The Merritt Family is  far and away the family on which I have the most information.  My Grandfather Emmett P.  Merritt spent many years researching the Merritt family together with his father James U.S. Grant Merritt, his cousin Paul Merritt,  and his wife Marjorie Corwin.  Over the years he complied many notebooks filled with information on not only our ancestors but members of our current generation. It has been my great joy to be able to look through,  and try to make sense of,  his papers and Photos.  On this page I hope to share the fruit of his years of research with all who visit. I hope you enjoy, and if you have any question please write me at Kelita@rocketmail.com 

Very truly yours
Kelly

Merritt family line  
(to see siblings and lateral relations for lines past the 6th generation go to the Gilbert Merritt page and follow the links for each generation)

    The Merritt Family was scattered throughout the local settlements of the tri-state area from the very  first days of their arrival in the New World. The highest concentration of Merritt ancestors can be found in the Westchester County area of New York.  
    When it comes to the earliest settlers in this area,  it is often difficult to figure out who is who and who descended from whom because many of the same names were passed down from generation to generation.  The following  is the reconstruction of  the  Merritt line according to the work of my Grandfather Emmett P. Merritt. I have reason to believe however that there is another equally plausible ancestry in the information I include on William C. Merritt. (Please see the link to the left for William C. Merritt for information on this alternate theory on the Ancestry of Gilbert Merritt of Carmel)

For the cousins who come here, I can assure you with certainty that the information from Gilbert Merritt of Carmel down to our present generation is accurate and verifiable to the best of my knowledge.

The ancestors of my grandfather Emmett P. Merritt

First Generation: 
Thomas Merritt, the first of our line  to come to the Colonies,  was  born in County Kent England about 1590, and settled in Scituate (Cambridge)  Mass in 1638, he was made a freeman.  (The following is from "The Genealogy of Southern NY" Vol 3 p611-614) am not sure if this is the Same Thomas that Grandfather was talking about but it sure sounds like it.

"Thomas Marrett born 1589 came to Mass. from England in 1635 and settled at Cambridge Mass.  Where he as made a freeman March 3, 1636 and died June 30 1664.  In 1638 he purchased an estate at the north east corner of the present Dunster and Mt. Auburn streets having previously had a lot on the north side of Harvard St.  He was a shoemaker by trade and a prominent citizen being deacon of the Church which was organized in 1636 and selectman from 1639 to 1647.  He was accompanied to America by his wife Susannah and the following children probably all born in England. Abigail, Susannah, John, and Thomas. "

Second Generation:
John Merritt Sr. was mentioned in the records of Rye NY in 1678, he was the son of Thomas's first wife Susannah.  He was a proprietor in White Plains in 1721, and a surveyor in 1699.

Third Generation:
Andrew Merritt was born  May 17, 1696. He lived at Merit's Point in 1706.  

Fourth Generation:
Andrew Merritt Jr. was born in Rye NY.  He lived on Grace Church St. in Rye NY in 1759, he was called Captain 1749-60.  He was a suscriber to getting a ferry started between Rye NY and Oyster Bay.  Andrew's first wife's name was?  with whom he had his son Gilbert Esq. His second wife's name was Rachel  with whom he had the following children:  Andrew the oldest, Nathaniel, Nehemiah, and Robert.   His will was made June 2, 1780, and probated July 23, 1782. 

Fifth Generation:
Gilbert Merritt Esquire was (According to Pelletreau's History of Putnam County) the Father of Gilbert Merritt of Carmel.

Sixth Generation:

Gilbert Merritt of Carmel NY, Putnam County  Rev. War Soldier. See his page, and the pages of all subsequent generations,  by accessing his link on the left

Seventh Generation:

Cornbury Merritt of Greene County NY

Eighth Generation:

Gilbert Merritt of Durham Green County NY, who relocated to Orange County NY in approximately 1855

Ninth Generation:

Irvin William Merritt of the town of Cornwall, Orange County NY

Tenth Generation:

James Grant Merritt of the City of Newburgh, Orange County NY

Eleventh Merritt:

Emmett P. Merritt