Merry & Luce ~ Martha's Vineyard Sign Language

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 44 (SPIRITS)

Today's take on SPIRITS is joyful spirit

My 10th great grandfather's last name was MERRY which sounds pretty full of joyful spirit to me. 

A second take on SPIRITS is alcohol.

My Merry family was part of the founding families of Martha's Vineyard. Although the name implies wine that is not where that name actually originates from. 

"How Martha’s Vineyard Got Its Name

Brace yourselves, because we may have to break some hearts here. Martha’s Vineyard was founded in the early 1600’s by Bartholomew Gosnold, founder of the Virginia Company of London and leader of the first recorded European expedition to what we now call New England. Impressive, right? On May 21, 1602, he and his crew of 32 arrived on the shores of an island off the coast of Cape Cod. He observed many vines covering the island (the same varieties that can be seen today) and dubbed the tiny island Martha’s Vineyard after his daughter. Much to the despair of wine-loving visitors, however, grape-bearing vines were not included among the local flora. We like to say all this confusion is entirely Bartholomew’s fault."   1 

When researching the history of Martha's Vineyards it was the Deaf culture that grabbed my attention.

"For two centuries Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) was used by hearing and Deaf people alike, specifically in the Squibnocket part of the Chilmark area of the island, which was isolated by swamps and rocks. Due to inherited deafness, one out of every 25 people were deaf by the 1850s—compared with a national average of one in every 5,728 people."  2

I learned the ASL alphabet as a small child in Brownies earning me the Sign Language Badge. 

As a young adult I worked in the school system with children who were non-verbal using a variety of sign to augment their communication. When our younger son was a little late in talking we taught him signs to assist with his frustration. As homeschoolers our children's 2nd language requirement for grade 4-6 was met with American Sign Language (ASL). I have always felt a basic understanding and comfort with ASL is important. 

"In 1817 the first school for the deaf was build in Hartford, Connecticut. Students from all over attended and brought with them their own household signs, the school’s first teacher, Laurent Clerc brought French Sign Language and then there were the residents from Martha’s Vineyard that brought MVSL. These strains merged and helped form what we know today as American Sign Language (ASL)."  3

"Deaf people weren’t considered disabled. They were completely integrated into island life. Deaf people owned farms, ran businesses and served in town government."   4

"Families passed the language down to younger generations. Sign language became a skill everyone, including hearing folks, on the island was taught."  5

My 10th great grandparents are:
Joseph Merry
BIRTH Abt. 1607 • England
DEATH 15 APR 1710 • Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts, United States
and
Elizabeth Parkhurst
BIRTH ABT 1628 • Ipswich St Margaret, Suffolk, England
DEATH AFT 1678 • Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts Bay, USA

their son (my 9th great grandfather)
Samuel Merry
BIRTH 16 NOV 1669 • Hampton, Rockingham, New Hampshire, USA
DEATH 6 OCT 1727 • West Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts, USA
married
Remember Luce (my 9th great grandmother)
BIRTH 16 NOV 1670 • Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America
DEATH 31 JAN 1739 • Martha's Vineyard, West Tisbury, Dukes, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America

Martha's Vineyard 

"It will be noted that the Luce family was the leading factor in populating the island fifty years ago with Norton second, followed by Smith, Mayhew, Pease and Vincent in the order named. The Allen, Butler, Chase, Cottle and Merry families show a loss, the Butlers especially, with a drop from 23 to 7 households in the period of sixty years, 1790 to 1850. The others about hold their place without much loss or gain."   6

I'm not sure which of my ancestors were Deaf, but it appears as though some of them were:

"Known family names with Deaf members are Lambert, Mayhew, Tilton, Skiffe, Hammett, Luce, Smith, and West."   7

If you lived in the area it was easy to learn Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language due to immersion.

The Merry & Luce families are still in Martha's Vineyard!!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Is There a Vineyard on Martha’s Vineyard?  Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.vineyardsquarehotel.com/is-there-a-vineyard-on-marthas-vineyard/

2 The Hidden History of Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language. How a deaf utopia was uncovered in the 1970s. ZARRELLI, NATALIE. Originally published MAY 4th 2016. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-hidden-history-of-marthas-vineyard-sign-language

3 Martha’s Vineyard. Colterman, Nicole. August 27th 2022. StartASL. Edited February 15th 2021 by Michelle Jay. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.startasl.com/marthas-vineyard/#:~:text=Students%20from%20all%20over%20attended,American%20Sign%20Language%20(ASL).

4 THE DEAF VINEYARDERS WHO TALKED WITH THEIR HANDS. New England Historical Society. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/deaf-vineyarders-talked-hands/

5 THE SURPRISING LEGACY OF SIGN LANGUAGE IN MARTHA’S VINEYARD. RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! Originally published MARCH 9th 2022. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/the-surprising-legacy-of-sign-language-in-marthas-vineyard/

6 Notes on the Genealogical Origins of Martha's Vineyard Families. The following pages are from pp. vii - x of the preface to The History of Martha's Vineyard Volume III. Dr. Charles E. Banks (originally published c. 1925.). Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
http://history.vineyard.net/dukes/bnk3_vii.htm

7 DEAF HISTORY ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Service Center. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.dhhsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MarthasVineyardDeafHistory.pdf

Sources:

DEAF HISTORY ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Service Center. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.dhhsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/MarthasVineyardDeafHistory.pdf

The Hidden History of Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language. How a deaf utopia was uncovered in the 1970s. ZARRELLI, NATALIE. Originally published MAY 4th 2016. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-hidden-history-of-marthas-vineyard-sign-language

Is There a Vineyard on Martha’s Vineyard?  Vineyard Square Hotel & Suites. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.vineyardsquarehotel.com/is-there-a-vineyard-on-marthas-vineyard/

Legacy of Vineyard Deaf Community Endures Today. Pretsky, Holly. Originally published February 26th 2019. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2019/02/26/vineyard-contributions-work-deaf-endure

Martha’s Vineyard. Colterman, Nicole. August 27th 2022. StartASL. Edited February 15th 2021 by Michelle Jay. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://www.startasl.com/marthas-vineyard/#:~:text=Students%20from%20all%20over%20attended,American%20Sign%20Language%20(ASL).

Notes on the Genealogical Origins of Martha's Vineyard Families. The following pages are from pp. vii - x of the preface to The History of Martha's Vineyard Volume III. Dr. Charles E. Banks (originally published c. 1925.). Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
http://history.vineyard.net/dukes/bnk3_vii.htm

THE DEAF VINEYARDERS WHO TALKED WITH THEIR HANDS. New England Historical Society. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from
https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/deaf-vineyarders-talked-hands/

The Deafness History of Martha's Vineyard. Acta Scientific Otolaryngology. Volume 3 Issue 2 February 2021. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from 
https://actascientific.com/ASOL/pdf/ASOL-03-0172.pdf

THE MERRY FAMILY OF MARTHA'S VINEYARD. Compiled by Dr. Charles Banks, c. 1925. Transcribed and prepared for the web by C. Baer 1999. Retrieved November 2nd 2023 from 
http://history.vineyard.net/merry.htm

Photos:

Sign Language Alphabet. Clip Art. Retrieved November 12th 2023

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

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