Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Parent-Proof notes for Magdalena Mertz
I share DNA with a woman who descends from Carl/Charles Schreffler and Magdalena Mertz of Berks County, PA who later moved to Centre County, PA and my “cousin’s” line then on to Venango County.
Magdalena, she believes, was the daughter of Conrad and Margaret (Hetman) Mertz. If true, that would certainly explain our shared DNA. A death certificate of Sophia S Hover (1809-1909), who died in Clarion County, states her parents’ names as Carl Schreffler and Mary M Martz (transcribed Martez by Ancestry.com). As many Magdalena’s were in fact Mary Magdalena and the Mertz name often became Martz in a different place, I think we can accept as fact that Carl’s wife was Magdalena Mertz. So I have no reason at all to think that this is not our connection.
* There does not seem to be any other intersection of our family trees
* There is no other Magdalena Mertz I’m aware of who might be Carl Schreffler’s wife
I have not been able to find many real documents that mention Magdalena. I resorted to looking at people’s family trees on Ancestry.com (a source I never accept as fact, only rumor, might well be in error).
Magdalena and Carl and their families are named in many such family trees. As is typical, once one tree purports to have a particular fact about someone, that same fact gets picked up in all the other trees.
So a “fact” that all accept and not one of them really documents is that Magdalena was born 24 Dec 1766 supposedly in Oley Township. That sounds very much to me like there must be a church baptism record for Magdalena at, I would guess, Oley Reformed.
* But the IGI at LDS includes Oley Reformed and she is not there
* However, Heinrich Mertz, son of Conrad and Margaret, was baptized there in 1765
Magdalena, she believes, was the daughter of Conrad and Margaret (Hetman) Mertz. If true, that would certainly explain our shared DNA. A death certificate of Sophia S Hover (1809-1909), who died in Clarion County, states her parents’ names as Carl Schreffler and Mary M Martz (transcribed Martez by Ancestry.com). As many Magdalena’s were in fact Mary Magdalena and the Mertz name often became Martz in a different place, I think we can accept as fact that Carl’s wife was Magdalena Mertz. So I have no reason at all to think that this is not our connection.
* There does not seem to be any other intersection of our family trees
* There is no other Magdalena Mertz I’m aware of who might be Carl Schreffler’s wife
I have not been able to find many real documents that mention Magdalena. I resorted to looking at people’s family trees on Ancestry.com (a source I never accept as fact, only rumor, might well be in error).
Magdalena and Carl and their families are named in many such family trees. As is typical, once one tree purports to have a particular fact about someone, that same fact gets picked up in all the other trees.
So a “fact” that all accept and not one of them really documents is that Magdalena was born 24 Dec 1766 supposedly in Oley Township. That sounds very much to me like there must be a church baptism record for Magdalena at, I would guess, Oley Reformed.
* But the IGI at LDS includes Oley Reformed and she is not there
* However, Heinrich Mertz, son of Conrad and Margaret, was baptized there in 1765
Discrepant Facts notes for Magdalena Mertz
While I believe, based on our DNA connection, that Magdalena was of the Longswamp Mertz family, there are a few things about the whole scenario that makes me a little hesitant.
1. The Longswamp Mertz family was of the Reformed faith, the Schreffler family was Lutheran. The Rockland Township — which was totally unrelated to the Mertzes of Longswamp — was Lutheran.
If all I knew was that Charles Schreffler, a Lutheran, married Magdalena Mertz from Berks County and they baptized their children in a Lutheran Church, my first guess would be Magdalena was of the Rockland family.
Now there is no reason a Lutheran man could not have married a Reformed woman, in fact I’m sure there were such marriages, and I’ve always wondered then which faith would carry-on. In this case apparently it was the husband’s faith.
2. I don’t know for sure where Charles and his family lived after their time in Germantown. But by 1787 (if not before) he was in Tulpehocken. The distance from Rehrersburg to Mertztown (Longswamp Township) is about 50 miles. Now I believe Conrad moved away from Longswamp at some point but there is no evidence of Conrad being in that very upper northwest corner of Berks County where Tulpehocken is — ever.
