RICHARD and SUSANNAH WELLES MERRILL'S DESCENDANTS

Starting ca1625 Tysoe, Warwickshire, England

Updated after Bob Davidson's research. See the related chart of William Merrill's descendants.

Bob Davidson has traced the movements of the William Merrills of the late 1600s in Staten Island, and found that many of us do not descend from Richard and Susannah, as has been so widely and repeatedly published. Here is a revised chart of Richard and Susannah's descendants, based on Bob's findings. I have started with Philip Welles, Richard Merrill's father-in-law, in order to present the Warwickshire records we've found.

Chart to 8 generations.

1 - Phillip WELLES, b bef 1625 ENG, d Mar 1661/2 Tysoe, Warwickshire, ENG
mar bef 1644 prob Tysoe, Warwickshire, ENG: Elizabeth ---- , b bef 1630, d aft 1663

2 - Frances WELLES, b cMay 1645, christened 1645, Tysoe, Warwickshire, ENG, d aft 1690
mar bef 1694: ---- RUSSELL

2 - John WELLES, b Dec 1648 Tysoe, Warwickshire, ENG

2 - Philip WELLES, b c1650 ENG, d 1694-1704 VA

2 - Susannah WELLES, christened 16 Nov 1651 Tysoe, WAR, ENG, d 21 Oct 1722 Staten Island, NY
mar bef 1667 Warwickshire, ENG: Richard MERRILL, b 1642 Tysoe, WAR, ENG, d 19 May 1727 Staten Island, NY? d before 1732

3 - William MERRILL Sr, b cApr 1668 Tysoe, Warwickshire, ENG, d c1714 St. Mary's, MD
mar 1694-1708 probably MD: Ann ANGEL

4 - Philip MERRILL, b. circa 1700 St. Mary's, MD, d. after 1744

4 - Luke MERRILL, b. circa 1702 St. Mary's, MD, d. after 1744

4 - Mary MERRILL, b. before 1711 St. Mary's, MD
Michael VINNOY, b. before 1711 St. Mary's, MD, m. before 1732 MD

4 - Catherine MERRILL, b. circa 1712 St. Mary's, MD

4 - Magdalen MERRILL

4 - Susanna MERRILL

4 - Elinor MERRILL

3 - Mary MERRILL, b. circa May 1673

3 - Anne MERRILL, b. circa Jan 1675

3 - Philip MERRILL, b. circa Sep 1679
Elizabeth BAKER

4 - Catherine MERRILL, b. 1725 Richmond, NY

4 - Susannah MERRILL, b. 1725 Richmond, NY

4 - Philip MERRILL, b. Richmond, NY

4 - Nicholas MERRILL, b. Richmond, NY, 20 Oct and 24 Nov have been cited as christening dates, no year

4 - Elisabet MERRILL, b. 1733 Richmond, NY

4 - Cornelia (Neeltje) MERRILL, b. 1735 Richmond, NY

3 - Elizabeth MERRILL, b. circa 1680 NJ, d. 1746
Charles MCLEAN, b. 1679, m. 1715

4 - Mary MCLEAN, b. circa 1720
Simon VAN NAME, b. 11 Aug 1718

5 - Mary VAN NAME, b. 1744
Peter PERRINE, b. 1744

6 - Lydia PERRINE, b. 1766

3 - Richard MERRILL, b. 06 Jul 1682 Northfield, Atlantic, NJ, d. 06 Sep 1760
Elsie DORLANDT, m. 13 Feb 1701 Staten Island, NY

4 - Elsie MERRILL, b. 01 Apr 1708 Richmond, NY

4 - Richard MERRILL, b. 22 Sep 1709 Richmond, NY, d. before 1715

4 - Richard MERRILL, b. 12 Jan 1712 Port Richmond, Richmond, NY, d. 19 Dec 1797 Piscataway, NJ
Eve BENNETT, b. 31 Jan 1713/14 Bergen, NJ

5 - Lambert MERRILL, b. 03 Oct 1741 Middlesex, NJ
Tabitha DUNHAM, b. Oct 1747 Middlesex, NJ, m. 28 Nov 1763 NJ

5 - Annatje (Anna) MERRILL, b. 12 Aug 1746 NY
William MANNING, b. 08 Jun 1740 NY

5 - John MERRELL, b. 29 Apr 1748 NY
Elizabeth COLE, b. 27 Apr 1747 NY

4 - Lambert MERRILL, b. circa 1720 Richmond, NY

4 - Susanna MERRILL, chr. 13 Sep 1721

3 - John MERRILL, b. 1685 Northfield, Atlantic, NJ
Gertrude SIMONSON

4 - Susannah MERRILL

4 - Catherine MERRILL

4 - Anna MERRILL

4 - Charlotte MERRILL

4 - Gertrude MERRILL, b. 1726 Richmond, NY

3 - Thomas MERRILL, b. 1689 Northfield, Atlantic, NJ
Jenne GEWAN, b. circa 1684

4 - Richard MERRILL

4 - Thomas MERRILL, b. 19 Apr 1732, d. 12 May 1798 of NY
Eva JONES

5 - John MERRILL

5 - Anneatye (Anna) MERRILL, b. circa 1756

5 - Thomas MERRILL, b. circa 1759

5 - Matthew MERRILL

4 - Annatis MERRILL, b. circa 1736

4 - Margareta MERRILL, b. circa 1737

4 - John MERRILL

3 - Charity MERRILL, b. circa 1692

Notes; click on a name to return to that point in the chart.

