Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Census History notes for 5G GF Conrad Walter
1790. Then Northumberland County was not even broken out by township. There is no mention of Conrad Walter who should be old enough to be head of household on his own right.
1800. Conrad Walter is listed, age 26-44 [thus born 1755-1775 or so]. If Frederick is his son, he would be 15 and Conrad has one son 10-15 which could be Frederick.
Henry Walter age 26-44 is listed just below (one name removed from) Conrad. Then there are 8 intervening names and then Frederick Walter 26-44 (too old to be our Frederick), 2 more intervening names and then Jacob, Philip, David, Jacob and John Walter and finally Peter Walter after 4 more intervening names. All of these Walters are 26-44 except one of the Jacobs is 45+.
1810. An interesting thing now happens. The number of men named Walter continues to explode in what is then called Centre Township, Northumberland County and we find George, Christian, Conrad, David, Henry, Jacob, Jeremiah, John, Joseph, Michael, Peter and Philip Walter. David, Jacob, John and Philip are 45+, Conrad and the others are 26-45.
But in the now smaller area called Penns Township, we find Conrad Walter age 45+ [thus born before 1765] and Frederick Walter age 16-25.
1820. Conrad, Frederick and Charles are in Penns Township in 1820 -- still apart from all the other Centre Township Walters. Conrad Walter is age 45+ and is listed immediately below Frederick Walter whose age appears to be 45+ as is his wife. Another, younger, Frederick is a little above them in the Penn Township listings. This is a little confusing. Our Frederick is about 35.
1830. Conrad Walter age 70-80 [thus born 1750-1760] is listed in Union Twp, Union Co immediately below Frederick Walter age 40-50.
1800. Conrad Walter is listed, age 26-44 [thus born 1755-1775 or so]. If Frederick is his son, he would be 15 and Conrad has one son 10-15 which could be Frederick.
Henry Walter age 26-44 is listed just below (one name removed from) Conrad. Then there are 8 intervening names and then Frederick Walter 26-44 (too old to be our Frederick), 2 more intervening names and then Jacob, Philip, David, Jacob and John Walter and finally Peter Walter after 4 more intervening names. All of these Walters are 26-44 except one of the Jacobs is 45+.
1810. An interesting thing now happens. The number of men named Walter continues to explode in what is then called Centre Township, Northumberland County and we find George, Christian, Conrad, David, Henry, Jacob, Jeremiah, John, Joseph, Michael, Peter and Philip Walter. David, Jacob, John and Philip are 45+, Conrad and the others are 26-45.
But in the now smaller area called Penns Township, we find Conrad Walter age 45+ [thus born before 1765] and Frederick Walter age 16-25.
1820. Conrad, Frederick and Charles are in Penns Township in 1820 -- still apart from all the other Centre Township Walters. Conrad Walter is age 45+ and is listed immediately below Frederick Walter whose age appears to be 45+ as is his wife. Another, younger, Frederick is a little above them in the Penn Township listings. This is a little confusing. Our Frederick is about 35.
1830. Conrad Walter age 70-80 [thus born 1750-1760] is listed in Union Twp, Union Co immediately below Frederick Walter age 40-50.
My Comments notes for 5G GF Conrad Walter
Any research into the name Walter in early Snyder County leads pretty quickly to a man named Jacob Walter who came from Germany, apparently settled first in Lancaster County and then came to the Middlecreek Valley (though I think there were a number of early immigrants named Jacob Walter so who knows which one moved). Jacob had at least 10 sons, born mostly in the 1760’s and 1770’s. And those sons had large families. So, before doing the research, having discovered my ancestor was Elizabeth Walter, born 1810, it just seemed likely that her ancestry would lead right to Jacob.
Elizabeth can be proven to have been the daughter of Frederick and he the son of Conrad Walter. I do not have an exact birth date for Conrad, the best I can do is observe that he was listed as age 70-80 in the 1830 Census, thus born sometime in the 1750’s. His children were born from 1785-1796, suggesting a late 1750‘s date. Note that Conrad was clearly too old to have been Jacob’s grandson.
Now, Jacob did have a son named Conrad -- but he was never listed as one of his older sons and I don’t believe he was born before 1760. Moreover, in the 1810 Census, there were two men named Conrad Walter in the area -- one in Penns Township age 45+ and another in Centre Township age 26-44. I believe the younger Conrad living in Centre Township was Jacob’s son and ours was the one in Penns Township.
It is the geographic separation in Census that is key. The 1800 Census was not helpful because:
• Penns Township (then Northumberland County) included most of what much later became Snyder County and its many separate townships including Center Township (the Middleburg area) and Union Township (the Kratzerville area), and
• People were grouped by first letter of last name so all the Walters were listed near each other -- all being in Penns Township at the time.
But by 1810, there was clear geographic separation between Conrad and Frederick Walter, still in Penns Township, and all the rest of the Walters -- Jacob and his sons -- in the newly formed Centre Township. Then by 1830, Jacob and Frederick were residents of the newly formed Union Township, still well apart from the others.
My conclusion is that Conrad was not Jacob’s son. So, who was Conrad? Was he Jacob’s brother? Was he totally unrelated? Was he an immigrant? I just don’t know.
Elizabeth can be proven to have been the daughter of Frederick and he the son of Conrad Walter. I do not have an exact birth date for Conrad, the best I can do is observe that he was listed as age 70-80 in the 1830 Census, thus born sometime in the 1750’s. His children were born from 1785-1796, suggesting a late 1750‘s date. Note that Conrad was clearly too old to have been Jacob’s grandson.
Now, Jacob did have a son named Conrad -- but he was never listed as one of his older sons and I don’t believe he was born before 1760. Moreover, in the 1810 Census, there were two men named Conrad Walter in the area -- one in Penns Township age 45+ and another in Centre Township age 26-44. I believe the younger Conrad living in Centre Township was Jacob’s son and ours was the one in Penns Township.
It is the geographic separation in Census that is key. The 1800 Census was not helpful because:
• Penns Township (then Northumberland County) included most of what much later became Snyder County and its many separate townships including Center Township (the Middleburg area) and Union Township (the Kratzerville area), and
• People were grouped by first letter of last name so all the Walters were listed near each other -- all being in Penns Township at the time.
But by 1810, there was clear geographic separation between Conrad and Frederick Walter, still in Penns Township, and all the rest of the Walters -- Jacob and his sons -- in the newly formed Centre Township. Then by 1830, Jacob and Frederick were residents of the newly formed Union Township, still well apart from the others.
My conclusion is that Conrad was not Jacob’s son. So, who was Conrad? Was he Jacob’s brother? Was he totally unrelated? Was he an immigrant? I just don’t know.
DNA Evidence notes for 5G GF Conrad Walter
I am a DNA cousin with multiple people who descend from Christian Dauberman who married Mary Walter, Conrad’s daughter. Christian and Mary were mentioned on the 1846 deed naming Conrad’s heirs.