So how did Charles and Magdalena meet? Is there any evidence of Charles living in the 1780’s more centrally in Berks County?
1. The Longswamp Mertz family was of the Reformed faith, the Schreffler family was Lutheran. The Rockland Township — which was totally unrelated to the Mertzes of Longswamp — was Lutheran.
If all I knew was that Charles Schreffler, a Lutheran, married Magdalena Mertz from Berks County and they baptized their children in a Lutheran Church, my first guess would be Magdalena was of the Rockland family.
Now there is no reason a Lutheran man could not have married a Reformed woman, in fact I’m sure there were such marriages, and I’ve always wondered then which faith would carry-on. In this case apparently it was the husband’s faith.
2. I don’t know for sure where Charles and his family lived after their time in Germantown. But by 1787 (if not before) he was in Tulpehocken. The distance from Rehrersburg to Mertztown (Longswamp Township) is about 50 miles. Now I believe Conrad moved away from Longswamp at some point but there is no evidence of Conrad being in that very upper northwest corner of Berks County where Tulpehocken is — ever.
So how did Charles and Magdalena meet? Is there any evidence of Charles living in the 1780’s more centrally in Berks County?
Relocated notes for Carl (Spouse 1)
In 1790 Charles was in Tulpehocken Township, Berks County. This is consistent with the fact that he was baptizing children at the Altalaha Lutheran Church which is in Rehrersburg, which seems to be the main town in Tulpehocken Township. The headcount of his household indicates 1 son and 2 daughters. The son would be Daniel, one of the daughters Catharina, I’m not sure who the other daughter was.
He was also listed on the 1793 Pennsylvania Septennial Census and a 1787 tax list in Tulpehocken.
Also in Tulpehocken Township in 1790 were Godfrey and Henry Schreffler.
In 1800, there is a Charles Shrefler in Mahonoy Township, Northumberland County. The headcount and age distribution for his household is not inconsistent with what we know about Charles’ family. But is it him?
If we are right about who Magdalena is, then her second cousin Johannes Mertz will move to Mahanoy in about 10 years. But would Magdalena and Johannes even have known each other? Is this just another irrelevant coincidence?
In 1820, Charles has moved to Haines Township, Centre County.
So where was he in 1810?
He was also listed on the 1793 Pennsylvania Septennial Census and a 1787 tax list in Tulpehocken.
Also in Tulpehocken Township in 1790 were Godfrey and Henry Schreffler.
In 1800, there is a Charles Shrefler in Mahonoy Township, Northumberland County. The headcount and age distribution for his household is not inconsistent with what we know about Charles’ family. But is it him?
If we are right about who Magdalena is, then her second cousin Johannes Mertz will move to Mahanoy in about 10 years. But would Magdalena and Johannes even have known each other? Is this just another irrelevant coincidence?
In 1820, Charles has moved to Haines Township, Centre County.
So where was he in 1810?
Children Names notes for Carl (Spouse 1)
At the Altalaha Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rehrersburg, Berks County, three baptisms were listed for Carl and Magdalena Schreffler.
Catharina born 6 Nov 1787 (father’s named given as Carrolus)
Daniel born 12 Mar 1789 (father’s name given as Carolus)
Susanna born 9 Nov 1790 (father’s name given as Carolus)
Salome born 12 May 1793 (father’s named given as Carl)
Magdalena born 29 Sep 1794 (father’s name given as Carl)
Christina born 11 Much 1798 (father’s name given as Carl)
Catharina born 6 Nov 1787 (father’s named given as Carrolus)
Daniel born 12 Mar 1789 (father’s name given as Carolus)
Susanna born 9 Nov 1790 (father’s name given as Carolus)
Salome born 12 May 1793 (father’s named given as Carl)
Magdalena born 29 Sep 1794 (father’s name given as Carl)
Christina born 11 Much 1798 (father’s name given as Carl)