Benjamin Merrick (1674 - bef. 1749)

Born 1674 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony

Ancestors

Husband of Rebecca (Doane) Merrick — married about 1699 (to before 1740) in Eastham, Barnstable, Province of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

Husband of Rachel (Holmes) Merrick — married 31 Jul 1740 (to before 24 May 1749) in Harwich, Barnstable, Province of Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died before 24 May 1749 before age 75 in Harwich, Barnstable, Province of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

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Biography

Benjamin Merrick was born in 1674 in Eastham, Plymouth Colony, the son of William and Abigail (Hopkins) Merrick.^[1]

He married first by about 1699 Rebecca Doane, daughter of Daniel Doane of Eastham and his unidentified first wife. Rebecca is named in her father's 1712 will as "Rebeka the wife of Benjamin Meyrick."^[2] He married secondly to Rachel (Holmes) Lincoln on 31 July 1740 in Harwich. She was the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Arnold) Holmes of Rochester, and the widow of Thomas Lincoln.^[1]

He was named as residing at Harwich in the will of his father William Myrick of Harwich, yeoman, dated 5 May 1723 with codicil of 29 Aug 1729, both proved 29 Nov 1732.^[1] In his father's will are mentioned Benjamin's grandfather Giles Hopkins, as well as his siblings Joshua, Nathaniel, Stephen, John, Rebeckah Sparrow (deceased), and Ruth Sears.^[3]

By deed of 3 February 1741/2 of siblings Benjamin Mirrick, Nathaniel Mirrick and Ruth Foster (wife of Chillingsworth Forster), all of Harwich, because "it was the will & intent of our Honoured Father Mr William Mirrick late of Harwich" gave to William Merrick's two grandsons Jonathan and Joseph Sparrow, husbandmen of Eastham, a lot of 4 acres of land in Eastham called Smiths Purchase.^[4]

Benjamin Merrick, a yeoman of Harwich, left a will dated 13 August 1743 and proved 24 May 1749.^[5] He named his wife Rachel and the estate she brought with her; sons John, Nathaniel a co-executor, and Benjamin; daughters Abigail Mayo and Rebecca Baker; son-in-law Joseph May co-executor.

Children by wife Rebecca born Harwich:^[1]

1. Abigail, b. prob. ca. 1699
2. John, b. ca. 1709, bp. Harwich 24 June 1722
3. Rebecca, b. ca. 1711.
4. Isaac, b. ca. 1713, bp. Harwich 24 Jun 1722; not mentioned in father's 1743 will.
5. Nathaniel, b. 23 Feb 1714/5
6. Benjamin, b. 02 May 1719

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} John D. Austin, Mayflower Families Through 5 Generations, Stephen Hopkins, Vol. 6 (Plymouth, MA: General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 2001 [3rd edition]), pp. 24, 91-2.
2. ↑ Barnstable County Probate Records, Vol. 3:285.
3. ↑ Barnstable County Probate Records, Vol. 5:33, Will of William Mayrick
4. ↑ Bowman, George Ernest, "Unrecorded Barnstable County Deeds - Myrick and Foster to Sparrow" Mayflower Descendant Vol. 15:203.
5. ↑ Barnstable County Probate Records Vol. 8:357-60.

See also:

• George Byron Merrick, Genealogy of the Merrick-Mirick-Myrick Family of Massachusetts, 1636-1902 (Madison, Wis., Tracy, Gibbs & Co., 1902), p. 18.