Jean George MERCKEL was born in Durrenbach on April 17, 1644, like wire
of Jean-George MERCKEL and grandson of Laurent MERCKEL
of Kirrwiller-Bosselshausen. His/her father was a baker with Durrenbach and treasurer of
the Chapter of the cathedral of Strasbourg.
November 28, 1669, at the 25 years age, Jean George marries PFOHL Anne
Marguerite de Surbourg and settles as baker with Surbourg. He will be a also landlord and
postmaster at the fashionable country inn of the Blanc horse renamed black horse en1800
after transfer of the relay of station to Soultz-Under-Forests.
Jean-George Merckel had had to buy his load with Louvois, then general
superintendent of the Stations.
The patent obtained was for life and was to be repurchased by the heirs with the death to
the holder. But since 1725, the patent was delivered gracefully by the King Louis XV.
Insofar as the team in place gave satisfaction and as the administration supported
continuity, one attends the appearance of a true dynasty of postmasters who had certain
privileges:
* did not pay taxes
* were not obliged to place people of war.
Three children are born from this couple:
1 Anne in 1668, it will marry SCHMITT Antoine
2 Jean Michel in 1670�� epx of STOLL & SCHOEN
3 Jean George in 1673
After the death of Anne Marguerite (can be during the war 1674/1675), Jean George marries
in second weddings SCHOTT Marie Barbara,
called "Schottin" thereafter, one of the girls of the receiver of collegial of
Surbourg.
The marriage takes place on November 13, 2022 in Surbourg.
Twelve children are born from this second marriage:
3 Eve in 1680 the
4 twins Jean George and Marie Barbara in 1682 the
5 binoculars Anne Madeleine and Marie Doroth�e in 1684
6 Jean Fran�ois in 1686 �� Eve Friederich
7 Louis Henri Barth�lemy in 1688��Elis.Bortzmeyer Gunstett
8 Joseph in 1691
9 Marie Anne as a 1692��Jean-Louis Bronzes
10 Andre in 1694 cuvetier �� Suzanne Jobst
11 Christine in 1697�� Marcel Arbogast, landlord and, since 1740, Pr�v�t of Surbourg
12 Marie Eve in 1699�� Andr� Friderici (Friederich)
In 1685, Jean George is elected "Schultheiss" (provost). He will
be maintained in this function during 38 years, until 1723.
The function of the "Schultheiss"
Translates wrongly by "Provost", although this term is allowed now, Schultheiss
was a character representing the Lord owner of a village.
The Alsatian provost did not have the same capacity as the French provost. He was to some
extent a "Mayor seigneurial", a kind of syndic and administrator.
Schultheiss (Latin Protoris) was in charge of the civil jurisdiction on all the citizens
of the village, except for those having loads concerning directly the Lord or the bishop.
It was the chief of the village indicated by the Lord. Its role was to make respect the
seigneuriaux rights and to chair the court of the village. The court, made of sworn or
aldermen, indicated by the peasants, considered the small litigations local, and in
particular the land questions.
The load of Schultheiss was not hereditary, but the lord could transmit it of wire father
according to his good pleasure.
The life of a provost of this time is not a long quiet river:
In 1688, Surbourg counts only 65 dwellings.
After many years of war, the village however starts to be raised gently, but the fate is
baited.
In 1704 then in 1705 Surbourg is plundered initially by the French Army, then by that of
the German empire.
In 1709, France loses Alsace.
About the year 1700, Jean George makes record a blazon with his name.
In L ` edition of 1861 of Large Armorial of Alsace, appears on page 131:
n�99 Jean George Merckel, provost of Sourbourg.
"Carries azure to a gold figure, composed of interlaced letter G.J.M."
Worried very early by his death, Jean George buys in a 1671 (it is 27
years old) tomb on the cemetery of the church St Jean. It made there set up a sandstone
cross of the Vosges. Jean George MERCKEL will however d�c�dera only the
1 er August 1728, at 84 years the sizeable age.
