The wife of John Philip Mertz, according to the records of Mertz Church, was Catharina Quierin. But who was she?

Annette Burgert’s book "Eighteenth Century Emigrants from Northern Alsace to America" documents a man named Nickel Quirin in the records of the Wolfskirchen and Diedendorf Lutheran churches in Alsace. His wife was Maria Magdalena Fischer and they had quite a few children, two of whom were named Catharina: Catharina Margaretha b.1721 and Catharina Elisabetha b.1729.

Burgert then documents that Nickel Quirin arrived Philadelphia on the ship Halifax in 1752 and that Nickel Quierin and wife Margaretha nee Bauer had several children baptized at Mertz Church starting in 1757. Then, also at Mertz Church, Philip Mertz married 29 May 1764 Catharina Quierin.

Now I have a lot of respect for the work Burgert has done. And the strong implication from Burgert, given her typical format, is that Nickel Quirin of Wolfskirchen and Diedendorf whose wife was Magdalena Fischer was the 1752 immigrant on the Halifax and he also was the Nickel Quierin named in Mertz Church records. And she doesn’t specifically state that Catharina who married Philip Mertz was his daughter, but since he had a daughter named Catharina (two of them actually), the clear implication is she was.

But in the case of Nickel and Catharina Quirin, I think there is a little more to the story. It’s not that simple. Consider that Nickel’s daughters named Catharina were born in 1721 and 1729, respectively. But Philip Mertz was born in 1738 and he married Catharina in 1764 and they had children in the years 1765-1783. It seems a stretch to believe that Catharina was much older than Philip. It should also be noted that Catharina never has a middle name in any American records, she was always just Catharina.

Moreover, Nickel Quirin of Alsace married in 1711 and had children in the years 1712-1731. Even if he married a second time, he seems too old to have been having children in America from 1757 into the 1760’s. It seems more likely that Nickel Quirin whose wife was Magdalena Fischer was a different man than Nickel Quierin whose wife was Margaretha Bauer.

It should also be noted that besides Catharina and Nickel there were several additional persons named Quierin named in Mertz Church records. All were listed as baptism sponsors for a child of Philip and Catharina at Mertz Church.

I think the truth of the matter comes from work done by Patrick Pearsey. Pearsey says that Nickel Quirin of Mertz Church whose wife was Margaretha Bauer was indeed of the Wolfskirchen family but in fact was the nephew of the Nickel Quirin documented there by Burgert.

This Nickel was born in 1714 and was the Nickel who arrived America in 1752 on the Halifax. He marred Anna Margaretha Bauer in 1738. Pearsey seems to be citing Wolfskirchen records for most of his facts.

In addition, Pearsey cites the will of Nicholas Query who died in Montgomery County, MD. It was written 13 Oct 1788 and proved 15 Dec 1788. He mentioned two sons: Daniel and Henry. And he named their five sisters: Mary Ann March, Christine Schindler, Catherine March, Elizabeth Humbert and Susannah Tice.

I believe that Catherine “March” was none other than the wife of Philip Mertz. The name Mertz, derived originally it is thought from the name of the third German month März, was sometimes (rarely but it did happen) “Americanized” as March. The names of the other Quierins who were named as baptism sponsors pretty well line up with the other children named by Nicholas Query in his will.

So Catharina Quierin was the daughter of Nickel and Anna Margaretha (Bauer) Quierin. I don't know when she was born but after 1738 and likely 1740-1742 or so. I don't when she died but she, like her husband, was last mentioned in any record in 1812 -- so I suggest 1815.