JAMES MORELL [#12], b. presumably NY abt. Feb 1790, d. New Ashford, MA 24 May 1875, m. LOISA LISS (or maybe LEWIS), maybe d. 1830's, maybe m(2) Elsy ____, d. bef. 1875 (and prob. bef. 1870).
The search for our Morell family has been long and frustrating and yielded meagre results so far. We've been able to trace the family back to James Morell who was born in 1790, presumably in the state of New York, and his wife Loisa (or Louisa) Liss (or Lewis), who was also born in New York about 1796. In the records, the name may also be spelled Morrell, Morrill, or even Merrill. How the name was recorded may have more to do with how the person writing the record heard the name or how they thought it was spelled. What we do know is that the family in the 1900 time frame pronounced the name with emphasis on the second syllable - Mo-RELL. Whether that was done to make a distinction between the Morell and Morrill names or for some other reason is no longer known.
The name can be found in many parts of Europe although some people claim that the name originated in France. Early colonists in the Americas include Thomas Morrell who was in LOng Island (New York) by about 1646, John Morell of Kittery, Maine by 1667, and brothers Abraham and Isaac Morrill of Salisbury, Massachusetts who came from Essex, England in 1632.
What we do know is that ancestor Noah Morell had parents James Morell and Loisa Liss according to his death record.[18] Noah had also claimed to have been born in Neversink, NY 29 Feb 1824. With this information we find a James Morell in Shawangunk, Ulster Co., New York in the 1850 Federal Census. The James Morell family was composed of James, age 60, laborer, born in Orange County, New York; Elsy Morell, age 53, born in Orange County; Laurence Morell, age 12, born in Ulster Co.; and Loisa Morell, age 8, born in Orange Co.[2] In 1870 there was a James Morell, age 80, living in Williamstown, MA in the family of Milton and Julia Roberts[3]. The fact that James' son Noah named two of his children Julia and Milton called for Julia Roberts' death record to be examined and it was found her parents were given as James Morell and [name not given] Lewis.[10] Five years later a James Morell died of "old age" in New Ashford, MA on 24 May 1875 at the age of 84 years and 4 months. He was a widower at the time[4/274:53]. Both of these records are consistent with a 1790 birth year for James which matches the age in the 1850 census record. James Morell was buried in Southlawn Cemetery in South Williamstown, MA in the plot next to Milton and Julia Roberts.
A Louisa Morell, daughter of James Morell, married in Pittsfield, MA in 1859.[6] At the time she was recorded as being a resident of Neversink, NY. Her age was also consistent with being the Louisa Morell in the 1850 Shawangunk census record. Neversink is a very small town and the name Louisa Morell is not common by any stretch of the imagination. The fact that she and Noah both had ties to Neversink (and fathers named James) makes it virtually certain that they were siblings.
Another daughter would be Nancy Morell, whose death record gives her father as James and birth place as Neversink, NY. She was a Shaker from at least 1850 until her death in 1907. She appears in the 1850 census as living in the Shaker community in Hancock, Massachusetts. She was also there in 1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 according to census records. Nancy was known as Ann Eliza Morrell according to records of Hancock Shaker Village, and she first appears in their records in 1847[17]. One of the records shows that she went to Williamstown, MA in September 1888 to visit her sister for a week. This gives more evidence that Nancy was a member of our Morell family.
Here's a little information on the Shakers: Hancock Shaker Village began in the late 1780's when nearly 100 Believers consolidated a community on land donated by local farmers who had converted to the Shaker movement. The community peaked in population in the 1830's with more than 300 members and around 3,000 acres of land. The Shakers' educational system and methods were so good that some non Shakers families brought their children to the Shakers for schooling. Some of these children decided to remain and converted to Shakerism. Perhaps Nancy was one of them. Click here for more on Hancock Shaker Village.
Information at the Williamstown Historical Museum provided by Yvonne O. Haff in 1999 indicates that Julia (Morell) Roberts at a young age had lost her mother and was put in the care of the West Pittsfield Shakers until she was grown. That could explain how Nancy also ended up with the Shakers. Noah might have gone there too or maybe as an older boy he remained with the father to help work the fields. So this would indicate that Elsy Morell in the 1850 census was the second wife of James.
