Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Spouses
Birth1763, Frederick Co, MD
Memo(Rockingham Martz tree)
Death1820
Memo(Rockingham Martz tree)
FatherSebastian Martz (March) (S) (~1740-1818)
MotherMary Magdalene Burghard
Parent-Proof notes for Catherine Nave
John married Catherine Nave 20 May 1790 in Shenandoah County, VA according to the Martz Family of Rockingham tree.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for Catherine Nave
There is a memorial for Catherine on find-a-grave. It gives the dates 1769-1846. It says she was buried in the Mountain Valley Methodist Church Cemetery.
There are several problems with this memorial I am trying to get corrected. For one thing, a Solomon Martz in Clinton County, IN is linked to her as her mother — but he wasn’t her son. She had a son Solomon but he lived his life in Virginia.
For another thing, her grave is listed in the cemetery transcriptions of Rockingham County at the Rockingham County Historical Society, with more specific dates Apr 1769 - 12 Aug 1846. It says she is buried at the Martz Cemetery “on a hill west of the Mountain Valley Methodist Church on what was the Martz land”.
There are several problems with this memorial I am trying to get corrected. For one thing, a Solomon Martz in Clinton County, IN is linked to her as her mother — but he wasn’t her son. She had a son Solomon but he lived his life in Virginia.
For another thing, her grave is listed in the cemetery transcriptions of Rockingham County at the Rockingham County Historical Society, with more specific dates Apr 1769 - 12 Aug 1846. It says she is buried at the Martz Cemetery “on a hill west of the Mountain Valley Methodist Church on what was the Martz land”.
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for John (Spouse 1)
John was named in his father’s will and from the order, it would seem that John was Sebastian’s oldest son.
John was listed in the 1810 Census. Though he was age 45+, I believe it is clear he was younger than Sebastian since Sebastian and his wife lived alone while John, in contrast, had what appear to be eight young children living in his household.
He is designated S1.
John was listed in the 1810 Census. Though he was age 45+, I believe it is clear he was younger than Sebastian since Sebastian and his wife lived alone while John, in contrast, had what appear to be eight young children living in his household.
He is designated S1.
Relocated and Census Tracking notes for John (Spouse 1)
John died, apparently, before the 1820 Census was taken and I believe it is his wife Catherine reported in his place in 1820 and 1830.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for John (Spouse 1)
As of summer 2015, there is no evidence of him on find-a-grave.
Discrepancies notes for John (Spouse 1)
John is one of the more difficult sons of Sebastian to document and track.
Ralph Fraley Martz (RFM) lists the children of Sebastian and includes, as the first one, John who he says was born in 1763 and married Polly Looker 14 Apr 1847. [He would have been age 84.]
One paragraph later, RFM says John March married Polly Looker. He was born in 1763, died 7 Feb 1807. He moved to Shenandoah County. RFM doesn’t specifically say in this place which John March he was talking about. He lists his children as: John who married Miss Philips and moved to Starke County, IL, Jacob who married Mary Cherryholm, George who moved to Kentucky, Sebastian who married Catherine Snider, Solomon married Susan Rumple, David married Miss Kyle.
And then in the next paragraph, RFM says John Martz married Catherine Nave. Again without saying which John Martz he was talking about.
The Rockingham Martz tree posted on the Internet said to be based on RFM says John (son of Sebastian) (1763-1820) married Catherine Nave 20 May 1790 in Shenandoah County and their children were: John J, Sebastian, Jacob who died in Clark County, IL, Catherine, George and Solomon who married Eliza Rex 11 Jan 1847 in Clinton County, IL.
The book Shadowed by the Massanutten says John (1763-1820) married Catherine Nave and their children were: Sebastian, Jacob who died in Clark County, IL, Catherine, George who never married and took care of his mother, John J and Solomon who married Susannah Rumple.
I believe this latter work is the most accurate of the three. From the work I have done trying to track every Mertz and Martz from one Census to the next, there is a John Martz age 45 in Rockingham County in 1810 who has to be Sebastian’s son of that name and then in 1820-1830 there was a Catherine Martz head of household with the appropriate number of children — John’s widow I believe. In 1840, we find George Martz with an elderly woman living in his household, Catherine I believe. In 1850, George is there with Solomon and what appears to be Solomon’s wife Susan.
So:
1.) The idea that John died n 1807 is wrong for sure since he was alive when Sebastian wrote his will in 1815. Since he was not present in the 1820 Census, that I can find and his widow, I think, was, he died sometime between 1815 and 1820
2.) I believe the idea that Solomon married Eliza Rex in Clinton County, IN is totally bogus, I believe it was a different Solomon who did so, not of the Rockingham family. The Solomon of Clinton County consistently said in the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 Census that he had been born in PA and in 1880 adds that both his parents also were born in PA.
3.) So my best guess is that John indeed married Catherine Nave and what Masanutten says about the children is correct.
Ralph Fraley Martz (RFM) lists the children of Sebastian and includes, as the first one, John who he says was born in 1763 and married Polly Looker 14 Apr 1847. [He would have been age 84.]
One paragraph later, RFM says John March married Polly Looker. He was born in 1763, died 7 Feb 1807. He moved to Shenandoah County. RFM doesn’t specifically say in this place which John March he was talking about. He lists his children as: John who married Miss Philips and moved to Starke County, IL, Jacob who married Mary Cherryholm, George who moved to Kentucky, Sebastian who married Catherine Snider, Solomon married Susan Rumple, David married Miss Kyle.
And then in the next paragraph, RFM says John Martz married Catherine Nave. Again without saying which John Martz he was talking about.
The Rockingham Martz tree posted on the Internet said to be based on RFM says John (son of Sebastian) (1763-1820) married Catherine Nave 20 May 1790 in Shenandoah County and their children were: John J, Sebastian, Jacob who died in Clark County, IL, Catherine, George and Solomon who married Eliza Rex 11 Jan 1847 in Clinton County, IL.
The book Shadowed by the Massanutten says John (1763-1820) married Catherine Nave and their children were: Sebastian, Jacob who died in Clark County, IL, Catherine, George who never married and took care of his mother, John J and Solomon who married Susannah Rumple.
I believe this latter work is the most accurate of the three. From the work I have done trying to track every Mertz and Martz from one Census to the next, there is a John Martz age 45 in Rockingham County in 1810 who has to be Sebastian’s son of that name and then in 1820-1830 there was a Catherine Martz head of household with the appropriate number of children — John’s widow I believe. In 1840, we find George Martz with an elderly woman living in his household, Catherine I believe. In 1850, George is there with Solomon and what appears to be Solomon’s wife Susan.
So:
1.) The idea that John died n 1807 is wrong for sure since he was alive when Sebastian wrote his will in 1815. Since he was not present in the 1820 Census, that I can find and his widow, I think, was, he died sometime between 1815 and 1820
2.) I believe the idea that Solomon married Eliza Rex in Clinton County, IN is totally bogus, I believe it was a different Solomon who did so, not of the Rockingham family. The Solomon of Clinton County consistently said in the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 Census that he had been born in PA and in 1880 adds that both his parents also were born in PA.
3.) So my best guess is that John indeed married Catherine Nave and what Masanutten says about the children is correct.