Susanna Jordan

Not the daughter of Gregory Wolterton. Maybe a step daughter.

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Disputed Origins

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-148037

Susanna _____ married first Nathaniel Merrill of Newbury, Massachusetts, about 1630. Her surname has been given as Willerton/Wilterton/Wolterton, but the evidence for this is lacking. (See below.) Susanna and Nathaniel Merrill had children including John Merrill, who was adopted by Gregory Wilterton/Wolterton after Nathaniel died in March 1654/1655. John became Gregory's legal heir.

Quality sources showing her possible parents, Gregory Wolterton and Susanna Sheppard have not been found, and they were detached from her profile.

Per Nancy Dodge, in her brief 2009 article, "The Puzzle of Susanna (_____) Merrill Jordan":[2]

It had been assumed that Gregory Willerton/Wilterton must have been Susanna's brother to have adopted her son; in fact, Gregory Willerton/Wilterton's relationship to the Merrill family is unknown. Jacobus suggested that he may have been married to Susanna's mother, since his first wife (of four) was named Susanna, and she was older than he was, possibly a widow. Gregory had no children who survived to adulthood. In addition to making John Merrill his heir, he provided for the financial welfare of the previous families of his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wives, all widows when he married them. If his first wife was Susanna Merrill's mother, his provision for that family may have included adopting his fatherless step-grandson.

Ms. Dodge notes in her article that published genealogies have listed Susanna's parents as Stephen and Susanna Wilterton. However the source of the information is lacking, and no appropriate Stephen Willerton/Wilterton/Wolterton has been found. If this lineage is correct, Gregory's first wife may have been the widow of his brother or other paternal relative. [Note, however, that her second husband, was named Stephen Jordan, which may be the source of the name Stephen.]
In the entry for her second husband, Stephen Jordan, The Great Migration also lists Susanna's surname as unknown and explains why.[3] At this point, all that can be said about her lineage is that Susanna _____ Merrill Jordan's maiden name is still unknown.

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Susannah Wolterton was born in 1610 Wherstead, Suffolk, England. Her parents may have been Stephen Wolterton and Susannah [__?__]. She first married 16 Mar 1635 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England to Nathaniel Merrill (b. 4 May 1601 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England – d. 16 Mar 1655 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.). Mary Lovering Holman believed that she was a sister of Gregory Wolteron, but in 1993 Sanborn, Anderson and Smith demonstrated that this could not be, and her maiden surname might remain unknown. Susannah died on 25 Jan 1672/73 in Newbury.

b. c. 1610(?) Ispwich, Suffolk, England d. Jan. 25, 1672/73 Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts Daughter of Stephen Wilterton (1585-1672) and Susanna Shep(p)ard (1587-1662) of Ispwich, England. (née Wilterton, Wolterton, et al) lst husband: Nathaniel Merrill (1601-1655), married Sept. 23, 1633 Whersted, Suffolk, England.(baptized May 4, 1601) 2nd husband: Stephen Jordan (1589-1670), married Aug. 16, 1661 Newbury, Essex, MA. (no children) Mother of Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Abel and Daniel Merrill. Our 9th great-grandmother and ancestress of many. Most likely now in an unmarked grave. If the stones exist (either original or replacement ones), Susannah Merrill most likely buried under the name Susannah Jordan, beside her 2nd husband. (bio by: wgcovill) 1. NATHANIEL6 *MERRILL (NATHANIEL5, JOHN4 *MERRELL, THE YOUNGER, JOHN3 *MERYELL, JOHN2, THOMAS1) was born May 4, 1601 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, and died March 16, 1654/55 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.

• He married SUSANNAH WOLTERTON September 23, 1633 in Wherstead, Suffolk, England, daughter of STEPHEN WOLTERTON and SUSANNA WOLTERTON. She was born Abt. 1610, and died January 25, 1672/73 in Newbury, Essex, Mass.

Notes for NATHANIEL *MERRILL:

• Settled, Newbury, Mass. 1638-9.
• The newly found records show that Nathaniel Merrill's daughter, Susanna, was not baptised until Dec 12, 1638 in Lawford, Essex, Co., England. This tells us that Nathaniel had not left for America with his family until late December 1638 or early 1639. In 1638 the English Government started restricting it's citizens from freely emigrating to the new continent with its abundance of land for all, something unknown in England.
• The fact that brother John arranged for a homesite of four Acres in Newbury for his unnamed "brother" would indicate that the brother was not there by 23 July 1638 but was arraiging to come.
• Ship records, the Hector, show that Nathaniel and John did arrive in Ipswich, Mass. in 1635. Nathaniel must have returned to England to get his wife and his four children and returned in 1638-39.

