Weaste Cemetery

Biographies of people buried between 1880 & 89

Mercy Merrill (1834 - 1881)


 Mercy Merrill was the wife of Quartermaster Jacob Merrill of the 18th Hussars and died at the Chorlton County Barracks in Hulme, Manchester, in 1881 aged 47.


She was born in 1834 in Old Charlton, Kent and married Corporal Jacob Merrill who was then in the 14th Light Dragoons (Kings) in 1862 in Lewisham, London.


Not a lot more is known about Mercy, but her husband's career in the army is better documented. Jacob Merrill was born in 1840 in Huntingdon, Huntingdonshire. He enlisted in the 14th Hussars prior to the Indian Mutiny and records show him on the Indian Mutiny Medal Roll (1857 -1859) as a Private in Central India.


In 1861, Jacob was stationed in Newbridge, near Dublin at the rank of Corporal. The following year 1862 he was married to Mercy in Lewisham. In 1871, Jacob was Paymaster Sergeant of the 14th (Kings) Hussars stationed at Cahir and Ballincolig in Ireland. On 27th October 1876, a notice appeared in the London Gazette, "Quartermaster Jacob Merrill transferred from the 14th Hussars to the 18th Hussars in exchange for QM vice G F Rumsey. Dated 28th October 1876."


The Army List August 1878 shows Jacob Merrill as Cavalry – 18th Hussars, but no location is given. The 1881 census shows the couple located at Chorlton County Barracks in Hulme Manchester. Jacob is a Quartermaster, born in 1838 at Brampton, Huntingdonshire. Mercy was born in 1832 at Old Charlton, Kent. It was later that year, on 25th July 1881 that Mercy died aged 47 and was laid to rest at Weaste Cemetery, in the Church of England portion, B24 – 4308.


In 1885, the London Gazette records a memorandum in the Army Records, "Quartermaster Jacob Merrill 18th Hussars to have the honorary and relative rank of Captain of the Army. Dated 3rd February 1885." The British Army Records Transcription of 1886 – 94 shows Jacob at the Royal Hospital Chelsea indicating a pension year of 1888. The electoral Roll of 1910 shows Captain Jacob Merrill living at 44, Elphinstone Road, Hastings.


Jacob died in the third quarter of 1924 in Hastings, Sussex. He was 84 years of age. He was not buried with his wife Mercy in Weaste Cemetery as he was buried on 8th August at St John the Evangelist Church (C of E), Hollington, St.Leonard, Sussex.