David was born in Longswamp Township, Berks County. He was the son of Hans Peter Mertz. He moved to Northumberland County in the late 1780's and died there. His wife was Barbara Miller.
There are several things I don't know for sure about David. He wrote his will in 1820 and said he was 75 years old, so he was born about 1745, but I don't know his exact birth date. His will was proved 9 Aug 1822 so he probably died not too long before that, but I don't know his exact date of death. His farm was just outside of Sunbury, PA and he either was buried on his farm or more likely taken into town to Penns Cemetery. So I don't know for sure where he was buried but I consider Penns the most likely.
There is, however, one thing I do know for certain. His name was NOT Heinrich David Mertz. It may have been Johann David Mertz, likely was, but all his life he was simply David.
Early Northumberland County genealogists were under the mistaken impression that all the early pioneers of Northumberland County named Mertz or Martz were descendants of John Henry Mertz, founder of Mertz Church in Berks County. They were wrong. None of them were.
They thought Philip Mertz who came to Freeburg in the late 1780's was John Henry's son named John Philip Mertz. They were wrong. They thought Jacob Martz who was David's brother and neighbor in Augusta Township, Northumberland County was John Henry's son Jacob. They were wrong.
So when they tried to place David into that same family, the problem was John Henry had no son named David, so they got especially creative and solved their problem by saying that David must have been baptized and known in Berks County as Heinrich. They were wrong. Since Heinrich was born in 1749, they had to add that David was wrong when he stated his age in his own will. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Allen Donald Tallman, who did a very through job of researching David's family, especially the ones who moved to Ohio, even claimed that the name "Heyn David Martz" signed as witness to his brother Jacob's will proved the point. But Tallman also told us that there were two witnesses to that will: Andrious Heyn and David Martz. So the words he picked out as saying Heyn David Martz actually said Andrious Heyn David Martz, no punctuation as was the style of the day.
The point is David was not of the Rockland Township family in Berks County of John Henry Mertz. None of John Henry's sons, including his son Heinrich ever came to Northumberland County. Some moved to Northampton County but none showed up in Northumberland. Heinrich Mertz son of John Henry was one man, David Martz, son of Hans Peter (Mertz) was an entirely different man.
David was most certainly of the Longswamp Township Mertz family, named many times with wife Barbara in the records of that church, and was one of five brothers who came to various parts of Northumberland County in the late 1780's. And in every instance where his name was given in any record, it was always and simply David.
I have created this memorial to try to set the record straight.
More information can be found on my website: http://www.mertzgenealogy.com.
Oakey Mertz
There are several things I don't know for sure about David. He wrote his will in 1820 and said he was 75 years old, so he was born about 1745, but I don't know his exact birth date. His will was proved 9 Aug 1822 so he probably died not too long before that, but I don't know his exact date of death. His farm was just outside of Sunbury, PA and he either was buried on his farm or more likely taken into town to Penns Cemetery. So I don't know for sure where he was buried but I consider Penns the most likely.
There is, however, one thing I do know for certain. His name was NOT Heinrich David Mertz. It may have been Johann David Mertz, likely was, but all his life he was simply David.
Early Northumberland County genealogists were under the mistaken impression that all the early pioneers of Northumberland County named Mertz or Martz were descendants of John Henry Mertz, founder of Mertz Church in Berks County. They were wrong. None of them were.
They thought Philip Mertz who came to Freeburg in the late 1780's was John Henry's son named John Philip Mertz. They were wrong. They thought Jacob Martz who was David's brother and neighbor in Augusta Township, Northumberland County was John Henry's son Jacob. They were wrong.
So when they tried to place David into that same family, the problem was John Henry had no son named David, so they got especially creative and solved their problem by saying that David must have been baptized and known in Berks County as Heinrich. They were wrong. Since Heinrich was born in 1749, they had to add that David was wrong when he stated his age in his own will. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Allen Donald Tallman, who did a very through job of researching David's family, especially the ones who moved to Ohio, even claimed that the name "Heyn David Martz" signed as witness to his brother Jacob's will proved the point. But Tallman also told us that there were two witnesses to that will: Andrious Heyn and David Martz. So the words he picked out as saying Heyn David Martz actually said Andrious Heyn David Martz, no punctuation as was the style of the day.
The point is David was not of the Rockland Township family in Berks County of John Henry Mertz. None of John Henry's sons, including his son Heinrich ever came to Northumberland County. Some moved to Northampton County but none showed up in Northumberland. Heinrich Mertz son of John Henry was one man, David Martz, son of Hans Peter (Mertz) was an entirely different man.
David was most certainly of the Longswamp Township Mertz family, named many times with wife Barbara in the records of that church, and was one of five brothers who came to various parts of Northumberland County in the late 1780's. And in every instance where his name was given in any record, it was always and simply David.
I have created this memorial to try to set the record straight.
More information can be found on my website: http://www.mertzgenealogy.com.
