NOAH N. MORELL [#6], b. Neversink, NY 29 Feb 1824, d. Brattleboro, VT 26 Jun 1894, m. Marlboro, VT 22 Oct 1850 LUCY ANN BALL (dau. of James Ball and Lucy Stearns), b. Marlboro, VT 12 Mar 1832, d. Brattleboro 14 Aug 1908.
Noah Morell is a bit of a mystery man. There doesn't seem to be a record of his birth. He first shows up in the records in 1850 as a 25 year old and did not leave a lot of records behind. He never appears to have recorded any deeds and there is no probate record for him. Nor has an obituary for him been found. Noah's family bible places his birth in Neversink, NY (Sullivan County) on 29 Feb 1824.[2] It is written in what appears to be a woman's hand, but the information most likely originated from Noah himself.
Noah first appears in the 1850 federal census, taken 11 Sep 1850, as a 25 year old resident of Marlboro, VT (listed as Noah Merrill). He was in the home of Rufus Mather, age 62. Others in the household were: Lucy Mather, 58, Henry Mather, 34, Lucy Mather, 32, Emma Mather, 3, William Mather, 4/12, i.e. 4 months old, and Newton Pease, 30.[5] Noah may have been in this house as a relative, a worker, or as a boarder. If he were a relative, his parents might be found by researching his relatives. However, in this case, there is no obvious connection to others in the household. The 32 year old Lucy Mather is of the right age to be a sister, but her maiden name was Ingraham, and she married Henry 12 Oct 1842. And the elder Lucy was an Adams.
According to the 1860 census index, Noah was in Whitingham, VT (the town southwest of Marlboro) at that time.[6]
In 1870 Noah was living in Newfane, VT as a 45 year old laborer with his wife Lucy and five children. He was listed as having been born in New York and was able to read but not write. Lucy was born in Vermont and could read but not write. Most heads of households were listed in this census with values of real estate and personal estate. Noah did not have values listed, which indicates a lack of real estate holdings.[8] On the census image the surname looks like it was written as "Monell".
In 1880 "Noah Merrill" age 55 with wife Lucy, 48, and 12 year old son Milton were living in Marlboro. The other children were living with their uncle Horace Ball at the time (June 21-22, 1880) in Newfane, VT. Horace R. Ball was 51 at the time. His father was born in Vermont, his mother in New Hampshire. The rest of the family follows: Amos J. Morell, 23, nephew; Eli B. Morell, 18, nephew; Julia M. Morell, 16, niece; Lucy B. Ball, 78, mother (of Horace), born in NH, both parents born in NH with question marks after NH. All three children were listed as working on a farm and their father was born in New York, their mother in Vermont.[5] In this census Noah's parents were recorded as having been born in Vermont, but so was Noah, and also Lucy's parents, but we know there is at least one mistake in here because her mother was born in New Hampshire.
The birth records of the Morell children also list Noah's birthplace as Neversink. However New York didn't require vital records to be kept until 1881, and it seems there are no probate and land records for any Morells in the small town of Neversink either. Noah N. Morell died in Brattleboro, VT June 28, 1894 aged 70 years, 3 months, 28 days. Noah was listed as a farmer on the birth records of his children.
There are a few more clues as to Noah's ancestry. His middle initial in "N." although we don't know what it stands for. It was sometimes the custom back then to name a boy for his maternal grandfather and to give the boy a middle name that was the grandfather's surname. Furthermore one of Noah's grandsons was named Eli Ellis Newman Bruce, which gives a small possibility that Ellis or Newman were surnames somewhere back in the Morell family.
REF: [1] Marlborough, VT Town Records
[2] Morell Family Bible (in possession of a Mrs. Tate of Brattleboro, VT in 1975)
[3] Newfane, VT Town Records
[4] Halifax, VT Town records
[5] 1880 Federal Census (Newfane, Vermont)
[6] 1850 Federal Census
[7] 1860 Federal Census Index for Vermont, page 521
[8] 1870 Federal Census, microfilm roll M593_1627, page 61
[9] World Connect database off Internet
[10] 1930 Federal Census - Greenfield, MA
Children:
1. boy, b. Marlboro, VT 16 Mar 1852, d. an infant 2. Horace B., b. Marlboro, VT 19 Apr 1854, d. Bernardston, MA 26 Dec 1930; never married[10] 3. Amos James, b. Halifax, VT 6 Sep 1856, d. Orange, MA 12 Mar 1933 4. child, b. Halifax, VT 16 Mar 1858, d. an infant 5. girl, b. Whittingham, VT 16 Jun 1860, d. an infant 6. Eli Albert, b. Newfane, VT 19 May 1862, d. Bridgeport, CT 26 Mar 1934 7. Julia M., b. Newfane, VT 1 May 1864, d. Brattleboro, VT 15 Dec 1934, m. 3 Jun 1884 Charles Henry Bruce, b. Marlboro, VT 15 Sep 1839, d. Brattleboro 1 Jul 1922 8. Milton A., b. Newfane 7 Apr 1868, d. Concord, NH 26 Oct 1950, m. abt. 1895 Chil. (b. in Massachusetts[10]): A) Leroy John Morell, b. abt. 1897, m. Ruby Lydia Hall[9] 1) Catherine F. Morell, b. abt. 1920 2) Leroy M. Morell, b. abt. 1923 3) Roger J. Morell, b. abt. 1926 4) child[9] 9. girl, b. Newfane March 22, 1872, d. an infant
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