Subject: Re: Merrill family Duane Harrington Merrill
Date: Sun, May 5, 2007 16:09

Question: Scott Merrill wrote:

Good day, I am originally born and raised in South Portland, Maine. Father is Duane Harrington JR and Mother is Venora Crosby (Maiden Name). Just curious if you can get started toward the right family tree. Any help I would be most grateful for. scott Merrill

Answer: Scott:

We are Howard and Jean Merrill. For twenty five years we have been trying to database the Merrill/Merrell surname nationwide from the original immigrants right down to the present day for all the immigrant lines. So far we have info on 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.   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 that we ask is that folks share their Merrill data with us, so we can expand the database, and do a better job of helping solve Merrill lineage problems.

We have your Merrill lineage down to to your father's birth in 1925, but are not sure we have all the information on your Grandfather, Duane Harrington Sr.'s family.  Your lineage would be Scott (12), Duane H ( 11,10), Frederick C (9), George H (8), Rufus (7), Levi (6), Daniel (5), Joseph (4), Daniel (3,2), immigrant Nathaniel (1). More details are available. We would very much appreciate details on your grandfather's, father's, [and any uncle's] and your families so we can bring our database up to the present.  We do not give out information on living individuals, but refer anyone who might ask back to the one who gave us the data.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family Brazilla Merrill
Date: Tue, May 8, 2007 16:32

Question: Jerrie Earle-Beard wrote:

I am the ggggggranddaughter of Barzilla Merrill. My gr. grandfather was Wilber Merrill who fought with the 44th NY in the Civil War. I have 21 letters he wrote during that time. I also Have a picture of him taken in Albany when on a recruiting mission. I have been researching the family h! istory in preparation to do a historic novel. My question is: How did the family go from New Haven CT to Fabius NY? I have found nothing to indicate they went cross country or sailed up the Hudson. Can you help? Also if you would like I have almost all of Wilbur Merrill descendants up to date and can send you this info.

Answer: Jerrie:

We are fortunate to have a copy of  Mary Thrasher's little book, Merrill Genealogy, Descendants of Barzilla Merrill, 1764-1850, written in 1907, and given to us  several years ago by Doris Alice (Merrill) Williams (11), Alva (10), Irving (9), Barzilla (8), Heman (7), Barzilla (6), David (5), Nathaniel (4), John (3,2), immigrant Nathaniel (1).

In the preface to the book it states that Barzilla  came to Fabius from Stephentown, Rensselaer, NY.  This is consistent with the census which has him listed in Stephentown in 1800.  Before that we found him in Litchfield town, Litchfield, CT in 1790. All the Merrills in Litchfield Co in 1790 were listed in Litchfieldtown, although we know some were in Goshen and New Hartford. We have that Barzilla was b. in Goshen, Litchfield, CT. That's where his mother, Esther Howe was from, but we found his parents, David and Esther, in Waterbury CT in 1790 and 1800. David was in Fabius NY in 1810 and 1820 and that is where he is buried in the same plot on the Merrill farm with Barzilla and his wife Electa.  All this together would suggest they went overland to at least the Hudson, then perhaps westward along the Mohawk River.  All this is speculative, except the census data.

The book indicates that Wilbur only had daughters and one son, Luther Wells, who only had daughters.  Is this correct?  For 25 years we have been collecting Merrill surname information and have over 50,000 individuals in our database descended from Nathaniel.  We include the daughters and who they marry, but have not tried to follow the Merrill daughter's children, our own daughters children excepted , of course.  We had to draw the line somewhere and chose to follow the Merrill surname. If you have info on Merrill surname descendants of Barzilla, we would be most happy to receive it.

We hope this helps,

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family Darius Merrill
Date: Tue, May 15, 2007 12:37

Question: Robert Rouse wrote:

I am a descendent of Darius Merrill, who settled Merrill, NY. I have information about his father Paul Merrill, Jr (b. Apr 20, 1796) and his great-grandfather Enoch Merrill (b. Jan 17, 1712) but can't find anything on his grandfather Paul "Sr". If I could find this missing link I would have my lineage all the way back to Thomas Merrill. Thanks...

Answer: Robert:

Darius Warren (7), 1829 Aug 16 -1887 Apr 20 was the son of Paul (6), 1796 Apr 20 in Gilmanton NH - 1877 Mar 3 in Belmont NY, and Hannah Shepard. Paul (6) was the son of Paul (5), 1767 May 14 in Stratham NH to 1849 [probably  in Gilmanton NH], and Abigail Melcher. Paul (5)'s lineage is Enoch (4), Joseph (3), Abel (2), immigrant Nathaniel (1). More details are available.

Welcome to the Merrill DNA-Genealogy  group. Let us introduce ourselves. We are Howard and Jean Merrill. For twenty five years we have been trying to database the Merrill/Merrell surname nationwide from the original immigrants right down to the present day for all the immigrant lines. So far we have info on 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.  Would be interested in Merrill surname descendants of Darius down to the present.
 
We will be glad to try to help with any Merrill/Merrell genealogical problems you may have, or fill in any blanks in your lineage.  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 that we ask is that folks share their Merrill data with us, so we can expand the database, and do a better job of helping solve Merrill lineage problems.   We are also using this database to support the DNA research effort of the Merrill  DNAGenealogy site.

