Merrill

The forename and surname of Merrill comes into being with my G-G-Grandmother Maria Merrill. She  was born in Sheffield in 1855, the third of eight children born to George and Rebecca Merrill.

In 1861 Maria's family was living at Hill Top, Ringinglow Road. Next door were her uncle and aunt Joseph and Ann Merrill and their four children.

By 1871 the family were living at 105 Pearl Street, Sheffield. However, on census day Maria was living/lodging/working as a servant at the Grocers Shop at 111 Pearl Street. Uncle Joseph was still at Hill Top, Ringinglow.

On 5th August 1873 at St Marys in Sheffield, she married Pearl Street neighbour Herbert Charlesworth and between them they had nine children. Herbert (1874), Rose (1876), Elizabeth (1878), William (1880), Ada (1882), John (1885-1950), George (1889), Merrill (1892) and Charles (1893).

Bizarrely, her father is given as Joseph Merrill, who up to this point had been her uncle!! Her brother John is given as a witness, assuming he is not her cousin!

Maria and Herbert lived at 17ct 6 House Pearl Street in Ecclesall for over twenty years and their neighbours included:

(1881) at 86 Pearl St, her brother John Merrill, his wife Margaret and their children, Harry, Frederick and Ann Elizabeth.

(1901) at 17ct 3 House Pearl Street, , brother Joseph Merrill, his wife Edith and their children Joseph and Alice, also living there were her mother and father.

Husband Herbert died in the March quarter of 1898 (9c 258) and Maria died in the March quarter of 1906 (9c 255).

My G-G-G-Grandfather George Merrill was born in October 1828 in Tideswell, Derbyshire. He was the fourth of four children born to Joseph and Mary (Lomas) Merryl of Tideswell. He was a (Stone) Quarryman by trade along with brother Joseph.

He married Rebecca Hamman from Mexboro in March Qtr 1850 in Sheffield (22 535) and they had five children. Mary (1848), Mary Ann (1850), John (1853), Maria (1855) and Joseph (1857).