Descendants of Edward John Merrick (2nd Fleet convict)
and Mary Elizabeth Russell (3rd Fleet convict)

This is a brief listing of the line of descent from Edward John (AKA Joseph) Merrick, a convict who was transported to AUSTRALIA on the 2nd Fleet and his wife Mary Elizabeth Russell, a convict transported on the 3rd Fleet. I have more information which I will eventually post, but in this place concentrate upon the line of descent of my own family.

In April 1778 Edward John/Joseph Merrick/Meyrick was sentenced at the Old Bailey Sessions to seven years for theft of 2 lbs of tea, 7 loaves of refined sugar, 20 lbs of moist sugar, 3 lbs of rice and 1lb of pepper.His co-accused George Woodward was acquitted. His name was originally given as Meyrick and is occasionally listed this way in the colony, but Merrick seems to be the more correct term.

He was one of 1063 convicts transported on the "Surprize" (other ships "Neptune" and "Scarborough" made up the 2nd Fleet. December 1789, He was born 21 Nov 1763 in LONDON and died 9 Feb 1839 in RICHMOND aged 76.

He obviously made good in the new colony as in 1799, free by servitude, he was granted 30 acres of land on the banks of the Hawkesbury River at RICHMOND, NSW. He cleared the land for grazing and pig raising and was granted a further 60 acres at North Richmond in 1816.

In 1820 he was appointed to be District Constable and Pound Keeper of RICHMOND, having previously been District Constable of NORTH RICHMOND. His son William was appointed District Constable of NORTH RICHMOND replacing his father.

In 1830 he captured a 17 year old bushranger, John Tiernan, in the act of stealing a horse. Tiernan was hanged for his crimes. (I have often thought it a shame that the Magistrate did not sentence Tiernan to be transported to England for a period of time.)

Elizabeth Russell was sentenced to transportation in the Old Bailey for feloniously stealing "a hand* of silk", value 10 shillings, the property of John Dye and Edward Harvey, privily in their shop." She arrived with the 3rd Fleet on the "Mary".

Elizabeth was born 21 Nov 1763 and died 25 May 1840, a little more than a year after Edward. They are both buried at St Peter's Church, RICHMOND NSW.

Those tracing their descendance in my direct line are bolded. Dates of recent events have been omitted for personal security reasons. Current generations have enough information to make their own calculations.

* This may refer to the hand process of twisting four threads of silk by fastening them to a hand winder and then to stationary pins 32m-34m away, Once wound, the twisted silk thread would be made into a skein or "hand" as a unit of sale.

1st, 2nd & 3rd Generations in Australia

Edward John MERRICK b 21 Nov 1763 d 9 Feb 1839
     AKA Edward Joseph MERYCK, Blacksmith, Farmer, Special
     Constable
     m 24 Dec 1791
Mary Elizabeth RUSSELL b 20 Jan 1765 d 25 May 1840

John A. MERRICK b 2 Feb 1793, d 10 Sep 1874
     Married 1835 Eliza FRANCIS b 1820, d 1897, Children:
     Sarah 1836-1923, Mary Elizabeth 1838-1874,
     Eliza 1842-1866, Louisa 1842-1927,
     Susannah 1847-, Elizabeth Ann 1850-1926,
     John Edward Richard 1853-1919,Emma J. 1853-,
     Henrietta 1856-1918, Harriet 1859-1942,
     William Thomas 1861-1951, Emmeline 1863-

Mary Elizabeth MERRICK b 14 Mar 1795, d 7 Oct 1855
     See below

William MERRICK b 1798, d 29 Oct 1874
     Married Henrietta BLACKMAN 1807-1851 Children:
     Mary Ann 1824-1827, Edward Jonathon 1826-1827,
     Thomas W. 1828-, Robert Harley 1829-1909,
     Harriet Comfort 1831-1904, Henrietta 1832-1914,
     Elizabeth 1834-1908, John Thomas 1836-1906,
     Maria 11839-1922, Richard 1841-1914,
     Susannah 1841-

