MERRY A FAMILY TREE 

 This site is an on going project site for the development and addition of members of the MERRY   and  associated families. I hope it will be interactive so to allow members to upload information about family and related ties as well as stories and pictures of family members, old homesteads, newspaper articles, and what ever is pertinent to the site. I hope it will assist all those who may have a tie to the Merry, Merrow or other families listed on this page. I will be adding links to various sites that may have additional information to these families as well. Again this will be a continual construction zone so please excuse the mess and just enjoy. 

Some history on what I currently have aquired about the Merry family name.

The first mention of my family in Maine is in Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, & Edgecomb, Lincoln County. From these records onward the family is quite easy to follow but as for their ancestors, there are several stories as to the origin of the MERRY's.  Based on the book by  Oscar Merrow -  Henry Merrow of Reading, Mass. and his descendants named Merrow, Marrow and Merry. , available at Higgins Book Co. the family is related to a Henry Merrow of Reading, Massachusetts of Scottish origin, who first appeared in the 1600's as an indentured servant. The story goes that he was involved in the war between Scotland and England and was captured by Cornwall, forced to return to England, from there he was sent to the new world and arrivied on a ship into Boston Harbor. His last name is not found on the ships list but there are several that are not legible. Due to his strong Scottish speech his last name was recorded as MERROW.  Based on the book "History of Reading Massachusetts", Mr. Henry Merrow settled there and raised his family. Here is where the story becomes a little twisted.  Based on the book "HISTORIC HOMES AND PLACES AND GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS  RELATING TO THE FAMILIES OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS", Published in 1908, it records the origin of the MERRY name as English with its coat of arms as that of the family at Renburne and Barton, Derbyshire. It shows several members with the family name appear as early settlers of New England and their names appear as Merry, Mere, Merie, Merrey, Marrie, Merrye, Merrys, Mery, Merrow, Mer, and Merow. Two Merry's, James of Dover, New Hampshire 1658; and Nicholas who was in Massachusetts in May 1639 and a Walter Merry was admitted to the church Feb. 1633/34 and settled in Boston, Massachusetts. He was married twice, first to Rebecca ______, she died July 4, 1653. He married second August 19, 1658 Mary Doling (or Dowling, or Dolens). He drowned in August 1657 but was suceeded by the following children of the first marriage; Joseph, Henry, Jeremy bapt. December 1634 died young, Rebecca b December 18, 1636, Jeremiah bapt. January 1638/39 d young,   Children by his second wife included Slyvanus b April, 8, 1655 d young, Walter b June 3, 1656..  A Joseph Merry was born in ENGLAND abt 1620, and settled in Haverhill, Massachusetts in 1644 and moved to Hampton, New Hampshire as early as 1654. Children of Joseph were; Joseph, Jr. b December 19, 1654, Hannah b November 29, 1660, Bathsheba b June 16, 1665, and Samuel b November 16, 1669 d October 9, 1727. The above family seems not to be any relationship to the Merry family of which I belong.   Henry Merry (Merrow) son of Walter according to this book, first appears in Reading, Massachusetts in 1661 where he is married to Jane Wallace, which they say is of Scottish stock. However, the History of Reading indicates her name was Jane Lindes, possibly from Ireland, and had been married before to a Mr. Wallace.  As you see, a connection to the Sons of Henry Merrow to the Merry's in Maine has been linked, (currently some errors exist) but which story is correct, as to the origin of Henry, that is part of my goal to get the straight scoop on the family heritage, English, or a more romantic Scottish. Now onto the MAIN PAGE where I have completed some of my research on the MERRY'S of EDGECOMB, BOOTHBAY, & GARDINER, MAINE...Next Page Site hosted by Keith Merry