Edward Melbern Merritt^{[1, 2]}

1852 - 1925  (73 years)

• Name	Edward Melbern Merritt  [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]
  Birth	23 Apr 1852	New Brunswick, Canada   [3, 4, 5, 11, 14]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1 Jun 1880	Hodgdon, Maine, USA
  		Census - 1880 - United States - Edward Merritt Edward M Merritt (29) - Farmer - Canada Barbara Merritt (25) - Keeping - Maine Leslie M Merritt (2) - Maine At Hodgdon, Maine as of 1 June 1880
  Residence	15 Apr 1910	Hodgdon, Maine, USA
  		Census - 1910 - United States - Edward Merritt Edward M. Merritt (57) Head - Laborer Odd Jobs Barbara A. Merritt (54) Wife - House Cora B. Merritt (21) Daughter - School Teacher Eben W. Merritt (19) Son - Farm Laborer Eleanor Merritt (13) Daughter
  Residence	1 Jan 1920	Hodgdon, Maine, USA
  		Census - 1920 - United States - James Merritt Household 1 E M Merritt (Head) - 67 - Canada - Slabsaw - Sawmill Barbara Merritt (Wife) - 64 - Maine Maurice Gerow (Son In Law) - 22 - Canada - Teamster - Log Mill Eleanor Gerow (Daughter) -23 - Maine Nella Gerow (Grand Daughter) - 11/12 - Maine Household 2 James Merritt (Head) - 27 Lettie Merritt (Wife) - 29 Ralph Merritt (Son) - 7 Harry Merritt (Daughter [but Male noted in next column]) - 5 Evelyn Merritt (Daughter) - 3 7/12 Melvin Merritt (Boarder) 64
  Death	16 Sep 1925  [6]
  Burial	Woodland Cemetery, Maine, USA   [6]
  		Headstone - Edward Merritt & Barbara Gerow Edward M. Merritt Apr 23, 1852 - Sept 16, 1925 Barbara A Gerow Dec 18, 1855 - Aug 14, 1931
  Siblings	6 siblings
  	1. Abigal Merritt,   b. 7 March 1844   d. 14 December 1885  (Age 41 years)   2. John R. Merritt,   b. 23 December 1846   d. 27 November 1903, Kars, New Brunswick, Canada  (Age 56 years)   3. Elizabeth Merritt,   b. 11 March 1849   d. 25 October 1885, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada  (Age 36 years)   4. Harriet Adeline Merritt,   b. 5 Nov 1850, New Brunswick, Canada d. 10 Nov 1931, Kingston, New Brunswick, Canada  (Age 81 years)   5. Edward Melbern Merritt,   b. 23 Apr 1852, New Brunswick, Canada d. 16 Sep 1925  (Age 73 years)   6. Effie Connor Merritt,   b. 21 June 1853, Greenwich, New Brunswick, Canada d. August 1887  (Age 34 years)   7. Susan Hepzibah Merritt,   b. 20 January 1856, Greenwich, New Brunswick, Canada d. 18 April 1893, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada  (Age 37 years)
  Person ID	I41	Shaun
  Last Modified	17 Feb 2019

  
  