Amos Joseph (Joseph) MERRICK b 22 May 1800, d 11 Jul 1875
     Married 1832 Maria Jane WOOD b abt 1825 d 1875, Children:
     Edward 1833-1925, Susannah 1835-
     Marie Ann Sophia 1838-1885, Caroline Susannah 1840-1933,
     James Robert 1842-1926, Joseph 1845-1922
     Charles Thomas Richard 1848-1895, William John 1850-1940,
      Maria Jane 1855-1942, Henrietta 1857-1944
     Andrew 1860-1945, Alexander 1860-1864

Richard MERRICK b 1802, d 25 Dec 1887
     No marriage found

Thomas (Infant) MERRICK b 1802, d 1802

Thomas Chrisford MERRICK b 1802, d 7 Apr 1881
     No marriage found

Susannah MERRICK b 7 Jan 1812, d 16 Oct 1894
     Common law abt 1830 with William WATERFORD
     Child: John 1831-1917
     Married 1844 Thomas EATHER 1820-1874
     Child: Thomas Joseph 1849-1935

Elizabeth MERRICK b 1817 [NSW Birth 228/1817]
     No date of death or marriage found

2nd, 3rd & 4th Generations
Mary Elizabeth MERRICK b 14 Mar 1791, d 7 Oct 1855 Eloped, then married 13 Aug 1822 Robert S Cooper MERRICK, b 23 Oct 1797, d 11 Sep 1872 Free Ship "Experiment" 1804 He later married Mary Oliver Perry	Elizabeth Mary E. MARTIN, b 18 Mar 1816, d 1854 Father not named, Married Francis TIPPING 6 Feb 1837 Robert Cooper MARTIN, b 17 Nov 1822, d 17 Oct 1884 Married 9 Nov 1847 Martha PRICE 8 Feb 1829-7 Sep 1913 No children Caroline Anne MARTIN, b 19 Apr 1824, d 3 Dec 1878 Married 17 Jul 1840 William Thomas PRICE Martha MARTIN, b 11 Sep 1816, d 6 Oct 1884 See below John Harden MARTIN, b 19 Mar 1829, d 10 Sep 1881 Thomas MARTIN, b 1830, d 1838 No marriage found William MARTIN, b 23 Mar 1832, d 4 May 1871 Married 1829, Anna Mary NAUGHTON, no children Henry MARTIN, b 16 Oct 1834, d 9 Jun 1835
3rd & 4th &Generations
Martha MARTIN, b 11 Sep 1826, d 6 Oct 1901 Married, 25 Jul 1843 Charles James PRICE, b 13 nov 1821, d 10 Aug 1912	Robert Cooper PRICE, b 23 Mar 1845, d 28 Jun 1917 [NSW Birth 238/1845][NSW Death 6173/1917] Mary Anne PRICE (AKA Marrianne), b 8 Oct 1846, d 19 Jun 1934 [NSW Birth 465/1846] Married Andrew Edwards [NSW Marriage 3395/1871] George William PRICE, b 23 Oct 1848, d 29 May 1923 [NSW Birth 644/1848][NSW Death 8351/1923] Thomas Martin PRICE, b 23 Mar 1850, d 23 Aug 1927 [NSW Birth 707/1850][NSW Deaath 12319/1927] Edward (AKA Edwin) PRICE, b 6 Jan 1852, d 8 Sep 1929 [NSW Birth 138/1852][NSW Death 17989/1929] Elizabeth Benjamina PRICE, b 29 Jul 1854, d 21 Sep 1917 [NSW Birth 554/1854] Charles Joseph PRICE, b 26 Sep 1855, d 29 Apr 1940 [NSW Birth 3173/1855][NSW Death 10653/1940] Alfred PRICE, b 27 Apr 1857, d 2 Aug 1942 [NSW Birth 10149/1857][NSW Death 3632/1942] Henry James PRICE, b 15 Jan 1859, d 22 Jan 1926 [NSW Birth 113371/1859][NSW Death 2515/1926] Sarah Ann PRICE, b 24 May 1861, d 13 Sep 1926 [NSW Birth 11671/1861] Anne, b 17 Dec 1863, d 4 Sep 1927 [NSW Birth 12172/1863][NSW Death 12316/1927] Dick PRICE, b 1864, d 1864 [NSW Birth 13425/1864][NSW Death 5416/1864] Walter John PRICE, b 17 Sep 1865, d 26 Jun 1955 [NSW Birth 13900/1865] [NSW Death 22146/1955] Jane PRICE, b 6 Oct 1867, d 18 Aug 1911 [NSW Birth 114890/1867] Frederick, b 9 Sep 1869, d 4 May 1928 [NSW Birth 16807/1869]

