I. Thomas¹ Meryell was born 1444? in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died Abt. 1480 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. He married ...... (......) Meryell Abt. 1469. He was born Aft. 1444 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died Unknown in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. Will of Thomas, 1463. See also www.Meryell.com for more information!

Child of Thomas Meryell and ...... Meryell is:

III. John³ Meryell (John², Thomas¹) was born 1495 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died January 28, 1551/52 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. He married Katherine John 1521 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. She was born Abt. 1507 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died December 13, 1551 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England.

Children of John Meryell and Katherine John are:

XVII. John⁴ Merrell, The Younger (John³ Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born 1545 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died February 01, 1599/1600 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. He married Prudence Bird 1570 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. She was born Bef. 1539 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died December 22, 1609 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England.

Notes for John Merrell, The Younger:
John Merrell, yeoman, probably meant free holder, a farmer who owns his land, as Wherstead was far from the King's residence, and it is unlikely that John was one of the select bodyguard (Yeoman) of 100 men chosen to guard the sovereign on 1485.

Children of John Merrell and Prudence Bird are:

XX. Nathaniel⁵ Merrill (John⁴ Merrell, The Younger, John³ Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born 1571 in Belstead, Suffolk, England, and died February 28, 1626/27 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. He married Mary Blaxall February 27, 1591/92 in Belstead, Suffolk, England. She was born May 01, 1574 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died April 29, 1624 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England.

Children of Nathaniel Merrill and Mary Blaxall are:

1. Nathaniel⁶ Merrill (Nathaniel⁵, John⁴ Merrell, The Younger, John³ Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born May 04, 1601 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died March 16, 1654/55 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married Susannah Wolterton September 23, 1633 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, daughter of Stephen Wolterton and Susanna Wolterton. She was born Abt. 1610 in Denham, Suffolk, England, and died January 25, 1672/73 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.

Notes for Nathaniel *Merrill: Settled, Newbury, Mass. 1638-9. The newly found records show that Nathaniel Merrill's daughter, Susanna, was not baptised until Dec 12, 1638 in Lawford, Essex, Co., England. This tells us that Nathaniel had not left for America with his family until late December 1638 or early 1639. In 1638 the English Government started restricting it's citizens from freely emigrating to the new continent with it's abundance of land for all, something unknown in England. The fact that brother John arranged for a homesite of four Acres in Newbury for his unnamed "brother" would indicate that the brother was not there by 23 July 1638 but was arranging to come. Ship records, the Hector, show that Nathaniel and John did arrive in Ipswich, Mass. in 1635. Nathaniel must have returned to England to get his wife and his four children and returned in 1638-39.

From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge MA 1917-1928

Nathaniel⁶ Merrill was one of the earliest settlers in Newbury, MA in 1639 He was the ancestor of the vast majority of those who now bear the Merrill name in this country: it is believed, indeed, that less than one percent of the Merrills in America can trace their pedigree to any other emigrant ancestor.

Nathaniel Merrill and his older brother John were born in England. The registers of Wherstead, a parish lying three miles south if Ipswich, in Suffolk County, England, contain the following entries:

1599, August 16. John Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & Mary his wife was baptised.
1601, May 4. Nathanaell Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & his wife Mary was baptised.

There are reasons for believing that these entries are the record of baptism of John and Nathaniel Merrill of Newbury.

It is supposed that Nathaniel Merrill was married before leaving England. No record is found of his marriage in America. If the marriage took place here it was probably at Ipswich, in the short time before the settlement in Newbury. His wife's name was Susanna. Savage, in the "genealogical Dictionary of New England" (published in 1861), says that Nathaniel Merrill married Susanna Jordan. In this he was no doubt following Coffin's "History of Newbury" (published in 1845), and the statement has been frequently copied. Ed note, Nathaniel Merrill did marry Stephen Jorden after Nathaniels death in 1655.

Nathaniel was probably a farmer and is ancestor to all the Merrills in the U.S.A.. His brother John and wife had a daughter but no sons.

Notes for Susannah Wolterton:
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.

From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

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.) Therefore until proven difference I will have Nathaniel's wife as Susanna 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.

Gregory Wolterton(Wilterton) of Hartford was childless: Susanna Merrill of Newbury was a widow with five sons and a daughter, most of them in their minority. It would have been natural for Gregory Wilterton under these circumstances to write to his kinswoman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and offer a home and modest fortune to one of the boys. From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928.

