There is a Johann Peter Mertz buried at Solomons UCC Church in Macungie Township, Lehigh County, PA. He was born in 1784. Also buried there is Henry Mertz born 1786. Henry was the son of Jost’s son Conrad and my theory is that Peter was his cousin, the son of Conrad’s brother Henry.

Peter is designated Y1a.

SOLOMONS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST CEMETERY, MACUNGIE
Eight persons named Mertz (including maiden and married names) are buried at Solomons cemetery in Macungie. Macungie is where Jost’s son Conrad was living when he died and I am certain that Conrad’s son Henry (1786-1861) and his wife and unmarried daughter are three of the eight persons at that cemetery. I strongly suspect that some of the others are descendants of Henry’s.

But the earliest male Mertz buried there is not immediately identifiable: Johan Peter (1784-1855) who, from his age, might be thought to be another of Conrad’s sons except we know all of Conrad’s sons from that petition filed shortly after he died, he had no son named Peter.

Now I know any number of Peter Mertz born before 1800 in the Berks, Lehigh or Northampton County area but all the ones I do know are accounted for. So I don’t otherwise know this Peter as being of some entirely different Mertz line. I am guessing therefore, an educated guess I believe, that he was Conrad’s nephew, son of his brother Henry.

Here are the eight persons buried at Solomons, chronologically by birth:

1. Catharina Mertz 1783–1845 — wife of Johan Peter
2. Johan Peter Mertz 1784-1855 — not Conrad’s son, likely his nephew, son of Henry (Y1)
3. Heinrich Mertz 1786-1861 — designated Y2a, son of Conrad
4. Elizabeth Mertz 1790-1857 — wife of Heinrich
5. Margaretha (Mertz) Nagle (1797-1860) — wife of Jacob Nagle, identified as Rebecca Mertz, wife of Jacob Nagle, in petition naming Conrad’s children
6. Hannah Christman Mertz 1812-1858 — wife of Peter (1810-1888), who I believe must have been the son of Johan Peter. Peter is buried at Neff’s Cemetery
7. Henrietta Mertz 1817-1880 — daughter of Heinrich and Elizabeth
8. Caroline (Mertz) Meitzler 1821-1855 — we know the name of Heinrich’s daughters, so a guess would be she was the daughter of Johan Peter?

Peter Mertz lived in Macungie Township in the 1820 and 1830 Census (where we also find Conrad and his sons).

Then, in 1840, there were three Peter Mertz in Lehigh County. The nephew of this Peter was in Lower Macungie, I base that on his age. The other two listed were both age 50-59, one in Upper Macungie Township and one in Upper Milford. Since the other one (P7a) is buried at Fogelsville which is in Upper Macungie and he died in 1845, I have guessed that he was the one there, leaving this one as the one in Upper Milford. It’s possible of course that I have them mixed up.

In any event, I don’t know where he was in 1850?

Patty Mertz one time told me that RMR (the lady famous for her wonderful message board post on all early Mertz baptisms and wills) was now doing cemeteries and at Solomon’s UCC in Macungie -- where Henry, son of Conrad is also buried, she found:

Mertz, Johann Peter 13 February 1784-4 June 1855 71.3.21, and
Mertz, Catharina 19 June 1783-21 September 1845 62.3.2 w/o Peter

These burials are confirmed on find-a-grave.

I do not know for sure who Peter’s father was, but I assume, from his age and from his Macungie association, it was one of Jost’s sons. But I know the names of both Conrad’s and Richard’s sons, leaving Henry as the last man standing. I am guessing that Peter was Henry’s son.