Thomas
Meriell of Wherstead - Will
of 1 January 1463
Named in his will are sons
William, John "the elder
son", Robert, John the younger,Edmund,William the younger, and
daughters
Christiane, Alice, Katharine
and Juliane. Executors
named - wife Margarete, John Bacon, the elder of
Blakenham
and "John my elder son".
[Probated at Sippewith
[Ipswich] the [8th (xiii??), 20th ??]
of __,
1463]
Researchers
commonly report that this
Thomas was born in 1444, which can't
be correct,
as that would
mean he was only 19 years
old when he died, far too young to
have ten children. Regardless
of his date
of birth, there is no
evidence to connect any of the sons of Thomas
with John
Meryell whose will was presented some 65 years later
in 1528. Could there be a
missing generation?
John Meryell of
Wherstead - Will of 1528
Named
in his will is John's wife Ann, his two sons, John (I), John
(II);
two daughters: Julian and
Eleanor; and John (I)'s daughter, Johan.
A
Merrill
Memorial cites location of
will as
Archdeaconry of Suffolk, book x, folio 40.
John
(I) must have
been of age, as he was named as one of the
executors. His daughter Johan,
is also probably an
adult, as she is bequethed a “combe” of
barley. . John (II) was probably a minor, as his father specifies that
funds be provided for his education. Was either of these sons
the “John Meryell” whose
will was proved in 1551/2? To date, it appears there
is no way to prove a connection between any of these children and the
John Meryell whose will was pro-
duced 28 Jan 1551/52.
John Meryell of Wherstead
- Will proved 28
Jan. 1551/2
Named is
wife Katherine and five sons and five daughters: John (I),
William,
Michael, Thomas, John (II),
Mary, Margaret,
Alice, Katherine, Agnes..
Although
some
researchers claim that "John the Younger" is the ancestor of Nathaniel,
I
have not found evidence to
determine the relationship between any of the John Meryells and
the John
Merrill
whose own will was produced in Wherstead, England on 11 Dec 1600.
John
Merrill of Wherstead - Will proven 11 December 1600
Named
in this
will is wife
Prudence and children: John, Michael, Nathaniel and
Thomas.
Information
provided in this will, along with information from
Wherstead
and Belstead registers, provide strong evidence that John (1545-1600)
was the grandfather of our Immigrant
Ancestor, Nathaniel Merrill, whose older brother John and two
sisters, Marie/Mary and Margaret are
clearly identified. (Nathaniel was born in 1601,
some six months after this will was written.)
Will
of John Merrell
Will proven and accepted 11 Dec 1600
Abstract by jmk
I John Merrell the elder of whersteade in the Countie of Suff:
Yeoman being sicke in bodie and yet of pfect memorie ...
I give and bequeath to Prudence my wife in pte of
recompence of hir dower my parlor and larther howse
pcell of my dwelling howses wth. the bedding and furniture
in the same and the pasture and stover somer and winter
for a Cowe upon my lands in litle belsted and whested
aforesaid from time to time to have and to hold to hir
the said Prudence for terme of hir natural life keeping
hir
sole and unmarried. . . the said Prudence in
further
recompence of hir
dower one anuitie or yeer lierent of five
pounds of lawfull englishe mony to be going out of all
my lands and Tennemts in little Belsted wherested and
Sprowtonne to have and to hold to my said wife for
terme of hir life ... to John my sonne. . .Michaell my Sonne. . .
Nathaniell merrell my Sonne. . .to Thomas my Sonne
...
to Marie Merrell daughter
to the said Nathaniell...
to
Martha merrell one other of the daughters of the said Nathaniell John
Merrell Sonne to
the
said Nathaniell ...
Thoms
merrell Sonne of Thoms Merrell
my Sonne...
Ann Merrell
daughter of said Thoms
Sohnes
John and Michaell, whome
I ordaine name and costitute my Executors of this my
last will & Testament, And I appoint my loving friend
Cristopher Wright supraviser of the same Testament
|
Source of Will, A
Merrill Memorial, citation:
Records of the Archdeaconry of Suffolk, book xxxviii, folio
242.
Complete copy of will can be seen at
http://www.merrill.org/genealogy/mm/mm_04_02.html
The
Merrill
Newsletter -
Vol 6, Numb 3 - October, 2000 - Page 3
Previous Queries and Answers. by Howard and Jean Merrill:
"A
Merrill
Memorial" by Samuel Merrill gives verbatim the wills of
three
John
Merrills in
England that preceded immigrant Nathaniel's
parents
Nathaniel
and
Mary Blacksol. Certainly the latest of these [will 1600]
refers
to
Nathaniel's
grandfather. Since both earlier wills [1552 and
1529]
named two
different sons as John it is difficult to know which
one
is
which. Some folks claim a Thomas Merryl b. 1444, but we have
seen
no
documentation. Others want to trace their lineage back to the
time
of William
the Conqueror. We only claim the first John [1600 will]
where
we are
certain of the direct lineage.
Generation B
B. JOHNB MERRILL
was born 1545 in Wherstead,
England, and died Bef. 11 Dec 1600 in
Wherstead, England. He married PRUDENCE
BIRD 1570 in
Wherstead, England. She was born 1548 in Wherstead, England,
and was buried 22 Dec 1609 in Wherstead, England.
John was a land owner, and apparently made his income
from tenements in the parishes of " little Belsted wherested and
Sprowtonne."
Children of JOHN MERRILL and PRUDENCE BIRD are:
i. John5 Merrill, born ca. 1568 in
Belstead, Suffolk, Eng..
ii. Michael Merrill, born ca. 1570 in
Belstead, Suffolk, Eng..
A.
iii.
NATHANIEL MERRILL, born 1571
in Belstead, Suffolk,
England;
iv. Thomas Merrill,
born ca. 1572 in Belstead, Suffolk, Eng..
Generation A
A.
NATHANIELA MERRILL
(JOHN B)
was baptized 1571 in Belstead, Suffolk, England, and died 28 Feb
1626/27 in Wherstead, England. He married MARY BLAXALL
27 Feb 1591/92 in Belstead. She was baptized 01 May 1574 in
Wherstead, England, and died 29 Apr 1624 in Wherstead, England.
Children of NATHANIEL MERRILL and MARY BLAXALL are:
i. Unk Daughter Merrill, baptized 1593 in
Wherstead,
Suffolk, England; buried 1593
ii Francis6
Merrill,
bap.1598 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England; buried 01 Aug
1598
iii. Marie/Mary Merrill, bapt 23 Feb
1594/95 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England.
iv. John Merrill, born 16
Aug 1599 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England; died 12 Sep 1673 in
Newbury,
Essex, MA. He married Anis Bishop Jan 1628/29 in
Wherstead,
England; b
v. Martha Merrill, born Bef. Dec 1600 in
Wherstead, Suffolk, England.
1.
vi. NATHANIEL
MERRILL,
bap. 04 May 1601 in Wherstead, England; died
16 Mar
1654/55 in Newbury,
Essex, MA.
vii. Michael Merrill, bap. 03 Apr 1603 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England.
The
registers in Wherstead and
Belstead were searched, and the entries copied,
by Stokes
& Cox of London, record agents in 1905. (Source: A
Merrill Memorial)
Below are items copied from the registers that are of interest
to our research:
From the
Wherstead
Registry:
1593/4 Jan.21 ____Merrell, dau. of Nath! Merrell &
his wife was buried.
1594/5 Feb.23. Mary Merrell, dau. of Nath! Merrell &
Mary his wife was baptised.
( ) Francis Merrell dau. of _____Merrell & Mary his wife
was baptised.
1598. Aug. 1. Fraunces Merrell, dau. of
Nath! Merrell & Mary his wife buried.
1599. Aug. 16. John Merrell son of Nath! Merrell &
Mary his wife was baptised.
1601. May 4 Nathanaell Merrell son of
Nath! Merrell & Mary his wife was baptised.
1603. Apr. 3. Mychell Merrell, son of Nathaniel
Merrell & his wife was baptised.
1628/9 Jan. 24. John Merrill & Anis Bishope married.
1626/7 Mar17. Nathaniel Merrill buried.
From the
Belstead
Registry
1592/3 Feb. 27. Nathanaell Merrill & Mary Blacksoll
married.
1601. Dec. 29. John Merrill &
Susan Plumley married.
1608. Dec. 22. Prudence Merrill
buried.
Generation
No. 1
The
Immigrant Ancestor
1.
NATHANIEL1
MERRILL (NATHANIELA,
JOHNB)
was born 04 May 1601 in Wherstead,
England, and
died 16 March
1654/55 in Newbury, Essex, MA. He married SUSANNAH
"WILTERTON" 23 Sep 1633 in Wherstead, England. Date
and
location not verified. Susannah was
the daughter of a prior marriage of Susan ? and step-daughter
of Susan's husband, Gregory Wilterton/ Wolterton. She
was born Aft. 1610 in Wherstead, England, and died 25 Jan 1672/73 in
Newbury, Essex, MA.
Emigration:
Bet. 1635 - 16391,2
After
Nathaniel died on 16 March
1654/55, his widow
married Stephen Jordan (Jordain?)3
This marriage led
to much
confusion for
genealogists, and
conjecture as to her maiden name.
Howard and Jean
Merrill, Merrill
Newsletter 10/08/97
The
baptism of Nathaniel's first four children has been found in Lawford,
Essex Co, England: Nathaniel, 1634 May 25; John, 1635 Mar 13; Abraham,
1637 Apr 9; Susan, 1638 Dec 12. These studies also suggest that
Susannah was NOT Susanna Wilterton but rather the daughter by a prior
marriage of Susan the wife of Gregory Wilterton, proprietor of
Hartford. We do not know the name of Susan's first husband so we don't
know Susannah's surname. When, after Nathaniel's death, John(2)[still a
minor] went to Hartford, he went to live with his grandmother, and
learned the tanning trade from his stepgrandfather, Gregory Wilterton.
When childless Gregory died, John (2) inherited the bulk of Gregory's
estate. (Citation: HERITAGE
QUEST #24
Sep - Oct 1989 pg 38; #25 Nov - Dec 1989 pg 44, and TAG Vol 33 1957 pg
95-98.)
A
Merrill Memorial,
by
Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928:-
It seems
most likely that
Nathaniel and John Merrill arrived
together in
Ipswich (then
called
Agawam) ,
MA,
supposedly on the ship Hector in 1633,
and
that Nathaniel
later returned
to England to get his wife and children,
arriving in Ipswich a
second
time in
1638/39. Nathaniel owned land in Ipswich
in 1636. In July 1638, his
brother
John arranged
for a home site of four acres
in
Newbury for his unnamed
"brother",
indicating
that Nathaniel was not
able to take care of
this himself. Undisputed
is the fact
that the brothers and their families were
among the earliest settlers
in
Newbury....
The
will
and inventory of
Nathaniel1 Merrill are preserved in the Essex
County Court Papers, vol. III leaf 10, in the office of the
Clerk of
Courts at Salem. The will was executed 8 March, 1654/5;
Nathaniel
Merrill died 16 March, 1654/5; the will was proved 27 March,
1655.