The search for James and Loisa prior to 1850 is a bit more murky. The resources available are the federal census, New York state census (every ten years on year 5 of each decade), land and probate records, and vital records. The federal census records are available through Heritage Quest Online and are indexed 1790-1820 and 1860 and later. Ancestry.com has indexes for the 1850 census. Land and probate records in New York are available at the county level. I haven't searched them yet, but it doesn't appear to be an easy search. And if the earlier generations are anything like Noah, there will be little if any of these kinds of records. And finally the vital records. New York didn't require vital records to be kept until 1881 which is too late to help us find James or his origins. Of course other records could be of use, ex: diaries, newspapers, city direcories, but none of these with our family have surfaced.
The census records seem to be our best hope for information to pin down where James came from and who his parents were. We will concentrate on New York, of course, but also consider Massachsuetts, Vermont, and Connecticut. Keep in mind that some families may not have been enumerated in a census, and that the indexes may be faulty. A name may have been misread, mispelled in transcription, or left off completely. It's very easy to mistake a lower case "r" as an "n", so we've searched for Monell/Monnell as well as Morel. Here's what we have, starting with New York.
For reference Shawangunk, NY is located in southwestern Ulster County and is on the west of the Hudson River with a latitude about the same as central Connecticut. Neversink, NY is in Sullivan County and is about 40 miles west northwest of Shawangunk. Orange County is immediately south of Ulster County.
The 1850 census record indicates James Morell was born in Orange County, New York about 1790. The 1790 census for New York has no Morell entries and only four Morrell families. One was in Ulster County, that being Joseph Morrell of New Windsor Township. His family was made up of two males 16 years or older and four females.
In the 1800 census there was one Morell family in New York - Washington County - and 24 Morrell families. One of these was Joseph Morell in New Windsor which was in Orange County at that time. His family was composed of males: two under 10, four 16 through 25, two 26 through 44, and two 45 and over; females: three under 10, three 10 through 15, one 16 through 25, and one 26 through 44.
In 1810 census there was one Morell, John, who was in Washington County. Of the 25 Morrell families, Joseph was still the only one in Orange County. The composition of his family was now males: one 10 through 15, one 26 through 44, and one 45 or older; females: two under 10, two 10 through 15, and one 26 through 44.
In 1820 there were three Morell families in New York. A James Morell family in Alexander, Genesee County and two families in Otsego County. James' family was made up of males: one under 10, one 10 to 16, and one 26 to 45; females: one under 10 and one 26 to 45. There were 39 Morrell families in NY in 1820. Joseph was still in New Windsor, Orange, NY and there were no other Morell/Morrell families in Orange, Ulster, or Sullivan (Neversink is in Sullivan County). At this time Joseph's family was males: one 16 to 26 and two 45 and older; females: three 16 to 26, one 26 to 45, and one 45 or older. And there was a James Monell in Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is not all that far from Ulster County.
Unfortunately the 1830 and 1840 censuses have not been indexed. It would be very useful to find James Morell in the these years. The 1830 and 1840 censuses were searched line by line for Neversink, NY. There was no Morell/Morrell family enumerated in the town. From what we see above, James might be the son of Joseph Morell of New Windsor, NY except for the fact that James would have been ten years old in 1800 and there was no boy of this age in Joseph's household then. Of course a child could have been living elsewhere at the time the census was taken, but we'll assume that as a less likely case. Finding a James Morell in 1820 in New York is noteworthy and the ages of the parents are right. However if Loisa's age is correct in the 1850 census, then it would mean she gave birth to two children before her fifteenth birthday and continued to have children for more than thirty years both of which seem unlikely. On the other hand Loisa may have been a second wife, younger than the first. It's also questionable how the family got out to western New York in 1820 and then back to the east in subsequent years. It's not impossible, but it does seem unusual.
In massachusetts there were not many Morell families in the early census records. In 1790 there were two Morrell families, both in Boston. In 1800 there was one Morell family in Berkshire County, that being Hugh Morell in New Ashford, and one other Morell family and three Morrells all of whom were in the eastern part of the state. In 1820 there were no Morells but two Morrells in the east. However Henry and Moses Merrill were in Pittsfield at the time. In 1820 we find Alvah Morell and immediately following in the census Horace T. Morell, both of Lenox, MA. Alvah and Horace were sons of John Morell, who with wife Ester had a number of children born there in the 1780's and 1790's. Despite having documented births all in Lenox at that time, note that John failed to be found in the 1790 census index.
