Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Birthabout 1750, Longswamp Twp, Berks Co, PA
Deathbefore 22 January 1776, Longswamp Twp, Berks Co, PA
Memo(date will proved)
FatherNicholas Mertz (N) (<1715-~1760)
MotherMargaret (-<1767)
Research notes for Maria Mertz
Maria died young and left a will. It was written 27 Dec 1775 and proved 22 Jan 1776. She was single and makes specific bequests to: her mother Margaret, elder brother Jacob, David Klein her nephew son of Nicholas Klein deceased and the poor of Longswamp Twp. The residue of her estate to go to three brothers and sisters: Maria Elizabeth Klein (w/o Nicholas), Maria Magdalena Seybert (w/o Conrad) and John Nicholas.
On 12 Sep 1758, Maria Mertz sponsored the baptism of Mary Eva Litweiler d/o Heinrich and Sarah. Maria could be Nicholas' daughter Maria but that calls into question the suggested birth year of 1750 or so for her. There is no one else around named Maria — although it is possible that this is someone we know better by her secular name and Maria is just the church name. For example, Nicholas’ daughter Margaret is about 20 and perhaps she was Maria Margaret. So I can’t be certain who this is.
On 12 Sep 1758, Maria Mertz sponsored the baptism of Mary Eva Litweiler d/o Heinrich and Sarah. Maria could be Nicholas' daughter Maria but that calls into question the suggested birth year of 1750 or so for her. There is no one else around named Maria — although it is possible that this is someone we know better by her secular name and Maria is just the church name. For example, Nicholas’ daughter Margaret is about 20 and perhaps she was Maria Margaret. So I can’t be certain who this is.
Notes for Maria Mertz
His estate file is on LDS on-line, page 1756 in the appropriate Berks Estate files book.
My Comments notes for Maria Mertz
Maria died young, unmarried, in 1776, and left an interesting will which suggested some things that otherwise might not be knowable. She left money to her mother and her eldest brother, Jacob. [Jacob may well have seemed to her like her surrogate father.] She made no mention at all of her other six older brothers and sisters -- the residual of her estate going to her three youngest siblings, together with her being the four youngest children.
Then there is this. When the will was recorded it said “Letters of Administration .....granted to Philip Fenstermacher....Guardian heretofore appointed by the Orphans Court of the said County during the minority of Nicholas Mertz only brother and next of kin to the said Maria Mertz deceased of the personal and estate of the said Maria Mertz.”
The part that I have italicized was squeezed into the recording on a form which didn’t really allow room to write that phrase in, but I believe it was supposed to read as I’ve laid it out. At issue is the phrase “only brother”. What’s that about? Her father had four sons, how can she have just one brother? My theory is that it suggests that her father Nicholas may have had two wives and had his youngest four children by his second wife. But I have no other evidence to support this idea.
Another very important conclusion we can draw from that court order is that her brother Nicholas seems still to have been a minor in 1776, thus born after 1755, probably a little later. There was a Nicholas who died in Northumberland County in 1801 and we know he was born in 1748. Clearly the Nicholas who died in Northumberland County was not the son of Nicholas.
Then there is this. When the will was recorded it said “Letters of Administration .....granted to Philip Fenstermacher....Guardian heretofore appointed by the Orphans Court of the said County during the minority of Nicholas Mertz only brother and next of kin to the said Maria Mertz deceased of the personal and estate of the said Maria Mertz.”
The part that I have italicized was squeezed into the recording on a form which didn’t really allow room to write that phrase in, but I believe it was supposed to read as I’ve laid it out. At issue is the phrase “only brother”. What’s that about? Her father had four sons, how can she have just one brother? My theory is that it suggests that her father Nicholas may have had two wives and had his youngest four children by his second wife. But I have no other evidence to support this idea.
Another very important conclusion we can draw from that court order is that her brother Nicholas seems still to have been a minor in 1776, thus born after 1755, probably a little later. There was a Nicholas who died in Northumberland County in 1801 and we know he was born in 1748. Clearly the Nicholas who died in Northumberland County was not the son of Nicholas.