Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Name6G GF Johann Adam Kleckner 
Birth1695, Germany
Death1746, Germany
Parent-Proof notes for 6G GF Johann Adam Kleckner
There are Internet Family Trees that say that Johann Adam Kleckner (1695-1746) and his wife Elizabeth Gertrude Hammer (perhaps Lammer) (1697-1743), daughter of Wilhelm, were the parents of Johann Anton, our immigrant Kleckner ancestor. It is said that Johann Adam married Elizabeth Gertrude on 4 May 1718. It is also said that Johann Adam’s father was Jacob (1669-1718). All of these people lived their entire lives in the small area of Germany bounded by the towns of Friedewald, Daaden and Derschen. I have no idea if this information is correct or even close.
My Comments notes for 6G GF Johann Adam Kleckner
The respected journal “PA Genealogical Magazine” published an article by Francis S Fox which appears to be quite thoroughly researched and is the basis for much of my information on the early Kleckners. It said there were four Kleckners (Glockners, etc.) who immigrated early: Johann Heinrich in 1734, Casper in 1740, Johann Stephen in 1753 and Johann Anton a few days later. Fox makes no further mention of Casper or Henry nor their descendants. He does believe that Stephen and Anton (Anthony) were most certainly brothers but makes no mention of any ancestors of theirs in Germany, nor where in Germany they came from.
According to Francis Fox, Anthony settled in Northampton County and his sons John and Solomon came to Union (then Northumberland) County by 1792 or 1793. Stephen and his descendants settled in what eventually became Schuylkill County.
Normally, I wouldn’t even bother to list the “rumored” Johann Adam in my database. But in this case, I needed a name to put in his place as the father of Johann Anton and Johann Stephen and also as a way to introduce a totally unrelated man named Johannes Kleckner who came to Union County about the same time as our Johannes and his brother Solomon -- and the other Johannes has to be mentioned if only to say -- “he’s not our family, he just has the same name.”
Moreover, all three of these Union County pioneers -- Solomon and the two named Johannes -- named a son George. So, the problem in researching the Kleckners is keeping our ancestor John separate from this other John and our ancestor George separate from those other Georges. So, by putting the perhaps fictional Johann Adam in my database, it also gives me a place to sketch the big picture.
Union County Pioneer Kleckners: I have reviewed early tax records, Census records and estate records of Union County for any and all Kleckners named up to, say 1830 or so. Here are the names that appeared and how I think they were organized into three separate families:
John Kleckner. The “wrong” John ultimately can be identified as the one who lived in Hartley Township and died in 1829. His will mentioned sons Abraham, George, Isaac and William. All four of his sons first appeared in the 1820 Census in Hartley and were probably all born in the 1790’s. In the tax records, I saw what I think was the notation Penns Creek written by his name. I wasn’t sure what that meant but from his descendant, Mary MacLead, with whom I had an extensive correspondence, I learned he lived about a mile south of Lincoln Chapel which is located about halfway between Weikert and Laurelton, PA. A check of the map shows this would have been very near Penns Creek (the creek), northwest of Penns Creek (the village).
John Kleckner. My ancestor, John, consistently lived in West Buffalo Township from his arrival in the early 1790’s until his death in 1839. I believe he may have been John the innkeeper (or tavern keeper) noted in tax records. His will mentioned sons John, Anthony, Joseph (deceased), George, Elias and David. Francis Fox also made note of a son named Daniel (1780-1833). Daniel was named as single in the tax records of West Buffalo from 1807-1813 and then never again.
Solomon Kleckner. Throughout this time period, his was a unique name. His sons were George (deceased by 1834), John, Joseph, Peter, Michael and William.
Our John and Solomon were brothers and are listed correctly in my database as sons of Johann Anton. “Wrong” John was not their unlce, though one might think that if they only looked at the names of people in my database and did not read this explanatory narrative.
According to Francis Fox, Anthony settled in Northampton County and his sons John and Solomon came to Union (then Northumberland) County by 1792 or 1793. Stephen and his descendants settled in what eventually became Schuylkill County.
Normally, I wouldn’t even bother to list the “rumored” Johann Adam in my database. But in this case, I needed a name to put in his place as the father of Johann Anton and Johann Stephen and also as a way to introduce a totally unrelated man named Johannes Kleckner who came to Union County about the same time as our Johannes and his brother Solomon -- and the other Johannes has to be mentioned if only to say -- “he’s not our family, he just has the same name.”
Moreover, all three of these Union County pioneers -- Solomon and the two named Johannes -- named a son George. So, the problem in researching the Kleckners is keeping our ancestor John separate from this other John and our ancestor George separate from those other Georges. So, by putting the perhaps fictional Johann Adam in my database, it also gives me a place to sketch the big picture.
Union County Pioneer Kleckners: I have reviewed early tax records, Census records and estate records of Union County for any and all Kleckners named up to, say 1830 or so. Here are the names that appeared and how I think they were organized into three separate families:
John Kleckner. The “wrong” John ultimately can be identified as the one who lived in Hartley Township and died in 1829. His will mentioned sons Abraham, George, Isaac and William. All four of his sons first appeared in the 1820 Census in Hartley and were probably all born in the 1790’s. In the tax records, I saw what I think was the notation Penns Creek written by his name. I wasn’t sure what that meant but from his descendant, Mary MacLead, with whom I had an extensive correspondence, I learned he lived about a mile south of Lincoln Chapel which is located about halfway between Weikert and Laurelton, PA. A check of the map shows this would have been very near Penns Creek (the creek), northwest of Penns Creek (the village).
John Kleckner. My ancestor, John, consistently lived in West Buffalo Township from his arrival in the early 1790’s until his death in 1839. I believe he may have been John the innkeeper (or tavern keeper) noted in tax records. His will mentioned sons John, Anthony, Joseph (deceased), George, Elias and David. Francis Fox also made note of a son named Daniel (1780-1833). Daniel was named as single in the tax records of West Buffalo from 1807-1813 and then never again.
Solomon Kleckner. Throughout this time period, his was a unique name. His sons were George (deceased by 1834), John, Joseph, Peter, Michael and William.
Our John and Solomon were brothers and are listed correctly in my database as sons of Johann Anton. “Wrong” John was not their unlce, though one might think that if they only looked at the names of people in my database and did not read this explanatory narrative.