There are no Morell families found in the Vermont censuses 1790-1820 and just a few Morrells: two in 1800, six in 1810, and one in 1820. And Connecticut did not have many of the name. No Morell familes in 1790-1820 and no Morells in 1790 or 1800, but there were six Morrell families in 1810 amd six in 1820.
So several Morells claimed to have been born in Neversink in the 1820's and 1830's and another one claimed to be a resident of Neversink in 1859. Yet the family name doesn not appear in the census records for the town or in any other records for that matter. I'm not sure what to make of it, but the information did help tie some of the family members together.
REF: [1] Erving, Massachusetts Vital Records
[2] 1850 Federal Census
[3] 1870 Federal Census, microfilm roll M593_1627, page 61
[4] 1880 Federal Census for Williamstown, MA
[5] Massachusetts Vital Records 1841-1910
[6] Massachusetts, Marriages, 1841-1915 (as found on FamilySearch)
[7] Connecticut Vital Records - Family History Library film #3337
[8] 1880 Federal Census for Hamden, CT - Enumeration District 101
[9] 1900 Federal Census
[10] Williamstwon, MA Vital Records
[11] 1865 Massachusetts State Census
[12] 1910 Federal Census
[13] 1920 Federal Census
[14] 1940 Federal Census
[15] Family Tree online
[16] Pittsfield, MA Vital Records
[17] http://hancockshakervillage.org/shakers/shakers-hancock/hancock-shaker-list/
[18] Irving, Massachusetts Vital Records
[19] Williamstown Historical Museum
[20] Hamden, CT Vital Records - Death Certificate for Louisa Whitman 1920
[21] South Williamstown Cemetery gravestones
Children (others possible):
1. Noah Morell, b. Neversink, NY 29 Feb 1824, d. Erving, MA 26 Jun 1894,
m. Marlboro, VT 22 Oct 1850 Lucy Ann Ball (dau. of James Ball & Lucy
Stearns), b. Marlboro, VT 12 Mar 1832, d. Orange, MA 14 Aug 1908
2. Julia Morell, b. Neversink, NY[10] 5[21] Feb 1828[9], d. Williamstown, MA 25 Jan 1917[10],
m. New Lebanon, NY 4 Feb 1849[19] Milton A. Roberts (son of Ard Roberts and
Betsy Wright), b. Williamstown, MA 8 May 1819[10] (or 1821), d. South Williamstown,
MA 23 Sep 1900[10]
Chil.:
A) Julia B. Roberts, b. Apr 1850[2]
B) Everett Roberts, d. 25 Jan 1852[19]
C) Blanche Elizabeth Roberts, b. 12 Aug 1852
D) Alice Roberts, d. Williamstown, MA 23 Jan 1855 (or 1858)[19]
E) Harriet Roberts (Nellie in 1870 census), b. Williamstown, MA 24 Dec 1858[10],
d. Williamstown 20 Jan 1935[10], m. New Ashford, MA 24 Mar 1881[6] Arthur R. Roys
(son of Quincy Roys and Harriet Bernhart), b. New Ashford, MA 30 Oct 1855[5],
d. North Adams, MA 20 Nov 1907[5]
Chil.:
1) Alice H. Roys, m. New Ashford, MA 3 Jan 1901 George N. Blair (son of
Charles Blair and Ida Pease), b. abt. 1882[6]
F) Lottie Viola Roberts[10], b. Mar 1863[9]
Foster Children (from Worcester, MA)[12 & 19]:
1) Selva S. Johnson, b. abt. 1897
2) Edith N. Johnson, b. abt. 1901
3) Carl G. Johnson, b. abt. 1903
4) Oscar E. Johnson, b. abt. 1906
5) Frank Johnson
G) Milton Newman Roberts, b. abt. 1869[3], d. North Adams, MA 28 Feb 1946[10],
m. Susie Bassett (dau. of Wilson Bassett and Harriet Eldredge), b. Nassau,
NY[10], abt. 1871[14], d. Williamstown 13 Aug 1945[19]
Chil.[12]:
1) Ernest Cecil Roberts, b. Williamstown, MA 17 Dec 1894, d.
