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Samuel
Merrill, 1928, reprint 1983
Nathaniel1
of Newbury and His Sons - Chapter VII,
pp 66-101
Abel2
Merrill - pp 97-101
Abel2 Merrill was the youngest
in the second generation of Newbury Merrills, and, dying
at forty-five years of age, his was the shortest life.
His descendants, however, are more numerous, and more
widely scattered, than those of most of his brothers.
At the death of his father he was only eleven years of
age. In 1668 he took the "oath of ffidelitie"
to the government, and in September, 1678, he took the
oath of allegiance, his age being then recorded as thirty-two
years, although it would appear that he was at that time
two years older. (See page 171.)
The
settlement of the estates of Stephen Jordan, who died
8 Feb. 1669/70, and of his wife, Susanna Jordan, who died
15 Jan. 1672/3, indicates that Abel2 Merrill
lived in close relationship with them in their later years.
The inventory of the estate of Stephen Jordan, his stepfather,
mentions:
his
debts which he oweth
To Abell merrill for dayes works done
for mowing & makeing hay & planting
& hilling & cutting wood dr 3-13-0
besids attendance vpon him both night & day
for theis 3 last years which if it be made
vp ten pounds he would be a looser. |
| Due
to Daniel merrill ---------------- |
1-16-0
|
| To
Nathaniell merrill ----------------- |
2-10-0
|
Abel2
was administrator of the estate of his mother, Susanna
Jordan. In the papers on file in the Probate Office, showing
the settlement of the estate, appear these entries:
Due
to Abell merrill for wintering two
cowes 3 winters & 2 calues vntill |
| they
were three yer Old |
7-4-0
|
| for
cutting & makeing 3 load & halfe |
| of
hay -------------------------- |
0-18-0
|
His
Marriage
Priscilla Chase, whom Abel Merrill married,
was a daughter of Aquila Chase, who had come from Cornwall,
England, and settled in Hampton, New Hampshire, about
1639. Aquila Chase possessed some skill as a mariner,
and for this reason he was induced by the inhabitants
of Newbury, by a grant of land, to join the settlement
at the mouth of the Merrimack in 1646. This grant was
made "on condition that he do goe to sea and do service
in the towne with a boate for four years." His service
was probably confined to short coastwise and fishing cruises.
Through ten of his eleven children, who grew up and married,
Aquila Chase is ancestor of a very numerous family.
In
1682 a Baptist church was formed in Newbury, and Abel
Merrill was one of the original members. (Coffin, History
of Newbury, p. 135.) Under the name of "Abil Merell"
he appears to have been a soldier in the company of Capt.
Thomas Noyes in 1688.
The
Inventory
The tax list of 1688 shows that Abel2
Merrill was in that year assessed on one house, five acres
of "Plow Lands" in Newbury, one horse, five
cows, six young cattle, ten sheep and four swine. At his
death he was an owner of land in Haverhill, his interest
being appraised at £35. This was no doubt his undivided
share in land which he and his brother Daniel (See
page 92) purchased in 1673 and 1674. He died
intestate.
An Inuentory of ye Estate
of Abell Merrill Late of newbury who Deseased october
the 28th in ye yeare of our Lord 1689:
taken this 22d of nouember 1689
| |
|
11 s D
|
| |
To
a Dwelling house and Barne and out houseing & |
|
| |
eight
acres of land & orchard |
0120-00-00
|
| |
to
a Rate Lott about 12 acres in ye upper
Comon |
0012-00-00
|
| |
to
Land att hauerhill |
00035-00-00
|
| |
to
two oxen and 5 Cows |
0029-00-00
|
|
5
|
to
4: Cattel coming 3 years old |
0012-00-00
|
| |
to
2 yearlins & 5 Calues |
0008-00-00
|
| |
to
one horse one mare & a young Colt |
0009-00-00
|
| |
to
thirtey 5 sheep |
00014-00-00
|
| |
to
nine small swine |
0002-14-00
|
|
10
|
to
one plough one chene 14s and 4 axes 16s
and 5 |
|
| |
hows
10s |
0002-00-00
|
| |
to
one saw 3 augurs one square and 3 Chissels and |
|
| |
other
small tools |
0001-10-00
|
| |
to
two siths 2 Bitle Rings and 3 wedges |
0000-10-00
|
| |
to
one gun and one sword and one pike |
0002-00-00
|
|
15
|
to
one feather Bed & 3 Couerlids and two blankets |
|
| |
and
bolstar pillow Curtins |
10-00-00
|
| |
to
one small feather bed & 3 Douerlids |
0003-00-00
|
| |
to
one flock bed 2 Couerlids and two blankits |
|
| |
one
bolster one pillow |
004-00-00
|
| |
to
one old flock bed one pillow and 5 payr of sheets |
0006-00-00
|
| |
to
table linin and napkins |
0001-00-00
|
| |
to
his wearing Clothes |
00010-00-00
|
|
20
|
to
one Bible and other small books |
0000-16-00
|
| |
to
brass and peuter and Iron which is household |
|
| |
goods |
0007-00-00
|
| |
to
andirons and tongs and spitt and fiar shouel |
0001-00-00
|
| |
to
one Cobord 2 Chests and boxes and one table |
0003-10-00
|
| |
to
Chears and Cradle and trays and other wooden |
|
| |
ware |
0001-03-00
|
|
25
|
to
one Loome and seauen slays and six harness |
0006-00-00
|
| |
to
earthen ware and Glasses |
0000-12-00
|
| |
to
money 12s and 68 pound of wooll and 20
pound of |
|
| |
hops |
0006-12-00
|
| |
to
Corn inglish and Indian |
00015-00-00
|
| |
to
barrels and tobs and hemp and flax and sadle |
|
| |
and
pillian |
00003-10-00
|
|
30
|
to
prouitions beeffe porke Cheese and butter |
00010-00-00
|
| |
to
thirtey pound of tobaco |
00000-10-00
|
| |
to
three spining wheels |
00000-15-00
|
| |
to
yarne |
00003-00-00
|
| |
Debts
Due to ye Estate |
00005-16-00
|
| |
|
347-18-00
|
| |
|
11 s D
|
| |
Debts
Due from ye Estate |
4- 7-10
|
Edward
woodman
Benjamin
Morss Who
were ye prizers
In the twelfth item, "Bitle Rings"
refer to the iron rings used to bind the head of a beetle,
or heavy mallet.
"Slays,"
in the twenty-fifth item, are the reeds of a loom, used
in weaving; "harness" is a part of the loom
mechanism.
English corn, in the twenty-eighth item,
means wheat, rye, barley and oats, in distinction from
Indian corn, or maize.
Distribution
of the Estate
The eight children of Abel2
Merrill were all minors at his death, the youngest, James3,
being less than a year old. Priscilla Merrill, the widow,
filed her account as administratrix in the Probate Court
1 November, 1697. The charges against the estate included
the following entries:
| It
keeping 4 children 8 yrs. each |
35-00-
0
|
| It
keeping 1 ditto @ 5 yrs |
| It allowd. ye Admx. for her Trouble |
5-00-00
|
Distribution
of the estate was ordered as follows:
The
Balla. of the psonall Estate as aboue being
135.8.2 & the Real Estate as aboue being 167.0.0 is
Diuided as Followth. viz
It
the Widow 1/3 of the Real During life & after her
decease to revert to the Children of the decd.
as the law directs & to the sd. Widow 1/3
of the psonall Estate for Euer
| Widow
1/3 |
55-13-
4
|
45:
2- 9
|
| Abell Merrill |
24-14-
9
|
20-
1- 4
|
| Nathan |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| Thomas |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| Joseph |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| Nathll |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| James |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| Susanah |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
| Priscilla |
12-
7- 5
|
10-
0- 7
|
|
167-
0- 0
|
135-
8- 2
|
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|
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Gen.
Merrill Quoted
Gen.
Lewis Merrill, writing, 2 Sept. 1884, to Rev. Samuel-Lewis7
Merrill (Andrew6, Bildad5, Eliakim4,
Isaac3, John2) of Springfield, Mass.,
said:
"The
persistence of family traits in character and appearance
is very striking in the Merrill stock. I have never found
one of whom I was ashamed, and have known very few in
whom I could not detect the facial and gestural marks
of the race. They have uniformly, in my experience, been
a sober-minded, honest and capable people, a little too
much disposed to introspection and self-criticism, but
never content to be unlearned; not enough push and 'cheek,'
by which they often allow inferior men to take the places
in which they belong. I think the family shows a larger
proportion of well-educated men than any of the old New
England stock of which I know. In all my extended correspondence
with them the rarest thing is to find one who does not
show in his letters that he has fair literary culture."
In
another letter, written 10 Sept. 1884, referring to Nathaniel1
Merrill, he said: "I know of no parallel in the number
of descendants from a single individual."
Chapter
VIII
If
you have further information on the book, "A Merrill
Memorial" and would like to share it with others,
please contact
me.
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