Subject: Re: Merrill family - Caroline R Merrill
Date: Sun, September 12, 2010 9:41a

Question: Gail Angliss wrote:

My great-great grandmother Caroline R. Merrill was born in the state of New York about 1824/1825. She married Lyman M. blandin 3 Nov.1847. They are listed in the 1850 census as living in Gouverneur, St. Lawrence County, NY. I am trying to find Caroline's parents and where in NY was she born. Any information that you might have would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you. Gail

Answer: Gail:

We do not know who Caroline's parents were.  Looking at the 1850 census to see who was close by in St Lawrence Co NY, the two towns with Merrills in them in 1850 that were closest to Gouveneur NY were DeKalb and Russell. The Merrill in Were newly married so couldn't be  Caroline's parents. In Russell, there is a Spencer Merrill, 51, b. CT and Chloe, 50, b. CT and their son Harry B, 28, b. CT m. within the year to Harriet,  28, B. NY. Looking back to the 1840 census, Spencer was in Russell and had a [10-15] daughter, who might be your Caroline. She would be of the right age to m. in 1847.  We don't know who Spencer's father was.

In the 1840 there are a number of other Merrill families who are gone by 1850 who also had daughters who could m. in 1847; Smith, Ransome, Leicester.  We don't know the lineage of any of these Merrill families, either.

Afraid this wasn't much help,

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Wafford Humphries Merrell
Date: Mon, September 13, 2010 8:28p

Question: Lynnette Merrell Dawe wrote:

I am a descendant of Captain Benjamin Merrill. I would like to update the trees I have noticed on the web with my branch in Mississippi. Here is my direct line... Marie Lynnette Merrell Dawe, Dr. Waffford Humphries Merrell Jr, Mr. Wafford Humphries Merrell Sr, Middleton Wafford Merrell, Middleton Merrell, Pinckney Merrell, Abel Merrell, Charles Merrell, Captain Benjarmin Merrell. My dad health isn't the greatest right now and I want to fix what I have seen on line with other names I have from the last couple of generations. Who do you suggest I contact?

Answer: Lynnette:

Thank you for writing.  I don't know what internet site you are referring to. About the only way to correct an error on an internet site is to communicate with the the one who posted the info.  Your data corresponds with ours with one exception, the spelling of Wafford in the last three generations. We got our information from the WOfford Genealogy and it has your line down to your birth. In all cases it is spelled WOfford in that Genealogy. In the 1910, 1920 and 1930 census, your great grandfather was listed each time as Wofford.  When did the name change from Wofford to Wafford? Do you know how the Wofford name became connected to the Merrells?   It seems to have started with Wofford Middleton, your great grandfather. Perhaps it was his mother , Mary Ann Chatham's mother's maiden name. The Wofford Genealogy probably had that information, but we only copied the Merrell info.

Who and when did you marry?  In our database [over 60,000 Merrill/Merrell males plus their wives and daughters], we follow the Merrell daughters till they m., but don't try to follow their children.  That may sound sexist, but with a database this large, we had to draw the line somewhere, and chose to stay with just the Merrill/Merrell surname.  Our database is Not online nor internet searchable, but we will search our database for anyone and share what we find at no cost. We only ask that folks share their Merrill info with us, particularly the later generations, so we can expand our database and do a better job of helping folks trace their Merrill lineage. We use the database strictly to try and help folks trace their Merrill lineage, and to support the Merrill DNA Genealogy Project.

The Wofford Genealogy only shows you and your sister, Elizabeth Ann, as children of Wofford  Humphreys Jr.  Is that correct, or were there more children?

