Thomas Merritt was born 8/2/1633-34 in London, England and died 11/10/1725 in Rye, Westchester, NY [age 91]
He had 3 wives:
1] Jane ___ [?]** born 12/3/1636 died 1/4/1685
2] Abigail Frances born 2/14/1660 married 8/13/1688
3] Mary Ferris Lockwoodmarried 6/1696 died 1708
Children:
1. John b. 10/10/1657 in England died 4/10/1726 [age 68]
2.Alice b. 1/1/1660 in England died 6/10/1680 [age 20]
3. Joseph b. 6/6/1662 in Wethersfield, CT died 5/12/1754 [age 91]
4. Ephraim b. 5/5/1664 in Wethersfield, CT died after 1719
5.Jane b. 11/7/1666 in Wethersfield, CT
6. Isaac b. 5/3/1668 in Wethersfield, CT ]
7. Thomas [Sgt] Jr. b. 1/31/1670 died 1/30/1719
8. Samuel b. 8/21/1672 [m Elizabeth Underhill] died 1722
9. Joanna b. 11/18/1672
10. Rose b. 4/17/1674 in Rye, NY
11. Stephen b. 2/26/1677
12. Edward b. 3/10/1681
13. Matthew b.9/13/1681
14. Elizabeth b. 4/14/1683
15. Robert b. 1/19/1690 [this one can’t be Jane’s]
NOTES:
Thomas emigrated from England about 1662 which is when he first appears in records at Wethersfield, CT and it is supposed that is when he arrived or a little beforehand, according to various Merritt genealogies. He purchased land in Wethersfield fromThomas Standish. The lot is adjoined by other Standish land on the north, the land of Robert Francis on the west and the road to the south [Vol 2. P30, Wethersfield town records].
Thomas Merritt and Abigail France were married on 8/13/1688 in Rye, NY. Revised Merritt records lists her as shown, -History of ‘Rye, p426: “—perhaps his second wife, Mary, youngest daughter of Robert Francis of Wethersfield, CT. [Rec]” His ‘indenture’ of 10/27/1688 clearly lists his wife as Abigail. Possibly the history of Rye is confusing his third wife, Mary Ferris.
Thomas and Mary Ferris were married in 1696 in Rye, NY.
All children are by his first wife. They settled in Rye, NY in 1673.
**Notice: “These are to give notice to all people to which it may any ways concern, that I, Thomaa Merritt, senior of the town of Rye, do by these presents forewarne any person or persons, whatsoever, from entertaining my wife, Mary Merritt, and likewise from buying, selling, bartering or trading directly or indirectly, with my above named wife without my consent. As witness my hand this 9th day of October in the year of our Lord 1698. Thomas Merritt” This is taken from the town records.
*Some genealogical records indicate Thomas was born 5/1634. Debrett Ancestry Research of England indicates he was son of Thomas of Cambridge, Massachusetts and was born 8/2/1633.
Personal notes concerning Wife # 1:
Thomas Merritt and Jane* ___?___ were married 12/3/1656. This Jane is not Jane Sherwood, as a number of genealogists have listed it. Who exactly Thomas Merritt's first wife was is not certain.
Following is more information that has been passed along. Thomas Sherwood, the father of Jane Sherwood, came from Ipswich, England in 1636, with his wife and their four youngest children, according to Sherwood genealogy [Daniel Sherwood and his paternal ancestors]. Thomas Sherwood’s older children were left behind to come later—it is thought with Robert Seabrook, in 1638-39, Namely: Jane, Tamsen, Mary and Sarah.--though it has sometimes been stated that Jane [Sherwood] married [in England] a Mr. Thomson, or Thomasine. The date Jane is thought to have come from England in about 24 years before the Merritt records have it. If this were to follow, Jane would have been about 2, according to the date we have her born, and hardly married to Thomas Merritt or a Mr. Thompson or Thomasine. Therefore, Jane must have been born much earlier [she was one of the four older children] or she came much later, around the time Thomas Merritt emigrated. If she came to America in 1638-39, she would have been older than Thomas Sherwood Jr., who was 10 in 1636. He was the oldest of the Sherwood children to come from Ipswich with his father and wife. Jane, therefore, he would have had to be at least 12 in 1636 which would make her 36 when she married Thomas—a little old to have a dozen children. It is likely that Thomas Merritt’s first wife was another Jane whose maiden name is unknown.
