The Charles Merrick Family History
- Lindsey Bourcier
- 3 days ago
- 14 min read
INDEX
James Merrick + Eunice Merrick (Jewell) Family
James Merrick:
Birthdate: December 11, 1823
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA,
Death: May 02, 1898 (74), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA,
Immediate Family:
Son of: Samuel Frisk Merrick and Mary Miriam Merrick
Husband of: Eunice Jewell Libby Merrick
Father of Charles Stuart Merrick, Fannie Miriam Merrick, and James Harold Merrick
Brother of Martha Kingsley Gale, Samuel Fisk Merrick; Abbey Maria Clark; Samuel Fisk Merrick; Sarah Meekins Merrick, and 3 others.
Eunice Jewell Libby Merrick: September 21, 1823
Birthplace: Limington, York, ME
Death: September 19, 1897 (73), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family:
Daughter of Deacon Parmenio Libby and Fannie Libby
Wife of James Merrick
Mother of Charles Stuart Merrick, Fannie Miriam Merrick, and James Harold Merrick
Sister of George Ward Libby and Asa Charles Libby
Half-sister of Rosetta Thompson Blake, Anna Harding Libby, Eunice Jewell Libby, Fannie Ward Marr, Martha Boothby, and 7 others
Charles Stuart Merrick: Birthdate: August 19, 1854
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Death: June 11, 1934 (79)
Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family:
Son of James Merrick and Eunice Jewell Merrick
Fannie Miriam Merrick
Birthdate: September 13, 1857
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Death: January 1950 (92)
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family:
Daughter of James Merrick and Eunice Jewell Merrick
Sister of Charles Stuart Merrick and James Harold Merrick
James Harold Merrick I
Birthdate: March 10, 1861
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Death: October 18, 1876 (15), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA, United States
Immediate Family:
Son of James Merrick and Eunice Jewell Merrick
Brother of Charles Stuart Merrick and Fannie Miriam Merrick
Charles Stuart Merrick + Mary George Merrick (Seavey) Family
Mary George Merrick (Seavey)
Birthdate: March 17, 1867
Birthplace: Conway, Carroll, NH
Death: August 28, 1946 (79), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family: Daughter of Richard O’Dell Seavey and Elizabeth Cook (Charles) Seavey
Wife of Charles Stuart Merrick
Granddaughter of Asa (Austin?) Grandville Charles
Sister of: Sarah Seavey Pray
Aunt of Frank Pray
Niece of: Aunt Polly
Mother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, James Harold Merrick, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, Richard Odell Merrick, and 1 other
Ruth Eunice Wisner (Merrick)
Birthdate: May 13, 1898
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Death: June 27, 1984 (86), Dallas, Dallas, TX
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family:
Daughter of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Sister of James Harold Merrick, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, Richard Odell Merrick, and Theodore Parker Merrick
James Harold Merrick II
Birthdate: May 19, 1899
Death: June 05, 1989 (90)
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States
Immediate Family:
Son of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Husband of Maurine Merrick
Father of Newton Munro Merrick and David Charles Stuart Merrick
Brother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, Richard Odell Merrick, and Theodore Parker Merrick
Stuart Hallowell Merrick
Birthdate: September 17, 1900
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Death: February 04, 1984 (83)
Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Place of Burial: Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Immediate Family:
Son of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Brother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, James Harold Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, Richard Odell Merrick, and Theodore Parker Merrick
Charles Llewellyn Merrick
Birthdate: January 26, 1902
Birthplace: Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States
Death: July 12, 1995 (93)
Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States
Immediate Family:
Son of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Husband of Elizabeth K Merrick
Father of Llewellyn S Merrick
Brother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, James Harold Merrick, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Richard Odell Merrick, and Theodore Parker Merrick
Richard O’Dell Merrick
Birthdate: February 05, 1905
Death: March 19, 1967 (62)
Immediate Family:
Son of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Husband of Mildred Peter Pennington Brother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, James Harold Merrick, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, and Theodore Parker Merrick
Theodore Parker Merrick
Birthdate: June 05, 1907
Death: February 15, 1987 (79)
Immediate Family:
Son of Charles Stuart Merrick and Mary George Merrick
Husband of Marie Merrick
Brother of Ruth Eunice Wisner, James Harold Merrick, Stuart Hallowell Merrick, Charles Llewellyn Merrick, and Richard Odell Merrick
James Merrick
1823- 1898 (d. 74)
After the Civil War (1865), James Merrick purchased the stone house at 651 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA 01095.
