Subject: Re: Merrill.family Samuel Merrill
Date: Fri, April 15, 2005 3:06 pm

Question: Connie Primus wrote:

I am looking for some primary sources for the following Merrill ancestors: Lt. Samuel Merrill (1728/9-1822) m. Elizabeth Bradbury 1746/7; Abel Merrill (1748-1828)m. Elizabeth Page 1773; Abel Merrill, Jr. (1785-1859) m. Abigail Hill 1807. Samuel and Abel Sr. were born in Salisbury, MA, a! nd both died in Maine. Abel Jr. was b. in Buxton, Maine and d. in Turner, Maine. I got this information from A Merrill Memorial but need to have primary sources. Do you know if there are records from these towns? Thank you for your website and any help you may give me. Connie

Answer: Connie:

This isn't' a primary reference either, but the printed vital records for Salisbury, MA, give the b. of Samuel, 1728/29 Jan 8, and Abel, s/o Samuel Jr, bp. 1748 July 17. We copied only the Merrill pages and don't have the key for the abbreviated source references. For Samuel it is "N. CT. BK". For Abel it is "C. R. 1."  We assume the data came from church record books.  Samuel's m. to Elizabeth Bradbury 1747/8 Mar 3 is recorded [m. int. also recorded but date not given]. Abel's m. is not listed.

We don't have similar "near primary" records for the Buxton ME area. We do not know if original Buxton vital records exist in town or church records.  

As noted in A Merrill Memorial, much of the material therein was originally collected by Rev Samuel Hill (8) Merrill who was b. 1805 in Buxton, ME and who served pastorates all over Northern New England. After his d., his genealogical papers were saved from destruction by author Samuel Merrill's father, Gyles Merrill and passed on to him on Gyles's death.  We don't know if these papers were passed on to the NEGHS in Boston. We do know that two notebooks of Supplemental Information [to A Merrill Memorial] were filed with NEHGS.  We have copies of that info.  But none of this collected info, however accurate, can be considered "Primary".

We are trying to database the Merrill/Merrell surname nationwide from the original immigrants right down to the present day for all the immigrant lines. So far we have over 60,000 Merrill males, plus their wives and daughters in our database, but we estimate that there are well over 100,000 so we have a long way to go, and we need and appreciate all the help we can get, particularly with the later generations. We use this database strictly to try and help folks trace their Merrill roots. Be assured that no info on living individuals will become internet accessible. We would be interested in your Merrill connection.

Sorry we couldn't be more help,

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill.family Hannah Merrill
Date: Tue, April 05, 2005 11:15 am

Question: Roberta Williams wrote:

My family tree is interdispersed with Merrills and Chases. The last direct meet-up is Jonathan Chase b. Dec 1751, Newbury,MA d. 1825, Danville, ME 1825 md Hannah Merrill b. Dec 1751, Newbury, MA d. 1844 Danville, ME HAnnah was a descendant of Abel and Priscilla (dau. of Aquila Chase amer. ! family head).The story I got was her father was directly or indirectly responsible for the smallpox outbreak in Newbury(port?). When Jonathan and Hannah moved their family to Maine in 1798, Jonathan's brother Edmund went and there was a Peter Merrill involved. Can anyone tell me if he was Hannah's brother and if it was a "family" migration up to the District of MAine and the circumstances? Any other information on the Merrill's in Maine as they relate to Hannah would be helpful. At least 4 of Jonathan and Hannah's children were part of the migration to the Northwest Territories following the end of the War of 1812. Their eldest, John Merrill Chase was a founder of Athens Co. Ohio and I am in touch with many of his descendants. Two of their daughters and their husbands went to the Wapsi River settlements in Iowa.Back in Maine, other siblings married into the Jordans and Royals of Cape Elizabeth/Pejepscot. Most of my genealogy work has been on the Chase side and it really is time I concentrated more on the Merrill. Thank you for this site. Bertie

Answer: Roberta:

We have your Hannah Merrill, b. 1751 Dec 13 in Newbury, MA, who m. 1773 Apr 22, Jonathan Chase, as the d/o John (4) [1718 Jan 13 - 1759 Nov] and Anne Ordway.  The story about the smallpox outbreak was that he found a cap on the bank of the Merrimack and wore it and his was the first death from smallpox. At least thirty other victims of the outbreak followed.  But John (4) was not a descendant of Abel (2) Merrill and Priscilla Chase, but rather of his brother Abraham (2) and Abigail Webster through John (3) and Deborah Hazeltine. So Hannah (5)'s lineage is John (4,3), Abraham (2), Nathaniel (1). More details are available.

Hannah's brother Peter, 1747-1823 lived in Minot and New Gloucester ME. He m. Patty Tarbox, but d. without issue.  Hannah's sister, Jemima, 1754, m. 1774 Aug 25, Joseph Saunders, and also lived in Minot. Her brother, John, 1750-1821, lived in New Gloucester, ME. He m. Mary Royall.

With info on over 60,000 Merrill males, plus wives and children, we have neither time, space, nor energy to try and follow the children of all the Merrill daughters [our own excepted, of course]. We have taken the easy way out and strictly follow the Merrill surname.

Howard and Jean Merrill