John Long Merrell, Son of Mary Long

How did my 5th great grandparents, Jonas Long and Elizabeth Merrell, meet before marrying in 1816 on Staten Island, New York?

I do not know at this point in the research.

Jonas would have known Elizabeth's family through the neighborhood, business, and/or place of worship. Jonas likely lived and/or worked in either Middlesex County, New Jersey and Richmond County, New York. Merrells are plentiful in these counties.

A clue is in the will of Lambert Merrell. He signed his will on November 7, 1826. It was proved November 18, 1826 in Richmond County. He named his wife, Marry, and two sons, John Long and Daniel Levi.

Will of Lambert Merrell, 1826
Richmond County, New York

These children were not of age, so a guardian was appointed. This was common practice of the time and was concerned with the preservation of the estate and not with the actual care or welfare of the children. As such, the mother of these children would not usually serve as the guardian.

Index of guardianships Richmond County, New York
Entry for Merrell, John Long, age 14 and Daniel Levi age 12.

Several men share the name Lambert Merrell in this time and place. This Lambert Merrell was the uncle of Elizabeth Merrell, wife of Jonas Long. We know this because the children's guardian changed in 1834 to Jacob VanPelt. The aunts of the children were listed. They were the grandaunts of Elizabeth Merrell.

Elizabeth Merrell and Jonas Long named their final known son Jacob VanPelt Long. He was born about 1836 in New York. I don't know which Jacob VanPelt inspired this name, as Jacob VanPelt was a popular name in this time and place.

I do not know what became of John Long Merrell or his mother, Marry/Mary.

Stillwell family genealogy by John E Stillwell, 1931.
Seven children listed for Catharine Ann Stillwell and Daniel Levy Merrill.
Daniel's parents are given as Lambert Merrill and Mary Long.

Daniel Levi Merrell married Catharine Ann Stillwell. This union and their children were listed in a Stillwell compiled genealogy. In this work, the birth name of Mary was given as Long.

Is this accurate? I don't know. John Levy Merrill was born in 1862, not 1882. This was a typo.

I have found no other source of Mary's birth name. It is possible that John Long was the name of her father and not a morphed tribute to Jonas Long, husband of Elizabeth Merrell. And it is entirely likely that Mary Long and Jonas Long were related and crossed paths with the Merrell family in the 1810s.

Below is the portion of the family tree with Mary Long and Jonas Long highlighted.

Family tree
Mary Long married Lambert Merrell, probably late 1810s.
Jonas Long married Elizbeth Merrell in 1816.

Discovering Ancestors in Names of Cousins

When researching family lines, it is vital that you research siblings of your direct ancestors, as well as their children and grandchildren, because they will yield additional information on your shared ancestors.  Also, when possible, obtain certificates of births, marriages, and deaths, even if you *think* that the record would contain nothing new.  The record would at least confirm other evidence and may provide new clues.

John Duryea (1861-1919) was a first cousin of my great great grandfather, Abraham Brewer Duryea (1878-1944).  Abraham's middle name, Brewer, is from the family of his maternal grandmother, Rene Brewer (1824-1904).

John and Abraham's grandfather was Garrett Duryea (1777-1834).  I am seeking documentation that Garrett's first wife was Charity Horton.  John and Abraham descend from Garrett's second wife, Ann Cornell (1784-1871).

On my most recent trip to the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton, I copied John Duryea's marriage certificate to Katherine Dwyer (1858-1929).  They were married in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey on February 11, 1889.  To my surprise and delight, John's middle name was included on the certificate.  HORTON.  I wonder if the family knew of the origin of this name when John was named, as he is the grandson of Ann Cornell, not Charity Horton.

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What is in a Name?

Someone asked about the first name of my great grandmother, Laura Winterton (1891-1962).  She died before I was born; I was told that she went by the name "Laura."  As I found her records, I saw that she also used the name "Laurel" and "Ethel."  She is not named on her birth certificate.  I entered the varying names into a chart to notice any pattern.  I'm not sure that there is a pattern.

For some clarity, I turned to prior generations to see who Laura may have been named after.  The source of the name may be a paternal aunt, born around 1858, listed as "Laura E. Winterton" in the 1860 and 1870 census; and dead before the 1880 census.