The conjecture
has been
advanced, and it has even been stated as a
fact, that the wife of Nathaniel Merrill was Susanna Wilterton (or
Wolterton.) After
the death of Nathaniel
Merrill his widow married Stephen Jordan
(or Jourdain). Nathaniel Merrill, son of Nathaniel and Susanna Merrill,
gave a deed, under date of 16 Aug 1661, to Peter Godfrey of Newbury, in
which the phrase occurs, "after the decease of my mother Susanna
Jordan," and out of this fact the error regarding the maiden name of
Nathaniel's wife grew.
Steve
Merrill: Susannah
........, also known as Susannah Wolterton, was the wife of the
emigrant, Nathaniel Merrill. For many years she was thought to be the
sister of Gregory Wolterton of Hartford, Conn. Later research shows
that she probably is the daughter of Gregory's wife, Susannah (Unknown)
by a previous marriage.
Will
of
Nathaniell Merrill
Witnes by these psents that J Nathaniell Merrill of Newbury in the
Countie of Essex being ficke of body but through gods mercy of
perfect memory do here make my last will and testament, J first
bequeath my soule into
5 the hands of my blessed Redeemer with an assured hope of a ioyfull
resurection, and my body when it shall please the lord to take me out
of this fraile life to bee buryed in the burying place of Newbury, and
for my worldly goods J giue and dispose of as followeth
10 Jmpr J giue and bequeath unto Susanna my wife five akers
of plowable land lying next my Brother John land and halfe the marsh
dureing her naturall life and a cow and three beifers and all my
household goods, And out of this estat so giuen to my wife
15 J giue and bequeath unto my daughter Susanna fiue pounds when she
shalbe at the age of twenty yeares then J giue and bequeath unto my son
Nathaniell (whom J appoint as my true and lawfull heire) all my land
and freehold after my wiues decease, and
20 all the working tooles & Jmplements of husbandry and all the
cattell and stocke besids And out of this stocke J appoint that my son
Nathaniell shall pay theise legacyes as followeth, that is J giue unto
my son John when be shalbee of the age of two and twenty yeers
25 the summe of fiue pounds, And also J giue and bequeath unto my son
Abraham at the age of two and twenty yeare fiue £ , And J
giue
and
bequeath unto my sonne Daniell also at the age of one and twenty years
fiue £ and J giue and bequeath to my son Abell fiue
£ also
30 at the age of one and twenty years, And J appoint my son Nathaniell
to be my sole executor and all my debts& funerall rites being
discharged J appoint him to haue all the rest of my goods &
chattels undisposed
and J desire my brother John merill and Anthony Somerby
35 to be the ouerseers of this my last will & testament.
Jn witnesse wherof J baue set my hand. march the eight in the
yeare one thousand six hundred fifty foure
The NM marke
of Nathaniell Merrill
but if gods p’uidence should by losses & crosses upon
ye estate more then ordinary: then proporlionably to be abated in the
legacyes
Wittnes Richard Knight
Anthony Somerby |
The will
and inventory of
Nathaniel1 Merrill are preserved in the
Essex
County Court Papers, vol. III leaf 10, in the office of the
Clerk of
Courts at Salem. The will was executed 8 March, 1654/5;
Nathaniel
Merrill died 16 March, 1654/5; the will was proved
27 March,
1655.
Nathaniel's
four
oldest children were
born in England, the youngest, in Newbury.
Children
of NATHANIEL MERRILL and
Susannah Wolterton are:
2 i. Nathaniel2
Merrill, was baptized in Lawford, Essex, England on . 25 May 1634; died
Jan 1682/83 in Newbury, MA. He
married Joane Ninian 15 October
1661 in
Newbury,
MA. She died 08 Feb 1717/18.The
estate of Nathaniel2 Merrill was inventoried at
£520,7s. at
his
death, and his debts amounted to £ 46,9s.8d. He owned land in
Haverhill, which he gave to his sons Nathaniel and Peter. He had one
additional son, John, and 4 daughters.
3 ii. John
Merrill, baptized in Lawford, Essex, England on 1635 Mar
13, died 18 July 1712 in
Hartford, CT He married
Sarah Watson 23 September 1663 in Hartford,Conn.; born ca. 1640; died
Aft.
March 1685/86.
A Merrill Memorial: It
is
probable that he went to Hartford before
coming of
age, for he is
said to
have
been adopted by Gregory Wilterton of that
town.
He was admitted
a
freeman 20
May 1658. He was a tanner, and lived on
the south side of
Elm St.,
on the
second lot west from the corner of Main
St. After some years he
removed
to
the
West Division of the town, now West
Hartford, where he made
large
purchases
of
land in 1683 and the
following years.
In 1684, 1694 and 1700 he
was a
"townsman," or
selectman, and he was a
deacon of
the Second Church.
He
married, 23
Sept. 1663, Sarah
Watson, daughter of
John and Margaret
(Smith) Watson
of Hartford. His eight sons and
two
daughters, and the daughters
'husbands.
were all
living at his death.
4 iii. Abraham
Merrill,
was baptized 9 Apr 1637 in Lawford, Essex, England,
and died
28
Nov 1722. He married (1) Abigail Webster 18 Jan
1660/61. She
was born
ca. 1642, and died 12
August 1712. He married (2)
Sarah
Clements Bond (widow)
Sept 1713.
A
Merrill Memorial:
(Abraham)
was
a weaver,
and
lived in
the north part of the town, (now West
Newbury), near the mouth of Artichoke River. He was a deacon
of
the
Congregational Church in Newbury, and was active in the party opposing
Rev. Thomas Parker, being one of the founders of the Episcopal
Church.
5 iv. Susanna
Merrill, baptized 12 Dec 1638 in Lawford, Essex, England and
died 10 Oct
1690
in
Suffield, Conn. This proves that Nathanial must have made
at least one trip back to England to get
his family, or that he did
not come to America before 1638. Susanna married John Burbank 15
Oct. 1663
in
Newbury.He was born in Rowley, MA; died 01 June 1709.
+
6 v. DANIEL
MERRILL, born 20 Aug 1642 in
Newbury, MA died
27 June
1717
in Salisbury, MA.
7 vi. Abel
Merrill, born 20 Feb.1643/44; died 28 Oct. 1689
in Newbury, MA.
He
married Priscilla
Chase 10
February
1670/71 in Newbury, MA.
In
1682, a Baptist
church was formed in Newbury,
and Abel was
one of the
original members. (Coffin, History
of Newbury, p. 135.) Under
the name
of
"Abil Merell" he appears to have been a soldier in the company of
Capt. Thomas
Noyes
in 1688.
The tax list of 1688 shows that Abel2 Merrill was in that
year assessed on one house,
five acres of "Plow Lands" in Newbury, one
horse, five cows, six young
cattle, ten sheep
and four swine. At his death he was an owner of land
in Haverhill, his
interest being ap-
praised at £35. This was no doubt
his
undivided share
in land which he and his brother
Daniel (See page 92) purchased
in
1673 and 1674. He died intestate, leaving his wife with
eight minor
children, the youngest less than one year old.
Generation
No. 2
My
report
is
not a history of all descendants of Nathaniel Merrill, but primarily
includes
ancestors
and descendants of my
grandfather,
Ralph Jay
Merrill. Names of my ancestors are in bold CAPITALS
6. DANIEL2
MERRILL
(NATHANIEL1,NATHANIELA, JOHNB) was born 20
August 1642 in Newbury,
Mass, and died 27
June 1717 in Salisbury, MA. He married (1) SARAH CLOUGH
14
May
1667
in Salisbury, Essex Co., daughter of John Clough and Jane
Clough. She
was born 28 June 1646 in Salisbury, MA, and died 18 March 1705/06 in
Salisbury, MA. He married (2) Sarah Morrill 23 May
1708. She was born
24 October 1650 in Salisbury, MA, and died 11 September 1731 in
Amesbury, MA.
A
Merrill
Memorial:
Daniel(2) Merrill was
born 20 Aug. 1642, in Newbury.
He was a
carpenter
as
well as a farmer. The site of his homestead is not now known. The
Colonial
charter required that the inhabitants take the oath of allegiance to
the King.
Political disorders under the Commonwealth and after the Restoration
had
resulted in the requirement remaining for a time in abeyance, but, in a
modified
form, some of the inhabitants were ultimately called upon to take the
oath. It is
recorded that Daniell Merrill” of
Newberie” took “ye oath of
ffidelitie vnto this
gouerment ye 25 of february sixty eight,” and again in 1678
he took the
oath of
allegiance, his age being given at that time as thirty-four
years. In 1677 he was
chosen fence viewer, and in 1689 he was one of four “way
wardens.
Daniel Merrill began buying land in Salisbury in 1682, his
purchases
including two
tracts in the Barbary meadows ,” œ 46.5s.; six
acres in the Higglede
Pigglede lotts,
” œ 20; two tracts in the Goodale Swamp Division,
œ 20; besides upland
at the Great
Plain and at Munday’s Hill, and other land now not easily
identified.
Jack
Merrill: The tax list of 1688
showed
that Daniel Merrill owned two
houses, with
twelve acres of arable land, in Newbury, and his farm was stocked with
two horses, a yoke of oxen, five cows, four three-year-old heifers and
four yearlings, besides thirty sheep and six hogs. The absence of
pasture in the enumeration is explained by the practice of pasturing
cattle on land held in common.
At
what time he
removed to Salisbury is not known. He is
described as
of Newbury when, 28 Jan. 1696/7, he purchased, from Richard Hubbard of
Boston, a
forty-acre tract in Salisbury, bounded easterly by Daniel
Moody,
northerly by Nathaniel Brown, westerly by “the
highway,” and southerly
by “a way.” Five years later, 31 Jan. 1701/2, he
bought land at the
Birchen Meadow, near Turkey Hill, in Newbury, being then
described as
of Salisbury. He evidently acquired other land also in Salisbury and
Haverhill, by deeds which were not recorded, or otherwise, for he made
several conveyances of other property, which are recorded with the
Essex deeds.
Daniel(2)
Merrill continued to own a homestead in Newbury,
which
descended to his eldest son under his will, besides the Salisbury
homestead, which fell to his youngest son. This Salisbury homestead at
the "Great Plain" was probably near the ancient cemetery which lies a
mile and a half north from East Salisbury village, where the road
leading west to Amesbury and South Hampton branches off from the road
north to Seabrook. Moses3 Merrill, son of Daniel2, is known to have
lived across the road from this cemetery, toward the northwest. This
neighborhood was variously known as the Great Plain and Pitch Pine
Plain.
Daniel2 Merrill was admitted a freeman by the General Court, and took
the freeman’s oath 7 Feb. 1682/3.
Military Service
Merrill
Memorial: It
is recoreded that
'Daniel
Merrill of Newberie took ye oath of
ffidelitie unto this government ye 25 of february sixty eight.' In
1678, he took the oath of allegiance, his age being given as 34 years.
In 1677, he was chosen 'fence viewer' and, in 1689, was one of four
'way wardens.' In 1688, in a list of 'soldiers under ye command of
Capt. Thos. Noyes' is the name of 'Daniel Merell' “
He was
then
forty-five years
old. He was called Sergt. Merrill in papers of that time.
Currier,
History
of
Newbury,
pp. 528, 540, 541.) In
the
General Register of the
Society of Colonial Wars for 1899-1902 (page 709) it is stated that he
was in Lieut.-Col.