Oakey Mertz
David was born in Longswamp Township, Berks County. He was the son of Hans Peter Mertz. He moved to Northumberland County in the late 1780's and died there. His wife was Barbara Miller.
There are several things I don't know for sure about David. He wrote his will in 1820 and said he was 75 years old, so he was born about 1745, but I don't know his exact birth date. His will was proved 9 Aug 1822 so he probably died not too long before that, but I don't know his exact date of death. His farm was just outside of Sunbury, PA and he either was buried on his farm or more likely taken into town to Penns Cemetery. So I don't know for sure where he was buried but I consider Penns the most likely.
There is, however, one thing I do know for certain. His name was NOT Heinrich David Mertz. It may have been Johann David Mertz, likely was, but all his life he was simply David.
Early Northumberland County genealogists were under the mistaken impression that all the early pioneers of Northumberland County named Mertz or Martz were descendants of John Henry Mertz, founder of Mertz Church in Berks County. They were wrong. None of them were.
They thought Philip Mertz who came to Freeburg in the late 1780's was John Henry's son named John Philip Mertz. They were wrong. They thought Jacob Martz who was David's brother and neighbor in Augusta Township, Northumberland County was John Henry's son Jacob. They were wrong.
So when they tried to place David into that same family, the problem was John Henry had no son named David, so they got especially creative and solved their problem by saying that David must have been baptized and known in Berks County as Heinrich. They were wrong. Since Heinrich was born in 1749, they had to add that David was wrong when he stated his age in his own will. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Allen Donald Tallman, who did a very through job of researching David's family, especially the ones who moved to Ohio, even claimed that the name "Heyn David Martz" signed as witness to his brother Jacob's will proved the point. But Tallman also told us that there were two witnesses to that will: Andrious Heyn and David Martz. So the words he picked out as saying Heyn David Martz actually said Andrious Heyn David Martz, no punctuation as was the style of the day.
The point is David was not of the Rockland Township family in Berks County of John Henry Mertz. None of John Henry's sons, including his son Heinrich ever came to Northumberland County. Some moved to Northampton County but none showed up in Northumberland. Heinrich Mertz son of John Henry was one man, David Martz, son of Hans Peter (Mertz) was an entirely different man.
David was most certainly of the Longswamp Township Mertz family, named many times with wife Barbara in the records of that church, and was one of five brothers who came to various parts of Northumberland County in the late 1780's. And in every instance where his name was given in any record, it was always and simply David.
I have created this memorial to try to set the record straight.
More information can be found on my website: http://www.mertzgenealogy.com.
Oakey Mertz
There are several things I don't know for sure about David. He wrote his will in 1820 and said he was 75 years old, so he was born about 1745, but I don't know his exact birth date. His will was proved 9 Aug 1822 so he probably died not too long before that, but I don't know his exact date of death. His farm was just outside of Sunbury, PA and he either was buried on his farm or more likely taken into town to Penns Cemetery. So I don't know for sure where he was buried but I consider Penns the most likely.
There is, however, one thing I do know for certain. His name was NOT Heinrich David Mertz. It may have been Johann David Mertz, likely was, but all his life he was simply David.
Early Northumberland County genealogists were under the mistaken impression that all the early pioneers of Northumberland County named Mertz or Martz were descendants of John Henry Mertz, founder of Mertz Church in Berks County. They were wrong. None of them were.
They thought Philip Mertz who came to Freeburg in the late 1780's was John Henry's son named John Philip Mertz. They were wrong. They thought Jacob Martz who was David's brother and neighbor in Augusta Township, Northumberland County was John Henry's son Jacob. They were wrong.
So when they tried to place David into that same family, the problem was John Henry had no son named David, so they got especially creative and solved their problem by saying that David must have been baptized and known in Berks County as Heinrich. They were wrong. Since Heinrich was born in 1749, they had to add that David was wrong when he stated his age in his own will. Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Allen Donald Tallman, who did a very through job of researching David's family, especially the ones who moved to Ohio, even claimed that the name "Heyn David Martz" signed as witness to his brother Jacob's will proved the point. But Tallman also told us that there were two witnesses to that will: Andrious Heyn and David Martz. So the words he picked out as saying Heyn David Martz actually said Andrious Heyn David Martz, no punctuation as was the style of the day.
The point is David was not of the Rockland Township family in Berks County of John Henry Mertz. None of John Henry's sons, including his son Heinrich ever came to Northumberland County. Some moved to Northampton County but none showed up in Northumberland. Heinrich Mertz son of John Henry was one man, David Martz, son of Hans Peter (Mertz) was an entirely different man.
David was most certainly of the Longswamp Township Mertz family, named many times with wife Barbara in the records of that church, and was one of five brothers who came to various parts of Northumberland County in the late 1780's. And in every instance where his name was given in any record, it was always and simply David.
I have created this memorial to try to set the record straight.
More information can be found on my website: http://www.mertzgenealogy.com.
Oakey Mertz
Family Members
Siblings
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
