Abraham Marlatt
1773–after 1829
Baptised 28 November 1773 at Neshanic, Somerset County, New Jersey, the only child of Dirck (Richard) and Nelly Marlatt. He grew up in Berkeley County, Virginia, married Mary Maple there in 1795, and moved to the Coshocton and Guernsey County area of Ohio about 1809–11. Last recorded in 1829.
Life events
| Baptised | 28 November 1773 | Neshanic Church, Somerset County, New Jerseyas Abraham, son of Dirick and Nillie Molet |
|---|---|---|
| Married | 2 December 1795 | Berkeley County, Virginiato Mary Maple (“Mapler” in the record), by the Rev. Moses Hoge |
| Residence | 15 April 1809 | Coshocton County, Ohiofirst entry as Abraham Melatt in James Miskimen’s account book |
| Census | 6 August 1810 | Berkeley County, Virginiaas Abm Morlat; probably back in Virginia to bring out the rest of the family |
| Voter list | 1811 | Franklin Township, Coshocton County, Ohio |
| Census | 1820 | Wheeling Township, Guernsey County, Ohioas Abram Melat (indexed “Metat”), next door to his son John |
| Tax list | 1828 and 1829 | Wheeling Township, Guernsey County, Ohioone horse and one cow; no record of him after 1829 |
Research note: is this the right Abraham?
That the Abraham Marlatt of Coshocton County, Ohio, was the boy baptised at Neshanic in 1773 is William P. Marlatt’s conclusion after some thirty-five years of work on his own line. He calls it probable, not proven.
For it. Lewis Vail, who visited the family in 1840, wrote that John Marlatt was “son of Abraham and grandson of Richard,” and that Richard’s wife had one child, Abraham, who died in Coshocton County leaving several children. A local trader’s account book for 1809–20 shows “Ritchard Senior,” Abraham and John Marlatt trading together, and Abraham paying off Richard’s account in 1820. Every other Abraham Marlatt of the right age can be placed elsewhere. DNA matches among descendants of six of the children are consistent with one family.
Against it. The 1810 census puts him and his wife in the 45-and-over column, which would mean born by 1765. His two eldest sons were born before the 1795 marriage, when he was nineteen to twenty-one. Vail wrote thirty years after the events. The DNA matches are small and these families intermarried.
Not the Abraham of Grimsby, Ontario. An Abraham Marlatt born in 1773 went from New Jersey to Upper Canada about 1790 and died there in 1835. He has often been called the son of Dirck and Nelly. He was a different man, and Y-DNA suggests he came from the line of Josias Merlet, not Abraham.
Source: William P. Marlatt, Family of Abraham and Mary (Maple) Marlatt of New Jersey, Virginia and Ohio (30 September 2019).