Thomas Noyes’ company of Snowshoe Men, 1706. But in 1706
Daniel2 Merrill was living
in Salisbury. Furthermore, at sixty-three years of age he would hardly
have been
rated as an effective campaigner on snowshoes. The snowshoe-man of 1706
was his son, Daniel3
Merrill of Newbury, then thirty-four years old. The snowshoe men were
"apointed to
keep snow shous & moggensons", in addition to the
muskets
which
all inhabitants were required to have ready for use in any emergency.
A
silver teaspoon which is supposed to have belonged to
Daniel2 Merrill
was handed down in the line of William-Patten7 Merrill of
Topsham,
Maine. It is now in the possession of his daughters. On the back of the
handle are engraved the initials of Daniel Merrill and Sarah Clough,
with the date of their marriage, and the initials of John(3), John(4),
John(5), Abel(6) and William-Patten(7) Merrill, which were added in
later years. The bowl of the spoon shows a number of dents, probably
the teeth-marks of youthful Merrills of many generations ago.
At the Registry of Deeds in Salem may be found the
record
of fifteen
conveyances under which Daniel2 Merrill acquired title to various lots
of land in
Newbury, Salisbury and Haverhill. The earliest of these was dated 5
May, 1668, and the latest 27 Feb. 1706/7. Some of the earlier ones were
not recorded until after his death. In 1668, for œ 55, he
bought
sixteen acres, with buildings, "near the great pine swamp," (in the
southern part of Newbury, not far from Parker River). In 1673, jointly
with his brother Abel, he bought fifty-six acres in Haverhill, the
purchase price being œ 52. The following year the two bought
twenty
acres adjoining their previous purchase, this being described as
situated at “Hogghill” in Haverhill (in the present
town of Atkinson,
N.H.) The consideration for this second purchase was a Cow and a Yoke
of Oxen and “ffivepounds in cloathing in hand
payd.”
A
Merrill Memorial:
“John
Clough*,
senior, of
Salisbury, in 1686, in consideration of love
and good will, gave a deed to"my sone Daniell
Merrill & Sarah his
wyfe of Nubury", conveying one-half of all the
grantor’s land in
Haverhill, together with rights of commonage. It was stipulated in the
deed that "John Merrill ye sone
of Sarah Merrill shalbe
considered
& allowed some prehemenency in ye abovesd lands abov ye rest of
ye
sd Sarahs children."
*
John Clough
was Daniel's father-in-law.
Will
of Daniel Merrill
Transcribed by Jack Merrill
Jn
ye. Name of God amen
J
Daniel Merrill of ye: town of salisbury in ye: County of
Essex in ye:
Province of ye: Massachusetts bay in new eng land Carpenter
this
tenth
day of May 1717
being weak in body but of perfeot mind &
memory. thanks be
given to God.
therefore caling to ming the
mortality of my body & knowing
that it is appointed for all men
once to die do make & ordain this my last will &
testament that
is to
say principally & first of all J give & recommend
my soul
into the hands
of God yt: gaue it & my body J re comend to the
earth to be buryed in
decent christian burial at ye: discretion of my
executor nothing doubting
but at ye: general resurrection J shall
receive ye: same a gain by the mighty power of God. & as
touching
such worly estate wherewth: it has pleased God to bless me in
this life
J give demise & dispose of ye: same in ye: follow
ingmanner
&
form.(???)
Jmprimis
J give & beqveath unto Daniel my
oldest sone all
my
homested
housing & land in newberry as also all my salt marsh
my
rate lot & wood lot so called & birchin meadow in sd.
newberry
aforesd he paying out legacys as followeth to my daughter Sarah Morse
fourty shillings also to my son in lay Onesiphorus Page sixteen pounds
wch: my desire is that he would devide eqvally amongst ye. four ohilldr
en wch: he had by my daughter Ruth when they come of age also sixteen
pounds to my daughter Martha True all wch: to be paid in or as money
wth: in five years after my decease (???)
2ly. J giue &
bequeath
unto John my second son two thirds of my hoge hill lot so called in
Haverhill wch: was given 30 me by my father Clough as also ye: Barbary
meadow t was my father Cloughs (???)
3ly: J give & bequeath
unto my
third son Moses Merrill— the other hird of my hoghill lot to
gether
wth: all my right to ye: other lands & meadow wch: is between
my
Cousin Thomas Merrill & J in Haverhill aforesd. as also ye:
Pilsbury lot of salt marsh so caled ying in ye: barbary Meadows in
salisbury
4ll. J give & beqveath unto my youngest son stephen
Merrill.
Whom J likewise make constitute & ordain my sole
Executor of this
my last will & testament, all my homested buildings &
appertenances together wth: my land on ye: Great plain ajoyning to it
as also my pasture & meadow Ground in Goodale swamp so called
containing about thirty acres as also two lots in ye: salt Marsh at ye:
Barbary the oneknown by the name of ye: Downer & the other ye:
Bayly lot as also all my stock & moueables also my will is yt:
my
sd: sone stephen do take Care of my beloved Wife Sarah Merrill after my
decease that is to say to find her a convenient fire room in my now
dwelling house with necessary & convenient privelidges
& to
maintain her two Cows winter & summer (she finding ye: Cows)
also
to find herten load of convenient fire wood at her aforesd. dwell ing
place & to pay her five pounds per annum in
money or good
provision
pay at money price & all this as a yearly an nuity according to
a
covenant made between me & my wife before marriage & J
do
hereby utterly disalow revoke & dissanul all & every
other former testaments wills legacys & beqvests and
executors by me in any ways before Ratifying & confirming this
& no other to be my last will & testement in witness
whereof J
haue here unto set my hand & seal the day & year aboue
written
(???) signed sealed published pronounced & declared by the sd.
Danll:
Merrill as his last will & testament in presents of us ye:
subscribers
Jsrael
ShaparD
moses
clouf
Jacob
Bradbury
|
This will was
sealed with a few
drops of red
wax, now broken. The seal
shows no impress, save a fingerprint of some hand which has long since
returned to dust. No inventory of the estate is to be found in the
probate files in Salem. The will was proved 12 July, 1717.
"My cousin Thomas Merrill", refers to the
testator’s nephew, Thomas3 (Abel2) Merrill. The word "cousin"
was used
in the old general sense of kinsman.
More About DANIEL MERRILL:
Burial: Salisbury Plains Cemetery, Amesbury, MA
Children of DANIEL MERRILL and Sarah Clough:
were named in Daniel's will. They were all born in Newbury.
i. Daniel3, b. 8 Mar. 1671/2; d. before 29 Sept.
1725.
9.
ii. JOHN3, b. 7 Oct.
1674; d. 17
Jan. 1756.
iii. Sarah3, b. 15 Oct.
1677; m. 12 May, 1696, William Morse,
son
of Benjamin and Ruth (Sawyer) Morse of Newbury; he was b.
23
Jan. 1673/4, was deacon of the First Church of Newbury,
and d. 10 May, 1749; lived Newbury.
v. Ruth3, b. 7
Feb. 1680/1; d. 29 Jan. 1710/11; m. (pub. 22 Apr. 1701)
Onesiphorus Page, son of Onesiphorus and Mary (Hauxworth) Page of
Salisbury; he was b. 10 Feb. 1678/9; was a soldier 1710; lived
Salisbury.
|v.
Moses3, b. 3 Sept. 1683; d. 17 Jan.
1756.
vi. Martha3, b. 3
Sept. 1683; m. 16 June, 1702, in Salisbury,
John True, son of Capt. Henry and Jane (Bradbury) True of Salisbury;
he was b. 23 Feb. 1678/9; he was a deacon of the Salisbury Church.
vii. Stephen3, b.
16 Sept. 1688; d. before 4 June, 1755.
9. JOHN3
MERRILL (DANIEL2,
NATHANIEL1,NATHANIELA, JOHNB)was
born 07 October 1674 in
Newbury, MA 13,
and died 17 January 1756 in Salisbury, MA. He married MARY
ALLEN
23
September 1702 in Salisbury, MA, daughter of Captain Allen and Mary
Pike. She was born 27 December 1681 in Salisbury, MA, and
died
Aft.
1756 in Salisbury, MA.
Named
in his father
Daniel's
will, "...(I)...give & bequeath
unto John my second son two thirds of my hoge hill lot so called in
Haverhill wch:
was given 30 me by my father Clough as also ye: Barbary meadow yt was
my father Cloughs--"
Note: John Clough was Daniel's father-in-law.
More About JOHN MERRILL:
Church Service: John was a deacon of the Church of Salisbury.
Military service: 1710
Occupation: House carpenter.
Will: 1756, The inventory at his death showed real estate in the amount
of &343.6s.9d; personal estate- &51.5s10d.
A Merrill
Memorial:
Children all born in
Salisbury.
About 1725 Abel4 and
John4 Merrill (John3, Daniel2)
settled in Arundel.
Their sisters Ruth4
(Whitten), Nancy4 (Carr), and
Mary4
(Burnham), with
their husbands, also
lived in the town. Abel4
Merrill
in a
short time
removed
to Wells, but John4
was living in Arundel in 1728,
when he was granted
one
hundred acres "on the
Country Road in Arundel, as it
is laid from Wells
Township to
Saco across Bedeford the uper way." It
was stipulated that he,
and
others who received
grants at the same time, should
"settle on said Land according
to theCommetys
Directions in a Defencable manner,
and give bond
to Preform
the same."
More About JOHN MERRILL and Mary Allen:
Children: Bet. 1702 - 1724, John and Mary had 14 children: Abel, John,
Mary, Daniel, Thomas, Daniel, Ruth, Hannah,Gideon, Nancy, Humphrey (1)
who lived less than 3 months, Humphry(2), Martha and Mary.
Marriage: 23 September 1702, Salisbury, MA.
Children of JOHN MERRILL and MARY ALLEN are:
+
10. i. ABEL4 MERRILL,
born
04 January 1701/02 in Salisbury, MA.
ii. John
Merrill13, born 14 April 1704 in Salisbur, MA; died 08 April 1784.
A Merrill Memorial:-
John4 was living in Arundel in 1728, when he was granted
one hundred
acres "on the Country Road in Arundel, as it is laid from Wells
Town-
ship to Saco
across Bedeford the uper way." It was stipulated that he, and others
who received grants at
the same time, should "settle on said Land according to the Commetys
Directions in a
Defencable manner, and give bond to Preform the same."
John
Merrill built a homestead, and made it "Defencable,"
for the
Kennebunkport historystates that he maintained a garrison house near
Goff's mill. Such
defences were greatly needed, for the Indian wars continued
for many years after his advent
in the town.
iii. Daniel
Merrill, born 17 May 1707; died 05 April 1709 in Salisbury, MA.
iv. Mary
Merrill, born 26 Sept 1705; died in childhood..
v. Thomas
Merrill, born 18 Dec 1708 in Salisbury, MA; died 03 Feb 1791.
vi. Daniel
Merrill, born 16 March 1709/10?.; Prob.
died young..
vii. Ruth
Merrill, born 26 July 1711. She married John Whitten. They had several
sons who fought
in the
Revolution. 13
viii. Hannah
Merrill13, born 01 Dec 1712 in Salisbury, MA; died Aft. 1753 in
Salisbury, MA 13
She
married.Jonathan Osgood.
ix. Gideon
Merrill, born 23 March 1713/14; died 18 February 1716/17.
x. Nancy
Merrill, born 17 February 1715/16 in Salisbury, MA13; died Bef.1753.
m. Hezekiah Carr.
xi. Humphrey
Merrill, born 04 June 1717; died 29 August 1717.
xii. Humphrey
Merrill, born 14 March 1718/19.
xiii. Martha
Merrill, born 09 May 1721; m Anthony Morse 22 Dec 1743.
xiv. Mary
Merrill, born 17 July 1724 in Salisbury, MA; died Aft. 1753. m.
