Subject: Re: Merrill family Betsey Merrill
Date: Sun, Dec 30, 2006 3:11

Question: mark cleveland wrote:

My 3rd Great Grandma, Betsey Merrill(1800-1850) married Grandpa, Thomas Plaisted in Maine before 1830. I've been trying to find her parents. Can you help?

Answer: Mark:

We looked in the 1800 and 1810 census for Lincoln Co ME [Bath was in Lincoln Co in 1800 - Sagahodahoc Co wasn't formed until 1854].  We didn't find any Merrills in Bath or any nearby areas.  As far as the census is concerned, the first Merrill to show up in Bath is a Joshua in the 1830 census.  He is [50-60] with wife [40-50] and 11 children or young adults with them. It almost looks like it might be a mill or factory??  2f [under 5]; 1m,2f [5-10]; 1f [10-15]; 2m,1f [15-20]; 2f [20-30].  Betsey could certainly fit in this mix if she m. after the census was taken. We do not know who this Joshua is or who his parents were.  We didn't find a Joshua in the 1820 ME census who would fit this family group.

We also looked for any Nehemiahs who might fit being Betsey's father.  The only Nehemiah we have that had a Betsey is Nehemiah (6) [1761, Pembroke, NH]. With his 2nd wife, Dobby Hackett of Dumbarton [m. 1798 Aug 7] they had a Betsey ca1800. [Don't have a record of Betsey's m.].  Nehemiah m. 3rd in 1804 Jenny Nutt of Derryfield NH. This Nehemiah was in Bow NH in 1790, possibly in Wolfboro NH in 1810, and in Lancaster, Coos, NH in 1820 [two of his sons m. in Lancaster in the 1820's. he d. there 1830 Apr 16. No indication he was ever in ME.

Don't think we've been much help in locating Betsey's parents, but we tried.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family Betsey Merrill
Date: Sun, Dec 31, 2006 18:40

Question: mark cleveland wrote:

Betsey was born in 1805 in Bath, Sagadahoc, Me. I believe they were married in Bath. A Neamiah Merrill is a possible father.

Answer: Mark:

Do you know Where in ME Betsey and Thomas were m.? We don't have record of her m. to Thomas, nor do we find many likely candidates among the Betseys, Elizas or Elizabeths in our "lineage known" file [over 50,000 individuals], which is computer searchable.  Our  "lineage unknown" file [almost as big] is not in the computer, but on 4X6 file cards, filed by father's name. It is virtually impossible to search this file for Merrill daughters.  If we knew where they were m., we might find what Merrill families were living in that area in 1810 or 1820 from the census. These early [before 1850] census do not give the names of the members of the family, only the head of household, but do give the number of daughters in a given age bracket [possible Betseys]. Where did Betsey and Thomas live, and d.?  Have you been able to find them in the 1830-50 census?

Sorry we can not be more help.  Possibly we could with more detailed info on Betsey or Thomas.

Howard and Jean Merrill