Subject: Re: Merrill family Robert S Merrill
Date: Fri, May 24, 2004 10:33 am

Question: Diane wrote:

The below deaths appeared on the Pendleton Co., KY site. Does anyone know anything about the folks listed here? I'd like to learn more about them. Diane Deaths (continued)
Mrs. Robert S. Merrill, d. 27 Feb 1924 in Newport  nee Shoemaker  age 24 years, 6 months and 24 days dau. Charles and Permelia Powell Shoemaker  b. Catawba 3 Aug 1899   m. Robert S. Merrill of Brooksville.  Surv by husband, mother and one brother, Harry Shoemaker, Price Hill, Cincinnati, OH.  bur. Evergreen Cem.

James Samuel Merrill, d. 20 Feb 1924 near Browning's Corner.  b. Aug 1838 near Neave.   age 85 years, 6 months and 26 days.  Survived by last wife, Fannie, and four children: Otis Merrill and John Merrill of Hamilton, OH; Raleigh Watson Merrill of Lexington and Mrs. Gertrude Thackston of Augusta.  bur. Oakland Cem. Pendleton Co.

Answer: Diane:

We don't know anything about the Mrs Robert S Merrill listed below [or
her husband].

The James ? Samuel Merrill, however, we do have some info on, although
there is some question about his first name, In 1870, he is Samuel, 34;
Margaret, 26; Bell M, 6; and Matilda B, 5 in Mckenneysburg, Pendelton, KY.

In 1880, still in McKennysburg, he is listed as John, 48; Margaret, 34;
Newton (f), 16; Matilda, 14; Otis, 10; Dotia, 6; John, 3; Maggie, 1. I
guess Watson and Gertrude haven't been b. yet.

This John Samuel is the son of Levin Payne (5) and Amanda Elrod. John,
14, is with his parents in Bracken Co KY in 1850. Levin Payne (5)'s
lineage is Samuel (4), William (3), Joshua (2) William (1).  Immigrant
William (1) came as an indentured servant to Somerset Co MD on the
Eastern Shore in 1668. He worked off his servitude, m. Eliza and left 9
sons and 4 daughters when he d. in 1710.

We are trying to database the Merrill 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 very interested in any detailed info you have on
John Samuel and his Merrill surname descendants down to the present day.

We write the query column for the MERRILL NEWSLETTER published by Lil
Hall Welch. Check out the Newsletter homepage at
<www.merrill.org/genealogy/tmn>

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family Joseph Merrill
Date: Fri, May 28, 2004 9:42 pm

Question: Gina wrote:

I have been doing trying to find what I can on this Joseph Merrill with nothing but dead ends. Any help would be greatly appreciated. It is for my Fiance. This Joseph Merrill was born in 1825 to 1827, he was a volunteer in the 187th Pennsylvania regiment. He entered the Army in April of 1864 and died in August of 1864. He was first buried in Mt. Moriah, PA and was later moved to Philadelphia National Cementery, Plot 9. He married Jane Mercy Aylesworth in 1851, and had 6 children (my fiance is the great, great, great,grandson of his first child. Emma Jane(Merrill)Dolph. He was living in Peakville,PA when he died. I know his family lived not far from where he was stationed in the army, because we have copies of the letters he wrote to Emma Jane. Oh, he was in Eaton,PA at that time and he said they were only 18 miles away from him. The same letter says he has a brother named Henry. His wife died in 1875, she was living with her father at the time David Aylesworth. I know that in a book about the Aylesworths that Joseph's father's name was also Joseph and he was living in New Jersey. There was no name for the mother. If you know anything of this Joseph Merrill, Or at least point me in the right direction, it would help me alot. I found what I thought was the right one after endless hours of research I was completely wrong. Sincerely, Gina

Answer: Gina:

Back before everything went on computers, we copied  a whole bunch of family group sheets at the LDS library in Salt Lake. Among them was one for your Joseph [ca 1828-1864] . It said that Joseph was b. Belvidere, Warren, NJ, son of Joseph and a Miss Witesel. He m. Mercy Jane Aylsworth of Pecksville, Lackawana, PA [1832-1875]. Their children were Emma Jane, 1853; Flora Augusta, 1855; William David, 1857; John Wright, 1859; Mary Sibylla, 1861; George Rufus, 1863.

We can't find the places you refer to on current maps, Mt Moriah, Peakville [probably Peckville which we can't find either] or Eaton [probably Easton - right across the DE river from Warren Co NJ]. We have been unable to find Joseph in the 1860 census.

In Hope and Oxford, Warren Co NJ there is a Joseph, b. ca 1789, listed in the 1830, 40, and 50 census. He had 3 or 4 sons, names unknown but one was b. 1825-1830, and at least two daughters, Elizabeth 1822, and Mary Jane, 1830 [still with him in 1850]. His wife was Mary, b. ca 1790. In 1840, there is a Henry W [20-30] in Hope who may be one of Joseph's children.  In 1850 in Hope there is a Helty (male), 54, living with a George Whitsell family.   All this taken together, it seems likely that this elder Joseph in Warren Co NJ, is probably your Joseph's father.
He as a son, b. in the right time frame, he also probably has a son Henry W, and Helty [probably a brother] is living with the Whitsell family [probably his wife Mary's family].

While we can't provide a complete lineage, We know that the elder Joseph is the son of David [ca 1750 -1824] and Charity Gulick [m. 1777 Aug 2 in Hunterdon Co NJ].  We think David is probably the son of Timothy [ca 1730- after 1785] and Ann Stout of Hopewell NJ.  We are sure that Timothy is the grandson of Immigrant William (1) who came to Staten Island NY in 1680 and later moved, first to Middletown NJ then in 1704 to Hopewell NJ, where he d. in 1724.  We just don't know which one of his sons, Thomas, Joseph, or Benjamin had Timothy.

What was the name of Emma Jane's husband, __?__ Dolph? Do you have her m. and d. dates?  Do you know anything about her brothers, William, John, and George?

We hope this helps,

Howard and Jean Merrill