17 Jan
1744/45, Joseph Burnham.
Lived in Arundel. 13
Generation
No. 4
10. ABEL4
MERRILL (JOHN3, DANIEL2,
NATHANIEL1,
NATHANIELA, JOHNB) was born 04 January 1701/02 in
Salisbury, MA 13.
He married MARY
HARDING
Bef.
1728. She was
born ca.
1703, the daughter of Stephen Harding and Abigail
Littlefield of Wells, Maine. Abel and Mary were early settlers in
Kennebunkport, Maine.
Between
Wells
and
Biddeford, in York County, Maine,
the
coast region
was successively
known
as Cape
Porpoise, Arundel and Kennebunkport. It
was first settled
by white men in
1629,
but owing
to
its exposed situation suffered much
from attacks by
Indians, and the white man's occupation was not continuous. The town
was first incorporated, as "Cape Porpoise," in 1653. It was
reincorporated, as "Arundel," in 1717, and received its present name in
1821.
A
Merrill Memorial:
About 1725 Abel4 and John4 Merrill (John3, Daniel2) settled in Arundel.
Their sisters Ruth4 (Whitten), Nancy4 (Carr), and Mary4 (Burnham), with
their husbands, also lived in the town. Abel4 Merrill in a short time
removed to Wells*, but John4 was living in Arundel in 1728, when he was
granted one hundred acres "on the Country Road in Arundel, as it is
laid from Wells Township to Saco across Bedeford the uper way." It was
stipulated that he, and others who received grants at the same time,
should "settle on said Land according to the Commetys Directions in a
Defencable manner, and give bond to Preform the same."
* Bradbury reports
Abel remained resident of Arundel.
1738- Named as a proprietor of Arundel.
Note: Name changed to "Kennebunkport" in 1821. The modern
town of Arundel—called
"North Kennebunkport" until
1957—was set off from Kennebunkport in 1915.
Susan
Howland
Thompson, citing Durell
Genealogy by Charles Terry Durell:
Abel
and his two
brothers moved to Arundel when it was part of Mass.
colony.
Abel and
John settled not more than a mile from where Henry
Sewell
Merrill
was
born and lived. Abel Merrill was killed by a black
fish
while out
fishing with his brother-in-law, Joseph Burnham.
Bradbury, Charles, History
of
Kennebunk Port: MERRILL,
ABEL and John, were
brothers, and probably nephews(sic) of
Thomas Merrill,
who had a grant of land
from the town in 1681, for killing an Indian.
They came from Salisbury. Their sister
Ruth married John Whitten.
[See note below]
Abel
settled
in Wells about
1725, but shortly
removed into Arundel, and married
Mary Harding. He
was killed while out a fishing in
a small boat, by black fish.
He
had
but one child, Gideon, who married Dorothy Wildes. Gideon’s
children were,
Abel*, m. Mehitable Burbank and widow Huldah Fletcher;
Ruth m. Israel
Burnham;
Jemima m. Jonathan Smith; Jacob, Sarah Huff;
and several that died young.
* Abel
Merrill (son of Gideon) died in
April, 1837, aged 82 yearn. lie was an honest,
intelligent
man, remarkable for the accuracy of his memory as to
dates, which he
retained till a
short time before his death.
The compiler of this work [Charles Bradbury]
is indebted to him for many
of the facts found
in it.
Note: The Thomas
Bradbury mentions was not related to Abel and John
Merrill.
The only Thomas
in their family was their cousin Thomas, born 1710, son
of Daniel
Merrill
&
Esther Chase of Newbury.
Only child of ABEL
MERRILL and MARY HARDING is:
+
11 i. GIDEON5
MERRILL, born 1728 in
Arundel, ME; died April 1811 in Arundel,
ME.
Generation No. 5
11. GIDEON5
MERRILL (ABEL4, JOHN3,
DANIEL2,
NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA,JOHNB) was born 1728 in
Arundel, ME, and died April 1811 in Arundel, ME. He married DOROTHY WILDES
13 January 1749/50 in Arundel, (Kennebuckport) ME,
daughter of
Jacob Wildes and Ruth Foster. She was born Aft. 1728.
Dorothy's
father Jacob Wildes was
one of the
proprietors of Arundel. He was a member
of the committee to settle the dividing line between Arundel and Saco,
March 29, 1732.
Tradition says in 1724 he
was a member of the expedition which was sent to destroy the
Indian settlement at
Norridgewock
Merrill
Memorial, Part II pg 356
GIDEON
MERRILL(Abel, John,
Daniel) was born
1728
in
Arundel(now
Kennebunkport)ME.,and died 1811. He lived in Arundel
and
served in the Revolution. He married 13 Jan 1751, Dorothy Wildes, dau.
of
Jacob and Ruth (Foster) Wildes of Arudnel.
Bradbury, Charles, History
of
Kennebunk Port, pg 294:
Gideon's name is on a list of men required to pay 15 pounds fine.
in order to avoid the 1776 draft to serve in the militia.
If his dob is accurate, he would have been 48 yrs. old, but
no mention is made re. his reasons to not join the militia.
.
The
Gideon Merrill House on River Road
Photo
by Sally Merrill Taylor - 2007
Gideon
Merrill had been one of my Brick Walls until October of 2007,
when I received an
email
from Bill & Robb, the current owners of the
house Gideon had built in Kennebunkport, Maine. This contact led me
to Sharon Cummings, former curator of the
Kennybunkport
Historical
Society, who provided historical background,, maps, and great advice.
As though this wasn't enough, I then heard from
Sally Merrill Taylor,
who read a posting I had left on a Merrill forum, contacted
me for more
information. She then grabbed her camera, and went off to take photos
of Merrill houses, mills
and tombstones in Kennybunkport, Maine.
My genealogy cup runneth over with the kindness of these new friends.
Children of GIDEON
MERRILL and Dorothy Wildes are:
i. Ruth6
Merrill, born ca. 1752.
ii. Jemima
Merrill, born ca. 1754.
+
12 iii. ABEL
(WILDES) MERRILL, born 01 Oct
1756; died 16 Apr
1837.
+
13 iv. JACOB
MERRILL, born 1759 in
Arundel, ME; died 1847.
Generation
No. 6
12. ABEL
(WILDES)6 MERRILL (GIDEON5,
ABEL4,
JOHN3, DANIEL2,
NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA, JOHNB,) was born 01 October 1756 in Arundel,
ME, and died 16 April
1837 in Arundel,
ME. He married (1) MEHITABLE
BURBANK ca. 1774 in Arundel,
ME, daughter of
Benjamin Burbank and Jane Sewall. She was born 27 November
1754 in
Arundel, ME, and died 26 December 1817 in Arundel, ME. Abel
married (2) Huldah Fletcher
22 January 1823.
Military
History
Merrill,
Abel, Arundel.
Private, Capt. Jesse Dorman's co.,
Col.
James
Scammon's (30th) regt.; muster roll dated Aug. 1, 1775;
enlisted
May 8,
1775; 8 mo.stationed at Cambridge MA regm.
Disc.end
of Dec. 1775 and returned home.
.
Jan
1776
- Enlisted as drummer in Capt Tobias Lord's MA Co.
for
1yr. stationed in Portland, ME. In the summer
of that year, he
was
serving as private in Capt
Eliphalet Daniel's N.H. co at Fort
Sullivan,
when he recruited his younger brother Jacob
to serve
the
remaining 4 mo.as his
substitute. Apparently, Abel was bored
and
looking for more excitement,
as he immediately enlisted in a
group
expecting --and
getting-- more action.
Aug 1777 - Served 4 mo. as private in Capt Joshus Mason's of
Col Jos. Storer's MA regm,
during which time he was at Stillwater
and Saratoga. Discharge near Albany, NY at end of
service.
MERRELL, Abel MA
Private,
Capt. Joshua Nason's co., (late) Col. Storer's regt.;
from
14 Aug to 30 Nov 1777; with Northern army; company
discharged
at Queman's Heights. Ref. MA01
Sources include : Pension Claim of Abel Merrill,. MA No. 4442;
More
About Mehitable Burbank:
Mehitable's mother, Jane Sewall, was the source of the Sewall
name used
by the Merrills of this family naming their children.
More About
ABEL MERRILL and
Mehitable Burbank:
Children: It was not uncommon for a family to have more than one child
with the same name, but this usually happened when a new baby was named
for a sibling who had already died. In this family, there
appears
to
be three Stephens.
Daughter Jane m.Eliphalet
Durell in 1807. Durell genealogists report that Jane's four
older brothers were lost at sea. Merrill
Memorial says
Stephen lost at sea, age 16.
1830 Census
Maine > York > Kennebunkport
Abel
Merrill Male 1- 70-80
Yrs 1-F 70-80 Yrs
Benj.
Merrill Male 1-30-40 + 2 under 15
FeM 1-30-40 + 2 under 15
Possibly
this Benj. is son of Abel
and Mehitable. Unverified.
Children of ABEL MERRILL and Mehitable Burbank are:
i. Stephen
Sewall (1)7 Merrill, born 1775.
ii. Jacob
Sewall Merrill, born ca. 1777.
iii. Mary
Merrill, born ca. 1779.
iv. William
Sewall Merrill, born ca. 1782; died Unknown in At sea (?).
v. Edwin
Sewall Merrill, born ca. 1785.
vi. Jane
Merrill, born 1788.
vii. Benjamin
Merrill, born ca. 1790.
+
14 viii. LYDIA
MERRILL, born 11 April 1791
in Arundel, ME; died
21 Sept 1857 in
Astoria, IL.
ix. Stephen
Sewall (2) Merrill, born 1794; died June.
x. Stephen
Sewall (3) Merrill, born 24 June 1798 in
Kennebuckport,
York County, ME; died 08 May
1890 in Aged 91 yrs 10m 14
d.
He married Elizabeth Marshall 1835
13.
JACOB6
MERRILL (GIDEON5, ABEL4,
JOHN3,
DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1,NATHANIELA, JOHNB) 14
was
born
1759 in
Arundel, ME, and died 1847. He married SARAH
HUFF ca.
1788. She was
born 1765, and died 1841.
Maine
1840 Pensioners
List
Name: JACOB MERRILL
State:
ME
County: York County
Township:
Age 81 Kennebunk Port
Year: 1840
Page:
004
Massachusetts
Soldiers and
Sailors of the Revolutionary War,
Vol. 10
Page:672
Merrill,
Jacob, Arundel. Private, Capt John Elden's(sic) Co. Col. Lemuel
Robinson's
regt.; also Capt Daniel Merrill's Co., Col Samuel Brewer's regt;
Pension
Application of
Jacob Merrill: MA #S31251
Jan 1776
- Enl Capt Eldridge Co of Buxton
for 3 mo creating on defense
works for Dorchester Heights near Boston... left Boston in Mar, we were
???
Jul
1776 - Took over for bro.
Abel
in Capt Daniel's Co. for 4 mo and
served 2 stationed at
Portsmouth, NH making defense in the harbor.
served 6 mo. in
said Co. Col Long may have been reg. commander.
