Notes for Nathaniel Merrill: [Brøderbund WFT Vol. 15, Ed. 1, Tree #2202, Date of Import: Jun 11, 2000]
Settled, Newbury, Mass. 1638-9. The newly found records show that Nathaniel Merrill's daughter, Susanna, was not baptised until Dec 12, 1638 in Lawford, Essex, Co., England. This tells us that Nathaniel had not left for America with his family until late December 1638 or early 1639. In 1638 the English Government started restricting it's citizens from freely emigrating to the new continent with it's abundance of land for all, something unknown in England. The fact that brother John arranged for a homesite of four Acres in Newbury for his unnamed "brother" would indicate that the brother was not there by 23 July 1638 but was arraiging to come. Ship records, the Hector, show that Nathaniel and John did arrive in Ipswich, Mass. in 1635. Nathaniel must have returned to England to get his wife and his four children and returned in 1638-39.
From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge MA 1917-1928 Nathaniel(1) Merrill was one of the earliest settlers in Newbury, MA in 1635. He was the ancestor of the vast majority of those who now bear the Merrill name in this country: it is believed, indeed, that less than one percent of the Merrills in America can trace their pedigree to any other emigrant ancestor.
Nathaniel Merrill and his older brother John were born in England. The registers of Wherstead, a parish lying three miles south if Ipswich, in Suffolk County, England, contain the following entries:
1599, August 16. John Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & Mary his wife was baptised. 1601, May 4. Nathanaell Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & his wife Mary was baptised.
There are reasons for believing that these entries are the record of baptism of John and Nathaniel Merrill of Newbury. These reasons will be given at length in another place.
Nathaniel Merrill and his brother John settled in Newbury in the spring of 1635, having passed a year or two in Ipswich, MA., (then called Agawam) with most of the Newbury settlers. In 1638 nathaniel became one of the "proprietors" of Newbury.
It is supposed that Nathaniel Merrill was married before leaving England. No record is found of his marriage in America. If the marriage took place here it was probabley at Ipswich, in the short time before the settlement in Newbury. His wife's name was Susanna. Savage, in the "genealogical Dictionary of New England" (published in 1861), says that Nathaniel Merrill married Susanna Jordan. In this he was no doubt following Coffin's "History of Newbury" (published in 1845), and the statement has been frequently copied.
From "Merrill Genealogy" by Paul V. Merrill, The Merrill Newsletter, Vol 4, Issue 3. Nathaniel and his brother John came to America in 1633, supposedly on the ship Hector. [Ed note: it is not know that John came first and Nathaniel at some later date.] They landed at Ipswich, MA, but soon moved to Salisbury, MA. My 1635 Nathaniel moved to Newbury, MA. He owned land in Ipswich, MA in 1636 and received a grant of land in Newbury, MA on the "Neck" south of the Tarker River, May 5, 1638. Children, John, Abraham, nathaniel, Susanna, Daniel, Abel and Thomas. natha niel died- Mar 16 1654/44 in Newbury, MA. His wife died Jan 15 1872. Nathaniel was probably a farmer and is ancestor to all the Merrills in the U.S.A.. His brother John and wife had some daughters but no sons.
From the book, "The Allens", p. 43: "He is said to have descended from the de Merle family, French Hugenots, which in England changed its name to Merrill. He emigrated to this country at Ipswich (Mass.) as early as 1633 and removed about 1635 to Newbury (Rowley). Nathaniel had a brother John Merrill also of Rowley, but since John had only one child, a daughter, Nathaniel Merrill is said to be the ancestor of the Merrill family in New England. He is believed to have been a merchant. He probably married in England. His wife Susanna Wilterton (of whom nothing is known, not even her last name until recently). He died March 16, 1654. She survived him (later marrying one Stephen Jordon), and died January 25, 1672.
Nathaniel Merrill's Will was dated Mar 8, 1654. It gave his wife Susanna some land, cattle and householdgoods, for life, remainder to his son Nathaniel; and to each of his other several children (except Thomas), he gave $5 (pounds) as they became of age. His son Nathaniel was appointed executor. The Will was probated Mar 27, 1655, and appears in the Salem Probate Records, Vol III, leaf 10. The inventory of the estate amounted to $84 (poundss), 6s"
More About Nathaniel Merrill: Date born 2: Abt. 16101971
More About Nathaniel Merrill and Susanna Wilterton?: Marriage: September 23, 1633, Wherstead, Suffolk, England.1972
Children of Nathaniel Merrill and Susanna Wilterton? are:
Nathaniel Merrill (b. May 04, 1601, d. March 16, 1654/55)
Notes for Nathaniel Merrill: