NORTHERN NEW YORK
Genealogical and family history of northern New York: a record of the achievements of her people and the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation.
New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co. 1910.

MERRELL/MERRILL

The name Merrell was formerly generally spelled Merrills in New England records where it also appeared as Merrolds, Merril, etc. It is stated that Nathaniel Merrell, ancestor of the family here desceibed, was in Ipswich as early as 1633, and that in 1634-35, he removed to Newbury. He and his brother John were undoubtedly from England, but it has not been determined from what part.
The five sons of Nathaniel had twenty-two sons, so that the family had a good representation from an early date; most of the sons of Nathaniel remained in Massachusetts, but one of them removed to Connecticut, and founded a family which became very numberous there, and in the church records at Hartford this name appeared at one time oftenener than any other name. Many of the family have made names for themselves in their service to the country, from early times to the present.
(I) Nathaniel Merrell, born about 1610, received a grant of land in Newbury in that portion known as "The Neck," south of the Parker river, his brother John having been one of the first grantees of the town. He died there March 16, 1654-55. He was married, probably in England, and his wife's Christian name was Susannah, though her surname is unknown. Some genealogists give it as Jordan, but this is erroneous, as she married for her second husband Stephe Jordan. Many genealogists believe her to have been Susannah Wilterton or Wolterton, as the oldest son of Nathaniel went to Hartford, Connecticut, with Gregoy Wilterton, who in his will left him most of his property, and this act would seem to indicate that Gregory Wilterton was his relative, and probably an uncle.
Nathaniel had children as follows: John, born in 1635; Abraham, 1637; Nathaniel, 1638; Susannah, 1640; Daniel, Aug. 20, 1642; and Abel, Feb. 20, 1643-44.

(II) Deacon John, oldest son of Nathaniel and Susannah Merrell, was born in 1635, and died in Hartford, Conn., July 18, 1712, at which time he had eight sons living. He appears in Hartford, Conn. in 1657, and he and his wife appear soon after as memebers of the Second Congregational church; he was made freeman in 1658. John Merrell received a fair amount of property by the will of Gregory Wilterton or Wolterton, who had no family, and may have ben John's uncle. In July, 1658, John Merrell married Sarah, daughter of John Watson, one of the first proprietors of Hartford. Children: Sarah, born Sept. 19, 1664; Nathaniel, Jan. 15, 1666-67; John; Abraham, Dec. 21, 1670; Daniel, June 15, 1673; Wilterton, June 28, 1675; Susannah, May 20, 1677; Abel, Jan. 25, 1679; Isaac, March 11, 1681-82; and Jacob, March 27, 1686.

(III) John (2), second son of John (1) and Sarah (Watson) Merrill, was born April 7, 1669, at Hartford, Conn., and died in 1748, in West Hartford. He married, Sept. 29, 1694, Sarah, daughter of John and Sarah (Lyman) Marsh, and their children were: John, born Sept. 29, 1695; Sarah, Jan. 13, 1697; Ebenezer, Dec. 18, 1698; Benjamin; Caleb July 14, 1707; Lydia, Nov. 24, 1719; Elizabeth; Aaron, 1711; and Cyprian, 1713.

(IV) Nathaniel (2) third son of John (2) and Sarah (Marsh) Merrell, born July 15, 1702, at Hartford, lived at Waterbury, Conn. where he died Oct. 28, 1772. He married, Nov. 16, 1729, Esther, daughter of Dr. Ephraim and Esther (Richards) Warner, of Waterbury, who died June 2, 1795, aged eighty-eight years. Children: Sarah; Ephraim, born Oct. 9, 1733; Caleb; David; Daniel, 1742; and John, 1744.

(V) Caleb, second son of Nathaniel (2) and Esther (Warner) Merrell, was born Oct. 26, 1735, and died May 3, 1812. He married, Nov. 5, 1753, Susannah, daughter of Edmund and Hannah Tompkins, born in 1734. Her father, Edmund Tompkins, was a son of Nathaniel, of Eastchester, New York, son of Nathaniel, son of John, of Concord, Mass in 1640, and Fairfield Conn. in 1644. Edmund Tompkins died June 30, 1783, and his wife died April 9, 1780. He was a distant cousin of Daniel D. Tompkins, governor of New York from 1809 - 1816, who afterwards became vice-president of the United States.
Caleb Merrell's children were: Ichabod, born June 17, 1754; Nathaniel; Rachel, born Jan. 30, 1759; Elijah Tompkins, June 26, 1761; Esther, April 1, 1764; Asar, July 8, died Aug. 15, 1766; Susa, May 7, 1769; Sarah, June 7, 1771; Caleb, Nov. 20, 1773; and Lydia.