Tysoe parish records. Since she is not listed in the American sources commonly cited, perhaps she also died in infancy.

WE Merrill (1935)

1706 census Staten Island shows John age 21.

"Staten Island and Its People" - says John M owned a plantation extending from Bull's Head to the Arthur Kill, incl the Merrill Cemetery. He was in the N co militia 1715.

He was a member of the Committee of Safety, Richmond County, NY on December 1, 1775.

Tysoe parish records. Since she is not in the American sources commonly cited, perhaps she died in infancy.

Tysoe parish records note his christening.

WE Merrill (1935) has a birthdate of 1686.

"Staten Island and Its People" - Philip was a freeholder in 1702 list; was in N co militia 1715.

Richard Merrill was among the early English settlers of Staten Island. Before his time, there was Dutch settlement (Achter Coll) - and Indian massacres. Richard came to America with his wife, Susannah Welles, whose brother also emigrated. As I found a baptismal record for William, son of Richard, in Warwickshire, I thought our line went from Richard through his son William. Bob Davidson has done a lot of research on the family which shows that William, probably a brother of Richard's, is the ancestor of the line so long attributed to Richard and Susanna. He has most generously offered the results of his research to all of us. Read his work!

Warwickshire Parish Registers

I could not find Rd & Susannah's marriage; but few marriages are recorded in the 1660's. Some Merrill and some Welles records are found in Whitchurch parish records, including the interesting one of Wm Merrill's marriage to Elizabeth Girrard 13 Sep 1630: Rd's parents? His naming of his children suggests it is likely. There is also Wm Merrill to Alice Duppa of Shipston 21 Sep 1637 (Whitchurch). That parish has no marriage records bet. Feb 1662 and Nov 1666; then jumps to Apr 1770; and there are none bet. Nov 1673 and Aug 1677.

Tysoe parish records show christenings of 4 children of "Richard and Susanna Merrill" from 1668 to Sept 1679. That would mean that the family came to America in 1680 or 1681 (assuming that they wouldn't have made a fall or winter crossing). Two of those 4 - both daughters - are not in American genealogies cited here. Perhaps they both died in infancy.

Earliest Court Records of Staten Island

At the general town mtg 1 Apr 1699, the freeholders elected Lamb Dorlan and Rd Merrill assessors for the N Division. [Note 1702 was the 1st yr of Queen Anne's reign.] 1 Apr 1703 Rd Merrill was elected supervisor for the N Div. Same in 1704.

source: English mss. Gov. Cornbury, vol 50, p45. 11 Jan 1705.

Petition by Rd Merrill, administrator of Philip Welles, late surveyor-general for the province of NY, dec'd, with acct.

Annals of Staten Island by J.J. Clute, Heart of the Lakes Pub.

Also reports Richard's being elected supervisor of the North precinct of Staten Island in 1703 and 1704.

In 1693, Gov. Fletcher established the Episcopal Church by law; that law remained in effect until the Revolution.

In Queen Anne's charter for the church of St. Andrews, built 1713, Rd Merrill is mentioned as one of 11 freeholders & petitioners. In 1704, a tax of L 40/year was put into effect for the support of that church's minister.

Staten Island and Its People: A History 1609-1929, Chas W. Leng & Wm T. Davis, Lewis Pub NY 1930, vol 1 p112-on.

Cites 1706 census: Rd (only M hd of hshld there) was age 63; 4 sons, Philip 28, Rd 26, John 21, Thos 17. Author says Rd was in S.I. by 1681, had land surveyed 1697. Says Merrills were associated with the settlement of Mariners Harbor, Bulls Head, Bloomfield, New Springville, Chelsea, Rossville. The section now called Bloomfield was once called Merrill Town. Merrill Ave. was named for the family. All were active on the colonists' side during the Revolution. Rd is said to be the progenitor of all Merrills in this area. He had a grant in 1686 near Smoking Point, which was a mile W of what's Rossville today.

WE Merrill (1935)

"Earliest Court Records of Staten Island." In 1709, Rd Merrill Jr was elected assessor for the N. Division or precinct of S.I. Was that this Rd, the son?

"Annals of Staten Island" by J.J. Clute. Richard was a member of the Colonial Assembly of NY from Richmond Co 1725-1737 and Judge of the County court in 1739.