4th & 5th Generations
Mary Anne PRICE, b 8 Oct 1846, d 19 Jun 1934 [NSW Birth 465/1846] Married 1871 [NSW Marriage 3395/8171] Andrew EDWARDS, b abt 1845, d 1888, aged abt 43 years Birth record not found. [NSW Death 10096/1888] Father, William, Mother, Ann [nb. Bride's name given as "Maria" and for children's birth, given variously as "Marianne", Mariane","Marian"and "Marion". I suspect Andrew may have been illiterate.]	Andrew EDWARDS, b 12 Nov 1871, d 1876 [NSW Birth 16924/1871][NSW Death 9734/1876] Marianne EDWARDS, b 1874 [NSW Birth 18379/1874] Florence EDWARDS, b 1875, d 15 Jan 1949 [NSW 18806/1875][NSW 5537/1949] James Stuart EDWARDS, b 9 Apr 1877 d 1890 [NSW19763/1877][NSW10814/1890] Hilda Mary EDWARDS, b 1879 d 4 Nov 1953 [NSW BIRTH 25736/1879][NSW Death 31857/1953] Married George Nash 1905 [NSW Marriage 6117/1905] Annie May EDWARDS, b 1881, d 24 Oct 1967 [NSW Birth 18092/1881] Married Charles Osbourne CHIDGEY[NSW MARRIAGE 14077/1914] C.O. CHIDGEY d 8 Mar 1973 Charles Robert EDWARDS, b 1883, d 1942 [NSW 203559/1883]
5th & 6th Generations
Arthur Edmund STEVENSON, b 1867, d 1945 [NSW Birth 1754/1867][NSW Death 17710/1945] Father, William H., Mother Rosetta Married (1) Eveline Edith Ingram AUSTIN b 1872, d 1940 Possibly born E.E. CRAWFORD [NSW Birth 606/1872] Divorced abt 1897 Married (2) Florence EDWARDS, b 1875, d 15 Jan 1949 [NSW Birth 18806/1875][NSW Death 5537/1949]	Children of Arthur and Eveline: Henry A. A.STEVENSON, b 15 Feb 1900, d 7 Apr 1976 Margaret M.STEVENSON, b 1892 Childen of Arthur and Florence: Florence Alma STEVENSON b 15 Feb 1900, d 7 Apr 1976 Hilda Dorothy STEVENSON, b 1901, d 1924 William Charles STEVENSON, b 25 Sep 1904, d Lilian Maude STEVENSON, b 1906 Ethel Mary STEVENSON, b 1908 Joyce O. STEVENSON, b 1919, d 14 Jun 2020

6th & 7th Generations
Florence Alma STEVENSON, b 15 Feb 1900, d 7 Apr 1976 Married (1) 10 Dec 1921 Albert Edward MITCHELL II b 1895, d 1924 Married (2) 5 May 1926 Arthur James TAYLOR, b 7 Nov 1895, d 1959	Children of Alma and Albert: Albert Edward MITCHELL III (AKA TAYLOR), b 1922, d 2011 Beulah MITCHELL (AKA TAYLOR), b 1924, d 2020 [Both known as TAYLOR on their mother's later remarriage] Children of Alma and Arthur: Dorothy Phyllis TAYLOR, b 1927, d 1982 Joan TAYLOR, b 1929, d 1929 Margaret TAYLOR, b 1930, d 1930 Robert TAYLOR, b 1936, d 1936
7th & 8th Generations
Albert Edward MITCHELL III (AKA TAYLOR) Married Roslyn DOWNES	Arthur Clive MITCHELL (AKA TAYLOR and later as MITCHELL-TAYLOR) Robert James TAYLOR Neal Richard TAYLOR Rohan Mitchell TAYLOR

Descendants of Edward John Merrick (2nd Fleet convict) and Mary Elizabeth Russell (3rd Fleet convict)

Descendants of Edward John Merrick (2nd Fleet convict)
and Mary Elizabeth Russell (3rd Fleet convict)