Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameJohan Henrich Mertz 
845
845Birth1675, Strasborg, Alsace
Death1750, Frankenhausen, Germany
FatherJohannes Mertz (1638-1691)
MotherKatherine Klippel (~1640-)
Spouses
My Comments notes for Johan Henrich Mertz
This man named Johan Henirch really existed. He was the son of Johannes (1638-1691). Johan Henrich’s descendants live in Frankenhausen, Germany today -- where they have lived for 300 years.
German records and genealogical research shows that Johan Henrich had six sons:
1. Joh Peter born 1705.
2. Joh George born 1708. Dr. Wendell Mertz noted “nach Pennyslvanien”.
3. Joh Henrich born 1709.
4. Joh Wendell born 1718.
5. Joh Christoph born 1720.
6. Joh Jost born 1724 about whom Dr. Wendell noted “etwa 1748 Pennsylvanien”.
As was typical in that place in those times, the eldest son Joh Peter inherited title to his father’s lands, leaving the younger brothers to somewhat have to fend for themselves.
I know nothing more about Wendell or Christoph, I am not sure if anyone tracked their lives further or not. In any event, there is no reason to think they emigrated.
Dan Goebel was able to track Joh George and confirm, as I suspected, he did not go to America. There is record of the marriage of George to Anna Margaretha Seitz and they settled in Nieder-Beerbach, a little village near Frankenhausen. He believes, as I did almost from the beginning, that Dr. Wendell was simply confused as to which of the older two brothers emigrated. He meant to say Heinrich “nach Pennsylvanien”, not George.
It seems an inescapable conclusion though that Jost did emigrate and absolutely was the Jost who arrived in 1748 and next showed up at Mertz Church, the very church founded by his presumed older brother John Henry. I do not think there is anything in American records to indicate Jost’s birth year. He died young in 1764, his wife had been born in 1733 -- so while we can’t say we know he was born in 1724 (from American records), it is quite a reasonable estimate of his age. And Jost Mertz is a truly unique name — he was the only one EVER in American records.
German records and genealogical research shows that Johan Henrich had six sons:
1. Joh Peter born 1705.
2. Joh George born 1708. Dr. Wendell Mertz noted “nach Pennyslvanien”.
3. Joh Henrich born 1709.
4. Joh Wendell born 1718.
5. Joh Christoph born 1720.
6. Joh Jost born 1724 about whom Dr. Wendell noted “etwa 1748 Pennsylvanien”.
As was typical in that place in those times, the eldest son Joh Peter inherited title to his father’s lands, leaving the younger brothers to somewhat have to fend for themselves.
I know nothing more about Wendell or Christoph, I am not sure if anyone tracked their lives further or not. In any event, there is no reason to think they emigrated.
Dan Goebel was able to track Joh George and confirm, as I suspected, he did not go to America. There is record of the marriage of George to Anna Margaretha Seitz and they settled in Nieder-Beerbach, a little village near Frankenhausen. He believes, as I did almost from the beginning, that Dr. Wendell was simply confused as to which of the older two brothers emigrated. He meant to say Heinrich “nach Pennsylvanien”, not George.
It seems an inescapable conclusion though that Jost did emigrate and absolutely was the Jost who arrived in 1748 and next showed up at Mertz Church, the very church founded by his presumed older brother John Henry. I do not think there is anything in American records to indicate Jost’s birth year. He died young in 1764, his wife had been born in 1733 -- so while we can’t say we know he was born in 1724 (from American records), it is quite a reasonable estimate of his age. And Jost Mertz is a truly unique name — he was the only one EVER in American records.
Parent-Proof notes for Gretlies (Spouse 1)
Her name is known from the sketch of the family at Easter Sunday dinner 1727.