A useful new tool in Genealogy is DNA testing to help prove lineage. In the Merrill DNA Project we now have over 100 Merrill/Merrell males tested, 18 of which are descended from Capt Benjamin (3), or his immigrant grandfather, William (1) of Staten Island and Hopewell NJ.  The DNA associated with the male Y-chromosome is passed from father to son, essentially unchanged over tens or hundreds of generations. So barring an adoption or other non-parental event, the DNA should follow the surname.  All the Capt Benjamin descendants tested share the same DNA pattern. Your father might want to consider being DNA tested.  The test is run on two Q-tip swabs of the inside of the cheek. If he does not want to be tested now, he might want to take two swabs of his cheek, seal them in a zip-loc bag and store them in the freezer in case you wanted to have the test run at some time in the future.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Elam Merrill
Date: Thu, September 16, 2010 10:30a

Question: Karen Merrill Martin wrote:

Hello Howard and Jean,

It's been several years since we corresponded and I'm wondering if you have found any additional information on my branch. I am descended from Sherman Morton Merrill 1828-1908. I believe him to be the son of Elam Merrill 1798-1882. I've not been able to find much on Elam and Phebe Seelye 1805-1856. I think he was the son of Benjamin Merrill 1767-1854 and Jemima Potter 1779-1856. Does this mesh with what you have? Do you have any "proof" document/information.

Thanks for all your help.

Answer: Karen:

We don't have any additional info on your line since we last corresponded in 2002. Although we don't have any "proof" diocumentation we agree that Sherman Morton (8) is the s/o Elam P (7), Benjamin (6), Nathaniel (5), John (4), Nathaniel (3,2,1).

Sorry for the delay in answering - we have been out of the country, to England and France on a Friendship Force Exchange.

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Enoch Merrill
Date: Thu, September 16, 2010 3:38p

Question: Ken Townsend wrote:

Hi Howard,

Did you get the E-Mail that I sent you ?? I have seen that Enoch (The son of Paul Merrill b.1767) was married two times,Sarah Pratt and Mary Whitney They have that the line with Joseph is from Mary and the one with Daniel they have Sarah. CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS ?

Ken

Answer:Ken:

Sorry for the delay in answering - we have been out of the country.

You have your generations confused.  Enoch (6), 1792, SON of Paul (5), 1767, m. 1820 Betsey Bean in Gilmanton, but  NOT either Sarah Pratt or Mary Whitney.  It was Paul's FATHER, Enoch (4), 1711/12, that m, both Mary Whitney ca 1740, and Sarah Pratt, in 1760 [and also an Abigail (__?__) in between Mary and Sarah].  It is easy to get confused when each generation and all the siblings use the same given name.

Who specifically are you trying to trace? We will be glad to try and straighten out your line.  There is a lot of mis-information out on the web.  We did not check the WorldConnect site.  Buyer beware.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - John F. Merrill
Date: Sat, September 18, 2010 3:37p

Question: Martha Smith wrote:

I look for John F. Merrill born ca. 1859 in KY who is the father of Martin Luther Merrill born Pendleton County, KY about 1863 and married Eva White in Woodford County, KY in 1885. John's daughter was Nancy Ann Merrill who married C. Frank Carroll. Have you any record of this family?

Answer: Martha:

We are having problems with your Query. John F, b ca 1859 cannot be the father of Martin Luther born only 4 years later. According to the 1870 census, the Martin L b ca 1862 in Pendleton Co KY was not the son of John but rather the son of William, b. KY ca 1817 and Mary Luckett, b. KY ca 1824. William is listed in Pendleton Co in 1860 and 1870 and his widow Mary is there in 1880. William and Mary did have a son John F, b. 1855 Nov 20, who would be Martin Luther's BROTHER, not his father. We do not know who William's father was.

We have not located either John F or Martin Luther after 1880. The Eva Merrill in Woodford Co, KY in 1900 and 1910 is m. to a to a Frank P Merrill, b. 1864, not to Martin Luther. That Eva was Eva Nave, b. 1864 Oct and she and Frank were m. ca 1896. What more info can you give us on John F and Martin Luther. When did they d. and where? Did they stay in KY or move out of state? Did they have children? Names, dates, location? From another correspondent we have that John F m. twice, first to Sarah Workman, and 2nd to Iciline Earle, but we don't know when or where.

