Descendants of Penelope and Benjamin Merrill
Generation No. 2
PENELOPE MERRILL (CAPTAIN BENJAMIN MERRILL and JEMIMA SMITH) was born Bet. 1755 - 1765 in Jersey Settlement, Rowan County, North Carolina, and died 1830 in Buncombe, North Carolina. She married BENJAMIN MERRILL 04 Feb 1778 in Rowan, North Carolina, son of WILLIAM MERRILL and MARY CORNELL. He was born 02 Dec 1752 in Hopewell, Mercer, New Jersey, and died 10 May 1836 in Buncombe, North Carolina.
Notes for PENELOPE MERRILL:
She was the daughter of Captain Benjamin Merrill, an Uncle of her husband. In other words, they were first cousins.
More About PENELOPE MERRILL:
Burial: ?Merrill-Patton Family Cemetery, Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Notes for BENJAMIN MERRILL:
The family were pioneers in NC, the left Rowan county and located in Cane Creek, East of Fletcher, in 1799. The area became Buncombe County in 1792. They had 15 children. The reportedly joined a wagon train West in about 1827. They stopped in Missouri and made a settlement called Merrellsville in what is now Marion County, MO.
Enlisted in 1776 in Guilford County, North Carolina. Later that year he moved to York District, South Carolina and in 1780 returned to Guilford (later Randolph) County, North Carolina and enlisted there under John Collier, Captain John Anderson in York County, South Carolina and Major Turnbull, and saw service against the Tories, Cherokees, Briar Creek, Cowpens, etc.,
In 1798 he moved to Cane Creek in Buncombe County where he was living in 1833.
Benjamin Merrill was born in Hopewell, grew up on his father's plantation which was close to that of Captain Benjamin Merrill. Of his childhood we know very little, but at the age of 24 he enlisted in the army and served throughout the Revolution.
Rev War pension claim S.8891
enlisted abt 1 Mar 1776 while residing in Guilford Co., NC; served abt 6 wks as a private in Capt. John Collier's North Carolinaco, moved to Yourk district SC; enlisted there Aug 1776 served as a private in Capt John Anderson's co, Thos Neel's reg of SC Troops on 19 Sep 1776 engaged in a battle with the Indians at the head of the TN river; discharged Oct 1776, having served about 2 mos enlisted Feb 1779, served as a private in Capt. Wm McCulloch's Co, Col Neel's SC Reg; was in the battle of Brier Creek Enlisted Mar 1780, served as a private in Capt Moffet's co., Col Wm Bratton's SC Reg discharged late May 1780 served 2 mos Enlisted Sept 1780, etc.
In Nov 1780 he moved to Randolph Co North Carolina and in 1798 to Cane Creek, Buncombe Co NC, where he was residing when he was allowed pension on his application executed 14 Oct 1833. It is not stated that this soldier was ever married. Contrary to the above record we do know that Benjamin was married on 4 Feb 1778 to his cousin Penelope Merrill, the dau of Capt Benj and Jemima Merrill. She was born prior to her family's arrival in Rowan or soon thereafter.
They settled on the edge of Rowan Co and remained there until 1798, at which time they sold their property and began a westward journey into the Blue Ridge mtsn. In 1799 just 14 yrs after the first settlement in Buncombe Co, Benj and Penelope and their family of 12 children came to Cane Creek and started a settlement there. They were joined by his brother John and his family, Anna and Boyd McCrary and their family. They all acquired land on Cane Creek not far below Fairview and started a colony of Merrills and their kindred. Within a few years Benj and Penelope's family had increased to 15 children.
Abstract of Rev War Pension Files. S8891. Benj Merrell , North Carolina& SC Line.
Soldier was b 2 Dec 1752 in Hunterdon Co NJ & he lived in Guilford Co North Carolina at enlistment, & later moved to York District SC & also served there. In Nov 1780 he moved to Randolph Co North Carolina& in 1798 he moved to Buncombe Co North Carolina where he applied 14 Oct 1833. In 1833 soldier's brother John Merrell made an affidavit in Buncombe Co NC
The Merrills were very anti-British. Benjamin joined the fight for American independence, enlisting on about March 1, 1776, as a private in Captain John Collier's North Carolina Company. He served for about six weeks, and then moved to York District, South Carolina, where he enlisted in August of 1776. He served as a private in Captain John Anderson's company of South Carolina troops and in a regiment commanded by Thomas Neel. On September 19, 1776, Merrill fought in a battle with the Cherokee at the head of the Tennessee River. He was discharged the following month, and then went back to North Carolina, where he soon married.
Benjamin reenlisted in February 1779 as a private in Captain William McCulloch's company of Colonel Neel's South Carolina regiment, and he was at the Battle of Brier Creek. In March of 1780, he enlisted yet again, this time as a private in Captain Moffett's company of Colonel William Bratton's regiment. He was discharged in May 1780, but in September of that year he enlisted one more time, in Captain McCormury's Company. After serving six weeks, Merrill moved to Randolph County, North Carolina, in November.
