First Generation
| Johann Christoph's Ancestors |
Christoph Merlau was born on May 30, 1795, at Arheilgen, Hesse-Darmstadt2, the son of Johann Christoph Merlau and Anna Catharina Rasch. On December 29, 1821, he married Elisabetha Barbara Darmstädter at Arheilgen2. Elisabetha was born in 1801 at Weiterstadt, Hesse-Darmstadt. Christoph and Elisabetha settled in Arheilgen, where they undoubtedly began a life of farming and where their first nine children were born.
In 1840, Christoph and Christina and their five living children came to America aboard the galliot Maria and Adriana11, along with Christoph's brothers, Philipp and Karl. They settled in Sheldon, New York, where they continued farming. Their tenth child, Christine, was born in Sheldon. Elisabetha died on April 16, 18771 and Christoph died on March 13, 18791.
The children of Christoph and Christina are:
Second Generation
| i. | Christina Dorothea Merlau | Dorothea was born on May 14, 18222, at Arheilgen and she died on January 5, 18924. Anna Magdalena married John Mindel. They had 4 children. | |
| ii. | Margaretha Merlau | Margaretha was born on September 9, 18242, at Arheilgen and she died on January 5, 189223. Margaretha married Philip Jerge. They had seven children. | |
| iii. | Anna Magdalena Merlau | Anna Magdalena was born on March 9, 18272, at Arheilgen and she died there on April 2, 18272. | iv. | Anna Katharina Merlau | Anna Katharina was born on February 16, 18292, at Arheilgen and she died on February 21, 1912, at Seattle, Washington24. She married Jacob Ranning. They had five Children. | v. | Sophia Merlau | Sophia was born on September 22, 18312, at Arheilgen. Sophia is listed on the passenger list when her family came to America11, but, we have no additional information about her. |
| vi. | Elisabetha Merlau | Elisabetha was born on March 15, 18342, at Arheilgen and she died on November 1, 1911, at Prairieville, Michigan25. Elisabetha married Stephen J. Doster. They had nine children. | vii. | Johann Daniel Merlau | Johann Daniel was born on July 24, 18362, at Arheilgen and he died there on April 13, 18372. | viii. | Anna Maria Merlau | Anna Maria was born on February 22, 18382, at Arheilgen and she died there on March 15, 18382. | ix. | Christopher Conrad Merlau | Christopher was born on November 11, 18392, at Arheilgen and he died on April 23, 191325 at Prairieville, Michigan. Christopher married Margaret Zimmermann. | x. | Christine Merlau | Christine was born in 1841, at Sheldon, New York. She married J. Peter Wanamacher. |
Further information on the descendants of Christoph Merlau can be found on RootsWeb WorldConnect
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