Dec
1776 - Enl with Capt Samuel
Holbrook of --ittery point in Maine
for 3 mo marched to
Danbury, CT then Terrytown near West Point, NY.
March
1777 Discharged at Pito--ill and returned home
1777
- Enl Capt David Merrill's co, Col Bremen?? on the North River
1790
Census Arendel, Maine
Jacob Merrill 1-M 16+ 1-M 16-, 2-F (all ages)
Children of JACOB MERRILL
and Sarah Huff are:
i. Ruth7
Merrill, born 1789.
ii. Sarah
Merrill, born 1791; died 1819.
+
15 iii. ISRAEL
MERRILL, born 05 Oct 1792 in
Arundel, ME;
died 11 Nov 1876 in Astoria, Fulton
Co.Illinois.
iv. Jacob (1)
Merrill, born 1794.
v. Caroline
Merrill, born 1796.
vi. Charlotte
Merrill, born 1798.
vii. Jacob
(2) Merrill, born 1800.
viii. William
Merrill, born 1802.
ix. Mary
Merrill, born 1804.
x. Lucinda
Merrill, born 1806.
xi. Elizabeth
Merrill, born 1808.
xii. Jonas
Merrill, born 1810.
Generation No. 7
14.
LYDIA7
MERRILL (ABEL (WILDES)6,
GIDEON5,
ABEL4, JOHN3,
DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA, JOHNB)
was born 11 April 1791 in Arundel, ME, and died 21 September 1857 in
Astoria, IL 16.
She married her cousin,
(#15) ISRAEL
MERRILL Aft. 1810 in
Maine?,
son of
JACOB MERRILL and Sarah Huff. He was born 05 October 1792 in
Arundel,
ME, and died 11 November 1876 in Astoria, Fulton Co. IL.
Burial:
Astoria Cemetery
Israel and Lydia were first cousins, grandchildren of
Gideon and Dorothy Wildes Merrill. Their children are listed
below.
15. ISRAEL7
MERRILL (JACOB6, GIDEON5,
ABEL4,
JOHN3, DANIEL2,
NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA, JOHNB) was born
05 October 1792 in Arundel, ME, and died 11 November 1876 in Astoria,
Fulton Co. IL. He married his cousin, (#14)
LYDIA MERRILL
Aft.
1810
in Maine?,
daughter
of ABEL MERRILL and Mehitable Burbank. She was born 11 April
1791
in
Arundel, ME, and died 21 September 1857 in Astoria, IL 20.
History
of
Fulton County, Illinois: ". .
.Israel Merrill
was also a native
of the State (Maine), where he
was united in marriage with Miss Lydia, daughter of Abel Merrill. . . .
Israel Merrill [and his family] left his old home in Maine during the
autumn of 1838,
and after a long journey, mostly by water, landed in Astoria and
purchased 160 acres of land. Mr. M. worked early and late, and in time
became comfortably situated. He died Nov. 12, 1876. Mrs. M
died Sept.
10, 1857."
1830 United States
Federal Census
Kennebunkport, York Co. Maine
Israel
Merrill Males 3-under 5, (Joseph, Benj.,
Henry)
2- 5-10, ???
1- 30-40; (Israel)
Fem-1-
30-40 (Lydia)
1840
Winnebego,
IL
Israel
Merrill Males 2-under 5 Does
not fit 3 sons 14-17yrs. old.
1-30-40
Fem 1-under 5
1-15-19
1-20-29
1-30-40
1870
Illinois/Fulton/Astoria
376/383 Merril Israel 76 Retired Farmer Maine
Hetzel
Daniel 25 Works on farm
Lucinda 20 IL
Olive 1
Living
nearby are sons Henry and Joseph Merrill with their families.
More About ISRAEL MERRILL:
Burial: Astoria Cemetery Sec.G21
Census: 1870, Fulton Co. IL.: Israel Merril, retired farmer age 75.
Living near son Joseph.
Emigration: Bet. June - August 1838.
Israel, Lydia and their family traveled mostly by
water from Maine to Astoria,IL where Israel
purchased 160 acres.22
Children of Israel and Lydia Merrill:
i. Joseph
WB Merrill, born 06 April 1823 in Maine; died in Illinois;
m. Melvina
Hudnall in IL.
ii. Benjamin
R Merrill, born 11 Nov 1824 in Maine; died 04 Aug 1851
in
Fulton Co.IL 19.Burial:
Astoria Cemetery s/o I
& L Age 26y 9m 24d
.
16.
iii. HENRY
SEWALL MERRILL, born 12 April
1826 in
Kennebuckport,
Maine; died 27 December 1913 in Astoria
Twp., Fulton County, IL
Generation
No. 8
16. HENRY
SEWALL8 MERRILL (ISRAEL7,
JACOB6,
GIDEON5, ABEL4, JOHN3,
DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA, JOHNB)
was born 12 April 1826 in Kennebuckport, Maine 29,
and died 27 December
1913 in Astoria Twp. Fulton Co.IL 30.
He married SARAH
MCNEIL
14
November 1847 in Fulton Co. IL 31,
daughter of
David McNeil and Mary
McNeil. She was born 21 April 1829 in Parke Co. IN, and died
27
May
1904 in Astoria, IL.
The
McNeils were the founding
family of Astoria Township in Illinois. Sarah's mother died in 1840 at
the age of "40yrs, 7mo. and 5days" and is buried in the Astoria
Cemetery in Fulton Co. IL. She left seven young children under the age
of 15. As the only daughter, Sarah must have had to take on the role of
surrogate mom for her five younger brothers until her father remarried
the following year. She was 11 years old.
History
of Fulton Co.
Illinois (1879), pg 451-452
Henry Merrill,
farmer & stock-raiser, sec. 24 Astoria
Mr. Merrill is
one of the
leading agriculturists of this county and bears the reputation of a
wise, energetic
business man, and an enterprising, generous citizen. He was born in
Maine April 12, 1826. His father, Israel Merrill, was a native of that State, where he
was
united in
marriage with Miss Lydia, daughter of Abel Merrill.
The history of
those who bear the name of Merrill in this section of the country is
quite interesting. Sir Peter Merrill (sic) came from England and
settled in Mass., and it is supposed that those who bear the name are
descendants
of the colony that settled there. Owing to our limited
space we are compelled to note only events of those of this day
and generation.
Israel Merrill left his old home in Maine during the autumn
of 1838, and after a long journey, mostly by water, landed in Astoria
tp., (where he) purchased 160 acres of land. Mr. M. worked early and
late, and
in time became comfortably situated. He died Nov 12, 1876.
Mrs. Merrill died Sept. 10, 1857.
Henry
passed his
early years amid the associations of pioneer life. Nov. 14, 1847, he
was united in marriage to Miss Sarah McNeill, daughter of David
McNeill, one of the pioneers
of this county, and a soldier of the war
of 1812. We find occasion to mention this gentleman frequently in this
work. Henry Merrill has succeeded well in his chosen occupation. In
1846 he had a farm consisting of 80 acres; he now has 280 acres in this
county, 165 in Christian Co., and land in Kansas.
Mr.
and Mrs. M. have been blessed with 12 children, 9 of whom are
living,---Luther M., Ellery C., Lydia, Henry L., Belle, Hattie, Jacob,
Nellie and Benjamin R. Ellery and Luther, who reside on the homestead,
are both married. The former married Mary E. Bell, June 1, 1875. Luther
married Mary Meredith, December 19, 1878. (History of Fulton County, C.
C. Chapman, 1879, pages 451-452)
Note: To my knowledge, there was no "Sir Peter Merrill." Henry and his
father Israel were descendants of Nathanial Merrill who
arrived in Massachusetts ca. 1635; Nathanial had no proved blood ties
to royalty, nor is there any proven history of a knighthood.
August
1860 Census Banner Twp. Fulton Co.
IL.
HH 2376/2380
Henry S Merrill -34 farmer 2000, 1000 Maine
Sarah
-30 Indiana
Luther-11 Ilinois
Ellery-8 "
Olive-7 "
Lydia-4 "
Harry-4/12 "
Brother Joseph and his family are next door.
1870
Federal Census
Fulton, IL (INDEX - File 14 of
23)
Merril Henry
S 44
M W Farmer . . Md
Merril Sarah 41 F W Keeping house Ind
Merril Luther
M. 20 M
W works on farm Children all born IL.
Merril Ellery 18 M
W works on farm
Merril Lyddia 12 F W
Merril Henry 10 M W
Merril Arabell 7 F W
Merril Mitta 5 F W (Mehitable?)
Merril Jacob 4 M W .
Merril Nellie 2 F W
Merril Not
named 1/12 M W
Israel
Merrill, age 78 is in HH 376, and brother Joseph in HH 372\
There is no mention of Olive, who was reported in
the household in the 1860 census as 8 years old. There is a gravestone
for her in
the
Astoria Cemetery, which is probably the right
Olive. If so, her age
in the 1860 Census or on the stone is off by a couple years.
"Mary
Olive Merrill, Dau
of HS
& S Merrill,
Died Aug 17, 1866, Aged 12y 10m 5d"
1880
Census
Astoria, Fulton,
Illinois
Age Bpl Fr's Bpl Mr's Bpl
Henry S. MERRILL 54 ME Farming ME ME
Sarah wife 51 IN Kpng
House NH NY
Lydia dau 22 IL Teacher ME IN
Henry
L. son 20 IL Farm
Laborer ME IN
Arabella dau 18 IL At Home ME IN
Hattie dau 16 IL At Home ME IN
Jacob son 14 IL At
Home ME IN
Nellie dau 12 IL At
Home ME IN
Benjamin son 10 IL At Home ME IN
More
About HENRY MERRILL and Sarah
McNeil: 34
Occupation: 1879, Farmer and
stock-raiser in Sec24,
Astoria, described as a
"leading
agriculturist of the
county. (He) has 280 acres in this
county,
165 in Christian Co. and land in Kansas".33
Burials/Headstones:Sec
F Astoria
Cemetery35
Children: 1879, 9
children reported as
living: LutherM,
Ellery,
Lydia,
Henry L, Belle, Hattie, Jacob, Nellie and Benjamin R. Ellery
&
Luther, both married, resided on the homestead.36
Family/Census: 1860; 1870 Fulton Co. IL37
Marriage: 14 November 1847, Fulton Co. IL38
Children of HENRY MERRILL and Sarah McNeil are:
i. Martin
Luther9 Merrill, born 20 June 1849, Fulton CO, IL; died
06 Jan 1916 in KS. He married Mary Jane
Meredith
17 December
1878 in Fulton Co. IL 43.
She was born 1857 in
England, and died
02Oct 1933 in Wichita,
KS. Emigrated
with brother Jacob to Kansas
ca. 1901. Burial LeRoy Cemetery,
Coffey, KS. (courtesy Suz Evans)
+17
ii. ELLERY
CHANNING MERRILL, born 29 Feb
1852 in Astoria,
Fulton Co.
IL; died
09 August 1916 in Puyallup, WA.
iii. Mary
Olive Merrill, born 12 October 1853; died 17 Augt 1866.
