Students of English and French
histories and genealogies believe that the Merrill family descended form the
French Huguenot (protestant) family, De Merle.
During the last half of the sixteenth century, when Catholics and
Protestants were engaged in blood stained hostility, the De Merle (Merrillfamily migrated to England,
seeking religious tolerance. A century
later, probably for the same reason, descendants of the family left England and came to America.
Richard and his wife, Sarah Wells
Merrill, settled in Northfield, Staten Island, New
York about 1675.
Of their five sons, William, Richard, Thomas, Philip, and John, William
was the one who followed the westward migration. His descendants, traced through the following
genealogy, migrated to New Jersey, South Carolina, Missouri,
Texas in 1844 and Tarrant County
a few years later.
1st Generation
Richard Merrill, born 1642 in England, died
1727. Married Sarah Wells, born 1649 in England and
died in 1722. They resided in Staten Island, New
York. The
first of their five children was William, born 1675 or 1680.
2nd Generation
William was born 1675 or 1680 and
died 1724. He married Grace. They resided in Hopewell, New Jersey. The first of their three children was William
Jr., born about 1700.
3rd Generation
William Jr. was born about 1700 and
died 1740. He married Mrs. Penelope
Stout Jewell, she died in 1776. They
resided in Hopewell, New Jersey.
The first of their four children was William, born about 1730.
4th Generation
William was born about 1730 and
died in 1782 or 1783 in North
Carolina. He
married Mary Cornell, born 1724 and died 1813.
They resided in Rowan and Randolph
Counties, North Carolina. The first of their three children was Benjamin,
born December 2, 1752.
5th Generation
Benjamin, (Revolutionary soldier),
born December 2, 1752 and died May 10, 1836.
He was married to Penelope Merrill (cousin), born before 1761 and died
in 1830. She was the daughter of Capt.
Benjamin Merrill, born about 1731 and died June 19, 1771 and Jemima Smith. They resided in Rowan and Randolph Counties, North Carolina. The sixth of their fifteen children was Eli,
born October 29, 1787.
6th Generation
Eli Merrill was born October 29,
1787 and died December 26, 1849 in North
Carolina. His
first marriage was to Nancy McCrary Merrill, born 1789 and died in 1837 (widow
of William Merrill). His second marriage
was to Mary A. McKay, born February 8, 1815 and died December 30, 1897. They resided in Buncombe
County, North Carolina, Merrillsville, Missouri
and Dallas County, Texas.
The eighth child by his first wife was Benjamin, born April 29, 1820.
7th Generation
Benjamin was born March 29, 1820
and died March 14, 1864. His first
marriage was to Margaret McClure Flemming, born January 6, 1821 and died April
18, 1852. His second marriage was to
Sarah Ann Manning. They resided near Dallas, Texas. The first of three children by the first wife
was Robert Bruce, born March 26, 1843.
The spelling of the name was
changed from Merrill to Merrell in the eighth generation.
