Samuel Merrill, 1928, reprint 1983

Some Eighteenth Century Migrations - Chapter XI, pp125-152

North Yarmouth, ME

    North Yarmouth, like Falmouth, had its troubles with the Indians and their French allies. It was twice settled and abandoned, but about 1721, after more than forty years' absence, the heirs of the former English occupants began to take possession again, and since that time the occupation has been uninterrupted, though the Indians continued to be troublesome until after 1756.

   Samuel⁴ Merrill (Moses³, Daniel²) settled in North Yarmouth in June, 1737, removing thither from Salisbury, Mass. (See page 263.) He was probably the first bearing the family name to live in the town. John⁴ Merrill (Nathan³, Abel²) is supposed to have moved to North Yarmouth from Falmouth, and his sons Stephen and Enoch are said to have been born there. (See page 272.) His sons Benjamin, John, Abel, and Jacob all lived in North Yarmouth, and left many descendants.

   Merrill Road was in the part of North Yarmouth which by successive town incorporations became Freeport in 1789 and Pownal in 1808. The road took its name from Josiah⁶ Merrill (Jacob⁵, John⁴, Nathan³, Abel²), who was the first settler who improved land in that section. (See page 581) He had previously lived in the part of North Yarmouth which is now Cumberland. He bought his farm, consisting of fifty acres on the west side of Merrill Road, half a mile from the Freeport line, in 1788. He was unmarried, but at once set about clearing his land, and built a log house near the western edge of the property. In 1790 he married Eunice Merrill of Falmouth.

   The log house was their home for fifteen years, and there six of their children were born. But Josiah Merrill had built at the wrong end of his farm. The highway bounded his farm on the east, and in 1805 he built a large one-story frame house on Merrill Road, and thither removed his family. He was a quiet substantial citizen, and his wife was an industrious woman, of high standing in the church and the community. In later years his son Daniel⁷ managed the farm.

   Josiah⁶ Merrill's children were all singers. A writer in "Old Times in North Yarmouth" (page 592) relates that it was no unusual thing, about 1835, "to see the family of nine children seated in the singing-gallery, with the oldest son the leader and the youngest son as the performer on the bass-viol. Four of these sat in the church choir for more than half a century."

   William⁶ Merrill, a younger brother, settled near Josiah⁶ about 1805, and here raised a family of ten children. (*)

   The territory which was given the name North Yarmouth in 1680 has been repeatedly subdivided, Harpswell being set off in 1758, Freeport in 1789, Pownal in 1808, Cumberland in 1821, and Yarmouth in 1849. Ezekiel⁷ Merrill (Ezekiel^6,5, Moses^4,3, Daniel²) was born in 1796 in Hebron, Me., but lived on a Yarmouth farm. (See page 544) His son Joseph-Edward⁸ Merrill of Newton, Mass., in 1904 erected in Yarmouth a beautiful "Merrill Memorial Library" in honor of his parents.

* Authority: "Old Times in North Yarmouth" (published 1880-1884), pages 589-592, 1135-1138. At page 992 a writer gives the "Muster Roll of Capt. Peter Merrill's Company of Foot," 28 August, 1804, of which company Peter Merrill was captain and Reuben Merrill ensign. Twenty-one of the ninety-four enlisted men were also Merrills.

New Gloucester, ME

   If you have further information on the book, "A Merrill Memorial" and would like to share it with others, please contact me.