(VI) Nathaniel (3) second son of Caleb and Susannah (Tompkins) Merrell, was born March 25, 1756, at Waterbury, Conn., and died in Jefferson, Schoharie county, New York in 1823. He emigrated with his family to New York, probably after the revolutionary war, in which he served. He married, Oct. 4, 1781, Omner or Honor, daughter of Jacob Dowd, who died in June 1796, and he married (second) Aug. 10, 1795, Mary Pardee. By his first marrirage his children were: Chloe, born Jan. 25, 1782; Caleb, Nov. 7, 1783; Chester, May 15, 1786; Seth; Jared; Erastus and Mark. By his second marriage his children were: Ebenezer Pardee, born Oct. 6, 1797, and John, April 22, 1800.

(VII) Seth, third son of Nathaniel (3) and Honor (Dowd) Merrell, was born Dec. 25, 1789, and died at Copenhagen, New York, Dec. 31, 1852. He married Mabel, daughter of John and Susanna (Thorp) Sanford, who died at Lowville, Sept. 1, 1862. Her father, John Sanford, was son of John Sanford, a native of England, and was born at North Haven, Conn. John Sanford, Jr., had one son, John, who lived and died in Waterbury, Conn., and four daughters, Malinda, Lola, Sally and Susanna. His wife was a daughter of Amos Thorp, a revolutionary soldier, who was killed in battle. Mabel Sanford married Seth Merrell Oct. 12, 1812, and their children were: 1. Lorenzo D., died at Richmond, Kentucky, Sept. 18, 1852. 2. Jared Lewis, died Nov. 17, 1877, at Copenhagen, New York. 3. Eliada Sanford. 4. Chloe, Mrs. Robb. 5. Nathaniel A., of DeWitt, Iowa. John Sanford, father of Mabel, had one brother, Eliada, who lived and died in his household, and one sister, Mabel.

(VIII) Honorable Eliada Sanford, third son of Seth and Mabel (Sanford) Merrell, was born Nov. 21, 1820, at Jefferson, Schoharie county, New York, and died at Lowville, New York, July 4, 1898. He removed with his parents to Copenhagen, Lewis County, New York, in 1826, and there attended the public schools. He assisted his father with the work of the farm and spent six winters teaching school. He received his further education in Denmark high school, Lowville Academy, Black River Literary School and the Religious Institute, of Watertown, New York, after which he read law in the offices of Ruger & Moore, of Watertown; Dayan & Parrish, of Lowville, and Hon. Francis Seger of Lyon Falls.
In May, 1846, Mr. Merrell was admitted to the bar as attorney-at-law and solicitor in chancery, having received his education mainly by his own efforts. In 1852 he was elected district attorney, and in 1855 and again in 1867 was re-elected. In 1784 Mr. Merrell was elected to the office of judge and surrogate of Lewis county, was re-elected in 1880, and served until Jan. 1, 1887. From the time of attaining his majority, Hon. Eliada S. Merrell was a supporter of the Democratic party, and he always took an active part in public affairs. He was greatly interested in the cause of progress and growth in the community and became a prominent and influential citizen. He made a place for himself among the members of his profession and his fellow citizens, and was genuinely mourned at this decese.
Eliada S. Merrell married June 17, 1850, Emeline A., daughter of John and Phoebe (Keene) Clark, and their children were: Lorenzo Eliada, born June 9, 1851, died May 20, 1862, in Lowville; Edgar Sanford Keene (see forward).

