Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Mertz Genealogy - Person Sheet
Relocated notes for Carl Schreffler
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?
Discrepant Facts notes for Carl Schreffler
Carl Schreffler can be found on many, many family trees posted at Ancestry.com.
People though can’t seem to agree on his name.
He seems to be the boy who was baptized as Johann Carl Schrefler at St Michael’s Lutheran Church in Germantown by his parents Heinrich and Anna Maria Schrefler. The baptism record gives his birth date as 17 Nov 1764.
The German name Carl, in my opinion based on seeing this in other cases, becomes Americanized as Charles. (And on certain baptism records might be “Latinized” as Carolus.)
So, in my opinion, Johann Carl was clearly his given name.
But people seem also to want to call him Carl (or Charles) Samuel Schreffler — and I think there is no basis whatsoever for the idea that Samuel was ever part of his name.
For one thing, I have never seen the name Carl Samuel as anyone’s name among all the German boys born in the 1700’s that I have seen — it is a strange combination.
For another thing, I did find on one of those family trees a reference to a Centre and Clinton county history that suggested that Samuel Schreffler signed some early church founding document of the Salem Lutheran Church in Haines Township, Center County — in 1794.
Since Haines Township is where Charles Schreffler eventually took up residence, I think I have found the basis of this mistaken idea his name was Samuel. Someone just assumed that it was Charles and concluded he must sometimes have used the name Samuel.
But there’s no other evidence I have found that he ever used that name — and besides, Charles was baptizing children in Rehersburg in 1787-1798 — so I doubt very much he ran over to Centre County to sign that document and then came back home.
People though can’t seem to agree on his name.
He seems to be the boy who was baptized as Johann Carl Schrefler at St Michael’s Lutheran Church in Germantown by his parents Heinrich and Anna Maria Schrefler. The baptism record gives his birth date as 17 Nov 1764.
The German name Carl, in my opinion based on seeing this in other cases, becomes Americanized as Charles. (And on certain baptism records might be “Latinized” as Carolus.)
So, in my opinion, Johann Carl was clearly his given name.
But people seem also to want to call him Carl (or Charles) Samuel Schreffler — and I think there is no basis whatsoever for the idea that Samuel was ever part of his name.
For one thing, I have never seen the name Carl Samuel as anyone’s name among all the German boys born in the 1700’s that I have seen — it is a strange combination.
For another thing, I did find on one of those family trees a reference to a Centre and Clinton county history that suggested that Samuel Schreffler signed some early church founding document of the Salem Lutheran Church in Haines Township, Center County — in 1794.
Since Haines Township is where Charles Schreffler eventually took up residence, I think I have found the basis of this mistaken idea his name was Samuel. Someone just assumed that it was Charles and concluded he must sometimes have used the name Samuel.
But there’s no other evidence I have found that he ever used that name — and besides, Charles was baptizing children in Rehersburg in 1787-1798 — so I doubt very much he ran over to Centre County to sign that document and then came back home.
Children Names notes for Carl Schreffler
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)
Parent-Proof notes for Magdalena (Spouse 1)
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