The Mell Family from Heidelberg Township
This file submitted by: Bill Hawk
The Mell family of Heidelberg Township has been traced to the town of Langenselbold in Hesse Germany. Conrad Mell was born there ca. 1645. His grandson Johan Melchior Mell was born there in May of 1709. Melchior married Elizabeth Hedderich, daughter of Carl Hedderich, there January 08, 1741/42.( Burgert, Annette Kunselman, 18th Century Emigrants from Langenselbold in Hesse to America, (AKB Publications), 106.)
Melchior Mell emigrated in the ship Ann Galley, William Wilson Captain. He landed at Philadelphia Sept. 27, 1746. He is listed in Philadelphia* in the early Pennsylvania Census list of 1746. While it appears to our 21st century eyes that he signed his name "Melger Mell", the "g" in Melger could just as easily have been the old German script "h" and the following "e" could have been "io". Anyway, it was transcribed as Moll in the ship lists reported by Strassburger in Pennsylvania German Pioneers. In the History of Berks Co., on the 1752 Tax List for Heidelberg Twp., he is listed as Melchor Mehl.
*WFT CD #310,
Census Index: Colonial America, 1607-1789
Mell, Melchior, State : PA, County : Philadelphia Co., Location : Philadelphia, Year : 1746
In Langenselbold Church records, Johan Melchior Mell and wife Elisabetha had two sons, Carl Johan Henrich in 1742 and Carl Henrich in 1744. Then they have no further entries.
The first son may have died before age two, but perhaps not. Annette Burgert states that Langenselbold is one of a few German towns where people named more than one child the same, and both lived. It is possible that there were two Carl Mells at Hain's church who were brothers, but church records do not seem to bear this out.
Next we find Melchior Mell in the ship Ann passenger list in Sept 1746. A son, Adam was born in the interim, perhaps in Holland. Although we have no record of his birth, he was tightly linked with the Hain's church families in sponsoring children's baptisms. M.A. Gruber(Bucks Co. Hist. Soc #GA M524) makes an eloquent case for him being a son of Melchior and Elisabetha. A son John Mell was b. in 1749. The last child, a daughter Elizabeth Mell was b. ca. 1755.
I. Carl Henrich Mell married (1) Anna Maria abt. 1773 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He married (2) Margaret bef. 1803.
Gruber concludes Carl (or Charles) Mell is no doubt a son of Johan Melchior Mell and Elizabeth, and the as the Langenselbold Church records show, he was indeed their son.
Charles Mell, 3rd Class, Capt. Conrad Kershner's Co., Militia, return 23 Oct. 1788
Carl Mell was buried at Hain's church. 14 May 1807, age 62 y, 10 mo. and 6 days.
The PA Archives, Series 6, Vol. 6, Rev. John Waldschmidt's records have the mother of Carl's children as Anna Maria. Most other listings for Carl merely say "and wife", except for the sponsorship of Sarah Harnisch in 1799, which says Anna Maria.
Carl Mell and wf. Margaret were sponsors for the baptism of Anna Maria Mell, dau of Henry Mell and wf. on July 10, 1803. This the only listing for Carl and Margaret. Most other listings for Carl merely say and wife, except for the sponsorship of Sarah Harnisch in 1799(Hain's Church records, p. 459), which lists Anna Maria. I believe there was only one Carl Mell at that time, so have taken this to mean Margaret was his second wife.
Children of Carl and Anna Maria are: Elizabeth, b.8 Dec. 1774; John , b. 15 Apr. 1776; Henry, b. March 1778; William, b. 2 Jan 1782; and Anna Maria, b. 18 Feb. 1784.
The author has not investigated the families of these children as they are not in his direct line. However there is a biography of a John Mell given in J.H. Beers and Co. 1909 History of Berks Co. which traces his ancestry to a John Mell "born in Bern Twp. where his father, a native of Germany, had come at an early day" Carl Mell may well be that ancestor.
