David, like many Germans of that era, was in fact Johann David but there is only one instance of his full name in documented records, he was almost always just David. He was the son of Peter and Barbara (Zimmerman) Mertz and was born most likely in Alsace not too long after the Merz family of Menziken, Switzerland located there.
He arrived America on the ship Richard & Elizabeth 28 Sep 1733. He was age 44 and accompanying him were Veronica 40, Johan Nicholas (Hans Nickel) 18, Johan Peter 13 3/4 and Christina 3 3/4.
He settled in Longswamp Township and, along with his sons Peter and Nicholas, was a contributor to the 1748 building fund for a new church -- the Longswamp Reformed Church.
It is not known exactly when David died but there is no further mention of him after 1748 and he was not listed as a taxable on the first Berks County assessment in 1754. 1751 splits the difference. It is not known where he was buried but his involvement at Longswamp Reformed makes that as good a place as any to place him.
David was one of four early immigrants named Mertz who settled in Berks County, he alone of the Reformed religion, the others Lutheran. Another immigrant, John Henry Mertz who came to America in 1737 settled in Rockland Township and gave the land for what became known as Mertz Church. When Jost and Johannes Mertz subsequently arrived, they too found their way to Mertz Church. Jost, it turns out was John Henry's brother. It is not known if Johannes was related to John Henry and Jost or not.
It is the re-occurring names of the sons and grandsons of David, John Henry, Jost and Johannes where all the confusion originates among Mertz researchers.
David's sons were Nicholas and Peter. Nicholas' sons were Jacob, Henry, Conrad and Nicholas. Peter's sons were Peter, David, John, Philip, Nicholas, Jacob and Abraham. John Henry's sons were Philip, William, Jacob, Henry, John George and George Henry. Jost's sons were Henry, Conrad and Richard. And Johannes' sons were Melchior, John and Peter.
In the next generation we find multiple instances of boys given the name Jacob, John, Henry, Abraham, William, Philip, David, Solomon and so on.
The result is that way too often someone researching a man named, for example, Jacob Mertz (there were 11 of them born in Berks County before 1782) has lost their way.
I've tried my best to sort them all out and keep them straight and everything I know, can document or suspect, can be found on my website: mertzgenealogy.com
He arrived America on the ship Richard & Elizabeth 28 Sep 1733. He was age 44 and accompanying him were Veronica 40, Johan Nicholas (Hans Nickel) 18, Johan Peter 13 3/4 and Christina 3 3/4.
He settled in Longswamp Township and, along with his sons Peter and Nicholas, was a contributor to the 1748 building fund for a new church -- the Longswamp Reformed Church.
It is not known exactly when David died but there is no further mention of him after 1748 and he was not listed as a taxable on the first Berks County assessment in 1754. 1751 splits the difference. It is not known where he was buried but his involvement at Longswamp Reformed makes that as good a place as any to place him.
David was one of four early immigrants named Mertz who settled in Berks County, he alone of the Reformed religion, the others Lutheran. Another immigrant, John Henry Mertz who came to America in 1737 settled in Rockland Township and gave the land for what became known as Mertz Church. When Jost and Johannes Mertz subsequently arrived, they too found their way to Mertz Church. Jost, it turns out was John Henry's brother. It is not known if Johannes was related to John Henry and Jost or not.
It is the re-occurring names of the sons and grandsons of David, John Henry, Jost and Johannes where all the confusion originates among Mertz researchers.
David's sons were Nicholas and Peter. Nicholas' sons were Jacob, Henry, Conrad and Nicholas. Peter's sons were Peter, David, John, Philip, Nicholas, Jacob and Abraham. John Henry's sons were Philip, William, Jacob, Henry, John George and George Henry. Jost's sons were Henry, Conrad and Richard. And Johannes' sons were Melchior, John and Peter.
In the next generation we find multiple instances of boys given the name Jacob, John, Henry, Abraham, William, Philip, David, Solomon and so on.
The result is that way too often someone researching a man named, for example, Jacob Mertz (there were 11 of them born in Berks County before 1782) has lost their way.
