Huguenot
There are no less then a half dozen sources that state Eli
"was a Huguenot refugee, who came from Jersey Island shortly
after the Edict of Nantes." If this is true, then Eli may not
have been born on Jersey Island. Where he was born is a mystery!
Stackpole makes a bold statement in saying, "There is no evidence, as some have supposed, that he belonged to a company of Huguenot refugees." (page 116) He is the only early researcher to have made such a statement. I question this critical statement because of two things: First, the information had to have come from somewhere. Consider this - older sources make the same claim that he was a Huguenot - where did they get their information from? Unless - and this would be a problem - they were sourcing each other's faulty information. Some of the material from sources do seem to be almost word-for-word.
Secondly, I need to illustrate this point. Suppose my grandfather's grandfather told him that he came from China. My grandfather told me and past away shortly there-after. If someone came to me and said, "Son, I'm sorry to inform you but there is simply no evidence that your family came from China." I would say, "I don't need documentation. I received a first-hand testimony from someone who had a first-hand testimony of the fact." If you look on page 117 of Stackpole's book most of those children could have been grandfathers or grandmothers with first hand accounts that they could pass down to grandchildren living in the late 1700's and early 1800's. Eli is said to have died in 1747.
Bottom line is - I really don't think the claim, "Eli was a Huguenot refugee" is coming out of the air. I think it was information past down by word of mouth within the family.
Jersey Island
I found two major sources on the origins of Eli DeMeritt. One from Stackpole's
History of Durham, New Hampshire, and the other New England Historical and
Genealogical Register (NEHGR).
Both sources, and surprisingly Stackpole, believe Eli Demeritt may very well have come from Jersey Island, England to the Portsmouth, NH area. I am highly suspect of Stackpole's strong lean towards the family being from the Maritt family of England. If (big if) Eli was NOT a Huguenot but WAS from Jersey Island I think it is more likely that the Demeritts are of the Marett family of the English Channel Jersey Island. Read further.
Stackpole mentions the French "De" as being "of" and then tries to connect the family to England? He says that the "Maritt" is referring to a geographical location. I think - why not a family!?
In a roundabout way, he is being critical of the even older research NEHGR claiming "...Ely de Merit was a Huguenot refugee, who came from Jersey Island shortly after the Edict of Nantes...His (Eli Demeritt) will seemed to indicate that he had an estate in the Isle of Jersey, where the family had first taken up refuge."
Out of curiosity, I investigated the Demeritt family name on Jersey Island during the 1600's. I could not find one mention of the family name. I couldn't find the name in England either. One thing that caught my eye was the number of MARETTS on Jersey Island during the 1600's. Combine that with the fact that several Elie Maretts were born on Jersey Island in the early 1600's and you can understand my strong suspicion.
We need to have a male Demeritt have his DNA tested! It could
significantly help in determining if the Demeritt line is of the English or
French origin. Interestingly, when I placed a search for "Meritt"
and "France" I was led to this site: http://www.houseofnames.com/
Search for the Demeritt name and notice the name "Demery"
and the French origin!
Earliest References
In Filby's Passenger and Immigrations List
it shows an Eli Demeritt having come to New Hampshire in 1694.
Update: I found the actual
source of Filby - Quiet Adventurers in North America
by Marion Turk, p. 187. "Said
to be from J." The wording gives me the impression that 1694
is a guess. The earliest known confirmed mention is a transaction of land
made with James Derry in 1694.
Found this bio: "The late P. William Filby (1911 – 2002) was the former director of the Maryland Historical Society and author of many core genealogical reference tools that genealogists have relied on for decades. His bibliographic and historical research enabled thousands of libraries to serve family historians in new ways. Mr. Filby is best known for his work to index nearly every published list documenting immigration to the United States and Canada."
The earliest known reference Eli is ""Eli Demrey" had a grant of forty acres in Dover, April 1694, on the northwest side of James Derry's land. It was laid out the same year to "Eli Demeret."
In 1695, Eli and other settlers petitioned (again) the General Court of Massachusetts, asking that Oyster River be made a separate town. Again the request was denied.
