Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
NamePhilip Merts 
Research notes for Philip Merts
In 2017, Janet Humpheys contacted me. She descends from Mary Jane Merts. daughter of Philip, who lived in Ohio and then Alabama. She asked me if I knew anything more. I was aware of a Philip Merts buried in Mahoning County, OH — where another Martz family lived — and I had in the past wondered if Philip had something to do with that family. To help Janet, I did more research. I started with the question of whether we could be certain Mary Jane was indeed the daughter of Philip.
You have a lot of things to tie Mary Jane to Philip. Her death certificate for one. The 1860 AND 1870 Census for another. Plus the fact that we can trace Philip and Peter to Allegheny County, then Philip and Mary Jane to Mahoning County and then all of them to Madison County, AL.
Here are some additional facts:
1850 Census. Allegheny, Allegheny, PA. Peter Mertz age 25 (if you look at the actual document, you can see it is Peter and not Jeter. The P in Peter is very similar to the P in Philip and the J in Jennetta is similar to the J in James), Jennetta (presumably his wife) age 20 and William (presumably their son) age 2. That is the basic family unit listed together. And then comes Philip Mertz age 17 (the obvious guess would be he is Peter’s younger brother) and James McVay age 13. Peter and Philip Mertz both are shoemakers and both reported as born in PA. (Ancestry seems to list a bunch of extra people in this household who are simply not present).
1860 Census. Peter, Jeanette and William still in same place, now with many more younger children Peter now is reported as born Germany.
1870 Census. Peter, Jennette and some of the younger children now in Madison Co, AL. Peter now reported as born in Deutschland.
Peter Mertz born about 1825 in Germany registered for the Civil War Draft in Allegheny County. He is a shoe dealer.
In Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, per find-a-grave, we find Peter and Jeanette and if you look at other names in the same cemetery, I am are some of their children are there. For example, Henry B in 1860 and 1870 Census is probably Harry Bell in the cemetery.
Now let’s follow Philip.
In 1860, we find Philip Merts in 1860 in Smith, Mahoning, OH. He is the right age, 26, to be the same Philip from Allegheny County and he’s a shoemaker (compelling that it is the same guy). He lives with (presumed) wife Jane 24 and presumed children Mary J age 6, Ann E 4 and Robert 1.
In 1870, same place, we find this same family, now with more children in the same place. Ancestry indexed them as Mesta (I found the misspelling by searching ancestry in Mahoning County for a Mary — no last name — born 1854). If you look at the listing, it is Merts. Philip is a shoemaker reportedly born in PA.
In 1880, Philip Merts 46 shoemaker lives still in Mahoning County with Mary age 45 (same woman as Jane in 1860?) and children Charles 15 and Sarah 12. They were the two youngest children in 1870.
Mary Jane has married, as you found, E T Middleton. They live in Mahoning County.
In 1900, the Middeltons have moved to Madison Co, AL. The fact that Peter previously moved there is also compelling that it is all the same people and the right family and they are related.
In 1900, P Merts with Mary are both still in Mahoning County. He is reported as born PA, his parents in Germany.
Philip’s DC in Madison County says son of Frederick and Catherine Merts. The DC of Mary Jane Middleton in Alabama says born about 1854 daughter of Philip Mertz.
Janet and I then discussed whether Philip had one wife, Mary then later Jane (i.e. Mary Jane) — or two wives. Janet pointed out that in the 1900 Census, Philip and Mary stated to be married 22 years. I agree with her. Jane consistently said she was born in Ireland, Mary in Ohio. And then there is the point that Mary didn't answer how many children she had had in the 1900 Census. All of Philip's children were by Jane, maybe Mary had no children.
Now find-a-grave seems to add more to this story — or confuse it. For one thing, there is a Jane Merts buried in Columbiana County, OH, died 1874 with a note saying wife of Philip and age 40 years, all facts consistent with what we know about first wife Jane.
There is also a find-a-grave memorial in Mahoning County for a Philip Merts born 1832, no death date and a Mary (Engles) Merts (1834-1909) — consistent with what we know about Philip and Mary. But down in Alabama, we find Philip Merts 1832-1909 in the same cemetery as Philip and Jeanette and some of their children and them some of Philip's descendants too -- the Middletons for example. And Philip's death certificate says he died 10 Feb 1909.