Headstone reads: Aged 12y
10m ?d.
iv. Lydia
Merrill, born 18 Oct 1857;
died 21 March 1913 in Fulton Co. IL.
v. Harry
(Henry) Merrill, born 1860; died 1930. He married Addie
Bevans.
vi. Arabell
Merrill, born 11 February 1862 40;
died 17
February 1950.
vii. Mitta(Hitta?) "Pet" Merrill, born 1865. "Mitta" had more
nicknames than
most,
possibly as a
result of being named for her great-grandmother,
Mehitable Burbank.
viii. Jacob
Merrill, born 27 March 1866 in Astoria ,IL; died 30 Sept1930 in
Seattle, WA.
ix. Nellie
Merrill, born 1868. Census (Substitute): 1891, Tacoma, WA Directories 42
x. Benjamin
Rush Merrill, born 02 May 1870; died 23 Feb 1945
in Fulton Co. IL.
xi. William
Oliver Merrill, born 09 November 1875; died 05 February 1975.
Generation
No. 9
17.
ELLERY
CHANNING9 MERRILL (HENRY
SEWALL8,
ISRAEL7, JACOB6,
GIDEON5, ABEL4, JOHN3, DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1, NATHANIELA, JOHNB) 44
was
born 29 February 1852 in
Astoria, Fulton
Co. IL, and died 09 August 1916 in Puyallup, WA.
He married MARY
ELIZABETH BELL
01 July 1875 in Sagamon Co. IL 45,
daughter of
Isaac
Bell
and Susan Stokes. She was born 27 April 1849 in Sangamon
County,
IL,
and died 08 October 1925 in Lopoc, CA 46.
Sometime after
the census of 1870,
when Ellery is
shown living on the family farm with his parents and
siblings, he left Astoria, Illinois for "big-town"
Springfield in
Sangamon County, where he met Mary Bell. In June of
1875 they married. Over the next seven years, it appears they
moved
several times, with children born in Christian, Fulton and
Springfield counties.
June 1880 Census
Rochester, Sangamon, Illinois
Ellery Merill 29 farmer IL ME NY(sic)
Mary
Merill 31 IL KY KY
Jennie
Merill 4 IL IL IL
Bayard Merill 2
Henry Merill 20 brother IL ME NY(sic)
Son Ralph was born
in 1882, and the family moved west the following year
on the first through passenger train from Illinois to Tacoma,
Washington.
Census(Substitute): 1891,
Listed as druggist in Puyallup,
WA.47
1900
Buena
Vista
Dst 177 Polk Co.
OR
Merrill, Ellery C. Feb 1852 48 IL ME IN Farmer
Mary
E Apr 1849 57 IL KY KY 7(children) 5(living)
Bayard
T. Sept 1878 21 IL sch.teacher 5-m.unemp.
Cody Aug 1888 11 WA
Carl Feb 1891 9 WA
1900 Tacoma Ward 3
Dst.169,
Pierce Co. WA
Merrill, R(alph) Lodger
b.Sept 1882 age 17 IL IL IL Fireman Engineer
1910
United
States Federal
Census, Corning Twp, Tehama Co., CA
Merrill
Ellery C 57 IL ME
ME farm labor
Mary E. 60 IL KY KY M(29 yrs) 7chd. 5
living
Carl 19 WA farm labor
1920 United States Federal
Census
Lompoc, Santa Barbara Co., California Lompoc
Adams,
Theodore 44 CA Frnc NY
Jennie B 43 IL IL IL
Theo. Jr. 8 OR IL CA
Merrill,
Mary
E. 70 IL KY VA (mother-in-law)
Mary Elizabeth Bell
Obituary
Mary Bell was a descendant of the Bell and Breckenridge families of
Kentucky.
With her husband Ellery ("E.C.") Merrill and children, she left
Illinois in
1883 on
the first through passenger train of the Northern Pacific RR. for
Tacoma,
WA.
They lived in the Puget Sound area until 1896, moving to Oregon, where
they lived
first in Independence. They moved to Carlton, OR in
1909. Following the death of
her husband in 1916, Mary made her home with a daughter in Lonpoc,
CA. Mary was
a member of the Christian Church for 65 years. At the time of
her
death, Mary was
survived by sons Ralph Jay Merrill of Seattle and Alaska, and Bayard T.
Merrill of
Independence, OR. and a daughter, Mrs. T.E. Adams of Lonpoc, CA. as
well as 11
grandchildren and two sisters, Caroline Smith of Decatur and Mrs. James
Wickersham
of Juneau, Alaska. Pall bearers at the funeral were:
W.C.Wood,
William McKinney,
Oscar Fredrickson, C.O. Sloper, A.C. Moore, and O.A. Kreamer. Members
of the
Eastern Star, Adah Chapter, provided Eastern Star committal services in
the Yamhill
cemetery near Carlton, OR.
More About Mary Elizabeth Bell:
Burial (date is approx): 12 October 1925, Yamhill Cemetery, Carlton, OR48
More
About ELLERY MERRILL and Mary Bell:
Children: In addition to Ralph and Baynard, Mary's obit in an
Oregon
newspaper makes
mention of a daughter (Mrs. T.E. Adams of Lonpoc. CA),
and states that these three are
the only surviving children of seven
born to Mary and Ellery.49
Children of ELLERY MERRILL and
Mary Bell are:
i. Jennie
Bell Merrill, born 27 April 1876 in Christian Co. IL; died Aft. 1930.
She married Theodore Emmett Adams 14 June 1910.
Fed. Census CA:
1930, Ted was proprietor of
wholesale
sporting goods
store. Their son,
Ted,
Jr.(born ca. 1911) was a salesman in the same store. Family
owns
home
value-$5000.
+ 18 ii. Bayard
Taylor Merrill, born 01 Sept 1878 in Fulton Co. IL; died June
1956 in
Oregon.
iii. Dudley
Field Merrill, born 19 Sept 1880; died 09
Jan 1881 in Sangamon Co. IL.
+
19. iv. RALPH
JAY MERRILL, born 08 July
1882 in Springfield, IL;
died 22 Jan 1953 in Seattle, WA.
v. Infant
Merrill, born 05 August 1885; died 05 August 1885 in Tacoma, WA.
vi. Cady
Irene Merrill, born 05 August 1888 in Puyallup,
WA; died 03
March 1911. She married
Harold R. Barton 26 October 1906.
vii. Carl
Ellery Merrill, born 03 February 1891; died 05 August 1915 in Puyallup,
WA.
Generation No. 10
18. Bayard
Taylor10 Merrill (ELLERY
CHANNING9, HENRY SEWALL8,
ISRAEL7, JACOB6, GIDEON5, ABEL4, JOHN3, DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1,
NATHANIELA, JOHNB)
was born
01 September
1878 in Fulton Co. IL, and died June 1956 in Lane Co. Oregon 64.
He
married Iva L. Merrill ca. 1904 in Oregon. She was born ca.
1875
in
Oregon, and died 02 May 1955
in Lane Co. Oregon 65.
Notes for Bayard Taylor Merrill:
Database: Oregon Death Index, 1903-98
Name: Merrill, Bayard T
County: Lane
Death Date: 06 0 1956
Certificate: 11732
Spouse: Iva
More About Bayard Taylor Merrill:
Occupation: 1930, School teacher 66
Notes for Iva L. Merrill:
Name: Merrill, Iva L
County: Lane
Death Date: 22 May 1955
Certificate: 5414
Spouse: Bayard
More About Bayard Merrill and Iva Merrill:
Marriage: ca. 1904, Oregon
Oregon Census : 1930,
Eugene, Lane Co. Oregon
.
Bayard,
wife Ida,
and
4 children: Marion, Ruth, Chas, Jean67
Oregon
Census : 1920, Polk Co. Independence Twn Oregon:
Children of Bayard Merrill
and
Iva Merrill are:
i. Marian
Merrill, born 1905 in Oregon.
ii. Ruth
Merrill, born 1907 in Oregon.
iii. Charlie Merrill, born 1908 in Oregon; died 17 July
1991 in Oregon.
died 17 July 1991 in
Oregon; married Mabel (?)
Merrill 78.
Oregon Death
Index, 1903-98 Record
Name: Merrill,
Charles
Kingsley
County: Lane
Death Date: 17 Jul 1991
Certificate: 91-13563
Age:
83
Birth Date:
11 Feb 1908
Spouse: Mabel
Military Records:
Charles Kingsley Merrill
Veteran's Rank: PCCS
Branch: US Navy
Last known address: 11800 Se MT. Scott
Boulevard Portland, OR 97266
Birth Date: 11 Feb 1908
Death Date: 17 Jul 1991
Veteran Service Start Date: 21 Apr 1944
Veteran Service End Date: 1 Mar 1968
Interment Date: 4 Sep 1991
Cemetery: Willamette National Cemetery
Buried At: Section W Site 909
iv. Jean Merrill, born 1912 in Washington.
19. RALPH
JAY10 MERRILL (ELLERY
CHANNING9,
HENRY SEWALL8,
ISRAEL7, JACOB6, GIDEON5, ABEL4, JOHN3, DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1,
NATHANIELA,JOHNB)
was born
08 July 1882
in Springfield, IL, and died 22 January 1953 in Seattle, WA 68.
He
married (1) INEZ
MAUD
ESTERBROOK69
23
September 1906 in Fairbanks,
Alaska 70,71,
daughter of George Esterbrooks and
Sarah Sipprell. She
was born 07 April 1884 in Canada? Minnesota? 72,
and died 15 February
1975 in Crescent City, CA. He married (2) Louisa Anderson ca.
1930 in Valdez, Alaska.
She was born ca. 1888, and died in
1948. He married (3) Alice Haley Selb ca. 1950. This
marriage
was very short-lived.
When
Ralph's family moved to
Oregon, he remained in Washington State where at
17 years old, with nothing but eagerness and the ability to learn
quickly,
he was hired as an engineer.
1900
Tacoma Ward 3 Dst.169,
Pierce Co. WA
Merrill, R(alph) Lodger
b. Sept 1882 age 17 IL IL IL Fireman Engineer
Ralph
first went to Alaska in
1903, where he helped install and operate the first central steam plant
in Fairbanks. Judge James Wickersham --husband of Ralph's maternal
aunt, Debra Bell Wickersham-- noted in his diary that Ralph Merrill,
newly employed by the "N.C.Company,"
was one of his guests on Thanksgiving Day in November 1903.
By 1906, at 24
years of age,Ralph was the chief
engineer of the power plant of the N.C. Company when he met Inez
Estabrook, who had arrived in Alaska with her family from New
Brunswick, Canada when she was a young girl. She and her siblings lived
in Fairbanks with their mother and step-father, George Sproule. Ralph
and Inez were married in May of
1906. After the first few years of their marriage, they spent the
winter months in Seattle.
In 1918, when Ralph registered with the draft (WW I), the family was
living on North 64th St in Seattle and Ralph was employed as an
engineer for a brewery company. According to his draft registration,
Ralph was 70" tall with brown eyes and black hair. He listed his wife
Inez as next of kin. Two years later, the family was living in the
house Ralph built north of Seattle in the community of Richmond
Highlands. He was never drafted,
possibly
due to
his large family.
1920
US Census
Greenwood Prc, Twp 26, King Co. WA
Ralph
(37)
machinist, and Inez (35) living with six children, Roger 11,
Albert 10, Pauline 8, Ralph Jr. 6, Annabelle 3, Gertrude 3
mon.
