The Several Elizabeths
As with most genealogical research, there are a number of anomalies and inconsistencies with the information that is currently available on the Merck family. One of these is with the several Elizabeth Mercks - Elizabeth was a very common name in the Merck family. Unfortunately for my own family research, one of these Elizabeths is our ancestor: But which one?
My family connection is either through Balthasar or Andreas. My 4th great grandmother, Elizabeth Merck Dorris, was probably the daughter of one of these 2 men. On the 1850 census, she stated that she was born in 1765. This means that she was likely born after the Mercks arrived in SC. With Balthazar naming one proven daughter Elizabeth it is unlikely that he would have a 2nd daughter named Elizabeth unless of course one of these daughters was adopted. My conclusion is that my 4th great grandmother, Elizabeth Merck Dorris, was the daughter of Andreas Merck. With the children of Conrad Merck winding up in Hall County Georgia, and I can thus far find no immediate connection with her to any of those Hall County Mercks, she is probably not the daughter of Conrad, son of Balthasar - especially since most of Conrad's children were born much later than 1765. And with virtually no information on Andreas Merck, there is room for plenty of speculation about his descendants.
#1 - Elizabeth Schieldknecht - This Elizabeth is Elizabeth Schieldknecht (daughter of George?) who married Henry Merck and then later married William Dorris, Jr.. She had no children by William Dorris but 2 of her known children by Henry Merck are Henry and George who wound up in Jackson County, Georgia.
#2 - Elizabeth Merck - This Elizabeth is Elizabeth Merck who married James Dorris. Elizabeth Merck Dorris, was the daughter of either Balthasar, his son Conrad or Andreas. Given her birthdate of 1765, and the 1850 census which states that she was born in SC, she could be the daughter of any of these. Conrad was 16, Andrew was 31. We know that her sons, James, John M. were in Jackson County, Georgia by 1828 but moved on shortly thereafter to Carroll and Cherokee Counties in Georgia. She was living in Cherokee County Georgia near her son James Dorris on the 1850 census (age 87).
One anomaly: Per the Jackson County land records, we have an Elizabeth Dorris that deeded 40 acres to a Frederick Parks Henry in January 1840. On the same date, Henry Merck deeded the same land to Elizabeth Dorris. To me this appears to be a familial transaction: Henry Merck sold land to Elizabeth who in turn sold the same land to F.P. Henry as a life estate (She lived on the land until her death at which point the land reverted to F.P. Henry). Is this Elizabeth Dorris the mother of Henry and George Merck? Seems so given the life estate. The Henry family can be found in the Dry Pond Methodist church records and some family members are buried in the church cemetery. Is F.P. Henry just another church member or is he somehow related to the Mercks? I suspect he is a very close family friend or a cousin: His name can also be found in the estate documents of George Merck in 1877 (Jackson County, GA). At this point, I do not know the exact relationship between the Henry family and the Dorrises and Mercks.
So, we have 2 aged Elizabeth Dorrises living in relatively close proximity to one another in Georgia at the same time. If the Elizabeth Dorris that gave the life estate to F.P. Henry is Elizabeth Schieldknecht, her age would have been quite advanced in 1840. Elizabeth Merck Dorris was born about 1765 and Elizabeth Schieldknecht Merck Dorris was very likely older. She might even be the Maria Elizabeth Schieldknecht listed in the ship register as age 13 in 1765. This would make her 88 years old in 1840. In the book by G.J.N. Wilson (Early History of Jackson County) an Elizabeth Merck lived to be 115 years old (died 1867?). Wilson states that she was the grandmother of Henry Merck. This book was written in 1914 and the Henry Merck referred to was born in 1826 (died 1915) and was the son of George and therefore the grandson of Elizabeth Schieldknecht Merck Dorris. In my research thus far, I have not been able to find Elizabeth Schieldknecht Merck Dorris on any census and as noted above, Elizabeth Merck Dorris appears for certain on the 1850 census but cannot be found any other census.
The 1810 census for Edgefield lists an Elizcrate Dorris and a William Dorris living close to one another. This Elizcrate Dorris is likely Elizabeth Merck Dorris and William Dorris is William Dorris Jr. who married Elizabeth Schieldknecht Merck. So, this census seemingly places them in a fairly close geographic location, if not a close family relationship. Note that the Edgefield/Abbeville District line must have run fairly close to the Londonborough Settlement.
#3 - Elizabeth Shelnut (Schieldknecht)
On the 1830 census for Fayette County, Georgia there is an Elizabeth Shelnut, age 70-80. Who is this Elizabeth? The census places her born in 1750-1760. Interestingly, she is living very close to Charles Clements (age 60-69) who is likely the brother of my 5th great grandfather James Clements and both of these Clements men were previously living in Jackson and Gwinnett Counties in the Hog Mountain area. (I will be posting more on my Clements ancestors later). Like my Clements ancestors, some of the Shelnut family later wound up in Randolph County, Alabama.
So we now likely have at least 3 Elizabeths who were born 1750-1765 that passed through Jackson County, Georgia in the early to mid 1800s. All likely of German Palatine descent from the Londonborough settlement in SC.