| BIRTH | Isaac was born in 1588 in England[1,2], as based upon his given age at death. |
| DEATH | Isaac died in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA on 18 December 1662; he was 74[1,3] and was buried on 21 December 1661 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2,4] as "Isaac Morell, an aged brother". Please note that the Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA records as published have mistakenly put his death in 1662. His burial information contains 1661, which is the correct year of his death. |
| MIGRATION | Isaac migrated to New England in 1632 aboard the Lyon[8,16]. |
| ENGLISH ROOTS | His English roots are still a matter of debate which Anderson deals with quite nicely: "Banks gives the origin of Isaac and Abraham Morrill as Hatfield Broadoak, Essex, without evidence. The presence of Isaac Morrill on the Lyon, and his settlement in Roxbury along with others of the Nazeing community, makes this a likely neighborhood, however[18]." |
| RESIDENCE & REAL ESTATE | Once here, he settled in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[8], where he made Freeman on 4 March 1632/3[9,10]. He was one of the largest landowners in town. The Roxbury book Of Possessions lists 12 parcels of land for Isaac -- eight of which were granted by the town and five of which he bought: "Isaack Morrill his two houses, two forges, one barn with out housing and two orchards, and a swamp"; "four acres more or less upon Pine Hill south"; "six and twenty acres called by the name Foxeholes"; "fifteen acres more or less called Smithfield"; "one acre and a half in the lower calves pasture"; "nine acres of salt marsh"; "in the second allottment of the last division ... fourth lot ... one hundred and thirteen acres one quarter and ten pole and two hundred and four acres in the four thousand acres, and six acres more or less upon Pine Hill"; "four acres more of less upon the great hill bought of Griffen Craft"; "five acres of the fresh meadow ... lately the land of John Scarbrow"; "two acres and a half ... lately the land of Robert Williams"[5,9]. |
| FREEMANSHIP | He made Freeman on 4 March 1632/3[9,10]. |
| CHURCH MEMBERSHIP | "Isaak Morrell and [Sarah] Moreell the wife of Isaak Morrel" were members #41 & #42 on Eliot's list, entered without comment amongst others joining in 1632[8,20]. |
| TOWN SERVICE | Isaac served on the Suffolk grand jury on 19 September 1637[8,19]. |
| MILITARY SERVICE | Further, he was admitted to the Ancient & Honorable Artillery company in 1638[9,17]. |
| EDUCATION | Isaac could sign his name[9] |
| OCCUPATION | He was a Blacksmith. His inventory includes "two forges". His blacksmith tools were bequeathed to his "cousin" Isaac Morrell[5,6,7,8]. |
| LEGAL MENTION |
He was co-author of the blacksmith's petition of September 1639, which
was drafted with the help of the colonial lawyer Thomas Lechford. This is
probably the petition of "goodman Morrel's" that was still in
committee on 27 September 1642[12,13]:
The humble petition of Isaacke Morrell & Thomas Carter, blacksmiths in the behalf of themselves & the rest of the blacksmiths within this colony: showing and informing this court that whereas heretofore coals have been in this country sold them for 30s. a cauldron now of late they are raised to £4 lacking but 2s. cauldron, and moreover that they are forced speedily to but them at that great price or else they can not be gotten for money but are brought up & sent away into other parts of this continent, - and your petitioners conceive that unlesss some speedy remedy be found out to help & prevent these mischiefs their trade will be much hurt and the commonealth deeply predjudiced[11]. |
| ESTATE |
Isaac's will was dated 15 December 1661 and proved on 23 January 1661/2.
In it, he bequeathed to "my dear & loving wife" the use of his
entire estate during her life. After she died, £40 was to be
distributed equally between "my four grandchildren to wit John Smith,
Isaac Smith, Francis Smith and Abraham Smith". To "my grandchild
Mary Smith ... my farm lying between Reading and Andover being more than
two hundred acres". The residue was to go to "my two sons (to
wit) John Smith & Daniell Brewer & to my grandchild Sarah
Davis" (with some additional household goods for her). What
I have given to "John Smith and his wife Katherine if she outlive
him" was to be enjoyed by them during their lifetimes and then equally
to their now children and any future children John Smith will have "by
my daughter Katherine" to be carefully used so that the children are
not "embesselled" or disappointed. If "my loving wife"
as a result of sickness or poverty requires the sale of any property for
her comfortable supply, it may be sold. He named his "loving sons
Tobias Davis & Daniel Brewer" as executors; and "loving friends
Thomas Weld & Edward Denison" overseers. Witnesses to the will
were Samuel Danforth and Elisha Cooke.
At probate three nuncupative codicils were added, all representing desires of the deceased made on 19 December 1661 (1) £3 to Roxbury church (evidence of Samuel Danforth, Edward Denison and John Smith); (2) anvils and all smith's tools and instruments to cousin Isaac Morrill (evidence of Tobias Davis and Sarah Morrell); (3) wearing apparel to brother Abraham Morrell, grandchild Sarah Davis and sons John Smith and Daniel Brewer (evidence of Sarah Morrell)[7,14]. In May 1663 Tobias Davis & Daniel Brewer, executors of his estate, petitioned for the right to lay out in a specific place the 204 acres that had been granted to him in his lifetime. The court noted that the land in this location had already been taken, but the petitioners could take up land in any place "not predjudicing former grants"[14,15]. |
| MARRIAGE | Circa 1624 when Isaac was 36, he married Sarah [surname not known], in England[1,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28]. She was born in 1600[1] and died in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA on 9 January 1672/3; she was 72[1,2,29]. Her death was noted as "Sarah, widow of Isaac Morrel, aged 72". Unlike her husband, Sarah could only make her mark whilst swearing to codicils[9]. |
| CHILDREN | 4. | i. | Sarah MORRILL | Sarah was born circa 1625 in England[2] and died in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA on 23 February 1648/9; she was 23[2,30]. Her death is noted in the records as "Sarah Davis bro. Morel's daughter died, by occasion of unheedful taking cold upon an abortion [i.e., miscarriage]". Circa 1646 when Sarah was 21, she married Tobias DAVIS, in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2]. |
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5. | ii. | Catherine MORRILL | Please see her own page. |
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6. | iii. | Isaac1 MORRILL | Isaac1 was born on 27 or 28 November 1632 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2] and died there in January 1632/3 [2]. |
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7. | iv. | Isaac2 MORRILL | Isaac2 was born on 5 February 1633/4 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2] and died there in January 1639; he was 5. He was buried there on 31 January 1639[2]. |
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8. | v. | Hannah MORRILL | Hannah was born on 6 or 12 September 1636 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2]. On 5 November 1652 when Hannah was 16, she married Daniel BREWER, son of Daniel BREWER, in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2]. |
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9. | vi. | Elizabeth MORRILL | Elizabeth was born in May 1638 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2] and died there in May 1638. She was buried in May !638 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2]. |
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10. | vii. | Abraham MORRILL | Abraham was born on 6 June 1640 in Roxbury, Suffolk co., MA[2] and died there on 13 November 1661; he was 21, "being a hopeful young man about 21 years old"[2,4]. |
| GENERATION | Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great (G9) Grandfather |
| FAMILY NUMBER | 3730 |
| SOURCES |
1. Edward Carroll Death Record,
19 October 1899, Lynn, Essex co., MA,
1866, 192, p. 186, #337.
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Return to the Morrill Index page. |
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| Return to the Family Index page. |
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Return to the Surname Index page. |
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Return to the Maddison Side Tree page. |
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