Children of Nathaniel Merrill and Susannah Wolterton are:

6. Abel⁷ Merrill (Nathaniel⁶ Merrill, Nathaniel⁵, John⁴ Merrell, The Younger, John³ Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born February 20, 1643/44 in Newbury, Essex, Mass, and died October 28, 1689 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married Priscilla Chase February 10, 1670/71 in Newbury, Essex, Mass, daughter of Aquila Chase and Ann Wheeler of Newbury. She was born March 14, 1648/49 in Newbury, Essex, Mass, and died Aft. 1690 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.

Notes for Abel Merrill:
From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928
Abel⁷ Merrill (Nathaniel⁶) was born 20 Feb 1643/44 in Newbury, MA, and died there 28 Oct 1689. He married 10 Feb 1670/71, Priscilla Chase, daughter of Aquila and Ann (Wheeler) Chase of Newbury. She was born 14 Mar 1648/49. His real estate, according to the inventory filed at his death was valued at £167; personal estate, £180,18s.

iii. Nathan⁸ Merrill, born April 03, 1676 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died 1742 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married (1) Hannah Kent September 06, 1699 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; born September 10, 1679 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died Abt. 1730 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married (2) Elizabeth Jackman Willet August 18, 1731 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; born May 12, 1689 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died 1785.

Notes for Nathan Merrill: From " A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

Nathan⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷) was born 3 Apr 1676 in Newbury, MA, and died in 1742 intestate. He lived in that part of the town which was afterward incorporated as West Newbury. In a deed from his brother Nathaniel in 1721 both are described as weavers. He was a "snowshoe man" in 1706 (see Currier"s History of Newbury, p. 541). He married 6 Sep 1699, Hannah Kent, daughter of John and Sarah (Woodman) Kent of Newbury, who was born 10 Sep 1679, and died 3 Feb 1735/36. Children born in Newbury.

iv. Thomas⁸ Merrill, born January 01, 1678/79 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died September 18, 1756 in Southampton, N.H.. He married Judith Kent March 16, 1703/04 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; born 1682 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died September 02, 1751 in Southampton, NH.

Notes for Thomas Merrill: From " A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

Thomas⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷) was born 1 Jan 1578/9 in Newbury, MA, and died 18 Sep 1756 in South Hampton, NH. He lived in Salisbury, MA, near the place where the chain bridge over the Merrimack was later erected. In 1716, he removed to South Hampton or to that part of Salisbury which by the establishment of the line between the two Provinces in 1741 became South Hampton. He married 16 Mar 1704/05, in Newbury Judith Kent, daughter of John and Sarah (Woodman) Kent of Newbury, who was born in 1682 and died 2 Sep 1751 in South Hampton, NH.

v. Joseph⁸ Merrill, born July 12, 1681 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died September 20, 1747 in Stratham, NH. He married (1) Ann Wiggins February 16, 1706/07 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; born Aft. 1681 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died December 28, 1741 in Stratham, NH. He married (2) Sarah (.....) Merrill Abt. 1743; born Abt. 1685; died Unknown.

Notes for Joseph Merrill: From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

Joseph⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷) was born 12 July 1681 in Newbury MA, and died 20 Sep 1747 in Stratham NH, where he later years of his life were passed. He was known in Stratham as Ensign Joseph Merrill, to distinguish him from Joseph⁹ Merrill, "Shoemaker," (Daniel^8,7). Joseph⁷Merrill married (1) 16 Feb 1707 in Newbury, Ann Wiggins of Haverhill, who died 28 DEC 1741 in Stratham, and (2) Sarah ???. Children born in Newbury.

vi. Nathaniel⁸ Merrill, born February 06, 1683/84 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died February 22, 1742/43 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married Hannah Stevens July 28, 1709 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; born 1687 in Amesbury, Essex, Mass; died February 03, 1734/35 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.

Notes for Nathaniel Merrill: From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

Nathaniel⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷) was born 6 Feb 1683/84 in Newbury, MA, and lived in the part of this town which is now known as West Newbury. He died 22 Feb 1742.43. He was a weaver. He married 28 Jul 1709, Hanna Stevens, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Bartlett) Stevens of Amesbury. Child born in Newbury. Possibly Nathaniel³ Merrill had a second child, James born sep 11 1715. If so it probably died in infancy.

viii. James⁸ Merrill, born January 27, 1688/89 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died March 16, 1757 in Falmouth, Cumberland, Me. He married Mary Adams November 23, 1714 in Newbury, Essex Co., MA; born March 05, 1699/00 in Newbury, Essex, Mass; died Unknown in Falmouth, Cumberland, Me.