Howard and Jean Merrill

Subject: Re: Merrill family Silas and William Merrill
Date: Tue, May 15, 2007 10:48

Question: Sharon E. Nelson wrote:

Hi Howard and Jane, Well, once again it’s time for our Merrill family reunion up in Maine this summer and I'm still looking for the parents of my gggg grandfather Silas Merrill b. Oct 4, 1784 in Freeport, Falmouth or N. Yarmouth, ME. He had a half brother William Merrill b. Dec 20, 1776 in either Durham, Falmouth or N. Yarmouth, ME. William married only once to Nancy Robinson, I believe she out lived him. Anywaym I am descended from Silas and his first wife Sarah (Sally) Green who died shortly after giving birth to a son Joseph Green Merrill b. May of 1809. I wrote to you both in 2004 and you did give me a clue, reference a Sarah Merrill being the head of household in the 1790 census in N. Yarmouth, ME. Out of the five Merrill families listed she was the only one that had at least two boys under the age of 16 (four in all) and both Willam and Silas were under the age of 16 at the time of the census. I believe there was one boy over 16 and three girls who rounded out the household. I noticed too some other ancestors that were in the census as well (Drinkwater’s, Gray’s and Hamilton’s) so I do believe we’re on the right track. I was unsuccessful however, with this information and am hoping that the passage of time might have revealed other clues. I was hoping too that perhaps an obituary from the town where both Silas and William died and are buried might glean some information (they both died in S. Paris, ME and are buried at Riverside Cemetery) but will wait until I fly up there to inquire in person. I did locate a Merrill Family Genealogy written by Ernest L. Merrill (Lewiston newspaper) back in July of 1911 or 1912 where he gives a lot of Merrill Family Genealogy. Unfortunately the information of the Merrill’s of N. Yarmouth, ME were given in Part I of his series which was written in July of 1910 and of course I haven’t been able to locate that particular article. So, here I am once again trying to gather information of that most illusive of my relatives; my gggg grandfather Silas Merrill. Any assistance reference either him or my gggg grand uncle William Merrill (they are always mentioned in tandem and seem to have been joined at the hip) would be so greatly appreciated. Sincerely, Sharon E. Nelson snelson1961@juno.com

Answer: Sharon:

Good to hear from you again.  Have just re-read all our 2004 correspondence. Unfortunately we don't have any additional information on the father of  Silas and William.

We do have 4 of the apparently 5 articles by Ernest L Merrill on the "Merrill Family in Maine" that ran in successive weeks in the Lewiston Journal. Only the 5th, "More About The Merrills in Maine" has a date on it, Aug 17-20, 1910 and it mentions that the articles were in the last four issues of the Journal.  The copies we have are negative prints, white on black, somewhat blurred, and difficult to read. The first of the series gives the general background of the family and info on The Merrills of Durham, and The Merrills of Freeport. In none of the descriptions of the Merrills from a given town is his record nearly complete and he so states. The next issue we have covers The Merrills of Lewiston, The Merrills of Turner, The Merrills of New Gloucester, and The Merrills of York Co.  The third one we have covers The Merrills of Auburn. We don't know what was covered in the one we don't have, and we don't know the order, other than the 1st and 5th. North Yarmouth was not covered in the first issue, but Freeport was.  In any case, neither Silas nor his brother William were mentioned in any of the articles we have.

There is an important new development in Genealogy that your reunion should be made aware of - The use of Y-DNA testing.  DNA associated with the Y-chromosome, which only males have, is passed from father to son essentially unchanged over many many generations, so should follow the surname, barring an adoption or other non-paternity event.  This is particularly important in the case of descendants of immigrant Nathaniel. All the descendants of Nathaniel that have been tested share a very rare DNA pattern, so rare that any Merrill male in the US that shares this pattern, is almost certainly descended from Nathaniel, even without a paper trail.  Conversely, if you don't have it, you are not descended from Nathaniel, no matter how good your paper trail is. One theory is that this DNA came to England, long before surnames were in general use, with two Roman Legions originating from the Russian Caucasus, the only place in the world where this pattern is prevalent.  Apparently a Legionnaire left his DNA with some British lass, and it was eventually passed on to Nathaniel and all his descendants.

We would encourage any Merrill male to be DNA tested. The test is a simple saliva swab. The Y-DNA does not carry any info on genetic diseases, so privacy should  not be a problem. DNA testing at DNA Heritage as part of the Merrill DNA Project is $189 for the complete 43 marker test. Results are back in about three weeks.  If you have a Merrill male at your reunion, perhaps all attendees could contribute a small amount toward covering the cost of the test, because the results would apply to all descendants of Silas, or his brother William.

There is a less desirable alternative.  Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, a non-profit, does provide a free DNA test. You have to provide at least 4 generation lineage chart, but they don't post anything on living individuals. The big drawback is that you don't get the actual results back.  Eventually, maybe a year or more, the results are posted on their site <smgf.org> for comparison with others of the same surname, on a "match - don't match" basis.  With considerable manipulation you can regenerate the numbers.  I had my DNA tested at both DNAH and SMGF. After a year and a half, all my SMGF markers still have not been posted. Very discouraging.  But certainly better than nothing. Please encourage all Merrill males to be tested, at least with the free test.

Sorry we don't have anything new on Silas,

Howard and Jean