  Father	Caleb Merritt,   b. 11 Oct 1813, New Brunswick, Canada d. 16 Oct 1880, Kars, New Brunswick, Canada (Age 67 years)
  Mother	Harriett Mills,   b. 8 Nov 1820, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada d. 6 October 1863 (Age 42 years)
  Marriage	19 Apr 1843	Kingston, New Brunswick, Canada   [15]
  Family ID	F172	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Barbara A Gerow,   b. 18 Dec 1855, Maine, USA d. 14 Aug 1931 (Age 75 years)
  Marriage	1875  [11]
  Children	1. Leslie Merritt,   b. Mar 24, 1878, Hodgdon, Maine, USA d. 21 October 1940, Hodgdon, Maine, USA (Age ~ 62 years)   2. Stephen Merritt,   b. Jun 20, 1880, Maine, USA d. July 14, 1953, Woodland, Maine, USA (Age ~ 73 years)   3. Effie Merritt,   b. Aug 19, 1882, Maine, USA  [natural]   4. Harold (Harry) Cecil Merritt,   b. 14 Oct 1885, Hodgdon, Maine, USA d. 4 May 1913, Washington, Maine, USA (Age 27 years)   5. Eben William Harrington Merritt,   b. 18 Jun 1890, Hodgdon, Maine, USA d. December 12, 1961, Hodgdon, Maine, USA (Age 70 years)   6. Cora Merritt,   b. 7 Aug 1888, Maine, USA d. 22 May 1982 (Age 93 years)   7. James Smith Merritt,   b. 1 Sep 1892, Maine, USA d. 4 Jul 1965 (Age 72 years)   8. Eleanor Merritt,   b. Oct 15, 1896, Hodgdon, Maine, USA d. 16 Feb 1997, Penobscot, Maine, USA (Age ~ 101 years)
  Family ID	F9	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	9 Feb 2019

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 23 Apr 1852 - New Brunswick, Canada Residence - 1 Jun 1880 - Hodgdon, Maine, USA Residence - 15 Apr 1910 - Hodgdon, Maine, USA Residence - 1 Jan 1920 - Hodgdon, Maine, USA Burial - - Woodland Cemetery, Maine, USA  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Documents		Naturalization - Edward Merritt Edward Merritt of Hodgdon declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, renounced allegiance to any foreign monarch (especially the Queen of Great Britain) on 22 Sep 1888. Had resided in the United States since he was 16, arriving at the age of 1885.
  		Naturalization Index - Edward Merritt

  
  

• Notes

  The Merritt Family Genealogy Line Personal notes by Peter L Merritt: References in square brackets are by Karyn Hannigan Link to Referenced Website: http://themerrittfamilygenealogyline.weebly.com/edward-melborn-merritt.html In my Merritt genealogical quest I became curious some number of years ago why only one of Caleb Merritt’s children came to Maine and in particular to Hodgdon, ME. My great aunt Eleanor Merritt Gerow [youngest daughter of Edward] was the apparent family keeper of history and I sought her out in Bucksport, ME where she lived with her daughter, Nella and son-in-law, James Stone. Upon my query she related the following story: Caleb Merritt was a deacon in the Baptist Church and was conducting the evening service one night and called upon his daughter, Abigail, to stand and give a testimony. She said she didn’t have one-to which her father said ‘Stand and the Lord will fill your mouth.’ No testimony was given and on the buggy ride home from church, Edward made a sarcastic remark to his father about God not filling his sister’s mouth which offended and angered his father. On arriving home the offending Edward was fastened to the buggy wheel and the whip applied to his backside. Edward apparently was so angry over this incident that he held his father in contempt ever after. Edward was working at a neighbor’s farm and had them save his earnings and upon turning 17, he took his wages and moved to Hodgdon. He never returned to Canada and never attended his parents’ funerals. He spent most of his life working in the sawmill that was beside the stream in the center of Hodgdon. Later in life he did some undertaking. My grandfather, James, did not care to help in this endeavor. However, my father, Harry, said that he had helped his grandfather on occasion. From what I understand from my father and others, Edward was possessed of an unpleasant disposition. Barbara Gerow Merritt was given to a pleasant and kindly demeanor according to my father. I can remember as a boy that my grandfather, James, bought his father’s old house and was doing renovations on it with his son, Ralph, and Ralph’s boys, Donny and Ronald, one July when we made our annual Fourth of July to the North Country. [16]

  
  

