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- Some notes list him as born 1740 and/or dead 1822 This is a history of that Merritt Branch descended from Robert Merritt, a Loyalist of Westchester County New York State, who, early in 1783, went to Nova Scotia to establish for himself and his family a New Home under the British Crown. Like several thousand other Loyalists, he went first to Port Roseway (now Shelbume) in present day Nova Scotia. There he filed on two land claims -- one on the mainland, the other (50 acres) on McNutts Island in Shelbume Harbor. After a very discouraging winter of extreme cold, gales and storms, and on discovering, upon clearing much of the land, that the Shelburne soil was very rough and rocky and ill-fitted for profitable farming, the migrants proceeded to petition the British Government to be moved elsewhere. By June 1784, more than 8,000 of the 9,000 people at Shelburne and environs pulled up stakes and moved away. Some went to Halifax, others to Digby. Most of these 8,000 went to Parr Town (now Saint John) at the mouth of the Saint John River. Some few of these settled in Parr Town; the most of them, however, went on up the Saint John River to settle along its banks and its largest tributaries on lands assigned to them by the British Government. This was done to recompense them for the confiscation by the Americans of their American property. So by determination and hard work they attained contentment and success. Here they found peace. In the 1600's Champlain landed French settlers at the mouth of the St. John River and also on an island not far off from the present Town of St. Andrews. A year later he came back from France with fresh supplies for these settlements and with new settlers whom he landed in the Annapolis Valley and nearby points in present Nova Scotia. This was repeated in the following years. Under the French rule all that is now New Brunswick and also Nova Scotia was named Acadia. This name they both held till 1713 when Acadia was ceded by France to Great Britain. Once under the British Crown, Britishers began to come there from both the Old Country and from the American Provinces. Since many of these from Britain were from Scotland, the name Acadia was replaced by the name Nova Scotia. All Acadia bore this new name (Nova Scotia) till August 8, 1784 when the British Parliament separated the northem half of the Province from the southern half, giving to the northern half the name New Brunswick. To New Brunswick it also gave a Parliament and a Governor of its own. Fredericton became its Capital. After that date Nova Scotia meant only the southern half and the Halifax government no longer held jurisdiction over New Brunswick or its people. During 1783 and the first half of 1784 more than 20,000 Loyalists came direct to New Brunswick. In early 1784 more than 8,000 more Loyalists came there from Shelbome. Thus the new Province of New Brunswick started with around 30,000 people of British stock. Our Robert Merritt was among those who left Shelbome early in 1784 and came to Parr Town and settled on farms up along the St. John River, on land assigned to them by the British Govemment. Here hope and courage began to tum the dense forests into tillable fields with comfortable homes for its people. Robert Merritt took up a land grant on the Long Reach, the part of that country between where the Bellisle and Kennebecosis Rivers emptied into the St. John River. His holdings were forty odd miles up the St. John River on the west side at, what a few years later, becameHampstead, Queens County. Later he added to his land grant. Robert's brother Thomas IV went to St. John and lived there the balance of his live. He died in 1821 aged 92 years and is buried in Kings Square Cemetery. Two of Thomas' sons, David D. and Nehemiah, also lived the balance of their lives in St. John, becoming wealthy merchants there. His oldest son, Thomas V, went to St. Catherines, Ontario in 1796 and settled there and there raised his family. When the war ended, notice was posted that all rebels who wished to do so could return to their homes and property unmolested. Believing in the sincerity of that proclaimation Thomas IV and two of his sons, Thomas V and Shuball, went back to Bedford their former home. Soon after their return a riot broke out in Bedford with the Whigs fighting the retumed (former) rebels and in this riot, Shuball was shot down in the street in front of his wife's parents' home, and killed. Immediately following that, after Thomes IV and his son David gave Shuball decent burial, Thomas IV and 3 of his sons -- Thomas V, David and Nehemiah -- left Bedford, never to retum, and went to New York City. There they joined the first shipload of Loyalists leaving for the St. John River Country. Mary Hamilton joined her husband (Thomas V) in the exodus. During the stay in New York waiting for the ship to sail she gave birth to a daughter who soon died. When winter came to Parr Town (later St. John city) all found its cold and foggy weather very trying, especially Mary Hamilton Merritt, bom and raised in the Carolinas. Before the spring of 1784 she gave birth to another daughter and it too soon died there. With the coming of the 1784 summer Thomas V and his wife Mary returned to New York City and later to Bedford, Westchester County where they lived for a few years. Then in the late 1794 she again gave birth to another daughter. Colonel Simcoe made a trip overland in 1795 to Upper Canada to try to secure land grants for his Rangers. His visit proved successful so he returned to New York State and proclaimed to his old soldiers that they could get fine land, free in Ontario. Result -- hundreds took his advice. Thomas Merritt V and his wife Mary with their two young children joined these and 1796 they all went to Ontario -- overland. The Merritts settled at what is now St. Catherines, Ontario where more children were bom to them. Thomas V died there in 1842. A Robert listed in ref'd book, arrived on the ship Cy (Cyrus?). Robert Merritt, Probate, 1801 [Abstract] Robert Merritt of the parish of Hampstead in the County of Queens and province of New Brunswick. After the payment of all my just debts and funeral charges, I give to my wife Elizabeth the whole of my lands, cows, sheep, hogs, house and household furniture during her natural life. To my son Caleb the sum of ten shillings. To my granddaughter Anna ____ one cow and three sheep and one bed and bedding and six chairs, one pot and one kettle and six knives and forks and six spoons and whatever may remain of my estate after my time comes shall be equally divided among my three sons and five daughters only, with the provision that there shall be paid to my grandson and granddaughter ____ _____ and Elizabeth Merritts the sum of six pounds five shillings each. I do hearby ordain John Golding Esq. And my sons Gilbert and Jorael [spelling unsure] executors. Witnesses: Stephen Golding Thomas Golding Robert Merritt Sr. and his wife Elizabeth lived and raised their 6 children in Hampstead, Long Island, NY. After the Revolutinonary War between the U.S. and Great Britain, the British Govt. offered to transport all Loyalist to Canada and give them tracts of land. Robert of Westchester Co., N.Y. early in 1783 with his brother and his own wife and their 6 children along with 10,000 other Loyalist went to Port Roseway (now Shelborne) Nova Scotia, Can. They were transported and given land by the British Government. He filed land claims on the mainland & McNutt Island. Dissatisfied, 8000 of the 9000 Loyalist including Robert moved to N.B. in 1784. It was a harsh very cold winter and the soil was not suitable for farming. Until Aug 8, 1784 New Brunswick was part of Nova Scotia. At this date the new Province of New Brunswick was established with Fredricton as its Capitol. Robert Merritt took a land grant 40 miles up the St.John river on the West side. This land is called 'Long Reach' which is between where the Bellesile and Kennebecosis Rivers empty into the St. John River. Later his district became Hampstead and the surrounding County, Queens County. Some Loyalists went to Halifax, a few to Digby, most of them to Parr Town (Now St.John) and up the river to farms assigned to them by the British Government. Robert lived at Long Reach, N.B., Canada. Robert, from Queen's County, NY listed in the 'Returns of derelict Property within the British Lines assigned or leased by His Excellency, Lt. Gen. Robertson for His Majesty's use or for the relief of his Loyal Subjects driven from their Habitations by the Rebels.' 'The King's Loyal Americans: The Canadian Fact' Passenger Lists. By B. Wood-Holt (1991), p. 281.
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1731 - 1802 (71 years)
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