JEREMIAH VAN DER MERKEN
    Jeremiah van der Merken was born in Marbletown, N.Y., probably in the early 1700s. (1)
    Married Lea Keyser in October 1731.  Lea was the daughter of Jacob Keyser and Mareytie de Langet.  She was born in Marbletown, N.Y., and baptized March 30, 1706. (2)
    Children: (3)
    Elisabeth, baptized Sept. 17, 1732.  Married Jan van Garden.
    Benjamin, baptized Feb. 10, 1734.
    Petrus, or Peter, baptized Feb. 22, 1736.
    Elias, baptized July 13, 1740.
    Johannes, or John, baptized May 16, 1742.
    James.
    Samuel.
    Jeremiah.
    Jeremiah grew up in southeastern New York and attended the Dutch Reformed Church in Kingston.  Both Jeremiah and Lea lived in Rochester, N.Y., at the time of their marriage.
    At some point after May 1742 and probably before May 1749, the family moved south to Sussex County, N.J. (4) 
    Jeremiah was a weaver who apparently owned property in New Hurley and Wallpack, according to his will.
    Jeremiah wrote his will Sept. 5, 1756.  It was proved Nov. 21, 1760.
    (1) “Baptismal and Marriage Registers of the Old Dutch Church of Kingston, Ulster County, New York, 1660-1809,” transcribed and edited by Roswell R. Hoss, 1891, page 561.  (2) “Old Dutch Church,” page 561.  The date of the wedding isn’t recorded but banns were registered on Oct. 24 and the next wedding in the records was performed on Oct. 29.  Lea’s baptism is recorded in “Old Dutch Church,” page 29.  (3) The children are listed in “Old Dutch Church” as follows: Elisabeth, page 191; Benjamin, 200; Petrus, 215; Elias, 247; and Johannes, 259.  Jeremiah’s will, recorded in “Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey,” First Series, vol. 32, page333, mentions the following children: Benjamin, Peter, Jeams, Elias, John, Samuel, Jeremiah and Elizabeth.  It seems likely that James, Samuel and Jeremiah were born after Jeremiah moved to New Jersey since they are not listed in the New York church book.  The will is recorded in Sussex County will book 10, page 473.  (4) Johannes’ baptism is recorded in New York in May 1742 and Elisabeth’s marries is recorded in New Jersey in May 1749.  “Collections of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Vol. V: Minisink Valley Reformed Dutch Church Records,” edited by Royden Woodward Vosburgh, page 93.