Re: Canadian Merritt info
-
In reply to:
Re: Canadian Merritt info
Joseph Merritt 12/08/01
There's a book called "The Ontarians" which deals with the Merritt descendents you mention:
The name of Merritt is derived from the manor of Meriet in Co. Somerset, Eng. The first known was Radnoth, a land holder temp. William I., killed in battle 1068, who descendents, DeMeriets, are traced down to 1418, the name in 15th and 16th centuries being variously spelled Merret, Merrot, Merriett, Meryott. The first mention of the name in America is in 1626, when Henry Merritt was living in Scituate, Mass.; he left numerous descendants. The family is said to have "drifted down" Long Island Sound, and in 1664 William Merritt was a citizen of New York, of which he was Mayor in 1695; he d. 1708, leaving a son John, Alderman of New York, whose name is borne by John Street in that city; he was aftds. of New London, Conn. He m. Janet Lockhart, and d. 1732, leaving one dau. The early history of the Canadian family was destroyed in the American Rev. War. Their descent is traced from Thomas Merritt, of Rye, in Westchester County, NY, a prominent resident of that place from 1672 to 1720; he had issue, Thomas, Joseph, Ephraim and Samuel, all of whom except Ephraim left descendants. The eldest son Thomas, d. 1719, b. 1stly------, and 2ndly, 1696, Mary, dau. of Jeffrey Ferris, and widow of Jonathan Lockwood, and had issue of the first marriage, Thomas, Edward, John, Benoni, and Mary, of whom:
Thomas, the eldest son, d. before 1767; m.Elizabeth------, and had issue, whose names are not now known, but of them it is said that there were three brothers at the breaking out of the American Rev. War, of who the eldest was: Thomas, b. 24th April 1736, d. 1821, Captain of Militia, who barely escaped death at the hands of the Revolutionists, and after the war, in 1782, removed to New Brunswick and settle at St. John. He m. Amy Purdy..........
The last page 197, ends with:
William-Hamilton Merritt, b. 5th July 1822, d. 26th May 1860; Capt. Lincoln Militia; Barrister-at-law; m. Janet-Lang, dau of Hon. James Morris of Brockville. Their son William-Hamilton, of Toronto, b. 8th June 1855; Mining Engineer; Associate of the Royal School of Mines, Lon., Eng; Capt. Gov. Gen's Body Guard, with which (Lieut.) he served in the North West Campaign 1885, in which he commanded the detachment which tracked and captured the Sioux Chief "White Cap" and his Band (medal).
He has been adopted into the Six Nations as a Chief of the Cayugas, Turtle (Anowara) Clan, by the same name which was said to have been borne by his grandfather, Roronounhgowaneh ("Big Feathers",) signifying a leader of the tribe), in recognition of his being in 1886 the first Parliamentary candidate for whom the Indians voted after the franchise had been extended to them, and who had a large majority of Indian votes..... m. Maggie, dau. of Robert Simpson, Merchant in Toronto, and Mary Ann Botsford, his wife.
Siblings of William b. 1855: Emily Lena and Catherine Nina.
Perhaps you can get this book through an inter-library loan.