Williamstown, MA 25 Nov 1969[10], m. Grafton, NY 14 Oct 1931[10] Jennie Louise
Estes[14], d. Williamstown, MA 12 Jul 1961[19] age 58
2) Wilson R. Roberts, b. abt. 1897, d. 25 Dec 1972, m(1) Ruth Holman (d/o
Joseph Holman & Rebecca Mathews), b. abt. 1900, d. Williamstown, MA
28 Jul 1960[10], m(2) Williamstown 29 Sep 1961 Nellie Noble[10]
Chil.:
a) Jack Wilson Roberts, b. North Adams Oct 1925, d. Williamstown, MA
10 Mar 1926, age 4 months[19]
3) Rena H. Roberts[15], b. South Williamstown, MA 30 Oct 1901[10], d. Phoenix, AZ
16 Dec 1982, m. 23 Jun 1928[10] Thomas Russell Leeke (s/o Charles Mains Leeke
& Mary Edith Hubbell), res. Hamden, CT
H) Nelson Algernon Roberts, b. Williamstown, MA 27 Sep 1873[10], d. Williamstown,
MA 21 Oct 1949[19], m. Lanesboro, MA 7 May 1893[10] Alice Hearn (dau. of
Francis Hearn & Ellen Mason), b. Jul 1873[9], d. Williamstown 11 Jan 1964[19]
Chil.:
1) Ethel May Roberts, b. Williamstown, MA 20 Apr 1897[10], m. Williamstown, MA
26 Nov 1925[10] David Walter Innsley (spelling of surname may be wrong)
3. Nancy E. Morell[16], b. Neversink, NY abt. 15 Jul 1831, d. Pittsfield, MA 16 Nov
1907, bur. Shaker Cemetery in West Pittsfield (never married)
4. Lawrence Morell, b. abt. 1838[2]
5. Louisa Morell, b. 8 Jan 1839[20], d. Hamden. CT 8 Sep 1920[20], m. Pittsfield, MA
30 Dec 1859 John J. Whitman, b. abt. 1835, d. Hamden, CT 1899[7]
Chil. (b. in Connecticut[8]):
A) Alice Whitman, b. abt. 1861
B) Henry W. Whitman, b. abt. 1866
C) Frank D. Whitman, b. Apr 1871[8], m. 1891 May ____, b. abt. 1872
Chil.[9]:
1) Lulu Whitman, b. abt. 1892
2) Frank Whitman, b. abt. 1897
NOAH N. MORELL [#6], b. Neversink, Sullivan, NY 29 Feb 1824[2], d. Erving, Franklin, MA 26 Jun 1894[12], m. Marlboro, Windham, VT 22 Oct 1850[1] LUCY ANN BALL (dau. of James Ball and Lucy Stearns), b. Marlboro, VT 12 Mar 1832[1], d. Orange, Franklin, MA 14 Aug 1908[13].
| 3. Julia Morell Newfane m. Charles Bruce |
6. Noah Morell |
12. James Morell |
| |
| 13. Loisa Liss |
| |
|
|
7. Lucy Ann Ball |
14. James Ball |
28. Noah Ball 1754-1837 | 29. Mary Seekins 1752-? |
| 15. Lucy Stearns |
30 Amos Stearns 1766-1829 | 31. Lucy Fletcher 1765-1809 |
Noah Morell was born in Neversink, NY, the son of James Morell and Loisa Liss, according to his death record[12]. There are no records of a Morell family in Neversink and there are no Morells in Neversink in the early Federal Census records. Other records also list Noah's birthplace as Neversink, NY. They are the birth records of his children and his family bible[2]. Noah would have been the source for all of these records, so there should be little question of its accuracy. The death records of several of Noah's siblings also list Neversink, NY as their birth places.
The first record found for Noah is the 1850 census, taken 11 Sep 1850, where he is listed in Marlboro, VT as a 25 year old "Noah Merrill". This doesn't mean he went by the name Merrill. It is more likely that the census taker was not familiar with the Morell name or thought he heard "Merrill". He was in the home of Rufus Mather, age 62. Others in the household were: Lucy Mather, 58, Henry Mather, 34, Lucy Mather, 32, Emma Mather, 3, William Mather, 4/12, i.e. 4 months old, and Newton Pease, 30[6]. Noah must have been a boarder. It is tempting to think he may have been a relative of someone in the house. However, in this case, there is no obvious connection to the others. The 32 year old Lucy Mather is of the right age to be a sister, but her maiden name was Ingraham, and she married Henry 12 Oct 1842. And the elder Lucy was an Adams.
According to the 1860 census index, Noah was in Whitingham, VT (the town southwest of Marlboro) at that time[7].
In 1870 Noah was living in Newfane, VT as a 45 year old laborer with his wife Lucy and five children. He was listed as having been born in New York and was able to read but not write. Lucy was born in Vermont and could read but not write. Most heads of households were listed in this census with values of real estate and personal estate. Noah did not have values listed, which indicates a lack of real estate holdings[8]. In fact, no real estate records have been found for Noah and no probate exists for either Noah or Lucy. On the census image the surname looks like it was written as "Monell".
In 1880 "Noah Merrill" age 55 with wife Lucy, 48, and 12 year old son Milton were living in Marlboro. The other children were living with their uncle Horace Ball at the time (June 21-22, 1880) in Newfane, VT. Horace R. Ball was 51 at the time. His father was born in Vermont, his mother in New Hampshire. The rest of the family follows: Amos J. Morell, 23, nephew; Eli B. Morell, 18, nephew; Julia M. Morell, 16, niece; Lucy B. Ball, 78, mother (of Horace), born in NH, both parents born in NH with question marks after NH. All three children were listed as working on a farm and their father was born in New York, their mother in Vermont[5]. In this census Noah's parents were recorded as having been born in Vermont, but so was Noah, and also Lucy's parents, but we know there is at least one mistake in here because her mother was born in New Hampshire.
As seen above, various records list Noah's birthplace as Neversink. However New York didn't require vital records to be kept until 1881, and it seems there are no probate and land records for any Morells in the small town of Neversink either. What's more, the town hall burned at some point, so any records that may have existed would have been destroyed. Noah was listed as a farmer on the birth records of his children and on his death record.
A memorial pewter plaque was made for Noah some time after his death. On it are his birth and death dates and his name with middle initial "N." However his death record also has a middle initial, but this one is "U.". At least one of these is wrong, but which? It seems more likely that the family, who would have had the plaque made, would have known the correct initial, but it's also possible that someone confused the script N for a U or vice versa. My guess would be it's N and an abbreviation for Newman, a name that appears elsewhere in the family.
Noah died of consumption that he had been suffering from for years and paralysis of his right side, which he had for 3 days. Consumption was what tuberculosis was called by in those days, and it was mostly a fatal disease back then. The paralysis, especially one side of the body, is indicative of a stroke but could also be caused by a tumor. But according to his obituary, he suffered some kind of a shock although perhaps they meant stroke. Lucy's cause of death was "paresis"[13], which is defined as a muscle weakness due to disease of the nervous system. It could also indicate a slight or partial paralysis.
The Turner Falls Reporter, a weekly newspaper in the area, had a couple of news items on Noah around the time of his death. The 27 June 1894 edition had this to say: "Mr. Morrell had a very severe shock last Friday afternoon. In the evening he was still unconscious and hardly able to breathe, and lay in that condition over Sunday. We fear he will soon pass away and extend our sympathy to the whole family." And the following week: "Mr. Noah Morrell died June 26 from the effects of a recent shock and was buried June 28. The funeral services were held in the Congregational church and were well attended. His sister Julia Roberts of South Williamstown, Mass., his son Horace and wife of Athol and George Day and his wife of Greenfield were at the funueral. He was 70 years, three months and 28 days of age. He leaves a widow, four sons and one daughter who wish to extend a card of thanks to the neighbors who so kindly helped them in so many ways during their time of trouble, mention being made of the beautiful flowers furnished at the funueral service."
REF: [1] Marlborough, VT Town Records
[2] Morell Family Bible (in possession of a Mrs. Tate of Brattleboro, VT in 1975)
[3] Newfane, VT Town Records
[4] Halifax, VT Town records
[5] 1880 Federal Census
[6] 1850 Federal Census
[7] 1860 Federal Census Index for Vermont, page 521
[8] 1870 Federal Census, microfilm roll M593_1627, page 61
[9] Greenfield, MA Vital Records
[10] 1930 Federal Census - Greenfield, MA
[11] Massachusetts Vital Records, 1841-1910
[12] Erving, Massachusetts Vital Records
[13] Orange, Massachusetts Vital Records
[14] 1940 Federal Census - Greenfield, MA
[15] Turners Falls Reporter (http://montague.advantage-preservation.com/)
[16] 1900 Federal Census - Montague, MA
[17] Connecticut Death Index
[18] World War II Draft Registration Cards
Children:
1. boy, b. Marlboro, VT 16 Mar 1852, d. an infant
2. Horace B. Morell, b. Marlboro, VT 19 Apr 1854[1], d. Bernardston,
MA 26 Dec 1930, m. Greenfield, MA 5 Jun 1887[11] Fannie A. Robbins
Johnson (dau. of Horace Robbins & Zylpha Clark), b. Northfield,
MA abt. 1842, d. Athol, MA 24 May 1895[11 & 15] (cancer of the
stomach), Fannie m(1) Northfield, MA 18 Sep 1860 James S. Johnson[11],
b. abt. 1838; James Johnson served with the 27th Massachusetts Infantry
in the Civil War and Fannie applied for a military pension after his death
Chil. (of Fannie with husband James Johnson):
A) Frederic J. Johnson, b. Northfield, MA abt. 31 Mar 1861,
d. Northfield 14 Oct 1863 (of a cold)[11]
3. Amos James Morell, b. Halifax, VT 6 Sep 1856[4], d. Orange, MA 12 Mar
1933, bur. Holtshire Cemetery, Orange, m. Montague, MA 21 Oct
1898[11/478:555] Caroline Dunton (dau. of Joseph Dunton and
Mary Borden), b. abt. 1867
4. child, b. Halifax, VT 16 Mar 1858, d. an infant
5. girl, b. Whittingham, VT 16 Jun 1860, d. an infant
6. Eli Albert Morell, b. Newfane, VT 19 May 1862[3], d. Bridgeport, CT
26 Mar 1934, m.[16] abt. 1887 Maria S. North (dau. of William North
& Elizabeth ____), b. Brooklyn, NY abt. Aug. 1865 (res. Erving, MA
(1891)[15], Montague, MA (1900)[16], Bridgeport, CT (1930))
Child:
A) Albert Bruce James Morell, b.[11] Erving, MA 4 Mar 1891, d.[17]
Stratford, CT 22 Dec 1982, m(1)[10] CT abt. 1906 Jennie ____, d. bef. 1940,
m(2) Sarah ____, d. aft. 1982, res. Bridgeport, CT (1910), Milford,
CT (1930 & 1940), New Haven, CT (1942)[18]
Children (b.[10] in Connecticut):
1) William Morrell, b. abt. 1907
2) Margerie Morrell, b. abt. 1916
3) Frances Morrell, b. abt. 1919
4) Genevive Morrell, b. abt. 1921
5) Beatrice Morrell, b. abt. 1924
6) Albert Morrell, b. abt. 1926
7) Milton Morrell, b. abt. 1929
7. Julia M. Morell, b. Newfane, VT 1 May 1864, d. Brattleboro,
VT 15 Dec 1934, m. 3 Jun 1884 Charles Henry Bruce,
b. Marlboro, VT 15 Sep 1839, d. Brattleboro 1 Jul 1922
8. Milton A. Morell, b. Newfane 7 Apr 1868[3], d. Concord, NH 26 Oct 1950,
m. Athol, MA 20 Dec 1894[11/444:343] Catharine B. Wright,
d. Greenfield, MA 18 Dec 1917[9]
Child (b. in Massachusetts[10]):
A) Leroy John Morell, b. 20 Apr 1897, d. Greenfield, MA 13 Aug 1980[9], m.
Ruby Lydia Hall (dau. of Levi Z. Hall & Florence H. ____), b. Canada
29 Oct 1894, d. Greenfield, MA 4 Sep 1989[9]
Chil.[14]:
1) Catherine F. Morell, b. abt. 1920
2) Leroy M. Morell, b. abt. 1923
3) Roger J. Morell, b. abt. 1926, m. Mildred ____
4) Lillian Morell, b. abt. 1933
9. girl, b. Newfane March 22, 1872[4], d. an infant
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