(IX) Edgar Sanford Keene, son of Hon. Eliada Sanford and Emeline A. (Clark) Merrell, was born in Lowville, Lewis county, New York, May 21, 1865. He attended Lowville Academy, graduating in June, 1884, and St. Lawrence University, graduating in June 1887. He read law in the office of Merrell & Ryel, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1889. He became the junior partner in the firm of Merrell, Ryel & Merrell, Jan. 1, 1890. They continued business under that stye until the death of Hon. E. S. Merrell, July 4, 1898, when the firm was changed to that of Ryel & Merrell, and so continued until Jan. 1, 1903. During his connection with the bar he enjoyed a distinctively representative clientele in his native village and district, and his career was distinguished by unswerving integrity and a masterful grasp of every problem that presented itself for solution. At the fall election of 1902 Mr. Merrell was elected as the Democratic candidate to the office of county judge and surrogate, and his administration of the duties of the office was so eminently satisfactory to his constituents and the people at large that he was re-elected in Nov. 1908, his opponent being the nominee of both the Prohibitionist and Republican parties. At the November election of 1909 he received the nomination of the Democratic convention as candidate for the office of justice of the supreme court of New York from the fifth judicial district and although the district was formerly Republican by twenty-five thousand, Judge Merrell was elected by a large majority over the Republican candidate. This fact proves conclusively the estimation and esteem in which he is held by the people and the personal popularity he enjoys. In addition to the duties of the high political offices he has filled, Judge Merrell is serving in the capacity of vice-president of the Black River National Bank of Lowville, and as trustee of the Lowville Academy. He is a member of Lowville Lodge, No. 134, F. and A.M., having joined in 1887; Beta Theta Phi and Phi Beta Kappa college fraternities and the Lowville Club.
Judge Merell married, Sept. 22, 1891, Johannah F. Voshage. Children: Charlotte Emeline, born Aug. 9, 1892; Nathaniel Eliada, April 16, 1896.

SECOND ENTRY:

(III) Daniel Wolterton, son of John (q.v.), and Sarah (Watson) Merrill, was born June 15, 1673, in Hartford, where he lived, and died in 1750. He married, Jan. 18, 1698, Susannah, daughter of John and Hannah (Boodey) Pratt, of Hartford, where she was born Oct. 2, 1680.

(IV) Moses, son of Daniel W. and Susannah (Pratt) Merrill, was born Dec. 25, 1702, in Hartford, and lived in West Hartford and Farmington, dying in the latter town (which adjoins West Hartford) Aug. 4, 1776, in his seventy-fourth year. He was a farmer by occupation. He married, at West Hartford, ____ Cook.

(V) Moses (2), son of Moses (1) Merrill, was born about 1733 at West Hartford, and died there in 1796. He was a farmer. His second wife was Waitstill Heth, who was born about 1744.
Children:
Samuel, born June 21, 1744, died at Sandisfield, Mass.
Mary, born Feb. 29, 1776, married Samuel Rowley.
Waistsill, born June 1, 1778, married Nicholas Lewis, of Champion, N.Y.
Miner, born Aug. 25, 1781, went to Champion, N.Y. in the spring of 1804.
Moses Cook (mentioned below).
Elizabeth, born 1790, and who died before she was ten years old.

(VI) Moses Cook, son of Moses (2) and Waitstill (Heth) Merrill, was born June 3, 1785, in West Hartford, and died near Great Bend, N.Y, in 1839. He removed to Champion, N.Y. about 1804, and settled one and one-half miles from the present village of Great Bend. He was a member of the Baptist church.
He married Philena, daughter of Abel and Elizabeth Crandall, early pioneers of Champion. After his death his widow lived in Champion, where she died in 1856.
Children:
1. Waitstill, married Wilder Reed, and died in the town of Philadelphia, near Sterlingville, N.Y.
2. Miner C., lived and died on the homestead, being supervisor of the town at the time of his death.
3. Samuel, died in West Carthage, N.Y.
4.,5. Eliza, died in Champion, as did also Lucretia.
6. Sibyl, married Ira Sweet, and died at Lyndehurst, Canada.
7. Harriet, died in Hammond, St. Lawrence county, N.Y., while wife of Joseph Lafave.
8. John also died there.
9. Athelia, became wife of Rev. Jonathan Dake, a Protestant Methodist clergyman, and now (1910) resides at Stamborough, Iowa.
10. Mary Sophronia, is Mrs. Samuel Phillips, of Hammond, N.Y. (see Phillips, VIII).
11. Eveline, married Ernestus Sliter, and died at Lyndehurst, Canada.

(VII) Mary Sophronia, seventh daughter of Moses Cook and Philena (Crandall) Merrill, was born Nov. 4, 1828, in Champion, and was educated in the district schools of that town and Philadelphia, N.Y. At the age of eighteen years she began teaching in the district schools, and continued for four years. She married, Oct. 15, 1850, Samuel Phillips, of South Hammond, N.Y., whom she survives. (See Phillips, VIII).