A few years later, after the death of his second wife Maria Barbara, one of the children
of the second marriage, makes add with the cross, a stone with the following inscriptions:
With the recto:
"In the year 1644, April 17, me Jean George Merckel I was born on ground and I died
the 1 er August 1728. In the year 1685, I was elected provost and I controlled during 38
years " With the back:
"In the year 1671, me Jean George Merckel, at the time provost, I made set up this
cross for me and my late loved wife, Maria Barbara Schott, in the honor of Jesus, Marie
and Jean (it misses "A" of JOHANIS) (St Jean, owner of the church of Surbourg)
with our burial ""
Tombstone of Jean George MERCKEL (1644-1728) stored with
the church of SURBOURG.
Inscription with the recto:
"ANNO 1644 DEN 17 ABRIL BIN ICH HANS IERG MERCKEL AUF DIE WELT GEBOHREN WORDEN UND
STARB 1728 OF AUGST- ANNO 1685 BIN ICH SCHULTHEIS ERWELT WORDEN UND HAB REGIERT 38
JAHR"
Inscription with the back:
"ANNO 1671 HAB ICH PROUD HANS IERG MERCKEL DAMALIGER SCHULTHEIS DAS CREITZ LASEN
MACHEN MICH UND PROUD MEIN GEWESTE LIEBE HAUS FRAU W MARIA BARBRA SCHOTIN ZUE EHREN IESUS
MARIA UND IOHNIS AUF UNSER BEGREBTNUS"
ARMORIAL BEARINGS
The armorial bearings are marks of honor and nobility, made up of certain
colors and certain figures. They are used to distinguish the families, to sometimes point
out their names, their possessions or the beautiful actions of one their ancestors.
The use of the armorial bearings was initially introduced by the knights to be made
recognize in the tournaments. It was spread then in all the rows of the nobility, and
became common to the families of dress, �chevinage and even of the upper middle classes.
The cities, the communities, the corporations imitated in their turn this example, and
adopted a blazon.
The use of the armorial bearings had become general in the class of the middle-class men
and the merchants. However, the commoners (nonnoble) theoretically had the right to use
only the simple ecu. They were not authorized to carry their stamped armorial bearings,
i.e. to place above him of the helmets and the crowns (edict of Louis XIII of January
1634).
The armorial bearings were not the exclusive privilege of those who were gentlemen, but
they announced at least a good middle-class, which touched with the nobility by more than
one point of contact. The noble ones could make wholesale trade and exert the lawyer
liberal professions of doctor etc.
By a declaration of September 4, 1696, Louis XIV, makes hunting for the noble forgeries.
In complement, by an edict of November 20, 1696, Louis XIV asks for the establishment of
"Armorial G�n�ral of France".
This Armorial has as an aim:
1 to note, check and fix, in an invariable manner, the armorial bearings of the families,
while granting to the middle-class living in the free cities, being useful in the militia,
sending its sons to the army, or while returning to service in the State in the
magistrature, the consuls, the aldermen, lawyers, notaries etc, a first degree in the
nobility, which gave them access to the loads and the employment up to that point reserved
for the noble
2 to only improve a little finances of France, by subordinating the use of an emblem to
the payment of a fee registration (for a private individual, the cost of the recording
The recorded armorial bearings, became patrimonial and hereditary with the
descendants. With load of the latter to make them record under their names, in the year of
the death of the head of household. The use of armorial bearings not recorded in the
armorial G�n�ral became prohibited under penalty of a fine of 300 Pounds.
The payment of the right of armorial bearings being obligatory, general Armorial
constitutes a kind of directory or of repertory or one all that in the social classes left
a little the ordinary one, from the pecuniary point of view meets. With with dimensions of
noble one sees there the middle-class men, the merchants easy, the law officers and a good
part of the clergy of countryside.
Source: General Armorial of France, published in 1904, of after the manuscripts of
Charles Of OZIER of 1696 to 1710.
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