John Morrell and Sarah Hodgdon

John Morrell is found in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1661, about four years before his marriage in Kittery. “Acting under this law [for avoiding the settlement of poor people], the Selectmen [of Ipswich] made complaint to the Ipswich Court in March 1661, that they had notified Daniel Grazier and John Morrill, Irishmen, that they were not willing to have them as inhabitants and they had not removed.” We don’t know of any other John Morrell in New England at this time, the only other family of this surname is Abraham Morrill of Salisbury, so it is highly likely that this is our John Morrell of Kittery. In addition, 1661 aligns well with the first mention of John in Kittery, which was in 1663, occupation “plasterer.” This is the first clue we have as to the nationality of John Morrell, as it seems at least some folks in Ipswich believed he was of Ireland. Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Ipswich MA: Ipswich Hist. Soc., 1917), Source Medium: Book
. [4]

Additional information available.[5]

Y DNA Profile for four descendents of John Morrell of Kittery. Kit 41789 is a descendent of Jacob Sawyer Morrill,
who is not known to be a descendent of John Morrell, except by DNA match.

CHILDREN

[1]E. S. Stackpole, Old Kittery and Her Families (Name: 1903; reprint, Somersworth: New England History Press, 1981;), 619. Date inferred from record of a deposition given by John Morrell.
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[2]Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Name: Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1971;). Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1971), Source Medium: Book
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[3][Anonymous], Boston births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, 1630-1699 (Name: Boston : Rockwell and Churchill, City printers, 1883;). The marriage was performed by Gov. John Endecott. Both John and Lysbell are identified as Irish. [Anonymous], Boston births, baptisms, marriages and deaths, 1630-1699 (Boston : Rockwell and Churchill, City printers, 1883), Source Medium: Book
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[4]Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Name: Ipswich MA: Ipswich Hist. Soc., 1917;), 389.

[5]In Morrill Kindred, Annie Morrill Smith states that Ethel Morrill McCollister held the belief that John Morrell of Kittery was a nephew of the two brothers Abraham and Isaac. DNA testing, however, has conclusively ruled this out. His parents and place of birth are unknown, though Mrs. McCollister suggests his father was Richard Morrell, who was in Portsmouth N.H. in 1640, brother of Nicholas Morrell, mariner. Lois Fooshee Williamson states that her family tradition is that this family comes from North Riding of Yorkshire, England.
. See also John Morrell first turns up in Maine record in 1663, occupation “plasterer.” He was a “Friend,” or Quaker, as were many of his descendents.
.

[7]E. S. Stackpole, Old Kittery and Her Families (Name: 1903; reprint, Somersworth: New England History Press, 1981;), 619. As per deposition.
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[8]ibid., 619. Estate was admimistered in 1757.
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[9]Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Name: Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1971;). Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700 (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1971), Source Medium: Book
.

[10]Dover Historical Society, Vital Records of Dover, New Hampshire (Name: Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1977;), 130.
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[11]ibid., 130.
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