Merlins of Nova Scotia
Replies: 0
Merlins of Nova Scotia
| Colin Kiley (View posts) | Posted: 11 Sep 2005 2:51PM GMT |
Classification: Query
I have been researching the early genealogy of the Merlins in Nova Scotia and I have finally been able to determine the parentage and children of the earliest two generations.
The first arrivals were Johannes Georg[e] Merlin (b. abt. 1717 – d. 16 Apr, 1787), Magdalena Merlin (surname unknown) and their son Johannes Phillip Merlin (b. bef. 1750 - d. 25 Mar, 1788). George Merlin, arrived on the ship Anne in 1750. He was not German, he was Swiss from Hallwiler in the Canton of Aargau. The Anne left the Port of Roggilberger, Rotterdam, Holland on 21 June 1750. It arrived at Halifax on 13 September, 1750. This was the first voyage of the Anne and she carried 322 passengers. The voyage took some twelve weeks and 17 passengers died at sea. Of the 322 passengers; 190 (93 males) were adult persons (persons over 14 years of age). 77 were children between the ages of 4 and 14 and 55 were small children under 4.
That Autumn in Halifax, as the people of the Anne were settled for the winter, a serious epidemic broke out amongst its former passengers. This epidemic threatened the entire colony of Halifax and there are records of at least fifty burials with German names during the fall of 1750 and the first half of the winter of 1751. Amongst the dead was Magdalena, George’s wife. If she died during the epidemic, which some sources indicate may have been typhoid, then she is probably buried in the mass grave which was discovered under the foundation of “The Little Dutch Church†on Brunswick Street in 1996. When the German settlers built the church a few years after their arrival, it was raised over the graves.
George Merlin remarried on 18 February 1752 at Saint Paul's Anglican church; I have obtained a facsimile of the marriage certificate. His second wife was Maria Magdalena Hawser, or probably Haas. She died on 14 Sep, 1763, but not before giving birth to three children: Sophia Elizabeth, Mary Dorothy and John Christopher. (The names are beginning to Anglicize by this point). George married a third time in Aug, 1764 to Ursilla Pondever (widow), but there were no children by this union.
George's first son, Phillip, continued in my family line. He married Barbara Hail, or probably Hohl on 28 Dec, 1772 at Saint Paul's Anglican Church in Halifax. Barbara's family settled in Lunenburg, but it appears that she remained in Halifax, though her children spread out through the province. Their children, baptized at Saint Pauls were: George Phillip (bap. 21 Nov, 1773), John Phillip (bap. 12 Nov, 1775), Henry (bap. 6 Aug, 1778), Elizabeth (bap. 20 Aug, 1780) and John Daniel (bap. Sep, 1783).
John Daniel Merlin (b. Sep, 1783 – d. bet. 1851-1861) continues in my family line. He married Abagail Bangs (b. 24 May, 1790 – d. bet. 1851 – 1861) on 27 June 1809 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Lunenburg. Their children were Henry (bap. 16 Nov, 1823), Jerome (bap. 20 Jul, 1826), Phillip (bap. 20 Jul, 1829) and George (bap. 20 Jul 1829). Jerome later settled in Upper Prospect, Nova Scotia and from there by family line continued. My name is actually Colin Abraham Jerome Kiley; thus explaining the origin of one of those "unique" middle names.
Hopefully this information proves useful. If you have any names, dates or places of possible branches of the Nova Scotia Merlins and you are trying to link them, I can try to help.
Thanks for everyone's help getting to this point.
I have also put together some information on the other members of the family (wives, parents, etc) and I can send that along privately. Since it is the product of ruthless plagarism; it would be for private use only.
PS: This is the inscription from George Merlin's grave in the Little Dutch Church - churchyard which is referenced in another posting on this site:
Here lieth inter
The body of
GEORGE Merlin
Who departed this life
16th April 1787
Aged 69 Years
Also the Body of
Maria Magdaline Merlin
Second wife of
GEORGE Merlin
She departed this life
14th Sep 1763
aged 35 Years
I have included pictures of the grave. Although it is lying on its back in the graveyard, it is in good repair.
