I am in the process of adding all info I have on Jean Merian to this web page, so keep checking back.
4 January, 1817 Jean Baptiste Merian is born in Oberentzen, Alsace, France to Jean Merian and Catherine Stricher
Log of the SS Geronde
I, Lafort, Master or Commander of the Ship Geronde do solemnly, sincerely, and truly swear, that
the within List signed by me, and now delivered to the Collector of this District, contains the names
of all the passengers, taken on board the said Ship at the Port of Havre or at any time since and that
all matters therein set forth, are, according to the best of my knowledge and belief, just and true. I do
further swear, that _____ of the said Passengers have died on the voyage. Sworn,
before me, this 7 day of Febry, 1849. (Signed) Lafort, Collector
Columns represent: surname, given name, age, sex, occupation, country to which they belong,
country of which they intend to become inhabitants, number that have died on the passage.
75 Merian, Jean 31 male farmer France United States of America
1850 census of the United States.
CENSUS YR: 1850 STATE or TERRITORY: TX COUNTY: MEDINA DIVISION: CASTROVILLE REEL NO: M432-912 PAGE NO: 395B REFERENCE: "TAKEN OCT 29, 1850 BY HENRY K. JUDD" LN HN FN LAST NAME FIRST NAME AGE SEX RACE OCCUP. VAL. BIRTHPLACE MRD. SCH. R/W DDB 5 70 70 MERRIAN JOHN 21 M STONE MASON GERMANY 6 70 BELHART JOHN B. 11 M GERMANY X 7 70 BELHART VINCENT 9 M GERMANY X
Medina County Marriage Records 1848-1857
John Baptist Merian & Brigitta Koenig July 19, 1851 by Dubuis, R.C. Priest, at Castroville July 22, 1851 Wit. by Joeseph Koenig, Stephen Ahr Dl:30 No.29
November 21, 1851: John Merian and Joeseph Konig witnessed the marriage of Augustin Kbnig and Theresa Loecher.
December 30, 1851: John Merian and Augustin Konig witnessed the marriage of Francis Joeseph Haby and Catherina Konig.
April 16, 1852: Louisa Merian is born.
April 24, 1853: Emil Merian is born.
Medina County Tax Rolls 1853
1 lot in Castroville lot 5, block 5, range 5($300), 2 cattle($20), $320 value.
Deed Records, Medina County, 1853
On August 8, 1853 Louis Huth sold Lot 3; Block 1; Range 10 in Castroville to John Merian and Jacob Biry for $60. Wit. by Henry Baurlein and Jacob Muhr.
Late 1854: Mary Elizabeth Merian is born.
Marriage Validations, 1854
#24 Johannes Merian, Cath.
Brigitta Kbnig, Cath.
Br. Oberentzen B. Strasbourg
Inf. Maria, Louisa, Emilium
Naturalization Records, District Court, Bexar County, Texas
The State of Texas:
District Court; Spring Term, AD 1854
County of Medina:
Personally Appeared John Merian who declares upon oath that he is the natural born subject of the Emperor of France that he was born in Oberentsen (Oberentzen) in France; that he is Thirty-One years of age; that he emigrated to the United States of America, and arrived at the port of Galveston in the State of Texas on or about the First day of February A.D. 1848; that it is his BONA FIDE intention to become a citizen of the United States, and renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly any and all allegiance to the Emperor of France and that he will bear true allegiance to the United States, and support the constitution of same.
Sworn to and subscribed before me,:
(signed)John Merian
this 18th day of May A.D. 1854.
Angelo Causici, Clerk, District Court, Medina County.
November, 1854: The anti-Catholic and anti-foreign American or "Know Nothing" party appears in Texas. It won the full slate of city offices in San Antonio and Austin and elected 25 representatives and 5 senators to Austin.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1855
1 lot in Castroville($400), 1 horse($10), 9 cattle($90), $500 value.
January 25, 1856: John Louis Merian is born.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1856
1 lot in Castroville($600), 20 cattle, $760 value.
Deed Records, Medina County, 1856
On October 27, 1856, for $1,000, Henry Adams sold to John Merian and Franz Joeseph Konig 100 acres located at the NW corner of league survey #25 on the west bank of the Medina River about 5 miles S.E. of Castroville on the Jesse Thompson grant.