Let us introduce our selves. We are Howard and Jean Merrill. For thirty years we have been trying to database the Merrill/Merrell family nationwide from the original immigrants down to the present day for all immigrant lines. So far we have info on over 60,000 Merrill males plus their wives and daughters in our database, but we estimate there have been well over a 100,000 so we have a long way to go, and 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 from us.While our database is not internet searchable, we will be glad to search it for anybody and share what we find at no cost. All we ask is that folks share their Merrill data with us so that we can expand our database and do a better job of helping solve Merrill lineage problems.

We would be very interested in how you descend from john F or martin L, and the details in each generation.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Silas Merrill
Date: Mon, September 20, 2010 2:34p

Question: Kathleen Merrill Crownover wrote:

My family tree of Merrill goes back to Silas 1784-1857 and w. Sally Green 1785-1809 their son Joseph Green Merrill 1809-1887 and his w. Lucy Hamilton Doyle (A. Hamilton of Chebeague our link to the Mayflower 4 ways)down through the Gray and Portland areas of Maine. Might we have a connection?

Answer: Kathleen:

Although we are sure that Silas 1784 was descended from immigrant Nathaniel of Newbury MA, we ave not been able to make a direct connection, so Silas remains in our "Lineage Unproven" file. As yet no male Merrill descendant of Silas has had his DNA tested, which would prove his descent from Nathaniel, but would not tell us who Silas's father was.  The DNA associated with the male Y-chromosome is passed from father to son, essentially unchanged over tens or hundreds of generations. Male descendants of Nathaniel share a distinctive and very rare DNA pattern.

Let us introduce our selves. We are Howard and Jean Merrill.  For thirty years we have been trying to database the Merrill/Merrell family nationwide from the original immigrants down to the present day for all immigrant lines.  So far we have info on over 60,000 Merrill males plus their wives and daughters in our database, but we estimate there have been well over a 100,000 so we have a long way to go, and 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 from us.  While our database is not internet searchable, we will be glad to search it for anybody and share what we find at no cost.  All we ask is that folks share their Merrill data with us so that we can expand our database and do a better job of helping solve Merrill lineage problems.

We would be very interested in the details of your Merrill line from Silas down to the present.

Please excuse the delay in answering - we have been out of the country.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family - Susanna Merrill
Date: Wed, September 29, 2010 10:06p

Question: Darryl Whitmore wrote:

My 5th great grandfather was Ebenezer Whitmore, who married a Susanna Merrill of Newbury, MA on 4/14/1784. Susanna died on 6/11/1840 at the age of 76. I have scanned through A Merrill Memorial, but have been unable to find a matching Susanna. I'd like to identify her parents and siblings, and was wondering if you had any info? Any clues that you might have would be appreciated, thank you!

Answer: Darryl:

We do not know for sure who your Susanna Merrill was, but we think we have a clue.  Looking at the published Newbury MA vital records, the only birth of a Susanna Merrill listed that would be of marriageable age in 1784 was that of "Susanna, b. 1764 Apr 26, d/o Daniel Jr and Molly". We are almost certain this refers to Daniel (5) [Daniel (4,3,2), Nathaniel (1)], b. 1731 Aug 18, and 2nd wife Molly Ossilloway who he m. 1759 Nov 27.  This Daniel is listed in A Merrill Memorial, page 349/350, and three of Molly's children are listed, but not Susanna.  In the vr listing of the births of two of Molly's children, Sarah and Molly, the listing is exactly the same as that for Susanna, That is  "d/o Daniel Jr and Molly".  So we are sure that we have the right parents for this Susanna. The only question is was this Susanna the one that m. Ebenezer Whitmore.  We think it was, but have no proof.

We have in our database an Eben B Whitmore [no date] and wife Johanna (__?__) who had a George L Whitmore, ca 1859 in Newburyport, who m. 1885 Jun 7 a Georgiatta Merrill, b. 1857 Aug 25 in Newburyport, d/o Warren (7) and Catherine Caney [Jacob (6), Joseph (5), Isaac (4),Abraham (3,2), Nathaniel (1)].  We were wondering if this Eben B Whitmore might be the son, or grandson of your Ebenezer and Susanna Merrill Whitmore?

Sorry for the delay in answering, we have been out of the country.

Howard and Jean Merrill