Father of Charles Stuart Merrick and Fannie Merrick
Eunice Jewell Merrick: 1823- 1897 (d. 73)
Wife of James Merrick and Mother of Charles Stuart and Fannie Merrick
Dr. Charles Stuart Merrick, Ph.D.
1854-1934 (d. 79)
Birthdate: August 19, 1854
Death: June 11, 1934 (79)
Graduated from Wesleyan Academy, June 1874
Graduated from Amherst College, July 3, 1879
Studied shells and minerals
Matriculation Certificate, Oct. 15, 1880; Doctor of Philosophy from Göttingen, 1882
The University of Göttingen is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany, founded in 1734.
Wrote a dissertation on Anhydrobenzoyldiamidobenzol
Nicknames- Chas, Charlie, C.S.M.
Occupation: Teacher and Farmer
1884- Taught at Worcester High School
1887- Taught Natural Sciences, particularly chemistry, physics, and zoology at Rollins College (private liberal arts college in Winter Park, FL, founded in 1885) for one year.
Charles (40) married Mary G. Seavey (29), July 21, 1897, in Milton, MA
From recommendation letters-
“Of excellent character”
“Thoroughly competent, enthusiastic, and successful as a teacher.”
“I can confidently recommend him to any who needs their Natural Science Dept. well managed.”
Fannie Miriam Merrick
1857-1950 (92)
Birthdate: September 13, 1857
Death: January 1950 (92)
The younger sister of Charles S. Merrick; Never married
Graduated from Wesleyan Academy with second honors in academy courses, 1878
1913- Owned home, 551 Mountain Road, Wilbraham, MA
Vacationed in Amsterdam, 1925
Living at 17 Winnebago Rd, Tuckahoe, NY, in 1926 with Harold
Living at 72 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, NY, in January 1926 with Harold and Maurine Merrick
Nickname: Auntie
Lived with Richard Merrick in NY 1936
Appointed Charlie L. Merrick as her proxy to Merrick Associates, Inc. in 1949, giving Charlie control of the family corporation and stock upon her death.
James Harold Merrick I
1861- 1876 (15)
Birthdate: March 10, 1861
Death: October 18, 1876 (15), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Nickname: Harrie
Died when he was 15
The younger brother of Chas and Fannie Merrick
Mary Merrick (Seavey)
1867-1946 (79)
Birthdate: March 17, 1867
Death: August 28, 1946 (79), Wilbraham, Hampden, MA
Born in Conway, NH
1886- a graduate of the Fryeburg Academy. Fryeburg Academy, founded in 1792, is one of the oldest private schools in the United States, located in Fryeburg, Maine.
1892- Taught at Dover, MA High School - but resigned to complete her B.U. Studies
1892 - Bachelor of Philosophy (PH.B) from Boston University College of Liberal Arts
Letters of Recommendation:
Sept. 4, 1888- To whom it may concern: This is to certify that I am personally acquainted with Miss Mary G. Seavey, who graduated from Fryeburg Academy in 1886. She is a young lady of excellent character and a fine scholar, graduating first in her class.” -Albert F. Richardson, Principal of Fryeburg Academy, Fryeburg ME
Feb. 20, 1892- “This certifies that Miss Mary G Seavey was the teacher of our High School during the school year which closed in June last; she resigned at this time to complete her studies in Boston University. Miss Seavey was a thorough instructor and a strong disciplinarian. She was very popular not only with her pupils but also with all the patrons of her school. Should she decide to teach any special branch, or become an assistant teacher, I believe Miss Seavey would be found not only competent to instruct but would exercise judicious discipline, a quality which is often lacking in teachers otherwise eminently qualified. - Frank Smith, Superintendent, Dover, Mass
May 1892- “I am happy to bear witness to the zeal and faithful [illegible] which Miss Seavy has constantly shown in the study of German. Together with these, she has, I am sure, most qualities which will make her work as a teacher successful, and inspire her pupils with love for their work. She will fill well the position [illegible] she may deem in mise to accept.” - M. L. Perrin, Prof. of Language, Boston University
1892- “Miss Seavy is one of our most worthy and successful students. In character, she has been of the highest rank and her scholarship excellent.” - W.E. Huntington, Dean of the Boston University College of Liberal Arts.
