The only reference to Richard’s wife I have ever found is that 1804 baptism of their son Johannes when her name was given as Maria. But what was her maiden name?

Reichart was named as a baptism sponsor when his sister Margaretha and her husband George Keim baptized their daughter Maria in 1786. George’s sister Maria Keim was the other sponsor.

Then in 1787, Reichart was named again as a sponsor, this time with Catharine Woeeterin also as sponsor — at the baptism of Catharina Mertz, daughter of Conrad (Reichart’s brother) and his wife Margaret.

Finally in 1788, at Oley Hill Johannes and Catharina Keim (Reichart’s other sister, I think) and they had Richard Martin and Maria Keim as sponsors. But there is no evidence of a Richard Martin at that church, could it possibly have been Richard Mertz?

All this is to provide the basis for my speculation that Maria, wife of Reichart Mertz, was none other than Maria Keim, sister of Johannes and George Keim — one of whom for sure married a sister of Reichart’s and the other did too (I think).

Keim researchers, though, believe she married Matthias Heydt — actually there is a 1792 marriage record for that couple. However, there is a possibility I think that Matthias died young and maybe Maria married Richard second.

I continue to seek additional information that night support this speculation or rule it out.

For a complete discussion of the various Mertz-Keim relationships, see the discussion under the header “Known Daughters” in my write-up on Jost Mertz.

Reichart was baptized at Mertz Church by his parents, Jost and Anna Maria Mertz. He is buried in the same cemetery as his mother. I know of no other Reichart Mertz in Berks County or nearby in the timeframe of interest here. He, like his father Jost, had a unique name in the Mertz family so there can be no doubt it is him when we find a record with his name, the problem is there are very few such records. He is designated Y3.

In 1806, Henry Mertz and Maribilla (?) his wife and Richard Martz (no wife mentioned) sold land in Windsor Township to Christian Luckenbill.

Reichart’s baptism record gives a birth date of 4 Jul and baptism date of 1 Aug. The problem is what year was it?

There is a page of baptisms in that church book with the year 1760 written at the top of the page; that page includes the baptism of Conrad Mertz, Reichart’s brother. Then the baptisms are listed chronologically and seem to spill into the next year and then there comes a page with 1761 written at the top. Then there are no more years written at the top of pages until, after several pages, 1765 was written. Reichart’s baptism is a few pages into that “ambiguous” section.

By analyzing the chronology as we go from 1761 to 1764, I believe Reichart was baptized in 1762. But it appears to me that someone came along later and tried to do a similar thing and so would write in what they believed was the appropriate year in random places in these records and so the year 1761 was written at the bottom of the page where Reichart was listed.

That probably explains why I have seen various transcriptions of these records, one saying Reichart was born/baptized in 1762, another saying 1761. On his find-a-grave memorial, there is what appears to be a thumbnail of his name as it maybe appear in a listing of burials at that cemetery and that says 1762. Though that same memorial give 3 Jul 1762 as his date of birth. I don’t have any idea where 3 Jul came from.

He must be the Rygert Merts in Salisbury Township, Northampton County in 1790 next door to Henry.

The 1800 Census lists Reinhartd Henry Martz of Whitehall, Northampton. I believe this is one listing covering both Henry and Richard. There are males of all ages present including one 45 + and one 26-44. Richard would have been 26-45, Henry maybe about 45.

His tombstone is listed by Humphrey in the same cemetery as his mother.