Location: Beginning on the NW corner of league survey #25 on the west bank of the Medina River, thence running down the river, with its meanders for enough to make a base line of 400 varas (1 vara = 2.74 feet) there out from the river parallel with the upper line of the league survey #25 a sufficient distance to make 100 acres in an oblong 400 varas wide.
Witnessed by: John Lehr and Jacob Boudiart.
After this transaction was completed John Merian and Franz Joeseph Konig arranged to pay $500 at that time and $500 at 8% interest by October 27, 1857, at that time they would take full title to the land.
Witnessed by: John Lehr and G.H. Noonan
September 30, 1857: Francis Joeseph Merian is born.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1857
50 acres of the Jesse Thompson grant, 1st class claim from tract 4428 and survey #25, on the Medina River($400), 1 lot in Castroville($600), 25 cattle($200), $1200 value.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1858
50 acres($400), 1 lot in Castroville($600), 25 cattle(200), $1200 value.
May 5, 1859: Brigitta 'Emily' Merian is born.
August, 1859: Running on a pro-union platform, Sam Houston is elected Governor of Texas defeating the Democratic incumbent H.J. Runnels.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1859
1 lot in Castroville($600), 30 cattle($240), $840 value.
1860 Census. Town of Castroville 4th of June. 1860.
Name: Age: Occupation: Value of Estate John Merian 39 Master Mason 1600 1200 Brigitta Merian 28 Louise 8 Emil 7 Mary 5 Louis 4 Joeseph 2 Emily 1
September 4, 1860: Jacob August Merian is born.
November 8, 1860: Republican Abraham Lincoln of Illinois is elected President and Andrew Johnson of Tennesee is elected VicePresident, the ticket recieved no votes in Texas.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1860
1 lot in Castroville($600), $600 value.
January 28, 1861: The seccession convention opens in Austin.
February 1, 1861: The balloting on passage of a seccession ordinace occurred. The final vote was 167 aye's, 7 no's.
February 23, 1861: The seccession ordiance passes by a popular vote of 46,129 to 14,697 over the objections of Governor Houston. Medina County voted overwelmingly for Union and against seccession.
March 2, 1861: Texas officialy secedes from the union and demands surrender of all U.S. troops and officers in the Republic.
March 16, 1861: Texas officially enters the Confederate States of America and the Seccesion Convention removes Governor Houston from office after he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.
Tax Roll Medina County 1861
1 lot in Castroville($600), 20 Cattle($160), $760 value
April, 1862: The Confederate congress passed a universal conscription law, all men between the ages of 17 and 50, except for political office holders and the wealthy, were required to join the military.
May, 1862: Texas is placed under martial law and Medina County, along with Gillespie, Kerr, Kendall, Comal, and Bexar counties are declared to be in open revolt against the state.
August 10, 1862: Attempting to reach Union troops at Brownsville, 19 German-Texans were massacred on the banks of the Nueces River by Confederate vigilantes intent on teaching the unicnist Germans of central Texas a lesson. Today a monument stands in Comfort, Texas where their comrades buried them four years later.
Tax Roll Medina County, 1862
1 lot in Castroville($600), 1 horse($10), 27 cattle($180), $790 value.
January, 1863: Governor Lubbock called a special legislative session todouble taxes and begin the first statewide soldiers1 relief.
March 10, 1863: Teresa Merian is born.
Medina County Muster Rolls 1863
Muster roll of Lieut. Saathof Focke S Co.() of Infantry, Texas State Troops, 31st Militia Brigade, mustered into the Service of the State of Texas, and transferred to the service of the Confederate States Provisional Army, By order of his Excellency F.R. Lubbock, Governor of Texas, from the 6th day of October, 1863, (Date of this Muster) to serve six months, unless sooner discharged.
No: Name: Co. Rank: Age:31 John Merian C Private 44
Value of Horse: $300 Kind of Arms: Rifle, Sixshooter
Joined for duty and Enrolled on 6th October 1863 in Casroville Tx. by Major J.H. Richarz.
Furloughed until further orders 20th October.