Notes for James Merrill: From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

James⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷) was born 27 Jan 1688/89 in Newbury, MA and died 16 mar 1757 in Falmouth, ME. He lived in Newbury until about 1725 and then removed to Stratham, NH, whence in 1738 he removed to New Casco (Falmouth), ME. He owned a large farm on the northeast side of the Presumpscot River, which he bought from Gen., Waldo. In 1739 he was admitted to the First Church in Falmouth, and was selectman several years from 1741. In his will he is styled "gentleman." He married 23 Nov 1714 in Newbury, Mary Adams, daughter of Robert and Rebecca (Knight( Adams of Newbury. (See "A Genealogical History of Robert Adams of Newbury, MA, and His descendants," by Andrew N. Adams[pub.1900.] There is some conflict of authorities with regard to the parentage of Mary Adams, and the dates of her birth and marriage)

25. Deacon Abel⁸ Merrill (Abel⁷ Merrill, Nathaniel⁶ Merrill, Nathaniel⁵, John⁴ Merrell, The Younger, John³ Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born December 28, 1671 in Newbury, Essex, Mass, and died February 06, 1759 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He married Abigail Stevens June 19, 1694 in Newbury, Essex, Mass, daughter of Thomas Stevens and Martha Bartlett. She was born January 22, 1673/74 in Amesbury, Essex, Mass, and died May 24, 1757 in Newbury, Essex, Mass. He and Abigail are buried in the West Newbury Walnut Hill Cemetery.

Notes for Abel Merrill:
From " A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928
Abel³ Merrill (Abel²) was born 28 DEC 1671 in Newbury, MA and died 6 Feb 1759 in West Newbury, MA. He was a deacon of the Congregational Church of West Newbury. He married 19 Jun 1694, in Newbury, Abigail Stevens, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Bartlett) Stevens of Amesbury, who was born 22 Jan 1673/74 and died 24 May 1757. Children born in Newbury and (West Newbury)

"Abel was also born in Newbury, December 28, 1671. He moved to West Newbury, married, January 19, 1694, Abigail Stevens, and died February 6, 1759. He was a man of note, a deacon in the church, and left property, which, by will made October 21, 1752, and proved March, 1759, was divided among his sons and sons-in-law. His children were Samuel, Abel, Thomas, John, Nathaniel, Abigail (Mrs. John Kent), Martha (Mrs. Joshua Marsh), Priscilla (Mrs. Ezekiel Clark)."- History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, 1885, D. Hamilton Hurd, p483.

1051. Nathaniel¹⁰ Merrill (Nathaniel⁹, Abel⁸, Abel⁷, Nathaniel⁶, Nathaniel⁵ Merrill, John⁴ Merrell, The Younger, John³ *Meryell, John², Thomas¹) was born September 25, 1739 in Nottingham West, NH, and died October 18, 1785 in Nottingham West, NH. He married Olive Lund February 25, 1767. She was born March 26, 1741 in Dunstable, NH, and died October 22, 1820 in Nottingham West, NH. Nathaniel was an ensign.

"He was appointed an ensign in the militia in 1764. In 1777 he volunteered for service in Stark's expedition to Bennington, VT, but owing to illness was compelled to send a substitute. In the records of Nottingham West he is called Nathaniel Merrill tertius, Nathaniel¹¹ Merrill, (Roger¹⁰, Nathaniel⁹, Abel⁸) being called Nathaniel Merrill, Jr. He married, 25 Feb 1767, in Nottingham West, Olive Lund of Dunstable (now Nashua), NH. She was born 26 Mar 1741, and died 22 Oct 1820.

The Nathaniel Merrills of Nottingham West have been occassioned some confusion. A deed from Nathaniel Merrill to Nathaniel Merrill, 3rd, was witnessed by Nathaniel Merrill and Nathaniel Merrill, Jr., and the will of Samuel Merrill of Nottingham West was witnessed by Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Jr., and Nathaniel, Sr." - A Merrill Memorial, Samuel Merrill, p380.

"Nathaniel Merrill (Tertius) was born September 25, 1739, at Nottingham West; married, February 25, 1767, Olive Lund, of Dunstable (Nashua). They had three children, all of whom attained maturity, - Benjamin, Oliver and Asa. Nathaniel held an ensign's commission from King George III before the Revolution, but supported the cause of the colonies. He inherited a portion of his father's estate, which, just previous to the war, he sold and purchased a mill, where he manufactured machinery for cider-presses, etc. The parties to whom the farm was sold did not pay for it until Continental money was so depreciated as to make it valueless to Mr. Merrill. His death occurred in 1785. His wife survived him, dying in 1820, aged seventy-nine."- History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, 1885, D. Hamilton Hurd, p484.

Children of Nathaniel Merrill and Olive Lund are: