Catharine Merritt inherited from her grandfather, Stephen Cushing as her mother, Catherine Merritt, had died. I found the marriage record abstract showing Catharine Cushing married a Daniel Merritt in Sherman, CT on 26 May 1816. I have the Bible record showing Catharine Cushing Merritt died 7 April 1821. Stephen Cushing died 16 October 1825. In Stephen's will he bequeaths $1,000 dollars to his granddaughter, Catherine Merritt, "heir of my daughter Catharine Merritt deceased." Hmmm. It doesn't say anything about the granddaughter being a minor child. Interestingly, I found a Catharine Merritt in the 1820 US Federal Census in Beekman, Dutchess County, New York.
Catharine Merritt is head of household, but is she 16 to 18 or 26 to 45? Catherine Cushing Merritt would have been around 27 years of age in 1820. Would she have had a 16 year old daughter? Or is Catharine Merritt the daughter of her husband Daniel Merritt? The will doesn't say and no mention is made of Daniel either. There are two men by the name of Daniel Merritt buried in the Quaker Burial Ground in Dutchess County, NY.
Neither of their death dates match up with the Catharine in this census. On Find-A-Grave their memorials don't mention the name Catharine.
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