From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge MA 1917-1928

Nathaniel(1) Merrill was one of the earliest settlers in Newbury, MA in 1635. He was the ancestor of the vast majority of those who now bear the Merrill name in this country: it is believed, indeed, that less than one percent of the Merrills in America can trace their pedigree to any other emigrant ancestor.

Nathaniel Merrill and his older brother John were born in England. The registers of Wherstead, a parish lying three miles south if Ipswich, in Suffolk County, England, contain the following entries:

• 1599, August 16. John Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & Mary his wife was baptised.
• 1601, May 4. Nathanaell Merrell son of Nath! Merrell & his wife Mary was baptised.

There are reasons for believing that these entries are the record of baptism of John and Nathaniel Merrill of Newbury. These reasons will be given at length in another place.

Nathaniel Merrill and his brother John settled in Newbury in the spring of 1635, having passed a year or two in Ipswich, MA., (then called Agawam) with most of the Newbury settlers. In 1638 Nathaniel became one of the "proprietors" of Newbury.

It is supposed that Nathaniel Merrill was married before leaving England. No record is found of his marriage in America. If the marriage took place here it was probabley at Ipswich, in the short time before the settlement in Newbury. His wife's name was Susanna. Savage, in the "genealogical Dictionary of New England" (published in 1861), says that Nathaniel Merrill married Susanna Jordan. In this he was no doubt following Coffin's "History of Newbury" (published in 1845), and the statement has been frequently copied.

From "Merrill Genealogy" by Paul V. Merrill, The Merrill Newsletter, Vol 4, Issue 3.

Nathaniel and his brother John came to America in 1633, supposedly on the ship Hector. [Ed note: it is not know that John came first and Nathaniel at some later date.] They landed at Ipswich, MA, but soon moved to Salisbury, MA.

By 1635 Nathaniel moved to Newbury, MA. He owned land in Ipswich, MA in 1636 and received a grant of land in Newbury, MA on the "Neck" south of the Parker River, May 5, 1638.

Children,

• 1. John,
• 2. Abraham,
• 3. Nathaniel,
• 4. Susanna,
• 5. Daniel,
• 6. Abel and
• 7. Thomas.

Nathaniel died- Mar 16 1654/44 in Newbury, MA. His wife died Jan 15 1672/73.

Nathaniel was probably a farmer and is ancestor to all the Merrills in the United States.. His brother John and wife had a daughter but no sons.

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Notes for SUSANNAH WOLTERTON: Susannah ........, also known as Susannah Wolterton, was the wife of the emigrant, Nathaniel Merrill. For many years she was thought to be the sister of Gregory Wolterton of Hartford, Conn. Later research shows that she probably is the daughter of Gregory's wife, Susannah (Unknown) by a previous marriage.

From "A Merrill Memorial" by Samuel Merrill, Cambridge, MA 1917-1928

After the death of Nathaniel Merrill his widow married Stephen Jordan (or Jourdain). Nathaniel Merrill, son of Nathaniel and Susanna Merrill, gave a deed, under date of 16 Aug 1661, to Peter Godfrey of Newbury, in which the phrase occurs, "after the decease of my mother Susanna Jordan," and out of this fact the error regarding the maiden name of Nathaniel's wife grew.

The conjecture has been advanced, and it has even been stated as a fact, that the wife of Nathaniel Merrill was Susanna Wilterton (or Wolterton.)

Gregory Wilterton of Hartford was childless: Susanna Merrill of Newbury was a widow with five sons and a daughter, most of them in their minority. It would have been natural for Gregory Wilterton under these circumstances to write to his kinswoman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and offer a home and modest fortune to one of the boys. But Gregory Wilterton may have been a more distant relative, or merely a friend.

Until other evidence is brought forward the conscientious genealogist must say that the maiden name of Nathaniel's wife in unknown.

