I have been researching the Mertz and Martz families for 15 years. I take my research seriously.

Several different and unrelated Mertz immigrants settled in Berks County, PA before 1750. They seemed to all like the same small subset of names -- Jacob, John, Abraham, Henry and Philip -- and a few others -- to give their sons.

This has led to many, many errors by researchers over the years who have confused and at times merged together the multiple different men of the same name.

For example, three different boys were born in Berks County prior to 1760 and given the name Jacob Mertz. And then eight more boys were born in Berks County just in the 1770's and also given the name Jacob Mertz.

What started out as Mertz often became Martz when someone moved to a new county. My ancestor Hans Peter Mertz had five sons who moved to Northumberland County, PA before 1790. For two of them the Mertz spelling was retained, the other three almost immediately became Martz.

I have made it my personal mission to try to gather as much documented evidence as I can find on anyone named Mertz or Martz (even Marts occasionally) with the goal of trying to sort them all out and keep straight who was who.

I have been researching the Mertz and Martz families for 15 years. I take my research seriously.

Several different and unrelated Mertz immigrants settled in Berks County, PA before 1750. They seemed to all like the same small subset of names -- Jacob, John, Abraham, Henry and Philip -- and a few others -- to give their sons.

This has led to many, many errors by researchers over the years who have confused and at times merged together the multiple different men of the same name.

For example, three different boys were born in Berks County prior to 1760 and given the name Jacob Mertz. And then eight more boys were born in Berks County just in the 1770's and also given the name Jacob Mertz.

What started out as Mertz often became Martz when someone moved to a new county. My ancestor Hans Peter Mertz had five sons who moved to Northumberland County, PA before 1790. For two of them the Mertz spelling was retained, the other three almost immediately became Martz.

I have made it my personal mission to try to gather as much documented evidence as I can find on anyone named Mertz or Martz (even Marts occasionally) with the goal of trying to sort them all out and keep straight who was who.