John S. Merchant (1830 - 1905)

Born 9 May 1830 in Vinalhaven, Knox, Maine, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Charlotte (Gerrish) Merchant — married 20 May 1851 in Vinalhaven, Knox, Maine, United States

Husband of Barbara (McLean) Merchant — married before 1876 in New Brunswick, Canada

Descendants

Died 2 Mar 1905 at age 74 in Vinalhaven, Knox, Maine, United States

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Biography

John Merchant served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: Oct 29, 1864
Mustered out: May 22, 1866
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Navy

John S. Merchant was born at Deer Isle, Hancock, Maine, on 09 May 1830, the son of Nathaniel Merchant and Susan Smith.^[1][2]

John S. Merchant and Charlotte Gerrish were married on 23 May 1849.^[3]

In 1860, John L. Merchant, a 29yo fisherman, was living in Deer Isle, Hancock, Maine, with his wife Charlotte and four children. (Index says John "S," but the initial appears to be an L.)^[4]

John S. Merchant was a seaman during the American Civil War on the USS Ohio, the USS Bat, the USS Pontoosuc and the USS Mahopac. He enlisted Oct. 29, 1864, and was discharged May 22, 1866.^[3]

John was separated from his wife Charlotte in 1862 and they divorced on 16 Nov 1866 at Portland, Cumberland, Maine. Charlotte remarried to John or Thomas Littlejohn in about 1866 at Portland. She died in about 1880. The application for second wife Barbara's pension file contains a document signed by John S. Merchant. It states that there were four children from the marriage between John Merchant and Charlotte:^[3]

• John W., b. 3 Nov 1849
• Charlotte E., b. 1850
• Flora Eva, b. 1852
• George E., b. 1854

John married his second wife, Barbara, on 21 July 1867 (or 24 July 1869 in New Brunswick). She was married under the name Barbara McLean, and it was her first marriage. John's widow, Barbara, applied for a pension based on John's Civil War service. In her application she said that he served in the 3rd Maine Battery, but that is crossed out on another document. On an affidavit signed in April 1908, in the pension file, Barbara said she was 56 years old. John's application states that there were two children from his second marriage:^[3]

• Ida, b. 25 Sept 1875
• Herbert E., b. 25 Jan 1880

In 1881, S. John Merchant, a 44yo farmer/fisherman b. USA, was living in Hardwicke, Northumberland Co., New Brunswick, Canada, with his wife Barbara, 32yo b. New Brunswick, and daughter Ida, 5yo b. New Brunswick. All are Wesleyan Methodists.^[5]

According to pension records, John was totally deaf in his right ear and suffered from varicose veins in both legs. He also had gunshot wound in the leg and a pistol shot in the head. In a report dated 1893, John had been unable to work at his occupation of stone cutter for two years. Apparently an earlier pension application based on his wounds was rejected. His wounds had been treated aboard the gunboat "Pontusett" and in the sick bay at the Washington D.C. Navy Yard. He was never treated at a hospital.^[3]

In 1900, John and Barbara Merchant lived in Vinalhaven, Knox, Maine, with his wife Barbara and son Herbert. John was a day laborer.^[6]

John died on 2 March 1905 at Togus National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers, Chelsea, Kennebec, Maine,^[7] although Barbara's application for a pension states that he died on 1 March 1905.^[3] He is buried at the Ocean View Cemetery, South Thomaston, Knox, Maine.^[8] According to the pension file, Barbara died on 6 May 1909.^[3][9]

Marriage

Husband: John S. Merchant

Wife: Charlotte Gerrish

Child: John W. Merchant

Child: Charlotte E. Merchant

Child: Flora Eva Merchant

Child: George Merchant

Child: Rose Ella Merchant

Marriage:

Date: 20 MAY 1851

Place: Vinalhaven, Knox Co., ME^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCD9-6YQ : 24 September 2017), Nathaniel Merchant in entry for John S Merchant, 02 Mar 1905; citing Togus, , Maine, United States, Division of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, Augusta; FHL microfilm.
2. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4WQ-16P : accessed 29 October 2015), John S. , 09 May 1830; citing ; FHL microfilm 10,836.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} NARA; Publication Number: M1279; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Widows and Other Dependents of Civil War and Later Navy Veterans (Navy Widows' Certificates), 1861-1910; National Archives Catalog ID: 561929; Record Group: 15; Navy Widows' Certificates › ... M › Me › Merchant, John S (#17811). Accessed on 16 Feb 2017 at Fold3.com.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDHJ-MFL : accessed 29 October 2015), Flora E Merchant in household of John S Merchant, The Town Of Deer Isle, Hancock, Maine, United States; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing p. 31, household ID 222, NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 803,438.

   John S Merchant, 29; Charlotte Merchant, 26; John W Merchant, 8; Charlotte E Merchant, 6; Flora E Merchant, 4; George Merchant, 1. All were born in Maine.

5. ↑ 1881 CAN Census, New Brunswick, NA Film #C-13186, District 35, Sub-district L, Division 2, Page 4, Household 18.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMLG-W9M : accessed 16 February 2017), John S Merchant, Hurricane Isle & Vinalhaven towns, Knox, Maine, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 144, sheet 5A, family 118, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,595.

   John S Merchant, 68 b. Maine May 1832; Barbra Merchant, 52 b. New Brunswick Dec 1848; Herbert R Merchant, 20 b. New Brunswick Jan 1880. John and Barbara have been married for 32 years, and Barbara has had 2 children, 1 of whom is living. Barbara and Herbert came to the USA in 1882. John's parents were both born in Maine, while Barbara's were born in New Brunswick. NOTE: Although the enumeration shows that Herbert was born in 1880 and came to the USA in 1882, it also shows that he had been in the USA for 7 years, was 10 years old and in school, having attended school for 5 months.

7. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1907 ", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KCD9-6Y3 : accessed 29 October 2015), John S Merchant, 1905.
8. ↑ FindAGrave.com; Created by: Joyce Hyde; Record added: Mar 01, 2002; Find A Grave Memorial# 6228898
9. ↑ Navy Widows' Certificates; Merchant, John S (#17811); accessed at Fold3 on 28 Oct 2015
10. ↑ 1860 US Census ME, Hancock Co., Deer Isle, p. 227.