Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameJohn George Koch 
2973
2973Birth20 August 1747, Berks County, PA2974
Memo(church baptism)
Memo(tombstone)
BurialZion’s Stone Church, Allen Twp, Northampton Co, PA
Father5G GF John Koch (1718-1782)
Mother5G GM Maria Sarah Dreher (-1794)
Parent-Proof notes for John George Koch
His baptism at Moselem Lutheran Church was documented and his parents named, including his mother’s maiden name. But was it really this John George, son of our John and Maria Sarah Koch? The main argument supporting the idea that it was our family is that the name Maria Sarah was an unusual combination of names. The main arguments against the idea are that John George’s tombstone gives a different date of birth than the baptism record and the geographic separation of where the baptism occurred versus where the family was known to later live. Moving was not an uncommon thing but was it the case here?
Census History notes for John George Koch
1800. Lives in Allen Township, Northampton County -- he is age 45+ (indicating pre-1755 birth).
My Comments notes for John George Koch
I am certain that the George Koch, who baptized at least four children with wife Elizabeth at Zion’s Lutheran Church in Kreidersville, Allen Township, Northampton County was the eldest son of John and Maria Sarah Koch as referred to by both in their respective wills.
For one thing, John and Maria Sarah stood as sponsors for several of the baptisms and John George’s siblings for others. There is no question it is all this one big family worshipping at this particular church in the late 1700’s.
Buried in the cemetery of that church was just one person named Koch born in the early 1700’s -- that being John born 1718. And there was but one male and one female born in the mid-1700’s -- that being Elizabeth wife of George, and George (called John G on his tombstone). It has to be John and his eldest son John George and his wife.
But here’s the rub. I have not seen John’s tombstone but I have seen transcriptions of the whole cemetery and the transcription gives a date of birth (27 Jul 1744), a date of death (2 Sep 1811) and an age at death (67 years, 1 month, 16 days). It is my guess that only the date of death and age were actually inscribed on the tombstone -- often that is the case -- and that the date of birth was computed by someone from the transcription -- erroneously it turns out since the age would imply a birth date of 17 Jul 1744.
I also well know that on a tombstone that old, any digit could well have been mis-read, especially for example, a 7 could be read as 4 or vice versa. Or a 4 as a 1, etc. So I can construct any number of theories to rationalize that the tombstone has simply been transcribed incorrectly. Or maybe John George himself had lost track of his own date of birth. For now, until more evidence surfaces, I believe the baptism and the tombstone are the same person, though I can’t exactly say which tombstone fact is wrong and why.
I do know that that the date of death is correct -- or within a couple of days in any event. Because John George Coach (simply a spelling variation) of Northampton County wrote his will 15 Feb 1811 and it proved 5 Sep 1811. He named wife Elizabeth and listed his children whose names correspond quite well with the ones he baptized at Zion’s Lutheran.
For one thing, John and Maria Sarah stood as sponsors for several of the baptisms and John George’s siblings for others. There is no question it is all this one big family worshipping at this particular church in the late 1700’s.
Buried in the cemetery of that church was just one person named Koch born in the early 1700’s -- that being John born 1718. And there was but one male and one female born in the mid-1700’s -- that being Elizabeth wife of George, and George (called John G on his tombstone). It has to be John and his eldest son John George and his wife.
But here’s the rub. I have not seen John’s tombstone but I have seen transcriptions of the whole cemetery and the transcription gives a date of birth (27 Jul 1744), a date of death (2 Sep 1811) and an age at death (67 years, 1 month, 16 days). It is my guess that only the date of death and age were actually inscribed on the tombstone -- often that is the case -- and that the date of birth was computed by someone from the transcription -- erroneously it turns out since the age would imply a birth date of 17 Jul 1744.
I also well know that on a tombstone that old, any digit could well have been mis-read, especially for example, a 7 could be read as 4 or vice versa. Or a 4 as a 1, etc. So I can construct any number of theories to rationalize that the tombstone has simply been transcribed incorrectly. Or maybe John George himself had lost track of his own date of birth. For now, until more evidence surfaces, I believe the baptism and the tombstone are the same person, though I can’t exactly say which tombstone fact is wrong and why.
I do know that that the date of death is correct -- or within a couple of days in any event. Because John George Coach (simply a spelling variation) of Northampton County wrote his will 15 Feb 1811 and it proved 5 Sep 1811. He named wife Elizabeth and listed his children whose names correspond quite well with the ones he baptized at Zion’s Lutheran.