Homestead and Lands (I need to work on this section)
October 11, 1704, Francis Pitman sold to "Elie Marrett" of Dover forty acres "on the northwest side of Logg hill, on the northwest side of the path going to Mad berries." [N. H. Prov. Deeds, XII, 115.]
It would seem to me, that he owned land in at least four places not many miles apart. One besides Folliets Swamp in present day Durham. One north of the old Garrish Mill besides Long Hill in present Madbury, and possibly one more near the center of town near Pudding Hill and were the Demeritt Garrison was located. Here the Demeritt's built a house and garrison. The house next to Demeritt Park and frequently called the Demeritt Homestead is NOT the original homestead of Eli Demeritt but one of his descendants.
There is an interesting story about the Demeritt mills that I can provide to you if interested. Involved water rights in a legal dispute. info...
I've recently found two deeds transferring land ownership from Eli to each of his two sons, Eli Jr. and Job. The deeds were dated 1742. I know Eli had granted land deeds to his sons William and John in 1742 as well. I have not yet looked at these - it would be interesting to see the descriptions of where the lands are located.
There was a map here that I am currently updating!
The one thing that surprised me about the deed to Job
-“...where my homestead is and where I presently dwell...”
It was beside land already owned by Eli Jr. This would seem to be in contradiction
to Madbury - It's People and Places,
"Eli's will bequeathed land he bought from Derry Pitman and Thomas Drew
to John . . . Where
he now liveth."
Birth, Death, and Burial
I have seen several dates of his birth but believe them all to be of speculation and are not documented. If Eli did not come from Jersey Island, I think it likely he was born in the Arundel, maine area.
It's said that Eli died in 1747, by virtue of the fact that Eli Jr. ceases to write the "Jr" after that year. In Historical Memoranda Concerning Persons and Places in Old Dover, New Hampshire, p. 5, By Rev. Alonzo H. Quint it lists "Eli Demeritt Jr" six times as a selectmen with the "Jr" until 1747 when it is spelled Eli Demeritt. I wonder if Eli in 1742 may have, because of failing health, sold land to Job and Eli, but died in that same year and willed his remaining land to John and William. Theory: at the time of the sale he lived with Job, but at the time of death he lived with John.
History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) : with genealogical notes Durham, N.H.: Published by vote of the town, 1913, page 242 : "Not far from the Oyster River boundary line in the woods, lies buried Eli Demeritt, the emigrant from the Isle of Jersey." Recently I have been in contact with a historian who believes that he knows the location of where Eli is buried. More details to come...
The Barbados Connection ?
You might think that there isn't one but there are a few things to consider. Madbury was a part of Dover and Durham that was sometimes called Barbados because many residents were traders with the island. Not far from the Demeritt mill that Eli Jr. built is Barbados pond. Take these facts along with the fact that there are Demeritts who are on the island and it must be at the very least mentioned.
"John Demeritt, aged 25, gave testimony in Middlesex court in 1657. He came from Barbadoes." Stackpole
Arundel Connection ?
I've recently been researching the possible connection of Eli Demeritt and the events surrounding the Indian attack on Cape Porpoise (Arundel, Maine) in April 22, 1689. Stackpole had these interesting words to say - "The fact that he was married about 1695, before the Reynolds family were driven by the Indians from Maine to New Hampshire, may indicate that Eli Demeritt lived for a while in Arundel before settling in Dover."
I'm researching several families with ties to Cape Porpoise - the Reynolds, Buzzells, and Wormwoods, all having had land in the Arundel area were driven away by Indians in 1689. I wonder if Eli was involved with what happened in Arundel (Cape Porpoise).
I've decided to look into each family individually concerning clues linking Eli to Arundel.
Reynolds - Eli married into a family known to have come from
Cape Porpoise
Buzzells - Two of Eli's sons, Eli Jr. and John, married sisters, Margaret
and Mary Buzzell. There have been several sources that link the family to
Cape Porpoise and to the Isle of Jersey!
Interestingly, two of Eli's sons, Eli Jr. and William, married daughters of
Nathaniel and Deliverence Pitman. Deliverence was first married to a John
Derry. John and Deliverence and one child were taken captive by Indians in
1694. John died in captivity. No children survived. They were both supposedly
from Oyster River but I am suspicious of the indian attack - could that have
happened in Maine? I need to confirm all this information.
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