The oldest three
children were born in Alaska,
younger three in Washington State. Also in household
is Sadie
Sproul 55, mother-in-law, widow, listed as a non-citizen born
in Canada with immigration date of 189_?_ . Much erroneous information
given to the enumerator, including place of birth for Ralph and
his parents.
Inez much preferred the climate of Seattle, and in 1923, refused to
make the annual trip north. Possibly she was motivated by having a new
house and perhaps a wish to keep the children in Seattle area schools.
Whatever the reasons, the result was a separation followed by a divorce
in July 1929. Inez kept the house and a $6000 settlement.
Census
1930 Alaska Third
Dist
Valdez
HH 156 Merrill, Ralph J Male W age 47
D(divorced)
Born Illinois Parents both b Illinois Occupation Miner Gold
Mine Not a veteran
Nearby, was a young divorced woman, Louise Anderson. By the
end of the year, Ralph and Louise were married. They continued to live
in Valdez, Alaska and Ralph worked his gold mine outside of
town.
Within the next few years, Ralph added the Merrill Mercantile
and
a hotel in Valdez to his business endevors. Like many
Alaskans,
they enjoyed
spending winter months in the Seattle area with visits to Oregon to
visit Ralph's brother Baylor.
Louisa died in December 1947 and was buried in Seattle.
From a probate
file:
<Ralph J.
Merrill...respectfully shows... that Lousisa A. Merrill died in Madison
Street Hospital in Seattle, Washington, December 26, 1947. That
at the time of her death and for many years prior thereto, the said
Louisa A. Merrill was a resident and inhabitiant of the Town of Valdez
(Alaska) except for a brief period of hospitalization in the said
Madison Street Hosptital.... Ralph J. Merrill is the husband and sole
heir-at-law...
Ralph returned to Valdez to run his businesses, spending most
of
the winter months
visiting his brother in Oregon. When he retired,
he sold the mercantile and hotel on contract --interest free-- and the
payments
provided him with his retirement income. He kept the gold
mine.
Obituary:
Seattle
Post
Intelligencer, ca. 25 Jan 1953
Ralph Jay Merrill came to the Puget Sound area with his
family in October 1883 when he was a year-old , making the journey on
the first through passenger train to Tacoma. He lived in Puyallup,
Tacoma and Seattle until 1905, when he went to Fairbanks, Alaska, where
he helped install and operate the first central steam plant there. He
returned to Seattle in 1913, and built a home for his growing family in
the Richmond Highlands area north of Seattle. Returning to Alaska in
1923, Ralph mined near Valdez, where he reportedly
found the largest gold nugget ever taken from that area. He later
established the Merrill Mercantile Company which he operated in Alaska
until his retirement in 1950. Ralph was a proud member of the
Trailblazers' Lodge #1, Alaska Yukon Pioneers, the Pioneers of Alaska,
and the Seattle Aerie #1 Eagles. Along with his 2nd wife,
Louise, and again as a widower in later years, he enjoyed his
"Sourdough"status at the old Vance Hotel in Seattle, where fellow
Alaskans spent several months each winter. During winter months, he
also spent time in Eugene,OR. with his brother Bayard T. Merrill.
________________________________
In his will written 6 February 1952, Ralph
listed bequests to two
nieces, Alma Fisher and Alma Knutson; his granddaughter, Joanne Merrill
Kartak, his three daughters, Polly, Helen and Gertrude. He named his
living sons, Roger and Albert, but did not leave them any part of his
estate. Alma Fisher was named administrator.
There was also this surprising
item in Ralph's will:
". . . to
my wife, Alice M.
Merrill, the sum of ten
dollars."
No one in his immediate family knew of
this marriage, and since no
one named Alice came forward to explain, or to
contest the
will, "Alice" remained a mystery until April of 2007, when
Steve Merrill--son of Bayard and Ralph's great-nephew--wrote,
"I
do have a
bit
of information I'm sure you'll find
interesting: Ralph's mystery wife, mentioned in his will, was Alice
Selb, née Haley. She was Iva's sister. [wife of Ralph's
brother, Bayard] Alice and Ralph were married, I think to
everyone's surprise (or
perhaps shock?), sometime around 1950. . . things didn't work out and
the marriage was effectively over after a short time. Ralph's
leaving Alice $10 was undoubtedly meant as an insult."
More About RALPH
JAY MERRILL:
Name: Ralph
J Merrill
Place of Death: Seattle
Age: 70
Gender: M
Date of Death: 22 Jan 1953
Certificate: 651
Burial: Washelli Cemetery, Seattle; next to the grave of his
beloved 2nd wife, Louisa.
Notes for Inez Maud Esterbrook:
California
Deaths, 1940-97 dob dod
Place/ Birth /Death
Merrill Inez M Female 7 Apr
1884 22
Feb
1975 CANADA DEL
NORTE
Inez stated her place of birth as Minneapolis, Minnesota on
several
occasions, but in the California,Death Index it’s
listed as Canada. Nothing verified, but I suspect she and her
parents were "illegal immigrants".
Of
interest to descendants of Ralph and Inez was the discovery that Inez
was a Mayflower Descendant, tracing to John Alden and the
Mullins family through members of the Shaw family who found themselves
on the wrong side of the border following the Revolutionary War. See
our Mayflower
report for more.
Inez
Castor (email
to
JMK
1/15/2000):
"....here are the birth records from her bible, where they appear in
her own writing.
To start with, she wrote her name and the date she acquired the bible --
January 31, 1903 - A.D.
Inez M. Spraule (George Spraule was her beloved
step-father.)
Roger Ellery Merrill -- June 19, 1908 -- Fairbanks, Alaska
Albert R. Merrill -- August 16, 1909 -- Fairbanks, Alaska
Pauline Inez Merrill -- May 19, 1911 -- Fairbanks, Alaska
Ralph J. Merrill -- September 19, l913 -- Seattle, Wash.
Helen Irene Merrill -- April 3, 1916 -- Seattle, Wash.
Gertrude R. Merrill -- October 11, 1919 -- Seattle, Wash.
(no other notations)
Gram was a published poet, as was my mother --
I've been
blessed to have all that love of words and word pictures come to some
sort of fruition in my life. Our grandmother wrote a poem
that I
still
think is one of the most succinct descriptions of the life of a woman
that I've ever seen. I offer it to you here, in it's entirety.
DIARY: My newborn baby tumbles from my
arms and toddles off
to
school.
A
tall youth saunters home with her; their child brings me a shawl and
stool.
~~~~~
Marriage Notes for RALPH MERRILL and Inez
Esterbrook:
Fairbanks Daily Times
(Fairbanks,
Alaska) 1912 May •
(Copied as written.)
Ivey
Estabrook-Sprouls Weds Ralph
J. Merrill
A
quiet,
impressive... wedding ceremony at St. Matthew's
Methodist
Episcopal Church...Dr. John Parsons, DD officiating...
The
bride was
beatifully gowned. . . Miss Sproule is one of
Fairbank's
most
popular and fairest daughters and Mr. Merrill is
fortunate
in
winning such a beautiful and talented bride. Mr.
Merrill
is the
chief engineer of
the power plant of the N.C.
Company...
Those
present were: Mrs. Sproule, mother of the
bride;
Judge
and
Mrs. Wickersham, Edward and Mrs. Wickersham.
Mrs.
Thomas
Woodston, Ed. Foley.
More About RALPH MERRILL and Inez
Esterbrook: 73
Divorce: 23 July 1929, King County, WA Decree #219064
Marriage: 23 September 1906, Fairbanks, Alaska73,74
Children of RALPH MERRILL and Inez Esterbrook are:
i. Roger
Ellery11 Merrill 75,
born 19 June 1908 in AK;
died July 1976 in Bullhead
City, AZ 76
More
About
Roger Ellery Merrill:
Occupation: Chef in the Bay Area ca. 1960 -1970.
Family tradition claims that in late 1932, Roger committed the first
day-time bank
robbery in Yakima,Wa.and escaped--temporarily--by offering his
sister-in- law,
Irene,and her baby, Joanne--compiler of this report--a ride to Seattle
in order to
get through the roadblock unquestioned. Not until Roger was later
arrested, charged
and found guilty did Irene realize his duplicity! According to some,
Roger spent many
years in San Quintin Prison. This story is unverified, as is another
somewhat conflicting
story about Roger that places him in Asia working as a translator
during WW II. This
story could be a tale to explain his absence and save face for a family
who did NOT
tell family secrets...particularly not to others in the family.
NEW!!! OCTOBER 2011 I discovered Roger did have a criminal history beginning at a very young age. He was released from prison ca 1940. Ca. 1955, he was a successful chef in San Francisco. He died in Bullhead City, AZ in July of 1976. He had no children.
+20
ii. ALBERT
RALPH MERRILL, born 16 Aug
1909 in Fairbanks, AK;
died 20 Sept
1981 in Anacortes, WA.
iii. Pauline
Inez Merrill, born 19 May 1911 Fairbanks, AK., d. ca. 2002
Eureka,
CA. Married name: "Stevens"?
Had one son, "Jack"? Lived in
Eureka, CA for
many years.
iv. Ralph
Jay Merrill, Jr., born 19 September 1913 in Alaska 77
U.S. World
War II Army Enlistment
Records, 1938-1946 Record
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER
39950035
Name: Ralph J Merrill
Jr
Birth Year:
1913 [age 29]
Race: White,
citizen
Nativity State or Country:
Washington
Enlistment
Date: 4 Dec 1942
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment
City: Puente
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant
Officers, USA
Grade: Private Civil Occupation:
Tracktor Driver* or
Truck Driver
Marital Status:
Single, without dependents
Height: 72 Weight:
177
Just five months after
enlistment, Ralph died. His body was
moved from an unknown
original burial site in October of 1948.
This sort of delay was not
uncommon for military people in WW II.
Golden
Gate National Cemetery
Ralph J
Merrill Jr
Veteran's Rank: PFC
Branch: US
Army
Last known
address: 1300 Sneath Lane San Bruno, CA
94066
Birth
Date: 19 Sep 1913
Death
Date: 10 May 1943
Interment
Date: 18 Oct 1948
Cemetery: Golden Gate National Cemetery
Buried
At: Section C Site 71
v. Helen
Irene Merrill, born 03 April 1916 in Seattle, WA. and died 11 Mar 2008
in Santa Maria, Calif.She married (1) Jack
Achenbach. Helen
was an RN and met her husband,
a Seattle policeman, when
she was
working at the King County hospital in Seattle.
Jack was
born 03 October 1898
and died Bet. 1956 - 1962.
Helen and Jack had
four children. Helen married (2) Ray Nicholson. He died 1983.
vi. Gertrude R. Merrill, born 11 Oct 1919 in Seattle, died 12
June 1967,Crescent City, CA.
She
married (1) William Travis Holley August 1943 in Redding,
CA. He
was
born 03 Feb 1913 in Silverdale, TX 88,
and died
25
September 1983
in Houston, TX. She married (2) James Howard
Heacock 07
April
1947 in
CA. He was born 05 April 1909,and died 05 April 1993 in
Crescent
City, CA.
Generation
No. 11
20. ALBERT RALPH11 MERRILL
(RALPH JAY10, ELLERY CHANNING9,
HENRY
SEWALL8, ISRAEL7, JACOB6, GIDEON5, ABEL4, JOHN3, DANIEL2, NATHANIEL1,
NATHANIELA, JOHNB)
was born 16 August
1909 in Fairbanks, AK,
and died 20 September 1981 in Anacortes,
WA 83.
