Sarah Newcomb Merrick

Sarah Newcomb Merrick (, Newcomb; May 9, 1844 – February 3, 1922) was a Canadian-born American teacher and writer. She was the author of A Unique Method for Preserving the Inscriptions in our Historic Burial Grounds and Present-day Beliefs in Some Medical Superstitions. She was also a business woman and inventor before she became a physician later in life. Merrick died in 1922. Early life and education Sarah (or Sara) Julia Newcomb was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, 9 May 1844. Her parents were John Burton Newcomb and Emily A. Prince. Her six siblings included, Simon (the astronomer), Thomas, Harriet, Richard, James, and John. Merrick was a descendant of William Brewster, a Pilgrim. She counted among her ancestors some of the most notable New England names. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution by virtue of her great-grandfather, Simon Newcomb, having, with others, instigated rebellion in Nova Scotia. The rebellion was quelled soon after Mr. Newcomb's death in 1776. Forty-one of his kinsmen avenged his death by taking an active part in the war in the New England and other States. She was orphaned at the age of seven, which hampered the education she sought to become a school teacher. In her earliest childhood, she played at teaching, and when barely nine years of age, offered her services to a missionary as a teacher for the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia. In 1860, she reached the United States, and the following year, entered the public schools of Boston. Through the financial assistance of her oldest brother, she remained there till 1867, when she was graduated in the Girls' High and Normal School.