April 26, 1894- “It gives me much pleasure to add my testimony regarding the excellent character and successful work of Miss Mary G. Seavey. She is a graduate of Boston University and has continued her studies most enthusiastically since her graduation. She has had full charge of the science taught in the Milton High School since her connection with it, and inspires in her pupils a genuine love for their work. Since she has been here, I have never heard one adverse criticism upon her methods of instruction or manner of discipline, either from scholars or those most connected with the school. Her personal appearance and agreeable manner are greatly in her favor, and her kind and sympathetic nature will always win her many friends. I recommend Miss Mary Seavy most cordially for any position which she would care to accept and consider the school or college which may secure her services, very fortunate.” - H.T. Hallowell, Asst. Milton High School
Aug. 5, 1895- Miss Mary G Seavy has been a teacher in Milton High School for three years. She has proved thoroughly devoted to her work, scholarly, and very successful in arousing interest in the pupils. She has a strong character, and makes her an influencer for good, felt by both pupils and associates.” - Heiram Trull, Principal of High School, Milton, Mass.
After B.U. graduation, Mary taught Science for 4 years at Milton, Mass, High School
Taught 1 year at the Girls’ Latin School (now Boston Latin Academy (BLA)-- a public exam school founded in 1878 in Boston, Massachusetts, providing students in grades 7th through 12th a classical preparatory education. The school was the first college preparatory high school for girls in the United States.
1897 - Lived at 6 Auburn Street, Roxbury, MA
1897- Married Charles S. Merrick in Milton, MA
Congregationalist
Recreation: studied Botany and Geology
Enjoyed Tennyson's poetry
Member of the Wilbraham Study Club and The Neighborhood Club, School Board (1930),
Lived with Richard Merrick in NY 1936
Ruth Eunice Merrick
1898-1984 (86)
Birthdate: May 13, 1898
Death: June 27, 1984 (86), Dallas, Dallas, TX
Born May 13th at 10:30 P.M., 7 lb 2 oz, black hair, 19.5”
Lived in the Amherst House Apartments at 19 Main Street, Amherst MA in 1926
Ruth's roommates were Margaret Farrington (freshman year, in 22-23 Pearsons) and Ruth "Holy" Holsten (sophomore year, in 6 Byron Smith; junior year, in 47 Pearsons; and senior year, in 20 Pearsons). Other close friends are Elma (dated Harold?); and hometown friends Helen Porter and Gladys Morse.
Graduated from Mt. Holyoke in 1922
Address in 1937: 16 North St, Ludlow, MA
Teacher in Revere from 1922 to 1923
Was at Harold’s Mohegan Heights, Yonkers home with Stuart Merrick when they saved Mr. & Mrs. H.M. Randolph (also of Mohegan Heights), who was awakened by gas fumes. Flames burned from the cellar up the stairway. Their only escape was a balcony off the bedroom. Stuart Merrick arrived with a ladder and helped both get to the ground. Impossible to enter the house, the whole interior, except the kitchen, was engulfed. Ruth Merrick alerted the firemen and police. The cause of the fire is thought to be due to defective wiring near the gas meter in the cellar.
Teacher in Long Branch, NJ from 1923-??
Husband- Frank Bradley Wisner
1906-2002 (95)- Born in Bozeman, MT
1936: Graduated from Yale Medical School
Practiced medicine in Springfield, MA
Enlisted in the Navy in 1942-45
Moved to Mercedes, MT, and practiced medicine for 5 years
Moved to San Diego and practiced medicine for 30 years
Remarried - Dorothy Wisner
2 daughters- Alice Flores + Linda Marroquin
2 sons - Frank Bradley Wisner + Robert Wisner
Son: Frank Bradley Jr.