Tax Rolls, Medina County, 1864
1 lot in Castroville($500), personal property($335), $835 value.
April 9, 1865: Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the Union Army of the Potomac. The Civil War is over in the east. As news of the surrender spreads west confederate resistance collapses throughout the south.
April 15, 1865: President Lincoln is assassinated in Washington D.C. by John Wilkes Boothe, a staunch confederate. Vice-President Johnson is sworn in as the new President.
June 17, 1865: Governor Murrah flees the state to Mexico, the confederate government in Texas collapses.
June 19, 1865: General Gordon Granger arrives in Galveston to restore federal control over Texas. President Johnson names A.J. Hamilton Provisional Governor of Texas.
Tax Rolls, Medina County, 1865
1 lot in Castroville($500), 25 cattle($135), $635 value.
School Population of 1865-1866 Medina Co.
filed March 1, 1866.
Name of Parent: Students: No.
Merian, John : Louise - Emil - Mary
Louis - Joeseph : 5
August 20, 1866: President Johnson declares the Civil War to be over and that "..peace, order and tranquility.. now exist through the whole of the United States of America".
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1866
1 lot in Castroville($500), 1 horse($500), 22 cattle($130), $650 value.
March 2, 1867: Congress passes the Reconstruction Act over President Johnson's veto. This act required all men to take an "iron clad" oath of allegience to the government in order to vote in any election. General Charles Griffin becomes military governor of Texas and begins to systematicly destroy all government in Texas.
August 8, 1867: Governor Thockmorton is removed from office by military district comander General Sheridan in New Orleans and former Governor Elisha M. Pease is installed.
Medina County Voter Registers
#40 August 28, 1867: John Merian: Castroville, Pct. 1, Medina County, yexas. In State, County, Precinct; 18 yrs. Native of France. Natrulized by District Court: July 14, 1856 in San Antonio.
The following is the actual oath:
I, John Merian, do solemnly swear, in the presence of Almighty God, that I am a citizen of the State of Texas; that I am twenty-one years old; that I have not been disfranchised for participation in any rebellion or civil war against the United States; nor for felony committed against the laws of any state or of the United States; that I have never been a member of any State legislature, nor held any executive or judicial office in any State and afterwards engaged in any insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or given aid and comfort to the enemies thereof; that I have never taken an oath as a member of Congress of the United States, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, and afterwards engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof; that I will faithfully support the Constitution and obey the laws of the United States , and will, to the best of my ability, encourage others so to do, so help me God.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1867
1 lot in Castroville($500), 1 horse($20), 22 cattle($105), $625 value.
July 30, 1868: John Baptist Merian Jr. is born.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1868
1 lot in Castroville($500), 2 horses($30), 22 cattle($110), misc.($4), $644 value.
School Census of Medina County for A.D.1869
filed 1st of October A.D.1869
Name of Parent: Students: No:
Merian, John ,Louise-Emil-Mary-Louis:
Joeseph-Emily-August :
September 30, 1869: Governor Pease Resigns in digust over President Grants' policies in Texas. Edmund J. Davis takes office Jan. 8, 1870.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1869
1 lot in Castroville($500), 2 horses($30), 22 cattle($110), misc.($5), $645 value.
April 16, 1870: General Reynolds relinquishes military control of Texas to the Governor E.J. Davis, despite the fact that the election of Davis was a total fraud.
1870 Census, Town of Castroville 20th of June 1870
Name: Age: Occupation: Value of Estate Merian, John 44 Farmer & Mason 500 Merian, Brigida 38 Keeping House Merian, Lucy(Louise) 18 Housekeeper Merian, Emil 17 Farm Laborer Merian, Mary 15 Merian, Louis 14 Merian, Joeseph 12 Merian, Emilia 11 Merian, August 9 Merian, Theresa 7 Merian, John 2
August 25, 1870: Mary Elizabeth takes the name Sister Mary Joeseph and joins the sisters of Devine Providence in a special mass in the new St. Louis Church.
Tax Roll. Medina County. 1870
1 lot in Castroville($500), 2 horses($30), 22 cattle($110), misc.($5), value($645).
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1871
1 lot in Castroville($600), 2 horses($30), 20 cattle($100), misc.($10), $740 value.
