Harshbarger line: Johan Niclaus Mertz, aka Nicholas Mertz, Immigrant

 I'm calling Nicholas an immigrant because he was 18 years old when he arrived in Philadelphia with his parents, Johan David and Veronica Schneider Mertz, and at least three siblings in 1733.  Surely he could have chosen to stay in his homeland of Alsace, Germany, now France.  The small village he lived in or near was Hengwiller or Hangvillier, depending on the time frame, for this was an area that has been fought over for centuries.  The "commune" is still described as mainly agricultural, so for most of his 18 years Nicholas had likely helped his father in the fields.  He may have come reluctantly, or he may have been excited at the prospect of , eventually, land of his own and an opportunity to provide for his future children.  

Once his family was in Pennsylvania, Nicholas apparently married quickly, perhaps to someone he met on the voyage to America.  Her name was Margaret, or Anna Margaret, or Margaret Anna.  I have seen her last name proposed as Been but I've not found documentation for that, so for now, her name and origins are a mystery.  

Nicholas and his brothers settled in the Longswamp area of Berks County, Pa, where Nicholas acquired land in small increments, eventually ending up with 550 acres in his name. The area may be similar to that of Hengwiller, in that there are mountains nearby, and crops that he grew may have been familiar ones.  He was probably also familiar with taxes, which Nicholas is on record as having paid.  Usually his taxes were about in the "middle of the pack" compared with those of his neighbors.  Nicholas was one of the founders of the Longswamp Reformed church, which, when it began, was not particularly friendly to Lutherans.  (Lutherans lived further down the valley from these Reformed folks.)

Nicholas and Margaret had 11 children together, so they were busy people.  Nicholas lived a short life.  He died December 2, 1760, at the age of approximately 45, but we don't know the cause of death.  There is a possibility, because of the time frame and the area he lived, that it was due to an attack of the native Americans, but I've not found his name on any of the lists of those killed.  So it may have been an ordinary accident, or a sudden illness.  

Ten of the children were still alive at the time of his death, Jacob being of age and Nicholas being just a baby.  There are 59 pages of his probate records available on Ancestry, most dealing with the guardianships for the minor children and then the divisions of property.  Jacob and Margaret seem to have been co-executors (there was no will.)  We are fortunate to have his inventory, which shows us that he had quite a few horses, cattle, and other farm animals, a large wagon, some books, and three tracts of land, including his "improvements" when he died.  The total valuation was about 422 pounds.  (There was no mention of guns or ammunition, which seems a bit curious).  One intriguing item was "5 Bells".  What were they used for?  When all was said and done, most of the children were to receive a little over 91 pounds as their share of their father's estate, with Jacob receiving more.  Margaret was still listed as a widow in 1765 but I've not found her date of death, or a possible remarriage.  

I'd really like to know more about Nicholas, and especially about his experiences during the French and Indian War of 1754-1763.  Did he ever feel that his family was threatened?  What about his neighbors? Did he serve as anything other than a watchman for his family?  Did the family ever leave and go to one of the nearby forts?  It must have been a harrowing time.  

The line of descent is:

Nicholas Mertz-Margaret

Elizabeth Mertz-Lorenz Schollenberger

Peter Schollenberger-Susanna

Catherine Schollenberger-George Essig

Susanna Essig-Daniel Kemery

Adam Kemery-Nancy Fannie Buchtel

Della Kemery-William H Withers

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants