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Marriage Record of Johann Georg Merlau and Anna Elisabetha Birchenstock
Heidelbach Church, Hesse-Darmstadt
3 March 1718
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| Heidelbach Church Records First Page |
The earliest known ancestor of Karl Merlau is likely Johann Georg Merlau, whose name is found in the records of Evangelical Church at Heidelbach, Hesse-Darmstadt. Johann Georg was born about 168213, as indicated by the record of his death and, on March 3, 171813, he married Anna Elisabetha Birkenstock. Anna Elisabetha was born on February 3, 169713, the daughter of Caspar Birkenstock and Anna Catharina Rübling. The record of their wedding, shown above, illustrates one of the difficulties in establishing our connection to Johann Georg with certainty. Johann Georg's surname in the record is Merlen, not Merlau. His surname also appears in the records as Merle and Merlavii [Latin for Merlau].
The variation in surname is only clarified by the records of the church at Arheilgen2, which consistently uses the name Merlau for Johann Georg's son, Johann Conrad and his descendants. This, however, adds another point of confusion: which Johann Conrad is our direct ancestor? As seen below, Johann Georg had two sons by that name. Again, this point is settled by the Arheilgen records, which records Johann Conrad's death on December 26, 1788, age 66 years, 8 days2. The age in this record exactly matches the birth date of the oldest son of Johann Georg. Thus establishing which Johann Conrad Merlau is the ancestor of our Merlau family and making it nearly certain that Johann Georg is our earliest known ancestor.
Anna Elisabetha died at Heidelbach on January 5, 174413. Johann Georg lived for nearly thirteen more years and died November 24, 175613.
The known children of Johann Georg and Anna Elisabetha are:
| i. | Anna Maria Merlau | Anna Maria was born on October 29, 171813, and she died on July 10, 171913. |
| ii. | Elisabetha Catharina Merlau | Elisabetha Catharina was born on April 26, 172013. |
| iii. | Johann Conrad Merlau | Johann Conrad was born on December 18, 172213, and he died on December 26, 178813. He married Anna Magdalena Völger. |
| iv. | Johann Georg Merlau | Johann Georg was born on March 28, 172713, died on August 17, 172713. |
| v. | Johann Conrad Merlau | Johann Conrad was born on February 7, 172813. He married Catharina Elisabetha Knoch, on January 8, 176413. |
| vi. | Johann Georg Merlau | Johann Georg was born on October 13, 173213, and he died on August 2, 176513. |
Marriage Record of Johann Conrad Merlau and Anna Magdalena Völger
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| Death Record of Johann Conrad Merlau |
Johann Conrad Merlau was born on December 18, 172213, at Heidelbach, Hesse-Darmstadt, the third child of Johann Georg Merlau and Anna Barbara Birkenstock. On December 4, 17532, he married Anna Magdalena Völger. Anna Magdalena was born on March 8, 17322, at Arheilgen, Hesse-Darmstadt, the daughter of Johann Krafft Völger and Anna Margaretha Büttner. As is indicated by the marriage record, Johann Conrad was a Dragoner in the löb. Teil Regiment [Regimental honor Section]. Later records name him as Corporal in the regelisten Land Batallion [standard Land Battalion] and then the löb. Land Batallion2.
After their marriage, Johann Conrad and Anna Magdalena settled in Arheilgen. Johann Conrad died at Arheilgen on December 26, 17882, and Anna Magdalena died there on March 11, 18022.
The children of Johann Conrad and Anna Magdalena are:
| i. | Anna Catharina Merlau | Anna Catharina was born on May 14, 17542, and she died on May 24, 17542. |
| ii. | Anna Dorothea Merlau | Anna Dorothea was born on October 3, 17552, and she died March 7, 18242. Anna Dorothea married Johann Peter Andress on February 27, 17772. He was born on July 10, 17442, and he died June 22, 18262. |
| iii. | Georg Philipp Merlau | Georg Philipp was born on October 28, 17572, and he died on March 11, 18072. Georg Philipp married Magdalena Christina Stork on December 1, 17862. Magdalena Christina was born on August 1, 17662. |
| iv. | Anna Elisabetha Merlau | Anna Elisabetha was born on January 3, 17602. |
| v. | Johann Christoph Merlau | Johann Christoph was born on October 5, 17622, and he died on December 1, 18172. He married Anna Catharina Rasch. |
| vi. | Anna Magdalena Merlau | Anna Magdalena was born on February 16, 17652, and she died on February 13, 18302. She married Johann Daniel Frey on April 25, 17882. He was born on May 26, 17532, and he died on March 15, 18262. |
| vii. | Johann Carl Merlau | Johann Carl was born on July 23, 17682, and he died on January 25, 18202. He married (1) Anna Margaretha Weber on March 27, 1802. Anna Margaretha was born on December 25, 17762, she died on May 5, 18042. Johann Carl married (2) Katharina Frey on July 19, 18042. She was born on August 8, 17632, and she died on February 1, 18142. Johann Carl married (3) Anna Barbara Völger on October 14, 18142. She was born on August 16, 17672, and she died on May 21, 18372. |
Marriage Record of Johann Christoph Merlau and Anna Catharina Rasch
Johann Christoph Merlau was born on October 5, 17622, the fifth child of Johann Conrad Merlau and Anna Magdalena Völger. On November 21, 17912, he married Anna Catharina Rasch, the widow of Johann Christoph Dieter. Anna Catharina was born on August 26, 17602, the daughter of Heinrich Rasch. The marriage also shows that Johann Christoph was a Corporal in the löb. Regiment [honor Regiment]2, following the family tradition. Note that the recorder also rendered his given name as Christoph, while other records use Johann Christoph, which is typical of the early records.
Christoph died in Arheilgen on December 12, 18172, and Anna Catharina died there on July 27, 18352.
The children of Johann Christoph and Anna Catharina are:
| i. | Anna Dorothea Merlau | Anna Dorothea was born on October 21, 17932. |
| ii. | Johann Christoph Merlau | Johann Christoph was born on May 30, 17952, he died on March 13, 18791. He married Elisabeth Barbara Darmstädter. |
| iii. | Eva Barbara Merlau | Eva Barbara was born on October 13, 17962. She married Wilhelm Wagebach on August 14, 18392. |
| iv. | Anna Juliana Merlau | Anna Juliana was born on January 30, 17992, and she died on January 31, 17992. |
| v. | Carl Merlau | Carl was born on March 29, 18002, and he died on January 10, 18012. |
| vi. | Anna Magdalena Merlau | Anna Magdalena was born on January 6, 18022, and she died on January 8, 18022. |
| vii. | Anna Margaretha Merlau | Anna Margaretha was born on March 24, 18042, and she died on May 30, 18612. She married Georg Heib on April 16, 18382. He died on November 30, 18432. |
| viii. | Johann Philipp Merlau | Johann Philipp was born on August 6, 18062, and he died on July 19, 18606. He married Anna Christina Darmstädter. |
| ix. | Johann Karl Merlau | Johann Karl was born on September 27, 18082, and he died on October 25, 18701. He married Maria Christina Zapf. |
| x. | Anna Regina Merlau | Anna Regina was born on June 27, 18112. |
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