John Trantor Merritt

     John Trantor Merritt was born in 1854 at Chatham, Kent County, Ontario.¹ He married Abigail Evans, daughter of Israel Evans and Minerva Jane Moe, on 29 March 1877 at Chatham, Kent County, Ontario. (notes: 004611-77 John (possibly Trantor or similar) Merritt, 23, bachelor, born and residing Chatham, cigar manufacturer, parents Wm. and Elizabeth Merritt. Abigail Evans, age not given, spinster, born and residing Chatham, parents Israel and M. Jane Evans. Witnesses: E.J. Roache and Clara Mess. At Chatham on March 29, 1877. He was a Baptist and she a Methodist. The clergyman was John Wakefield.).¹ He was buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Kent County, Ontario.¹ For the present, our information for John Trentor Merritt is slim. The following marriage appears in the Kent County Marriage register:

Isaac DANFORD, 53, Chatham, Chatham, s/o Dead, Dead, married Rebecca SEXSMITH, 45, Chatham, Ireland, d/o Dead & Rebecca, witn: William MERRITT, Ja's BLACKBURN, both of Chatham, 16 May 1867

It's likely that William Merritt, witness, is the father of John and that James Blackburn is the husband of Sabrina Moe, Abigail's aunt. There is some small evidence that there was a marriage connection between the Merritts and Blackburns.¹