Subject: Re: Merrill family Charles Merrill
Date: Sun, Jun 25, 2006 6:16 pm
Question: Ken Million wrote:
1850 Census, Campton, Grafton, NH: household of Moody & Lucy Cook includes a Charles Merrill, age 19, born NH, and a Lucy Merrill, age 24, born NH. Who are they? Not shown in the household is Moody's dau Lucy Cook (1826-1872), who m.8 May 1852, Moses C. Dole. Could she be Lucy Merrill? Moody Cook is younger bro of the Judith Cook who married Giles Merrill (1776 - 1851), who had son Giles that m.Mehitable Elliot.
Answer: Ken:
We are pretty sure that the Charles Merrill living with the Moody Cook family is the son of Winthrop (7), 60, and Martha A Noyes, 55, also living in Campton. We do not have any record that Charles E (8) [b. Campton, 1831 May 3, d. New Orleans, LA,1874 Jan 9] m. Lucy Cook, but their ages are correct, and they are living with her parents. If they did m., they must have divorced, since she m. Moses Dole in 1852. Perhaps Lucy got pregnant and they had to marry. Then perhaps the child didn't survive and they divorced or had the m. annulled. It is unusual that Lucy is five years older than Charles in 1850. Charles m. Alwilda Palmer, 1858 Feb 4, in Boston.
Did you find Lucy Cook Cole in the 1860 census? Did she have a child b. ca 1850-51 with her, Merrill or Cole?
There seems to be a close connection between the Cook and Merrill families. Charles had a brother named Moody Merrill [1836-1903]. Charles's father Winthrop (7) had a brother, Hardy (7), whose daughter Sarah Maria [1836-1931] m. 1855 Sep 11, Almon Hastings Cook, son of Moody and Lucy (Eaton) Cook.
Just by way of intrest, Moody Merrill, was a rather infamous character. A lawyer, state Senator, and banker in Boston, he ebezelled a huge amount of money and disappeared. Under an assumed name, C. F. Grayson, he became bank president and head of the Water Co in Silver City NM. His true identity was not discovered until his death in 1903.
Back to your original question, while we don't have any record of it, we think you are probably correct that the Lucy Merrill, 24, with Charles, 17, in the home of Moody Cook in 1850, was probably, Lucy Cook, Moody's daughter.
Howard and Jean Merrill |