Burial: North Bend, WA He married (1) IRENE ALLA
BILYEU April
1931
near Yakima, WA. She was born 29 November 1912 in Spokane,
Washington State 84
and died October 1993 in Lynnwood, WA.
Irene was the daughter of Roy Bilyeu and Julia Humes. Albert
married
(2) Louise Jorgenson ca. 1937. He married (3)
Helen Pyle ca. 1958. She was born 02 November 1911,
and died
1963.
Only
Child of
ALBERT MERRILL
and IRENE BILYEU is:
i. Joanne
Irene12 Merrill, born 09 August 1932 in Yakima,
WA 85,86
She married
Jerry Edmon Kartak 03 August 1950, and their marriage was blessed at
Christ the King Catholic Church Catholic Church in Seattle on 14
December 1950, when Jerry returned from duty on a troop transport ship
in Korea. As of Jan 2012, they have 6 children, 16
grandchildren, 6 adopted grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren
.
See Endnotes below.
HOME
Merrill
Album Census
Reports & Cemetery
Notes
Comments?
Corrections? Questions?
Want more information or have
some to share?
Please
Write.
Special
thanks to all of the Merrill researchers who have provided help
and encouragement,
particularly my cousins Suz Evans and Inez Castor,
and
to
the following Merrills: Gary, Jack, John, Steve, Deane, Howard
&
Jean.
If I've
inadvertently not given someone credit, please let me know, as I
firmly
believe in
"credit where credit is due", and you are all due a great deal.
Endnotes:
1.
Merrill, Samuel; "A
Merrill
Memorial" ,
Cambridge, MA 1917-1928.
2. Savage, General
Dictionary of New England
Families, (pub. 1861).
3. Merrill, Samuel; "A
Merrill Memorial" ,
Cambridge, MA
1917-1928.
4. ibid.
5. Merrill Genealogy by
Paul V. Merrill,
The Merrill
Newsletter, Vol 4, Issue 3.
6. Merrill, Samuel; "A
Merrill Memorial" ,
Cambridge, MA
1917-1928.
7. Will of Daniel Merrill.
8. ibid Wording in
father's will seems to
indicate
Ruth died before the will was written in May 1717.
9. ibid "...to my son in
lay Onesiphorus Page
sixteen
pounds wch: my desire is that he would devide
equally amongst ye.
four ohilldr en wch:
he had by my daughter Ruth when they come of age"'..."
10.
ibid "...sixteen
pounds to my daughter Martha
True..."
11.
Merrill, Samuel; "A
Merrill Memorial" , Cambridge, MA
1917-1928.
12.
ibid p 195-196, John3
MERRILL (Daniel2) was born 7 Oct.
1674,
in
Newbury, Mass., and died 17 Jan. 1756, in Salisbury, Mass., where he
passed most of his life. He is described as a house carpenter, was a
soldier in 1710, and was a deacon of the church in Salisbury. The
inventory at his death showed real estate to the amount of
£343,
6s.
8d.; personal estate, £51, 5s. 10d. He married Mary Allen,
daughter of
Capt. John and Mary (Pike) Allen of Salisbury, who was born 27 Dec.
1681, and who survived him. Children, born in Salisbury:.
13.
ibid
14.
Arundel
(Kennebunkport) Records, 1790-1840, Letter 0f
10/1999
Howard & Jean Merrill.
15.
Howard & Jean
Merrill, (Oct, Nov. 1999).
16.
Fulton Co. IL Cem.
Inscriptions, Vol 12, Aged 66y 6m
10d
w/o Israel d/0 Abel Merrill ref. 1879 History FC pg 451.
17.
ibid. Aged 84y 1mo
6d
h/o Lydia.
18.
History of Fulton
County, Illinois, Peoria
1879, (Peoria, 1879), Pg 451.
19.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, s/o I
&
L Age 26y 9m 24d.
20.
ibid. Aged 66y 6m
10d
w/o Israel d/0 Abel Merrill ref. 1879 HIstory FC pg 451.
21.
ibid. Aged 84y 1mo
6d
h/o Lydia.
22.
History of Fulton
County, Illinois, Peoria
1879, (Peoria, 1879), Pg 451.
23.
ibid
24.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, DOB given as
4-26-1823- no date of death. Bur. with C.S. & Melvina.
25.
Illinois State
Records, MERRILL, JOSEPH
W HUDNALL, MALVINA FULTON 11/29/1849
26.
w/o J.W. ref. d.c.
27.
Illinois State
Records, MERRILL, JOSEPH
W HUDNALL,
MALVINA FULTON 11/29/1849
28.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, s/o J.W.
& M.
29.
Merrill, Samuel; "A
Merrill Memorial" , Cambridge, MA
1917-1928, Pg 372a of the hand written addition.
30.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, dob, dod,
dom to
Sarah (McNeil) : s/o Isreal & Lydia (Merrill) Merrill ;
ref.d.c.
(death certificate).
31.
Illinois State
Records, Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
1763 -
1900, MERRILL, HENRY
S MCNIEL,
SARAH FULTON 11/14/1847
00B/0072 00000160.
32.
Howard & Jean
Merrill, (Oct, Nov. 1999).
33.
History of Fulton
County, Illinois, Peoria
1879, (Peoria, 1879), Pg 451-452.
34.
Census, Fulton C0., IL
1870.
35.
Astoria Cemetery
36.
History of Fulton
County, Illinois, Peoria
1879, (Peoria, 1879), pg 452.
37.
Census, Fulton C0., IL
1870.
38.
Illinois State
Records, Illinois Marriage Index 1763 -
1900,
MERRILL, HENRY S MCNIEL,
SARAH FULTON 11/14/1847
39.
Illinois State
Records, Only record for a Lydia Merrill
shows different groom. WEAVER, OBADIAH
O MERRILL, LYDIA
P FULTON 10/28/1873 .
If this
is the correct Lydia, she would
have only been 16.
40.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, b. feb 11,
1862-d.Feb
17, 1950- d/o Henry & Sarah (McNeil) Merrill -ref.d.c.-NS (No
stone).
41.
Census, Fulton C0., IL
1870, Gives age of
Nettie as 2.
42.
Tacoma, WA
Directories, 1889-1891, "Electronic," Nellie
Merrill teacher Puyallup WA 1891.
43.
Illinois State
Records, MERRILL, LUTHER
M MEREDITH, MARY
J FULTON 12/17/1878
44.
Census, Fulton C0., IL
1870.
45.
Illinois State
Records, Illinois Marriage Index 1763 -
1900,
MERRILL, ELERY C BILL, MARY
E SANGAMON 06/01/1875 .
46.
"Salem, Oregon,
Newspaper,," Obituary for Mary E. Merrill.
47.
Tacoma, WA
Directories, 1889-1891, "Electronic," Ellery C
Merrill druggist Puyallup WA 1891.
48.
Newspaper Obituary.
49.
"Salem, Oregon,
Newspaper,," Obituary of Mary
E.
Merrill, October 1925.
50.
Illinois State
Records, Illinois Marriage Index
1763 -
1900, MERRILL, ELERY C BILL, MARY
E SANGAMON 06/01/1875 .
51.
History of the
Northern Pacific Ry.,
http://www.employees.org/~davison/nprha/first.html., First service to
Livingston, Montana Territory, begins January 15, 1883 Temporary
line
over Bozeman Pass opens, March 9. Land purchased for Como Shops in
Minn., March 17. Operations begin between Lisbon and LaMoure, Dakota
Territory, August 25. Last Spike is driven as main line is completed in
grand celebration at Gold Creek, Montana Territory, September 8. First
transcontinental train arrives Portland, Ore., September 11. Mullan
Tunnel completed between Helena and Missoula, Mont., November 1.
Through passenger service is begun with Pacific Express (westbound) and
Atlantic Express (eastbound). The line from Portland to
Tacoma
was not
completed for another year or more, so families going north would have
had to traveled either by boat or wagon..
52.
Suz Evans, Letter from
Howard & Jean Merrill.
9/30/2000
53.
Merrill, Howard and
Jean.
54.
Illinois State
Records, Marriage bond.
55.
ibid. MERRILL,
JACOB WINEBRIGHT, LOUISE
MAY WARREN 02/13/1889 D
56.
Howard & Jean
Merrill, (Oct, Nov.
1999), Letter
from Howard & Jean MerrillAll information re Jacob's
family.
57.
Illinois State
Records, MERRILL,
JACOB WINEBRIGHT, LOUISE
MAY WARREN 02/13/1889
58.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, s/oHenry
&
Sarah (McNeil)- h/o Hattie (Leininger) ref.d.c.
59.
Tacoma, WA
Directories, 1889-1891, Benjamin R
Merrill
Washington Herald compos Puyallup WA 1891.
60.
ibid. Hettie M Merrill
Hospital
for the Insane
attendant WA .
61.
Fulton Co. IL Cemetery
Inscriptions, Vol 12, d/o Benj
&
Hattie (Leininger) Merrill - ref obit.
62.
Oregon Historical
Society; Portland, OR.
63.
Census 1930
California, Los Angeles • Alhambra
• District
1398 Age 19 in census report.
64.
Oregon Death Index, No
11732.
65.
ibid Certificate: 5414.
66.
Census 1930 Lane Co.
OR, Both Bayard and his wife were
public school teachers in Eugene, OR.
67.
1930 Census Oregon,
ancestry.com, Lane Co OR.
68.
Washington State Death
Index, As per
ancestry.com: Certificate #651 age 70. Date needs verification.
69.
Social Security Death
Index, Maud or Maude?
70.
Family Bible of Inez
Esterbrook Merrill.
71.
"Fairbanks Daily
Times," Historical Newspapers
@ancestry.com,
Fairbanks Daily Times (Fairbanks, Alaska) .
72.
Social Security Death
Index, Inez M. Merrill.
73.
Family Bible of Inez
Esterbrook Merrill.
74.
"Fairbanks Daily
Times," Historical Newspapers
@ancestry.com,
Fairbanks Daily Times (Fairbanks, Alaska) .
75.
Family Bible of Inez
Esterbrook Merrill.
76.
Social Security Death
Index.
77.
Washington State Birth
Index Prior to 1910 - 1919, Ralph
Jay
Merrill Name: Ralph Jay Merrill Location: Seattle Parent: Inez Maud
Spraul Birth Date: 19 Sep 1913 .
78. Deleted
due to new information.
79.ibid
81.
ibid
82.
Alaska State Records,
Birth Certificate.
83.
Washington State
Records, Death Certificate: Albert R
Merrill
Place of Death: Anacortes Date
of
Death: 20 Sep 1981 Residence: San Juan Age: 72
years Gender: M Certificate: 022424 .
84.
Washington State Birth
Index Prior to 1910 - 1919,
Another
example
of the name Bilyeu being distorted. In this case, there's
an additional
error in the first name, which should have read "Mary
Alla". Sometime shortly after her birth, her father Roy Bilyeu changed
her name from "Mary Alla" to "Irene Alla.". Here is the "recorded
record: in the Washington
State Birth Index: Parent: Roy Bilgen Name: Mary Alice Bilgen Location:
Spokane Parent: Julia Humes Birth Date: 29 Nov 1912 Sex: F .
85.
Washington State
Records, Birth Certificate.
86.
Will of Albert R.
Merrill, Named in father's will.
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