Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameFrederick Braun 
Spouses
Birthabout 1742, Longswamp Twp, Berks Co, PA
Deathbefore 1783
FatherNicholas Mertz (N) (<1715-~1760)
MotherMargaret (-<1767)
Marriagebefore 1762
Relocated notes for Frederick Braun
Raymond Brown, a descendant, says he arrived on the ship Snow Rowan 29 Sep 1753.
But I found 23 Sep 1752, Johann Friederich Braun and Johan Georg Braun on ship Ann Galley.
But I found 23 Sep 1752, Johann Friederich Braun and Johan Georg Braun on ship Ann Galley.
Research notes for Frederick Braun
Message board (I think) of Laura Hill. Frederick Braun of Longswamp died 1802 married first Maria Eva Mertz daughter of Nicholas died bef 1783, married second Louisa.
My Comments notes for Frederick Braun
There seem to have been at least two early Berks County men named Frederick Braun and they have been confused with each other.
One of them married Maria Eve Mertz, daughter of Nicholas and was named as her husband in the petition of Jacob Mertz in 1762 after his father had died.
Frederick is in my database therefore, obviously, as Maria Eve’s husband but for a long time he had a larger role in the Mertz family given that I, and many other people, thought his daughter Susanna married Peter Mertz, son of Hans Peter, the teenage immigrant.
It is known that Peter’s wife was indeed named Susanna, J L Floyd said her name was Susanna Brown and it is known, from his will, that Frederick Braun had a daughter Susanna.
In addition, the Frederick and Maria Eva Braun family were connected to Longswamp, for example, their daughter Elizabeth, single, was a sponsor in 1780 at a Longswamp Reformed baptism. The baptism was for the daughter, Susanna, of Conrad and Magdalena Seibert. Magdalena was the daughter of Nicholas Mertz Sr. and the other sponsor was Magdalena’s brother Nicholas, also single.
Over the years, I have been in touch with several persons with some interest in the Braun family. I believe the most thorough of these researchers is Curt Bajak and he has convinced me that, while we can’t be 100% positive of much of anything, nonetheless:
1. The only evidence that Susanna was even a Braun is the mention by Floyd and from my experience, the J L Floyd book is so unreliable in so many ways that it can hardly be given much weight.
2. A close study of the two Frederick Brauns of Berks County indicates some geographic separation of the two (within Berks County). The older one worshipped at Zion Moselem Lutheran and lived and was taxed in Richmond Township. The younger one was taxed as a single man in Maxatawny Township possibly as late as 1759 or 1760.
3. Curt believes it was the younger one who married Maria Eva Mertz and that their marriage took place no earlier than about 1760 or 1761.
4. I don’t really know when Maria Eva was born or for that matter when any of the children of Nicholas, Sr. were born (with the possible exception that I think Henry was born in 1743) but we get a hint from the petition of Jacob Mertz, eldest son of Nicholas, filed in 1762 after his father had died. Jacob listed Nicholas’ children as himself, Margaretta and Maria Eve as the only three “of age” (and later indicated that his sister Catherine was deceased leaving an heir, meaning she likely also would have been of age).
5. Since we know Nicholas was single and age about 18 when he arrived America in 1733, and if we give him a couple of years to find his way to Longswamp, get settled, mature a little and marry and then have four children who were born before, say, 1742 and given that Maria Eve would appear, from the order Jacob named Nicholas’ children, to be the youngest of the “of age” children, my conclusion is Maria Eve was born not too much earlier than, say 1742.
6. Add to all this that Susanna was listed third (and last) among his daughters by Frederick Braun in his will and the inescapable conclusion is Susanna could not have been old enough to be having children starting in 1776.
7. Let’s say Maria Eva was born in 1741, married in 1760 and Susanna was not her oldest child — how could she have her own child in 1776? In fact, Susanna might well have been born herself in the 1770’s. Even if you want to believe Frederick and Maria Eve married in 1759 and had Susanna that same year, that still makes her only about 16 when she married and 17 when she bore her son Jonathan. It's all of course theoretically possible but the evidence just seems to suggest a later marriage for Maria Eve and a much later birth for Susanna.