Born 1/24/1936
Ruth lived in Ludlow, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States, in 1940, and in Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States, in 1967.
1967- Lived in Cleveland, OH
She died on 27 June 1984, in Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, at the age of 86, and was buried in Wilbraham, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States.
James Harold Merrick II
1899- 1989 (90)
Birthdate: May 19, 1899
Death: June 05, 1989 (90)
Went by Harold
Nickname: Hal
Born 5/19/1899
1915- Won 1st prize and was the state champion in the MA boys’ and girls’ poultry club-- automatically became president of the state club for 1916 and won a trip to Washington, DC.
With 10 Plymouth Rock hens in 100 days, Harold made a $1.50 profit/day.
Built the hen houses-- prepared one for a colony house, another for a feeder, and a third for a nest coop.
Believed chickens who could range as they pleased and were fed well would respond better than if they were fed for laying.
Fed hens dry mash and scratch feed (dry mash kept in a hopper in front of them at all times)
A quart mix of corn, oats, buckwheat, and scratch feed was fed to them daily
Besides water, they had separated milk in front of them at all times
Almost every morning, they received egg shells and scraps from the house-- bones either from the house or butcher.
Hens enjoyed wet mash better-- so he switched
According to poultry experts, “ the figures of profit produced by the two Wilbraham boys are unusual and at least 4x as great as the average poultry keeper.
SATC Amherst, 1918
Attended Amherst College, Class of 1923.
Elected to Phi Beta Kappa
Graduated from Harvard Law School in the afternoon, and in the evening, married Maurine Robb of Cambridge. After their honeymoon, they made their home in NYC, where Harold worked for Rounds-Sherman Dwight Company.
Wife: Maurine Robb Merrick
Born in London, Ontario
Member of the Daughters of the British Empire
Board of Directors of Victoria Home
Took an active part in British war relief work in 1944
Mother was a noted Canadian musician, Edna Munro Robb
Worked on the editorial staff of the Winnipeg Tribune, and later the Christian Science Monitor
Home -- 17 Winnebago Rd., Tuckahoe (Yonkers), NY - built in 1940
1944- “Rock Ledge” home in Old Greenwich, Conn.
Son- Newton Munro Merrick, April 6, 1922
Named after his mother’s cousin, Newton T. Burdick of Victoria/Vancouver
Stanford University, Class of 1949, B.A. Oxford University, Class of 1953, M.A.
The University of San Diego, Class of 1976, J.D.
Son- David Charles Stewart
Named after his grandfather, David Stewart Robb of Winnipeg
Stuart Hallowell Merrick
1900-1984 (83)
Birthdate: September 17, 1900
Death: February 04, 1984 (83)
Nickname: Stuie, Red
Loved horses
Red hair
Attended Colgate University, Hamilton, NY.
Served in WWII -- Army. Inducted Oct 13, 1942
Sept. 29, 1942 - April 10, 1943
93 State St. Weth, Ct.
Service No. 31-211-7878
SS: 090-10-6640
1967- Lived in Cheshire, CT
Died in the apartment in 1984 - 649 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA
Never married
Stuart’s Will, 1954
Richard O’Dell Merrick- $3,000
Dr. Theodore Merrick - $3,000
Ruth Wisner- $1500
Henry King (friend in CT) - $1,000
Everything else- James Harold Merrick
No provisions for Charlie Merrick-- “for reasons which to me are good and satisfactory.”
Next of Kin in 1984-
Ruth E. Wisner- 11621 Dennis Rd. Apt. 1032, Dallas, TX 75229 (*Guardian, Frank Bradley Wisner appointed 1979 probate court, Dallas, TX).
Charlie Merrick- 651 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA
Dr. Theodore P. Merrick, 1187 Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY
Richard O. Merrick Jr, Huntington Rd., RD2, Newton, CT; and
Barbara L. Hadeed- 47081/2 Linden St., Columbia, S.C.
Charles Llewellyn Merrick
1902-1995 (93)
Birthdate: January 26, 1902
Death: July 12, 1995 (93)
Nicknames: Chas, Charlie, CLM
Attended Amherst College
Married Elizabeth (Kidder) Merrick in 1927; his wife lived with him until 1930
Wife- Elizabeth Kidder
Son- Llewellyn Stuart Merrick:
Birthdate: Oct. 5, 1929 - Death: Dec. 6, 2019 (90)
1927-1930 employed in Springfield, MA.
