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Morrill Family Papers, 1738-1833

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 227

Scope and Content Note

The Morrill Family papers contain primarily the business records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, blacksmiths Elijah and Ezra Morrill. A significant portion of the father's and son's business trade revolved around the shipyards of the Merrimack River where they handled the ironwork on vessels under construction. Transactions with many prominent Essex County merchants (Elias H. and Richard Derby, Jonathan Orne, Currier) are found in their accounts and correspondence. Also included in the collection are financial papers of Ezra's wife, Sarah Morrill, son Ezra (1787-1809), and other Morrill relatives. They are arranged in two series.

Series I. Elijah Morrill (1719-1767) Papers contains correspondence, financial, and legal papers.

Series II. Ezra Morrill (1741/2-1797) Papers contains correspondence, financial, and legal papers as well as financial papers of Ezra's wife, Sarah Morrill, son Ezra (1787-1809), and other Morrill relatives.

Dates

  • Creation: 1738-1833

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open for research use.

Biographical Sketches

Elijah Morrill was born in Amesbury, Massachusetts, on October 30, 1719, the son of Aaron (1691-1760) and Joanna (Dow) Morrill. He was a blacksmith in Salisbury, Massachusetts. He married Anne Hoyt (1718-1759) in 1741. They had eight children. In 1761 he married Sarah Osgood (1739-1774). He died on February 15, 1767.

Ezra Morrill was born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, on March 24, 1741 to Elijah and Anne Morrill. He was a blacksmith, like his father. He married Elizabeth Greeley (1744-1777) in 1765 and they had four daughters. In 1780 he married Sarah Morrill (1750-1839) and they had three sons. He died on December 22, 1797.

Extent

0.25 linear feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Morrill Family papers contain primarily the business records of Salisbury, Massachusetts, blacksmiths Elijah and Ezra Morrill.

Series List

SERIES I. Elijah Morrill (1719-1767) Papers

SERIES II. Ezra Morrill (1741/2-1797) Papers

Physical Location

Phillips Library Stacks

Provenance

The collection is an organization and integration of account books from an unknown source and 20 pages of documents removed from a scrapbook (Essex County Collection, Salisbury (#20) Shipbuilding Misc. papers).

Bibliography and Related Collections

Morrill, Horace Edwin. American Ancestry of Benjamin Morrill and His Wife Miriam Pecker Morrill of Salisbury, Mass. and Their Descendants to 1901. Dayton, Ohio: [publisher Not Identified], 1903.

Hacket Family Papers, 1718-1839, MSS 228

Processing Information

Collection processed by Prudence K. Backman, June 1987. Updated by Tamara Gaydos, September 2015.

Title
MORRILL FAMILY PAPERS, 1738-1833
Author
Processed by: Prudence K. Backman; Updated by: Tamara Gaydos; machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan.
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Processing and rehousing of this collection were funded by grants from the following Essex Institute corporate members: Gulf of Maine Research Group, Bursaw Oil Corp., and Salem Laundry Co.

Repository Details

Part of the Phillips Library Repository

Contact:
Peabody Essex Museum
306 Newburyport Turnpike
Rowley MA 01969 USA