Children of NATHANIEL *MERRILL and SUSANNAH WOLTERTON are:

• 1. i. NATHANIEL7 +MERRILL, b. Bef. May 25, 1634, Lawford, Essex, England; d. January 1, 1682/83, Newbury, Essex, Mass.
• 2. ii. DEACON JOHN *MERRILL, b. Bef. February 16, 1635/36, Lawford, Essex, England; d. July 18, 1712, West Hartford, Hartford, Conn.
• 3. iii. ABRAHAM +MERRILL, b. Bef. April 9, 1637, Lawford, Essex, England; d. November 28, 1722.
• 4. iv. SUSANNA MERRILL, b. Bef. December 12, 1638, Lawford, Essex, England; d. October 10, 1690, Sufffield, Hartford, Conn.
• 5. v. DANIEL +MERRILL, b. August 20, 1642, Newbury, Essex, Mass; d. June 27, 1717, Salisbury, Essex, Mass.
• 6. vi. ABEL +MERRILL, b. February 20, 1643/44, Newbury, Essex, Mass; d. October 28, 1689, Newbury, Essex, Mass.
• 7. vii. THOMAS MERRILL, b. 1648, Newbury, Essex, Mass; d. Unknown.

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Susannah PEABODY

Susannah was born in 1585 in Of, Wherstead, Suffolk, England and her baptism took place in Wherstead, Suffolk, England. Susannah's father was Stephen WOLTERTON and her mother was Susannah. She had five brothers and a sister, named Gregory, Gregory, Gregory, Matthew, Matthew and Susanah. She died at the age of 88 on January 25th, 1673 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts. Her burial was in January 1673.

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Susannah Peacock (daughter of Stephen Wolterton) was born 1585 in Denham, Suffolk, England, and died 25 Jan 1673 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts, USA. She married Stephen Jordan, son of Thomas Jordan. Children of Susannah Peacock and Stephen Jordan are: +Francis Jordan, b. 1610, Denham, England; d. 24 Sep 1678, Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts, USA and Jane Andrews (Jordan) b. 1622.

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Source: ancestry.com: Susannah Wolterton Found 10 Records, 10 Photos and 42,568 Family Trees Born in Suffolk, England on 1603 to Stephen Wolterton and Susannah. Susannah married Nathaniel Merrill and had 7 children. Susannah married Stephen Jordan and had 3 children. She passed away on 1673 in Massachusetts, USA. Family Members Parents Stephen Wolterton 1590-1671 Susannah 1594-1661 Spouse(s) Nathaniel Merrill 1610-1654 Stephen Jordan 1588-1670 Children Nathaniel Merrill 1635-1683 John Merrill 1632-1712 Abraham Merrill 1636-1722 Susanna Merrill 1644-1690 Daniel Merrill 1642-1717 Abel Merrill 1648-1689 Thomas Merrill 1665-1711 Anna Jordan 1615-1677 Jane Jordan 1628-1702 Elizabeth Jordan

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https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13270474/susannah-merrill

Susannah Merrill
BIRTH 1599
Ipswich, Ipswich Borough, Suffolk, England
DEATH 25 Jan 1673 (aged 73–74)
Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
BURIAL
Burying Ground of the First Settlers
Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
PLOT Unmarked grave
MEMORIAL ID 13270474 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 0
FLOWERS 60
b. c. 1610(?) Ispwich, Suffolk, England
d. Jan. 25, 1672/73 Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts
Possible daughter of Stephen Wilterton (1585-1672) and Susanna Shep(p)ard (1587-1662) of Ispwich, England (not proven).

(née Wilterton, Wolterton, et al)
lst husband: Nathaniel Merrill (1601-1655), married Sept. 23, 1633 Whersted, Suffolk, England.(baptized May 4, 1601)
2nd husband: Stephen Jordan (1589-1670), married Aug. 16, 1661 Newbury, Essex, MA. (no children)
Mother of Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Abel and Daniel Merrill.
Our 9th great-grandmother and ancestress of many.
Most likely now in an unmarked grave.
If the stones exist (either original or replacement ones), Susannah Merrill most likely buried under the name Susannah Jordan, beside her 2nd husband.

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Mary Lovering Holman believed that she was a sister of Gregory Wolteron, but in 1993 Sanborn, Anderson and Smith demonstrated that this could not be, and her maiden surname remains unknown.

Gravesite Details
Mother of Nathaniel, John, Abraham, Susannah, Abel and Daniel Merrill.

Family Members
Spouses
Photo
Nathaniel Merrill
1601–1655

Stephen Jordan
1589–1670

Children
Nathaniel Merrill
1634–1682

John Merrill
1636–1712

Abraham Merrill
1637–1722

Photo
Susannah Merrill Burbank
1638–1690

Photo
Daniel Merrill
1642–1717

Abel Merrill
1643–1689

Thomas Merrill
1646–1711