Subject: Re: Merrill family - Merrill Plantation
Date: Sat, October 1, 2011 5:23a

Question: Angie Johnson Howard wrote:

I am searching for the 'Old Merrill Plantation', located somewhere between Logansport and Alexandria, LA. My William Johnson stopped there on his trek to TX, he raised horses, and was allowed to stay on this plantation until the TX Independence war was over. Married the daughter of Falbush (the manager or w/e), her name was Margaret Falbush. They came on to TX. Margaret moved back to LA in 1872 with daughter and son James Johnson.

Answer: Angie; We have no idea where your "Old Merrill Plantation was. In the 1820 census there was a a John MUrrill listed in Natchitoches parish, but at that time that parish included the whole northwestern quarter of the state, essentially everything from Alexandria north to AR and west to TX. In 1840 a John MUrrill [and John Jr ] were in Claiborne parish on the AR border [formed from Natchitoches parish in 1828]. Is this the same family?, In the same place or have they moved? And left the"Old Merrill Plantation" somewhere south and west?

We don't try to follow the land transactions of the over 60,000 Merrill/Merrell males in our database and we haven't included those with MUrrill spelling.

Sorry we couldn't help,

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Isaac Flower Merrill
Date: Sun, October 2, 2011 6:39p

Question: Karin Hildebrand Lau wrote:

Hi Howard and Jean,

Just a quick note that I discovered new info re: Isaac Merrill (b. 1803), son of Noah and Zilema Flower Merrill, at the California State Library. Up until now, I believe the only info anyone had was his birth year and an unnamed reference to him in Noah Merrill's pension records. In 1939, his granddaughter Caroline Coggins submitted an info card to the California Pioneer Collection. It turns out Isaac and family left Whiteside County, Illinois, and emigrated to California by covered wagon in October 1849, the year of the California Gold Rush. I would love to email copies to you for your records. Can you please provide me with your email address? An interesting note: the card states his father is Seth Merrill, not Noah Merrill, while also verifying that Zilema Flower Merrill is indeed his mother (spelling is Zulema). Do you know if Zilema/Zulema was ever married to a Seth Merrill? Or could this be a mistake?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Karin

Answer: Karin:

Thank you for thinking of us and our database. We would be very interested in that new info. We are certain that it was Noah who was in Pomfret NY in the 1820 census where Isaac Flower was b. ca 1803. Isaac did have a brother Seth b. ca 1798 about which we know nothing . In some records he is listed as Jacob. Zulema was still around, age 80, in 1850 living with a daughter in Whiteside Co IL.. We are almost certain that the card is in error.

Thanks,

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Isaac Flower Merrill
Date: Mon, October 10, 2011 6:30p

Question: Betty Tripp wrote:

I am new to the researching of the Merrill line. I come into the line through Sarah Merril b. 1702 the daughter of Jonathan and Mary Merrill. In tracing the line back, I find a will for Thomas Merrill which says it was probated in 1463. If that is the case, then how do researchers list him as dying in 1680?

--Betty

Answer: Betty:

Your Sarah, 1702 May 20, is the d/o Jonathan (3) and Mary Brown [Abraham (2) immigrant Nathaniel (1)]. Sarah m. 1723 Sep 17, Abner Harriman.

Do you have a reference to the will of Thomas, probated 1463?

Undoubtedly someone has two different Thomas confused. There may be another Thomas who d. 1680 in the Wherstead area. He might be a 4th or 5th great grandson of the Thomas 1444-1463. The lineage in the period before immigrant Nathaniel's grandfather is very hazy, In "A Merrill Memorial" [available on this site] there is a chapter "the wills of three John Merrills" which details these wills. It is evident from these wills that two of these Johns named TWO of their sons JOHN and both grew to maturity. There is no way to be sure which of those sons is the one referred to in the will of the next generation John. Before about 1400 the common folk in England didn't have surnames, so related individuals might have chosen different surnames, and unrelated individuals might have chosen the same surname, so at that point surnames become meaningless with regard to relatedness.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Cora Merrill, abt 1864
Date: Mon, October 31, 2011 2:47a

Question: Michael wrote:

I am looking for info on a Cora Merrill born in Iowa. She died in 1886 in Kansas giving birth to my great great grandmother, Leona Henderson. Father was David Henderson.

--Michael

Answer: Michael:

We cannot be absolutely sure, but we think your Cora Merrill was the d/o John Calvin, b. ca 1834 in Thornton, Grafton, NH and his wife Christina. In 1880 they are in Reeder, Anderson, KS and have Cora , 16, b.IA, and others with them. We can't find Reeder on current Maps, but it is or was a township in Anderson Co.

We think we found your David Henderson, 21, in 1880 living with his folks in Leroy, Coffey, KS which is right over the county line from Anderson Co. If this is correct, they would be living close together, but not yet m. in 1880. Do you know when and where Cora and David were m.? Do you have an exact d. date for Cora or know where she was buried?

If we have found the correct Cora, her Merrill lineage Cora (9), John C (8), William S (7), William (6), Daniel (5), Samuel (4), Abel (3,2), immigrant Nathaniel (1). More details on this lineage are available.

Howard and Jean Merrill