Elizabeth & Llewellyn moved back to the farm, 1935-1936
Divorced in 1941, 4 years after desertion
As a kid, Charlie was known as one of the best gardeners in the county and won the top prize ($3) at the Wilbraham Fair.
Won second prize at the County Pig Club Contest - “James K. Pork”
Richard O’Dell Merrick
1905-1967 (62)
Birthdate: February 05, 1905
Death: March 19, 1967 (62)
Nickname: Dick
Born 2/5/1905
Graduated from Wilbraham Academy, Amherst College, and Columbia University
1940- Married Mildred Peter Pennington on 7 July 1940, in Berryville, Clarke, Virginia, United States.
Wife- Mildred Peter Pennington
b. 1914
Son- Richard O’Dell Jr.
Born 11/27/1944
Served in the Air Force
Son- Charles Stuart II
Goes by Charlie
Daughter- Barbara Louise
1967- Lived in South Salem, NY
Practicing NYC Attorney
Died in March 1967, at the age of 62.
(online shows he was married to Dorothea Beatrice Watts (b. 1908)??)
Theodore Parker Merrick
1907-1987 (79)
Birthdate: June 05, 1907
Death: February 15, 1987 (79)
Nickname: Ted, TPM
Graduated from Amherst College, BA, 1929
Yale School of Medicine- MD
2-year internship at the New York Post Graduate Medical School
1936- National Board of Medical Examiners
1939- Worked in the office of Dr. George M. McKee
Spent a year interning at Fitkin Memorial Hospital
2.5 years post-graduate work in dermatology at NY Post Post-Graduate Medical School
Became Medical Examiner of the Charlotte Aviation Cadet Examining Board
It was quite popular in Charlotte
1942- Promoted from Navy Lt. to Navy Captain in Charlotte, NC
Lived at 827 E. Boulevard in Charlotte, NC
Made celestial charts for his mother, 1943
Wife- Maria Wassum Merrick
Daughter- Martha “Mimi” Wassum Merrick
B. March 28, 1943
Married Charles G. Porter (D. 2013; divorced)
Son Henry J. "Hank" Porter of CO
1945- Lived at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
1950-Medical practice with Clarence Peachey - 197 South Goodman St., Rochester, NY
1967- Lived in Rochester, NY -- 1187 Clinton Ave S. Rochester, NY
Merrick Animals
The Merrick Stone House
651 Main Street, Wilbraham, MA
Former owners, Roderick Burt + Moses Burt
Moses Burt built the stone house in 1830, fashioning the front with machine-cut stone and finishing it in 1832 with a granite block inscription of “MB 1832” under the attic window.
Moses Burt Sr. occupied this area in the 1740s
The back of the house (now kitchen) had been built circa 1780 with hand-chiseled stone. The stone for this structure, as well as for the church at the Academy, was quarried on this property.
After the Civil War, the house was purchased by James Merrick.
Front porch added in the late 1800s by James Merrick-- the columns coming from a southern mansion post Civil War
Added porch and pillars ~1867, while the frame addition was added in the 1840s.
Features native red pine floorboards, tall windows, original woodwork, door latches, and many fireplaces.
Charles Stuart and Fannie inherited the home from their father, James Merrick
The front porch is referred to as “The Piazza.”
The back wooden section is called “The Apple House”
The Merrick family refers to the apartment as the “L”
1949- Fannie’s room in the stone house is next to the kitchen
Merrick Farm is one of the last remaining working farms in town, and it is still in the Merrick family.
The only home in Wilbraham constructed of native brownstone
The stone for the Wilbraham Monson Academy and Chapel came from the same quarry (quarry holes still visible on the east side of Main Street).
Red pine floors in all rooms except the kitchen (post-renovation) were concealed by paint for many years (most other interior surfaces have been replaced in the 2000s).
Federal-style
In 1968, Barnwood from the hay barn was donated to Carol Knapp, Birch Knoll Drive. Wilbraham
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