• Sources

  [S1266194760] Ancestry Family Trees, (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members.), Ancestry Family Trees. http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/AMTCitationRedir.aspx?tid=24515295&pid=17 [S2] Rev. Peter Lauriston Merritt, Merritt Family Genealogy, (Rev. P. Merritt & Karyn Hannigan), http://themerrittfamilygenealogyline.weebly.com/edward-melborn-merritt.html (Reliability: 2). [S1266194774] Ancestry.com, U.S. Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project), (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Index to New England Naturalization Petitions, 1791-1906 (M1299); Microfilm Serial: M1299; Microfilm Roll: 96. [S1266194768] Ancestry.com, 1910 United States Federal Census, (Ancestry.com Operations Inc), Year: 1910; Census Place: Hodgdon, Aroostook, Maine; Roll: T624_537; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0031; FHL microfilm: 1374550. [S1266194775] Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1880 United States Federal Census, (Ancestry.com Operations Inc), Year: 1880; Census Place: Hodgdon, Aroostook, Maine; Roll: 477; Family History Film: 1254477; Page: 408A; Enumeration District: 217; Image: 0090. [S1266194771] Ancestry.com, U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). [S1266194776] Ancestry.com, Maine, Federal Naturalization Records, 1787-1952, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), National Archives at Boston; Waltham, Massachusetts; ARC Title: Copies of Petitions and Records of Naturalization in New England Courts, 1939 - ca. 1942; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group. [S1266194777] Ancestry.com, 1920 United States Federal Census, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Year: 1920; Census Place: Hodgdon, Aroostook, Maine; Roll: T625_641; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 30; Image: 114. [S1266194773] Ancestry.com, Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; 1908-1922 Vital Records; Roll Number: 22. [S1282471265] Ancestry.com, Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; Pre 1892 Delayed Returns; Roll Number: 75. [S1266322045] Ancestry.com, 1900 United States Federal Census, (Ancestry.com Operations Inc), Year: 1900; Census Place: Hodgdon, Aroostook, Maine; Page: 10; Enumeration District: 0025; FHL microfilm: 1240589. [S1282541658] Ancestry.com, Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). [S1266336368] Ancestry.com, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.). Research files of Peter L. Merritt. In my Merritt genealogical quest I became curious some number of years ago why only one of Caleb Merritt’s children came to Maine and in particular to Hodgdon, ME. My great aunt Eleanor Merritt Gerow [youngest daughter of Edward] was the apparent family keeper of history and I sought her out in Bucksport, ME where she lived with her daughter, Nella and son-in-law, James Stone. Upon my query she related the following story:Caleb Merritt was a deacon in the Baptist Church and was conducting the evening service one night and called upon his daughter, Abigail, to stand and give a testimony. She said she didn’t have one-to which her father said â€Stand and the Lord will fill your mouth.’ No testimony was given and on the buggy ride home from church, Edward made a sarcastic remark to his father about God not filling his sister’s mouth which offended and angered his father. On arriving home the offending Edward was fastened to the buggy wheel and the whip applied to his backside. Edward apparently was so angry over this incident that he held his father in contempt ever after. Edward was working at a neighbor’s farm and had them save his earnings and upon turning 17, he took his wages and moved to Hodgdon. He never returned to Canada and never attended his parents’ funerals. He spent most of his life working in the sawmill that was beside the stream in the center of Hodgdon. Later in life he did some undertaking. My grandfather, James, did not care to help in this endeavor. However, my father, Harry, said that he had helped his grandfather on occasion. From what I understand from my father and others, Edward was possessed of an unpleasant disposition. Barbara Gerow Merritt was given to a pleasant and kindly demeanor according to my father.I can remember as a boy that my grandfather, James, bought his father’s old house and was doing renovations on it with his son, Ralph, and Ralph’s boys, Donny and Ronald, one July when we made our annual Fourth of July to the North Country. http://themerrittfamilygenealogyline.weebly.com/edward-melborn-merritt.html [S1266590903] Ancestry.com, New Brunswick, Canada, Marriages, 1789-1950, (Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), Provincial Archives of New Brunswick; New Brunswick, Canada. [S2] Rev. Peter Lauriston Merritt, Merritt Family Genealogy, (Rev. P. Merritt & Karyn Hannigan) (Reliability: 2).