August 28, 1872: Eugene Hubert Merian is born.
October 30, 1872: Louisa Merian marries Hurbert Burger at Castroville in St.Louis Catholic Church.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1872
1 lot in Castroville($400), 2 horses($30), 25 cattle($100), $530 value.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1873
1 lot in Castroville($500), 2 horses($30), 7 cattle($60), misc.($15), $605 value..
January 19, 1874: Governor Davis is forcibly removed from his office and the legitimatly elected Governor Richard Coke assumed control of the capitol. Reconstruction is over in Texas.
December 23, 1874: Peter Paul Merian is born.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1874
1 lot in Castroville($600)1 2 horses($30), 10 cattle($50), $680 value.
Deed Records, Medina County, 1874
On February 18, 1874 Russal Howard of Bexar County sold, for $1000, 100 acres made out of league survey #25 on the west bank of the Medina River 4¾ miles south 69~ east from Castroville to John Merian.
Location: Start at the NW corner of the Wagner survey down to the SW corner of the survey then west for enough to make 100 acres then north to the Medina River then down the river with its meanders to the start point.
Witnessed by Lorenzo Castro and Phillip A. Schnable.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1875
100 acres of the McMullen grant on the Medina River($400), 1 lot in Castroville($600), 2 horses($30), 8 cattle($60), Instruments, Tools, Vehicles, etc.($25), $1115 value.
Tax Roll Medina County, 1876
100 acres($200), 1 lot in Castroville($600), 2 horses($50),3 cattle($35), misc.($25), $910 value.
Tax Roll Medina County, 1877
100 acres($200), 1 lot in Castroville($600), 2 horses($40), 2 cattle($50), $905 value.
April 20, 1878: John Baptist Merian dies and is buried the same day in Castroville.
Tax Roll, Medina County, 1879
Marian, B.(Wid.)-100 acres($200), 1 lot in Castroville($500), 2 horses($30), $730 value.
1880 Census, Town of Castroville 4th of June. 1880.
Name: Age: Occupation: Place of Birth: Marian, Brigida 46 Keeping House Alsace Marian, John 12 Texas Marian, Eugene 7 Texas Marian, Peter 5 Texas
Sources for Historical Information:
Bracht, Victor, Texas im Jahre 1848 (Texas in 1848), Translation by Roland Bracht, German-Texan Heratige Society, Manchaca, TX. 1849, 1931, 1991.
Calvert, Robert A. & DeLeon, Arnoldo, The History of Texas. Harlen-Davidson Inc. Arlington Heights IL. 1990.
Fehrenbach, T.R. Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans. American Legacy Press, New York, NY. 1983.
Wilson, R. Jackson, James Gilbert, Stephen Nissenbaum, Karen Ordahl Kupperman, & Donald Scott, The Pursuit of LibertY Vol 2.-2nd ed. Wadsworth Publishing Co., Belmont, CA. 1990.
1992-93 Texas Almanac. A.H Belo Corp. Dallas, TX. 1991.
A History of Medina County.
Documents of Texas History. Edited by Ernest Wallace, David M. Vigness & George B. Ward.-2nd ed. State House Press, Austin,
TX. 1994.
Sources for Geneological Information:
Seventh Census of the United States, 1850: Medina County.
Eighth Census of the United States, 1860: Medina County.
Ninth Census of the United States, 1870: Medina County.
Tenth Census of the United States, 1880: Medina County.
Medina County Marriage Records 1848-1857.
Medina County Tax Rolls 1853-1879
Medina County Land Deed Records; Vols. 3, 5, 9, 13, 34, 38, 49.
Records of St. Louis Church; Vol. 1
Records of the District Court, San Antonio, TX; Book D.
Voter Registrations (Loyalty Oath) 1867-1870 for Medina County.
Census of Medina County Schoolchildren for 1865-66 school year.
Census of Medina County Schoolchildren for 1869
Confederate Muster rolls for Medina County 1863.
Research Sites:
Castroville Public Library, Castroville, Texas. Texas State Library and Archives, Austin, Texas. Catholic Archives of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Public Library, San Antonio, Texas.
Compilers personal collection.