II. Adam Mell married Maria Barbara Fellebaum October 16, 1770 in Trinity Tulpehocken Reformed Church, Richland PA, daughter of Adam Fellebaum and Catherine. Adam appears in the Berks county tax lists for 1779, 1780, 1781 and 1784 as a taxable of Heidelberg Twp., without land. He is shown as a Laborer in 1779. He then appears in the 1790 Census in Frankford Twp. in Cumberland Co. with a family of 2 sons 16 or more years of age, 1 son less than 16, and 1 daughter. He is listed as a tenant on the property of Henry Houts in the 1798 Direct Tax of Cumberland Co., PA p. 193, West Pennsboro.
Adam (and presumably Maria Barbara) are buried in the Lutheran Brick Church Graveyard, Frankford Twp. Cumberland Co.
We visited the Brick Church Graveyard on June 17th, 2000. The inscription on Adam Mell's stone is in old German, and loosely translated is: "Here rest the bones of Adam Mell, born 16 October 1745. Married 16 October 1768 to Maria Barbara Fellebaum. He sired six children, four survived him. Married 31 years and six months and died 19 May 1800, 54 Years, 6 months and 3 days".
There are three other stones beside Adam's; two have only two letters inscribed: one has B R , and the other H D, and one is son John Adam's stone.
Children of Adam Mell and Maria Fellebaum are: John Adam , b. 25 Apr. 1771; William, b. abt 8 Oct 1772; Philip, b. bef. May 14, 1775; and Elizabeth, b. bef. March 28, 1779.
John Adam and William married and raised families in Cumberland Co. PA.
There are several Mell family lines in Cumberland County today which are descended from these men.
Elizabeth married David Alter, September 01, 1797, son of Jacob Alter and Veronica Landis.
( Egle's Notes and Queries, 1898 Annual Volume, p. 214)
No other mention is found for Philip, nor is a grave found for him in the county.
III. John Mell married Susanna Bossert Bet. 1773 - 1774.
John Mell appears in the Tax lists for Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co. in 1779, 1780 and 1781, without land, being shown as a laborer in 1779 and a weaver in 1781. Then he disappears, and does not show up in the 1790 census. Gruber speculates that he either died or "removed from the county" In the 1800 Census a John Mell is listed in West Pennsborough Twp. Cumberland county with 2 sons under 10, one 16-26 and 1 male 26-45. Two girls under 10, 1 10-16 and a woman 26-45.
Did this John Mell go to Cumberland County to join his cousins Adam and William there? It appears that he did.
John and Susanna had the following children born in Heidelberg Twp., Berks Co: Elizabeth, b. bef. 11 June 1775; Catharine, b. bef. 8 Dec. 1776; Barbara, b. bef. 1 Apr. 1778; Anna Maria, b. bef. 14 Nov. 1779; John Melchior, b. bef. 28 Oct. 1781.
We have not researched the first four of these, but in the 1800 Census a John Mell is listed in West Pennsborough Twp. Cumberland county with 2 sons under 10, one 16-26 and 1 male 26-45. Two girls under 10, 1 10-16 and a woman 26-45.
In the 1810 and 1820 census, and several Cumberland County Tax lists we find John M. Mell living in Middleton Twp. Is this our John Melchior?
An Adam Mell, b. 1797, migrated across the mountain from Middleton Twp. to Perry Co. in the 1820's and settled in Duncannon. Was he a son or grandson of John above? Mell family lines in Dauphin Co, and York Co. PA and as far away as the State of Washington and Alaska are descended from him.
IV.Elizabeth Mell married William Michel Bet. 1772 - 1774. They had the following children whose births or baptisms are listed in Hain's Church records: John, b. 1775; Adam, b. 1777; Philip, b. 1780; Elizabeth, b. 1793; William, b. 1797; Jacob, b. 1799; Eleonora, b. 1803; Peter and Margaret, twins, b. 1805. These children are all listed in Hain's as being born to William Michel and wf. While it implies that the twins were born when Elizabeth was about 50 years old, there is no evidence of her death and his remarrying.
This material has been condensed from Mell family research by W.M. Hawk. There is still much to do to confirm the ties between the Mells of Berks, Cumberland and Perry Counties.
Contact: <>William Hawk.
(c) 2002, Wm. M. Hawk, Jr.
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