The origins of the name DeMerchant can be conclusively linked to one man, John Coffman, but for some time a missing link has appeared to exist. This missing link has stemmed from one source and it is time to set the record straight.

In the book The Loyalists of New Brunswick by Esther Clark Wright, she has the following on Page 276:

DeMerchant, John - Unknown place of origin - Unknown service - First land grant in Carleton County - No subsequent grant or place of residence.

DeMerchant, Phillip - Unknown place of origin - Corporal 1ST DeLancey Regiment - No first land grant - No subsequent grant or place of residence.

From this information one is lead to believe there are two possible ancestors who were Loyalists and could have been the procreator of the DeMerchant surname. To date there is no indication of two early DeMerchants. It would appear that Mrs Wright's information is a simple error or perhaps a typo.

Upon further investigation one will find a Phillip MERCHANT in the Loyalist DeLancey Regiment. This gentleman started off as a Private and was promoted to a Corporal. At no time is he ever referred to as a DeMerchant.

As far as post war settlement of Phillip Merchant, no records to date have been found by this researcher to indicate his location. Mark Dionne and I have spent some time researching this individual and the only concrete information we have for him is his name, rank and regiment.
We know very little about this man but I believe the facts prove he was not a DeMerchant.

One other person of interest in listed on Page 271 of "The Loyalists of New Brunswick"

Coffman, or Cufman, John - Unknown place of origin - 3rd New Jersey Volunteers? - Land grant on the Nashwaak - No subsequent grant.

I found this information to be fascinating. Let me explain its significance. 1. This information was most likely taken from NB Crown Grant Maps. John Coffman received 150 acres of land on the Nashwaak. What perplexes me is where the author found the single F variation of the name Cufman and how she applied it with John Coffman on the Nashwaak. This information leads me to believe there are records which have not been uncovered, YET. 2. The reference to the 3rd New Jersey Volunteers is not hard to explain. Many settlers on the Nashwaak belonged to this regiment, she was unsure of this and hence included a question mark after the name.

As for Mrs. Wright listing Phillip Merchant as a DeMerchant, BIG DEAL!! This lady wrote an absolute great book and the information contained between its covers is priceless. The amount of time and resources she invested in its completion would have been mind boggling. If any of you are interested in reading this amazing piece of New Brunswick or Loyalist history, by all means go to your local Library and ask for it. If you are a Genealogist searching for a list of Loyalist names, this would be one of the first places to turn.

This information is subject to international COPYRIGHT laws. Unless otherwise noted, this material is the work of Norman A. DeMerchant. It can be used with permission, contact Norm...
 

Last modified May 24, 2005.