I've tried my best to sort them all out and keep them straight and everything I know, can document or suspect, can be found on my website: mertzgenealogy.com
David, like many Germans of that era, was in fact Johann David but there is only one instance of his full name in documented records, he was almost always just David. He was the son of Peter and Barbara (Zimmerman) Mertz and was born most likely in Alsace not too long after the Merz family of Menziken, Switzerland located there.
He arrived America on the ship Richard & Elizabeth 28 Sep 1733. He was age 44 and accompanying him were Veronica 40, Johan Nicholas (Hans Nickel) 18, Johan Peter 13 3/4 and Christina 3 3/4.
He settled in Longswamp Township and, along with his sons Peter and Nicholas, was a contributor to the 1748 building fund for a new church -- the Longswamp Reformed Church.
It is not known exactly when David died but there is no further mention of him after 1748 and he was not listed as a taxable on the first Berks County assessment in 1754. 1751 splits the difference. It is not known where he was buried but his involvement at Longswamp Reformed makes that as good a place as any to place him.
David was one of four early immigrants named Mertz who settled in Berks County, he alone of the Reformed religion, the others Lutheran. Another immigrant, John Henry Mertz who came to America in 1737 settled in Rockland Township and gave the land for what became known as Mertz Church. When Jost and Johannes Mertz subsequently arrived, they too found their way to Mertz Church. Jost, it turns out was John Henry's brother. It is not known if Johannes was related to John Henry and Jost or not.
It is the re-occurring names of the sons and grandsons of David, John Henry, Jost and Johannes where all the confusion originates among Mertz researchers.
David's sons were Nicholas and Peter. Nicholas' sons were Jacob, Henry, Conrad and Nicholas. Peter's sons were Peter, David, John, Philip, Nicholas, Jacob and Abraham. John Henry's sons were Philip, William, Jacob, Henry, John George and George Henry. Jost's sons were Henry, Conrad and Richard. And Johannes' sons were Melchior, John and Peter.
In the next generation we find multiple instances of boys given the name Jacob, John, Henry, Abraham, William, Philip, David, Solomon and so on.
The result is that way too often someone researching a man named, for example, Jacob Mertz (there were 11 of them born in Berks County before 1782) has lost their way.
I've tried my best to sort them all out and keep them straight and everything I know, can document or suspect, can be found on my website: mertzgenealogy.com
He arrived America on the ship Richard & Elizabeth 28 Sep 1733. He was age 44 and accompanying him were Veronica 40, Johan Nicholas (Hans Nickel) 18, Johan Peter 13 3/4 and Christina 3 3/4.
He settled in Longswamp Township and, along with his sons Peter and Nicholas, was a contributor to the 1748 building fund for a new church -- the Longswamp Reformed Church.
It is not known exactly when David died but there is no further mention of him after 1748 and he was not listed as a taxable on the first Berks County assessment in 1754. 1751 splits the difference. It is not known where he was buried but his involvement at Longswamp Reformed makes that as good a place as any to place him.
David was one of four early immigrants named Mertz who settled in Berks County, he alone of the Reformed religion, the others Lutheran. Another immigrant, John Henry Mertz who came to America in 1737 settled in Rockland Township and gave the land for what became known as Mertz Church. When Jost and Johannes Mertz subsequently arrived, they too found their way to Mertz Church. Jost, it turns out was John Henry's brother. It is not known if Johannes was related to John Henry and Jost or not.
It is the re-occurring names of the sons and grandsons of David, John Henry, Jost and Johannes where all the confusion originates among Mertz researchers.
David's sons were Nicholas and Peter. Nicholas' sons were Jacob, Henry, Conrad and Nicholas. Peter's sons were Peter, David, John, Philip, Nicholas, Jacob and Abraham. John Henry's sons were Philip, William, Jacob, Henry, John George and George Henry. Jost's sons were Henry, Conrad and Richard. And Johannes' sons were Melchior, John and Peter.
In the next generation we find multiple instances of boys given the name Jacob, John, Henry, Abraham, William, Philip, David, Solomon and so on.
The result is that way too often someone researching a man named, for example, Jacob Mertz (there were 11 of them born in Berks County before 1782) has lost their way.
I've tried my best to sort them all out and keep them straight and everything I know, can document or suspect, can be found on my website: mertzgenealogy.com
Family Members
Children
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
