Garretta; Edward and Mary. Who are his parents?
A. We do not find your Antone Raymond in the 1850 or 1860 census anywhere in the US. This makes us wonder if his family might have gone to Canada. Another more probable possibility comes from the fact that Bath ME was, and still is, amajor shipbuilding port. He could have easily been a seaman by 1850 (ae 18), and therefor not be around when the census was taken.
The only Merrills listed in the 1830 census in Bath is a [lineage unknown] Joshua L (or S) [50-60]; wife [40-50]; 2f [under 5]; 1m,2f [5-10]; 1f [10-15]; 2m,1f [15-20]; 2f [20-30] whose wife still seems to be in the baby business. There is no Joshua in Bath in the 1840 census - only a J. A.[20-30] with 3 other [20-30] males living with him. If Joshua has died by 1840,
then his widow could have remarried (or died) or just be living with another family, so would not be listed as "head
of household" and her young children would not be living in a "Merrill" household. There are no [60-70] Joshua's elsewhere in ME in 1840 with the right mix of children.The ME vital records in Augusta [very incomplete before 1892] show no children b. to a Joshua in Bath, nor do they show the death of Joshua in Bath. In fact we found no Bath records prior to 1892 when they were required by the state.
Q. Arnold Lake Hovey asked about the Hannah Merrill who died in Hadley Mass in 1676, married FRANCIS BARNARD on 15 AUG 1644 in Hartford, Conn. I have a lot of data on their descendants. Are they connected to your Merrill?
A. We believe that the Hannah Merrill who m. Francis Barnard was the daughter of the Thomas Merrill whose son Thomas was bapt. in Hartford in1646. While we have no proof, we also believe that the elder Thomas was the cousin of immigrant Nathaniel of Newbury MA. Many of the early Newbury and Hartford CT folks are related. For example, evidence indicates that Nathaniel's wife Susanna was the daughter by a prior m. of Susan, wife of Gregory Wilterton, proprietor of Hartford.
The younger Thomas is known as Thomas of Saybrook CT and is known to have had many descendants in the Killingworth and Clinton CT and in Pittsfield MA area.
Q. Dick Stout wrote: I am related to the MERRILL line via the John STOUT /Rachael MERRILL marriage in NJ. Rachael's father was William MERRILL, but I don't have any information beyond that.
A. Brothers, Richard and William Merrill immigrated in 1680 to Staten Island, NY from Tysoe, Warwickshire, England. William (1) moved first to Middleton NJ in 1687 and in 1704 to Hopewell, NJ where he d. in 1724. He and his wife Grace (probably Staats) had, among others, William (2), who m. 1st Ann (probably Parke) and they had three known daughters: Ann,
1707 - 1801 June 7, who m. David Stout; Margaret, bapt. 1712 June 11 at Hopewell, and Rachel, b. 1715, d. 1745 in Amwell NJ. It is this daughter Rachel who m. in 1734, as his 1st wife, John Stout [1713-1790].William (2) m. 2nd Penelope (Stout) Jewel and had William, 1729, Benjamin, 1730, Thomas, 1730, and Penelope, 1734, before he was killed by lightning, 1739 June 25. Sons, William and Benjamin, moved to NC where "Capt." Benjamin was a pre-Revolutionary patriot hanged 1771 June 19, charged with Treason for opposing the tyrannical policies of Governor Tryon.