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Letter of Mrs Charles Edward Merritt who was From Utica NY, ( d. Apr. 9,
1950), On July 4, 1938 she sent the following letter to Emmett P. Merritt in
which she says the following about William. Dr Mr. Merritt; ... "We believe William Merritt, 1712-1807, was a Quaker or Friend, also the Cromwells. That is another line we have not traced out completely. There are several such, particularly on my husbands mothers line..... Family tradition is that Mary Merritt m first Richard Cornwell, second Abel Butler (Granny Butler) who was of Scotch descent. (this would lead us to believe that Elizabeth who m. William was Scottish too- because Mary came to be thought of as Scottish) William Merritt could possibly have been the son of Samuel and a brother of John Carlton Merritts Ancestor George. The information Douglass Merritt (in the Merritt Buy's book) has placed for Samuel Merritt must be erronious, as Samuel would have been 104 years old and hardly likely to have been imprisoned as a Tory at that age! He (the one imprisoned) is much more likely to have been the Samuel who refused to sign the Association Test at first but after did so. This was a son of George and a nephew of William (as we now think) As I see it now the line- Thomas Merritt of Rye, b --- May 1634 d. Nov 10, 1725 m Jane Sherwood dau of Thomas and Alice Seabrook b. 1636 d. Jan 4, 1685 Samuel Merritt b Aug 21, 1672 d 1722 m Elizabeth Underhill daugh of Humphrey, their sons were William Merritt and George Merritt b Apr 1711 d Feb 2, 1759 m. Glorianna Purdy son of George Josiah m. Anna Purdy son Gabriel m. Rebecca Wetmore son Edward Alger m ? son John Carlton Merritt m Ann Eliza Hollister (also a descendent of Mary m. Cornwells) son Chas. Edward Merritt the husband of the letter writer |