Capt. Benjamin Merrill or Jonathan Merrill

[A.Merrill]

    I just found out about these two men and I don't know if there is any relation between us as of yet. My dad is from W.Va. and I thought he told me once his parents moved there from Va.    Benjamin and Jonathan Merrill gunsmiths in Pa. and Va. until 1771 when their forge and lathes were destroyed and confiscated by Royal Governor Tryon of N.C. during the Regulator Rebellion. Benjamin Merrill was hung and Jonathan Merrill never again gunsmithed after that.    Does anyone know anything about their guns or any books that has pictures of their guns or know what the guns may look like? Any info would be highly appreciated.    Thanks guys.             AL               

[copdoc]

Hi Cuz

Benjamin Merrill was my G(not sure how many)??GF.  My wife is the genealogist so I asked her about the gunsmithing.   She had no confirmation from records that he was a gunsmith but had seen it on the net.  I asked her to see if she can find more about it.  I have never seen or heard of a gun made by him or his brother.  I was hoping one of the collectors here would say they have one.

BTW I think Capt Merrill had 10 or 11 kids.  I am descended from one of his daughters that had 10 or 11 kids.  They reused a lot of names making searching for your connection difficult unless you have family bibles.  There are tens of thousands of us around. They were very prolific.   

PS Now I want to get the family lathe and tools back.....   

Please keep us informed if you find out anything about the gunsmithing.

Doc

[A.Merrill]

    Do a search on Capt. Benjamin Merrill, I did and there was pages of websites for him. In one site it said, when he moved to N. Carolina he built a boring mill on a creek that ran through his land. He would set up a iron bar to be bored in the afternoon and by morning it has finished an ready to be used. I found an old lock (flint) on EBay for sale. It was found in a old house along with some ML rifles and the rifle the flintlock came out of that had been converted to percussion. The house was built in 1832 in Mississippi by some of B. Merrill's descendants and the guns was said to have been made by him. The old house had been used for storage until it was tore down in the early '60s, that was when the guns was found in a back room. That is all I know for now.
    Help me out, read some of the websites and let me know if you find out anything, you can send me a PM. I read the first 5 or 6, I read so much about Merrill's I was sick of my self    And yes they were prolific seeing we all came from one man, a Nathanial Merrill, according to one website. And the spelling, Merrill an Merrell was used in the same family.   Good Luck cuz     AL

    P.S. Where do you live. I live in Southern Illinois

[copdoc]

Very interesting.  The house was in the Jersey Settlement of Davidson County.  Called New Jersey at the time.  I am not sure of the exact location but now I will check.  I live not too far from it in Piedmont North Carolina.

Did you buy the lock on ebay or save pics of it or the rifles?

My wife said email me info on your family and she will try to help you ID your ancestors.  I just look at the guns.     I get confused with all the lines she draws on those flow sheets.

Dang I finally got a Foltz rifle made by my GGG Uncle now I have to get a Merrill.

Michael Briggs is on here and very knowledgeable on NC long rifles. Hopefully he will comment.