8. As a final point, we have always known that Frederick’s daughter Susanna was the first cousin of Peter Mertz. This didn’t trouble me too much as I am aware of a fair number of other such marriages and of even more involving 2nd or 3rd cousins but Curt has raised the question in my mind that it really would have been a very rare occurrence for those old Germans of Colonial Pennsylvania.
One of them married Maria Eve Mertz, daughter of Nicholas and was named as her husband in the petition of Jacob Mertz in 1762 after his father had died.
Frederick is in my database therefore, obviously, as Maria Eve’s husband but for a long time he had a larger role in the Mertz family given that I, and many other people, thought his daughter Susanna married Peter Mertz, son of Hans Peter, the teenage immigrant.
It is known that Peter’s wife was indeed named Susanna, J L Floyd said her name was Susanna Brown and it is known, from his will, that Frederick Braun had a daughter Susanna.
In addition, the Frederick and Maria Eva Braun family were connected to Longswamp, for example, their daughter Elizabeth, single, was a sponsor in 1780 at a Longswamp Reformed baptism. The baptism was for the daughter, Susanna, of Conrad and Magdalena Seibert. Magdalena was the daughter of Nicholas Mertz Sr. and the other sponsor was Magdalena’s brother Nicholas, also single.
Over the years, I have been in touch with several persons with some interest in the Braun family. I believe the most thorough of these researchers is Curt Bajak and he has convinced me that, while we can’t be 100% positive of much of anything, nonetheless:
1. The only evidence that Susanna was even a Braun is the mention by Floyd and from my experience, the J L Floyd book is so unreliable in so many ways that it can hardly be given much weight.
2. A close study of the two Frederick Brauns of Berks County indicates some geographic separation of the two (within Berks County). The older one worshipped at Zion Moselem Lutheran and lived and was taxed in Richmond Township. The younger one was taxed as a single man in Maxatawny Township possibly as late as 1759 or 1760.
3. Curt believes it was the younger one who married Maria Eva Mertz and that their marriage took place no earlier than about 1760 or 1761.
4. I don’t really know when Maria Eva was born or for that matter when any of the children of Nicholas, Sr. were born (with the possible exception that I think Henry was born in 1743) but we get a hint from the petition of Jacob Mertz, eldest son of Nicholas, filed in 1762 after his father had died. Jacob listed Nicholas’ children as himself, Margaretta and Maria Eve as the only three “of age” (and later indicated that his sister Catherine was deceased leaving an heir, meaning she likely also would have been of age).
5. Since we know Nicholas was single and age about 18 when he arrived America in 1733, and if we give him a couple of years to find his way to Longswamp, get settled, mature a little and marry and then have four children who were born before, say, 1742 and given that Maria Eve would appear, from the order Jacob named Nicholas’ children, to be the youngest of the “of age” children, my conclusion is Maria Eve was born not too much earlier than, say 1742.
6. Add to all this that Susanna was listed third (and last) among his daughters by Frederick Braun in his will and the inescapable conclusion is Susanna could not have been old enough to be having children starting in 1776.
7. Let’s say Maria Eva was born in 1741, married in 1760 and Susanna was not her oldest child — how could she have her own child in 1776? In fact, Susanna might well have been born herself in the 1770’s. Even if you want to believe Frederick and Maria Eve married in 1759 and had Susanna that same year, that still makes her only about 16 when she married and 17 when she bore her son Jonathan. It's all of course theoretically possible but the evidence just seems to suggest a later marriage for Maria Eve and a much later birth for Susanna.
8. As a final point, we have always known that Frederick’s daughter Susanna was the first cousin of Peter Mertz. This didn’t trouble me too much as I am aware of a fair number of other such marriages and of even more involving 2nd or 3rd cousins but Curt has raised the question in my mind that it really would have been a very rare occurrence for those old Germans of Colonial Pennsylvania.