I also have an origin copy of Phillip Merlin's marriage certificate which I will post after I have scanned it.
The first arrivals were Johannes Georg[e] Merlin (b. abt. 1717 – d. 16 Apr, 1787), Magdalena Merlin (surname unknown) and their son Johannes Phillip Merlin (b. bef. 1750 - d. 25 Mar, 1788). George Merlin, arrived on the ship Anne in 1750. He was not German, he was Swiss from Hallwiler in the Canton of Aargau. The Anne left the Port of Roggilberger, Rotterdam, Holland on 21 June 1750. It arrived at Halifax on 13 September, 1750. This was the first voyage of the Anne and she carried 322 passengers. The voyage took some twelve weeks and 17 passengers died at sea. Of the 322 passengers; 190 (93 males) were adult persons (persons over 14 years of age). 77 were children between the ages of 4 and 14 and 55 were small children under 4.
That Autumn in Halifax, as the people of the Anne were settled for the winter, a serious epidemic broke out amongst its former passengers. This epidemic threatened the entire colony of Halifax and there are records of at least fifty burials with German names during the fall of 1750 and the first half of the winter of 1751. Amongst the dead was Magdalena, George’s wife. If she died during the epidemic, which some sources indicate may have been typhoid, then she is probably buried in the mass grave which was discovered under the foundation of “The Little Dutch Church†on Brunswick Street in 1996. When the German settlers built the church a few years after their arrival, it was raised over the graves.
George Merlin remarried on 18 February 1752 at Saint Paul's Anglican church; I have obtained a facsimile of the marriage certificate. His second wife was Maria Magdalena Hawser, or probably Haas. She died on 14 Sep, 1763, but not before giving birth to three children: Sophia Elizabeth, Mary Dorothy and John Christopher. (The names are beginning to Anglicize by this point). George married a third time in Aug, 1764 to Ursilla Pondever (widow), but there were no children by this union.
George's first son, Phillip, continued in my family line. He married Barbara Hail, or probably Hohl on 28 Dec, 1772 at Saint Paul's Anglican Church in Halifax. Barbara's family settled in Lunenburg, but it appears that she remained in Halifax, though her children spread out through the province. Their children, baptized at Saint Pauls were: George Phillip (bap. 21 Nov, 1773), John Phillip (bap. 12 Nov, 1775), Henry (bap. 6 Aug, 1778), Elizabeth (bap. 20 Aug, 1780) and John Daniel (bap. Sep, 1783).
John Daniel Merlin (b. Sep, 1783 – d. bet. 1851-1861) continues in my family line. He married Abagail Bangs (b. 24 May, 1790 – d. bet. 1851 – 1861) on 27 June 1809 at the Dutch Reformed Church in Lunenburg. Their children were Henry (bap. 16 Nov, 1823), Jerome (bap. 20 Jul, 1826), Phillip (bap. 20 Jul, 1829) and George (bap. 20 Jul 1829). Jerome later settled in Upper Prospect, Nova Scotia and from there by family line continued. My name is actually Colin Abraham Jerome Kiley; thus explaining the origin of one of those "unique" middle names.
Hopefully this information proves useful. If you have any names, dates or places of possible branches of the Nova Scotia Merlins and you are trying to link them, I can try to help.
Thanks for everyone's help getting to this point.
I have also put together some information on the other members of the family (wives, parents, etc) and I can send that along privately. Since it is the product of ruthless plagarism; it would be for private use only.
PS: This is the inscription from George Merlin's grave in the Little Dutch Church - churchyard which is referenced in another posting on this site:
Here lieth inter
The body of
GEORGE Merlin
Who departed this life
16th April 1787
Aged 69 Years
Also the Body of
Maria Magdaline Merlin
Second wife of
GEORGE Merlin
She departed this life
14th Sep 1763
aged 35 Years
I have included pictures of the grave. Although it is lying on its back in the graveyard, it is in good repair.
I also have an origin copy of Phillip Merlin's marriage certificate which I will post after I have scanned it.
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