On February 4, 1778, Benjamin married his first cousin Penelope (Eileen) Merrill. Her parents, Capt. Benjamin and Jemima Smith Merrill, had moved to North Carolina from Hopewell, New Jersey, around 1756, and Penelope was born either just before or just after they moved. Her father purchased 1042 acres in Rowan (now Davidson County on the north side of the Yadkin River in 1760. He was a farmer and became a prosperous man. He became a Captain in the Rowan County militia and a leader of the Regulators. This was a group of North Carolina men who were opposed to the unjust rule of the British and their greedy, lying, thief of a governor, William Tryon. Penelope's father was one of a group of men Governor Tryon rounded up to be tried at Hillsborough in Orange County. Tryon's judge sentenced Merrill to death, ordering him "to be hanged by the neck that you be cut down while yet alive, that your bowels be taken out and burn before your face, that your head be cut off, your body divided into four quarters, and be at his Majesty's disposal." This execution occurred June 17, 1771, and Merrill's wife and all his children, including Penelope were required to watch it.
In late 1782 or early 1783, the British raided the home of Benjamin Merrill's parents while Ben and his brother John were out hunting. The British split the tongue of his Mother, Mary (Cornell) with a knife and carried off his aged father, William, and presumably killed him, since he was never seen or heard of again. Thus the fathers of both Benjamin and his wife were murdered by the British.
Benjamin and Penelope lived on their farm on the Rowan-Randolph County until 1798. Many of their neighbors had been moving to Fairview since the early 1790's, and the Merrills joined in the migration in 1798, along with Benjamin's brother John and his wife, Catherine and Penelope's sister Anna and her husband, Boyd McCrary.
More About BENJAMIN MERRILL:
Burial: ?Merrill-Patton Family Cemetery, Fairview, Buncombe County, North Carolina
Children of PENELOPE MERRILL and BENJAMIN MERRILL are:
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Child |
Name |
Birth Info |
Death Info |
Spouse |
Marriage Info |
Spouse birth info |
Spouse death info |
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i. |
23 May 1779 Randolph County,NC |
25 Jan 1825 Merrellsville, Marion County, MO |
DAVID CRUM |
Abt. 1809 |
1774, lived in Missouri. |
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ii. |
06 Mar 1781 Randolph County,NC |
1858, Transylvania County, NC |
ELIZABETH ASHWORTH |
07 Sep 1785 NC |
07 Sep 1785, Rowan County, NC |
May 1853 Transylvania County, NC |
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iii. |
JAIN MERRILL |
01 Nov 1782 Randolph County,NC |
Aft. 18 Jun 1842, Merrellsville, Missouri |
DAVID MORROW |
Rowan, North Carolina |
1777, lived in Merrillsville, MO. |
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iv. |
NIMROD MERRILL |
14 Jun 1784 Randolph, NC |
Aft. 1850, Dallas, Texas. |
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v. |
PENELOPE MERRILL |
17 Jan 1786 Randolph County, NC |
Bef. 1851, Henderson, North Carolina |
PETER SHEPPARD |
1809, Virginia |
Abt. 1760, Halifax, Virginia |
Abt. 1822. |
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vi. |
29 Oct 1787 Randolph County, NC |
26 Dec 1849 Dallas, TX |
(1) NANCY MCCRARY |
01 Jan 1811 Buncombe County,MO |
1792, Buncombe, NC |
15 Feb 1830 Merrilsville, Daveiss,MO |
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(2) SUSANNAH LAYTHAM |
18 Sep 1831 Marion,MO |
1791 |
26 Aug 1835 |
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(3) MARY ANN MCKAY |
24 Aug 1837 Marion,OH |
08 Feb 1815 Buncombe County, NC |
30 Dec 1897 Dallas, TX |
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vii. |
MARY MERRILL |
03 Jul 1789 Randolph County, NC |
05 Jan 1825 Buncombe County, NC |
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viii. |
04 Aug 1791 Randolph County,NC |
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WILLIAM KINKADE. |
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ix. |
ELIZABETH MERRILL |
04 Jun 1793 Randolph County,NC |
05 Jan 1825 Buncombe County, NC |
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x. |
22 Feb 1795 Randolph County,NC |
1852, Hopkins, Texas |
DORCAS HUGHEY |
1815, Georgia |
1794, North Carolina |
1860 |
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xi. |
20 May 1797 Randolph County,NC |
Abt. 1875, Henderson County, NC |
14 Oct 1819, North Carolina |
1798, Rowan County, NC |
1848, Monroe County, TN |
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xii. |
RACHEL MERRILL |
11 Dec 1798, Randolph County,NC |
Bet. 1860 - 1870 |
ALEXANDER ELIC MCCALL |
Aft. 07 Nov 1838 |
22 Aug 1801, lived in Henderson County, NC |
Bef. 03 Apr 1894. |
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xiii. |
26 May 1801 Buncombe County,NC |
1883, San Saba, Texas |
(1) KATHERINE GARRISON |
19 Oct 1824, Buncombe County,NC |
1805, Buncombe County, TX |
13 Mar 1833 Buncombe County, NC |
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(2) ELIZABETH GARRISON |
12 Feb 1835, Buncombe County,NC |
16 Dec 1798, Buncombe County, NC |
17 Apr 1880, San Saba, Texas. |
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xiv. |
26 May 1801 Buncombe County, NC |
13 May 1874 Buncombe County, NC |
HARRIET L. MURRAY |
05 Nov 1807, North Carolina |
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26 Jul 1898 lived in Buncombe County,NC |
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xv. |
08 Oct 1803 Buncombe, NC |
Aft. 1850, Ottumwa, Wapello County, IA |
(1) SYNTHIA COOPER |
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22 Jul 1801 resided in Buncomb Co., NC |
Bet. 1837 - 1838 |
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(2) MARGARET P. MURRAY |
Bef. 01 Apr 1838 |
12 Jul 1814 Buncombe, NC |
Aft. 1850. |