This is a real mystery. If she had died before him, I'd say it is pretty simple. She died and was buried in Mahoning County and his name was inscribed on the same tombstone and a birth year. But then he went to Madison County, died there and they didn't bother to take him back to Mahoning. They buried him in Madison County. But the evidence (is it all the truth?) says he died in Feb and she in March. What gives?
You have a lot of things to tie Mary Jane to Philip. Her death certificate for one. The 1860 AND 1870 Census for another. Plus the fact that we can trace Philip and Peter to Allegheny County, then Philip and Mary Jane to Mahoning County and then all of them to Madison County, AL.
Here are some additional facts:
1850 Census. Allegheny, Allegheny, PA. Peter Mertz age 25 (if you look at the actual document, you can see it is Peter and not Jeter. The P in Peter is very similar to the P in Philip and the J in Jennetta is similar to the J in James), Jennetta (presumably his wife) age 20 and William (presumably their son) age 2. That is the basic family unit listed together. And then comes Philip Mertz age 17 (the obvious guess would be he is Peter’s younger brother) and James McVay age 13. Peter and Philip Mertz both are shoemakers and both reported as born in PA. (Ancestry seems to list a bunch of extra people in this household who are simply not present).
1860 Census. Peter, Jeanette and William still in same place, now with many more younger children Peter now is reported as born Germany.
1870 Census. Peter, Jennette and some of the younger children now in Madison Co, AL. Peter now reported as born in Deutschland.
Peter Mertz born about 1825 in Germany registered for the Civil War Draft in Allegheny County. He is a shoe dealer.
In Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, per find-a-grave, we find Peter and Jeanette and if you look at other names in the same cemetery, I am are some of their children are there. For example, Henry B in 1860 and 1870 Census is probably Harry Bell in the cemetery.
Now let’s follow Philip.
In 1860, we find Philip Merts in 1860 in Smith, Mahoning, OH. He is the right age, 26, to be the same Philip from Allegheny County and he’s a shoemaker (compelling that it is the same guy). He lives with (presumed) wife Jane 24 and presumed children Mary J age 6, Ann E 4 and Robert 1.
In 1870, same place, we find this same family, now with more children in the same place. Ancestry indexed them as Mesta (I found the misspelling by searching ancestry in Mahoning County for a Mary — no last name — born 1854). If you look at the listing, it is Merts. Philip is a shoemaker reportedly born in PA.
In 1880, Philip Merts 46 shoemaker lives still in Mahoning County with Mary age 45 (same woman as Jane in 1860?) and children Charles 15 and Sarah 12. They were the two youngest children in 1870.
Mary Jane has married, as you found, E T Middleton. They live in Mahoning County.
In 1900, the Middeltons have moved to Madison Co, AL. The fact that Peter previously moved there is also compelling that it is all the same people and the right family and they are related.
In 1900, P Merts with Mary are both still in Mahoning County. He is reported as born PA, his parents in Germany.
Philip’s DC in Madison County says son of Frederick and Catherine Merts. The DC of Mary Jane Middleton in Alabama says born about 1854 daughter of Philip Mertz.
Janet and I then discussed whether Philip had one wife, Mary then later Jane (i.e. Mary Jane) — or two wives. Janet pointed out that in the 1900 Census, Philip and Mary stated to be married 22 years. I agree with her. Jane consistently said she was born in Ireland, Mary in Ohio. And then there is the point that Mary didn't answer how many children she had had in the 1900 Census. All of Philip's children were by Jane, maybe Mary had no children.
Now find-a-grave seems to add more to this story — or confuse it. For one thing, there is a Jane Merts buried in Columbiana County, OH, died 1874 with a note saying wife of Philip and age 40 years, all facts consistent with what we know about first wife Jane.
There is also a find-a-grave memorial in Mahoning County for a Philip Merts born 1832, no death date and a Mary (Engles) Merts (1834-1909) — consistent with what we know about Philip and Mary. But down in Alabama, we find Philip Merts 1832-1909 in the same cemetery as Philip and Jeanette and some of their children and them some of Philip's descendants too -- the Middletons for example. And Philip's death certificate says he died 10 Feb 1909.
This is a real mystery. If she had died before him, I'd say it is pretty simple. She died and was buried in Mahoning County and his name was inscribed on the same tombstone and a birth year. But then he went to Madison County, died there and they didn't bother to take him back to Mahoning. They buried him in Madison County. But the evidence (is it all the truth?) says he died in Feb and she in March. What gives?