Hi Liz - by chance did your Merritts get into Texas? I haven't been able to get past my own father - Robert Joe Merritt... Thanks - Carol -----Original Message----- From: sambwell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 3:06 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Merritts from Leeds (Seacroft) and Upper Batley, West Yorkshire Joyce, I cannot help at this time but hope to in the future. Yours sounds like a great family! I am still stuck in Florida, USA with my g-grandfather James Robert Merritt. Best of luck. Liz Subject: Merritts from Leeds (Seacroft) and Upper Batley, West Yorkshire > Hi all, > > I begin this, my first post to the Merritt list with the sad news that my oldest known surviving Merritt relative, Mrs. Annie Chapman (nee Merritt) 1903-2003, my Great Aunt, died this Easter Sunday in a nursing home in Wakefield, W. Yorks at the age of 99 years - she had been so hoping to cross the hundred line, but it was not to be. Nevertheless she had a brave innings, losing her only daughter Cynthia on the way, and despite that sadness, showed a great interest in helping me with my genealogy quests - I still have lots of old hand-written notes she provided me with to this end. > > My Merritt ancestors consisted of many large families reportedly coming from the Seacroft area of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Despite the large families I am unable to find much trace of them, on censuses, or birth's, marriages and deaths registers. Is it possible they simply did not fill such records in? Or is it my search technique? > > The first Merritt in my line is my mother Ella, still living in Cambridge, England. My grandfather was John Joseph Merritt, born in 1900 in Upper Batley, W. Yorks where his father, George, Merritt was gardener at Oakwood Hall, where the family lived in the Lodge at the entrance gate - the lodge is still there today, not so much different from how it must have looked in those days. My mother was also born there. John Joseph died in 1983. > > John Joseph had brothers George Augustus b 1910, and sisters Lucy b 1902, and Edith Tyrrell Merritt b 1908 as well as Annie mentioned above. > > John Joseph's mother was Jessie Tyrrell born 9 Nov 1875 in Wandsworth, London - I believe there are many Tyrrell family members with a strong interest in Genealogy already so I have left that part of the line for later search. > > John Joseph's father, George was believed to have been born in Seacroft Green, Leeds in 1867 and he died in Upper Batley in between 1939 and 1942 - there was a George Merritt buried in Birstall cemetery, in Kirklees on 4 May 1942 which may be him. He is believed to be one of 19 children of whom I only have names for Frank (married Sarah Ann?) , Jenny, Nellie, Alice (married Denis Burton), Frederick (married Ethel ?), Joe (married Polly ?), and Emily (married Edwin Thompson), but no vital dates or other information. > > The father of George was Charles Merritt of whom I have no other details except that he married a lady called Isabella Lindley about whom I know nothing other than that she bore all the 19 children to Charles, and by family legend is reported to have recovered from the births by going out and jumping over a five barred gate!!! Quite some lady! > > Despite the size of this family, I have so far found no trace of it in Seacroft, Leeds or anywhere else. > > Having only first names for 8 of Isabella and Charles 19 children, I have a lot to find, and lots of links to make - so I wondered whether there is anyone else on this list researching this same Merritt branch who has already begun piecing any of this together, and can help me get started? > > I would be delighted to hear from you if so! > > Joyce Pashley-Smith, > Currently living in Brussels, Belgium > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Carol, the sad fact is below is my list of Merritts so far. Oregon's parents Daniel and Nancy Lanier Sloan are well documented. My Merritts and Joyners are not. All I have for Merritt is below. Amanda was my g-grandmother and Woodson Melco Joyner was my g-grandfather. Woodson's father was William, b. about 1840 in NC, his mother was Mary Kiser, b. abt. 1840 in SC. No towns, dates or any clue to the next step. I remember being told that Bessie and Fanny married the Brown brothers and lived next door to each other, probably around the Jacksonivlle, Fla. area. I never met any of the other Merritts. I do have a picture of Amanda with a sister and they are probably in their 70's. Will post to web ASAP. Descendants of Robert James Merritt 1 28 Robert James MERRITT b: 1850 . +29 Oregon SLOAN b: 1852 in Sumter Co. FL d: October 08, 1899 in Hillsborough Co, FL ....... 2 101 John MERRITT b: 1872 ....... 2 15 Amanda Lanier MERRITT b: August 27, 1874 in Mascotte, Lake Co., FL d: May 13, 1955 in Gadsden Co., FL .......... +14 Woodson Melco JOYNER b: June 01, 1864 in Alabama d: September 02, 1927 in Bradenton, Manatee Co., FL ....... 