Thomas Merritt-Personal Notes:
Thomas’s second wife, Abigail, was the daughter of Robert and Joan Francis of Wethersfield, CT. Mary, his third wife, was the daughter of Jeffrey Ferris of Wethersfield and widow of Jonathan Lockwood. Mary made provision for her Lockwood children on 6/5/1696, being about to marry Thomas Merritt [from Lockwood genealogy]. Thomas bought a home lot in Wethersfield, CT as noted above. [also see Wethersielf town records, Vol 2, p.30]
Thomas settled in Rye, NY in 1673.
Witness to deed of Thomas Statham, 6/24/1676. One of the purchases of Hogpen Ridge, 9/4/1680. Bought land adjoining John Merritt’s from Jonathan Vowles, 11/22/1682. O list of Rye proprietors, 1683. Constable 7/12/1684. Witness to deed from Isaac Sherwood to Caleb Hyatt, 9/15/1684. Appraiser of will of Caleb Hyatt 9/15. Bought a half lotment next to Disbrow’s from Robert Bloomer 3/5/1685 [Rye records, lib B.p43] Francis and Thomas Brown and Thomas Merritt deliver to executors of John Budd of Southold, LI certain animals from his farm at Rye, 6/11/1685. One of the grantors of land to Lockwood 1/15/1688. Owned a home lot between Boyd and Disbrow and two acres in the plains between Richard and Jonathan Vowles, 1688. Rye proprietors acknowledged grant to Thomas Merritt of a parcel of land called Pine Island, adjoining said Merritt’s meadows, 4/14/1694. Vestryman of Rye, 2/28/1694, 1695, 1697. On a committee to select a minister 7/22/1697. ON a committee to build a meeting house-9/25/1697. A collector of minister’s salary, 1667-68. The patent of Rye was granted to Joseph Theale, Thomas Merritt, Deliverance Brown and other s at Hartford, 1/22/1696. he and Brown appeared before the general court of CT to obtain a charter for Rye, 1/19/1697. Called senior, 1698. Deputy to general court, 10/1698. ON committee to run a line between White Plains and Col Heathcote’s patent 2/24/1702. Thomas gave his son, Thomas, a house and lot then occupied by his son, 1/20/1703. He and Robert Bloomer granted land to John Merritt, 2/7/1704 [Lib 3, p152]. Owned land at Rye 12/6/1704. Bought land adjoining his from Caleb Haytt, 5/1/1705; deed recorded 1/23/1722. Supervisor, 1705. Bought 15 acres from Wm. Fowler for 27 pounds, 12/25/1706. On committee to settle the line between Greenwich and Rye, 11/1/1707. One of the grantors of land in Wills Purchase to Samuel Lane, 10/17/1709. Witness to petition of Stephen Sherwood of Rye for a patent 5/1710. Also to petition of Samuel Purdy, 10/1710. On grand jury 6/2/1713-16. Gave a deed to his son, Joseph of Rye, yeoman, 8/5/1714. He and son, Thomas, sign a permission for building a mill to Isaac Anderson, 1/6/1717. A proprietor of Peningo Neck, 1715. Sold 6 acres at White Plains for 40 pounds to Elizabeth Kniffen, 5/19/1719; acknowledged 4/29/1721. Sold 40 acres at White Plains for 40 pounds to Samuel Merritt, 3/21/1720; acknowledged 6/17/1721. He lived nearly opposite the site of the present “Park Institute”.
Information from Debrett ancestry research, England, indicates that Thomas Marrett of Cambridge, MA, whom it is believed to the father of Thomas Merritt of Rye, NY, came from Ipswich, England, parish of St. Stephen. According to the records in England, which are consistent with American records, his wife’s name was Susan or Suzan, and the births of his children have been recorded as Abigail 5/1/1623; Susan 7/9/1626; John 4/6/1628; James 11/9/1629-died young, buried 2/15/1634-35]; Thomas 8/2/1633.
Merritt has the following variants in its spelling : Marritt, Maritt, Mariott, Maryott, Marrett