Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Spouses
Parent-Proof notes for 5G GF John Adam Koller
I have no idea the names of his parents.
Relocated notes for 5G GF John Adam Koller
IMMIGRANT. John Adam Koller arrived America on the ship Duke of Bedford 14 Sep 1751. Johann Adam Koller and wife Anna Catharina were sponsors at the baptism of Johann Adam Wilhelm on 24 May 1754 at Host Church in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County. A few years later, an Adam Koller died intestate in that same place.
I believe all these documented references are to the same man.
I believe all these documented references are to the same man.
Research notes for 5G GF John Adam Koller
There was a petition filed in Berks County Orphan’s Court at the 13 Aug 1762 session saying that Adam Koller, late of Tulpehocken Township, died intestate seven years prior leaving a widow and three children. The peition was filed by Balthazer, oldest son who was then over 14 and he stated that both his brothers were under age.
My Comments notes for 5G GF John Adam Koller
The Kollers were prominent in the Shrewsbury Township area of York County, which is the area surrounding New Freedom. Along with our Gerberich, Hendrix and Hampshire ancestors, our family was well established in this area long before the Currys of Maryland moved there sometime before 1920.
The Curry cousins traced the Koller line no further back than John who married Elizabeth Gerberich and who died in 1815 and was buried at Fissel’s Church in Glen Rock, PA. But I found an Internet tree for this family and it cited information on file at the York Historical Society as saying there were three Balzer (Balthaser) Koller (Kohler, Coller) families in York County in the mid-1700’s, none direct descendants of another though related in some way, and all the later Kollers of York County descended from one or these three Balzers. I now think that is not accurate but it got me started on trying to determine the name of John’s father.
And then I found the family tree of David Koller and he identified an immigrant named John Adam Koller -- the first I ever heard of him -- who (possibly, according to David) came to America on the Duke of Bedford in 1751. He showed the man I know to be our John Koller as John Adam’s son along with brothers Jacob and Balzer. This tree immediately got my attention since the Gerberich family arrived on the same ship.
Subsequently, I have come to strongly believe David Koller’s version of things. The evidence is a 1762 petition filed in the Berks County Orphans Court by Balthazer Koller who said he was the eldest son (and now over the age of 14) of Adam Koller late of Tulpehocken Township who died intestate seven years previous. He petitioned on behalf of himself and his two younger brothers, John and Jacob, both under the age of 14.
We know from his tombstone at Fissel’s Church in Shrewsbury that our John Koller was born in 1752. There is also a Jacob Koller buried at Fissel’s and his tombstone says he was born in 1754. So this John and Jacob were 10 and 8 respectively in 1762. Now I don’t know the exact ages of John and Jacob of Tulpehocken in 1762 but since Balzer was the only one of the three over 14 and since the father had died seven years previous, both John and Jacob must have been at least 7 and yet under 14. John’s and Jacob’s ages fit like a glove by my calculation.
Moreover, the 1790 Census for Shrewsbury lists John Hollear (who I believe was none other than our ancestor John Koller) and Balzir Hollear living in the same place.
So, I think the facts are totally consistent with the theory that John Adam was the immigrant. He came on the same ship as our Gerberich ancestors and all of them settled in Tulpehocken Township. Adam died in about 1755 and sometime in the 1770’s or so, all three of his sons moved to the Shrewsbury area of York County, as did our branch of the Gerberich family at about the same time. The tie between the Gerberichs and the Kollers was fully cemented when John Koller married Maria Elizabeth Gerberich -- probably after the move to Shrewsbury. I think it all makes sense.
The Curry cousins traced the Koller line no further back than John who married Elizabeth Gerberich and who died in 1815 and was buried at Fissel’s Church in Glen Rock, PA. But I found an Internet tree for this family and it cited information on file at the York Historical Society as saying there were three Balzer (Balthaser) Koller (Kohler, Coller) families in York County in the mid-1700’s, none direct descendants of another though related in some way, and all the later Kollers of York County descended from one or these three Balzers. I now think that is not accurate but it got me started on trying to determine the name of John’s father.
And then I found the family tree of David Koller and he identified an immigrant named John Adam Koller -- the first I ever heard of him -- who (possibly, according to David) came to America on the Duke of Bedford in 1751. He showed the man I know to be our John Koller as John Adam’s son along with brothers Jacob and Balzer. This tree immediately got my attention since the Gerberich family arrived on the same ship.
Subsequently, I have come to strongly believe David Koller’s version of things. The evidence is a 1762 petition filed in the Berks County Orphans Court by Balthazer Koller who said he was the eldest son (and now over the age of 14) of Adam Koller late of Tulpehocken Township who died intestate seven years previous. He petitioned on behalf of himself and his two younger brothers, John and Jacob, both under the age of 14.
We know from his tombstone at Fissel’s Church in Shrewsbury that our John Koller was born in 1752. There is also a Jacob Koller buried at Fissel’s and his tombstone says he was born in 1754. So this John and Jacob were 10 and 8 respectively in 1762. Now I don’t know the exact ages of John and Jacob of Tulpehocken in 1762 but since Balzer was the only one of the three over 14 and since the father had died seven years previous, both John and Jacob must have been at least 7 and yet under 14. John’s and Jacob’s ages fit like a glove by my calculation.
Moreover, the 1790 Census for Shrewsbury lists John Hollear (who I believe was none other than our ancestor John Koller) and Balzir Hollear living in the same place.
So, I think the facts are totally consistent with the theory that John Adam was the immigrant. He came on the same ship as our Gerberich ancestors and all of them settled in Tulpehocken Township. Adam died in about 1755 and sometime in the 1770’s or so, all three of his sons moved to the Shrewsbury area of York County, as did our branch of the Gerberich family at about the same time. The tie between the Gerberichs and the Kollers was fully cemented when John Koller married Maria Elizabeth Gerberich -- probably after the move to Shrewsbury. I think it all makes sense.