2 102 Eliza MERRITT b: 1876 ....... 2 103 Allen MERRITT b: 1880 ....... 2 104 Bessie MERRITT b: Aft. 1880 .......... +106 Edward BROWN b: Aft. 1880 ....... 2 105 Fanny MERRITT b: Aft. 1880 .......... +107 ? BROWN b: Aft. 1880 Carol, just by chance have you been able to get your father's death cert.? My grandfather's death cert. had his parents on it and the information was written by one of his sons! When you are looking for information remember to check all the possible ways your father could spell his name, ie. Bob, Robbie, RJ, Joseph (? middle name) or he left out Robert or he reversed Robert and Joe. If your father is deceased was it after 1935 when the SSDI started. AND, just FYI, you kids out there! NOBODY trusted the census in the early 1900's. I know where everyone was 1927 on. Amanda and Woodson lived in the same house in Bradenton, Fla. from abt. 1890 until 1955. Woodson died 1927. I cannot find one census with them listed and I did live with them some. Mother married alot and was gone most of the time. Anyway, before this becomes a book...... My website has a tips page. You have to copy and paste the URL's of help pages (my editor would not make them link) but other things there too. Liz Armstrong Braswell http://www.geocities.com/look4armstrong/ Hi Liz - by chance did your Merritts get into Texas? I haven't been able to get past my own father - Robert Joe Merritt... Thanks - Carol Subject: Re: Merritts from Leeds (Seacroft) and Upper Batley, West Yorkshire Joyce, I cannot help at this time but hope to in the future. Yours sounds like a great family! I am still stuck in Florida, USA with my g-grandfather James Robert Merritt. Best of luck. Liz Subject: Merritts from Leeds (Seacroft) and Upper Batley, West Yorkshire > Hi all, > > I begin this, my first post to the Merritt list with the sad news that my oldest known surviving Merritt relative, Mrs. Annie Chapman (nee Merritt) 1903-2003, my Great Aunt, died this Easter Sunday in a nursing home in Wakefield, W. Yorks at the age of 99 years - she had been so hoping to cross the hundred line, but it was not to be. Nevertheless she had a brave innings, losing her only daughter Cynthia on the way, and despite that sadness, showed a great interest in helping me with my genealogy quests - I still have lots of old hand-written notes she provided me with to this end. > > My Merritt ancestors consisted of many large families reportedly coming from the Seacroft area of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Despite the large families I am unable to find much trace of them, on censuses, or birth's, marriages and deaths registers. Is it possible they simply did not fill such records in? Or is it my search technique? > > The first Merritt in my line is my mother Ella, still living in Cambridge, England. My grandfather was John Joseph Merritt, born in 1900 in Upper Batley, W. Yorks where his father, George, Merritt was gardener at Oakwood Hall, where the family lived in the Lodge at the entrance gate - the lodge is still there today, not so much different from how it must have looked in those days. My mother was also born there. John Joseph died in 1983. > > John Joseph had brothers George Augustus b 1910, and sisters Lucy b 1902, and Edith Tyrrell Merritt b 1908 as well as Annie mentioned above. > > John Joseph's mother was Jessie Tyrrell born 9 Nov 1875 in Wandsworth, London - I believe there are many Tyrrell family members with a strong interest in Genealogy already so I have left that part of the line for later search. > > John Joseph's father, George was believed to have been born in Seacroft Green, Leeds in 1867 and he died in Upper Batley in between 1939 and 1942 - there was a George Merritt buried in Birstall cemetery, in Kirklees on 4 May 1942 which may be him. He is believed to be one of 19 children of whom I only have names for Frank (married Sarah Ann?) , Jenny, Nellie, Alice (married Denis Burton), Frederick (married Ethel ?), Joe (married Polly ?), and Emily (married Edwin Thompson), but no vital dates or other information. > > The father of George was Charles Merritt of whom I have no other details except that he married a lady called Isabella Lindley about whom I know nothing other than that she bore all the 19 children to Charles, and by family legend is reported to have recovered from the births by going out and jumping over a five barred gate!!! Quite some lady! > > Despite the size of this family, I have so far found no trace of it in Seacroft, Leeds or anywhere else. > > Having only first names for 8 of Isabella and Charles 19 children, I have a lot to find, and lots of links to make - so I wondered whether there is anyone else on this list researching this same Merritt branch who has already begun piecing any of this together, and can help me get started? > > I would be delighted to hear from you if so! > > Joyce Pashley-Smith, > Currently living in Brussels, Belgium > > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237