SECOND GENERATION

3. Jacob ELLER , Sr. was born in Germany.⁽⁵⁾ He died in Rowan County, NC.⁽⁶⁾ Jacob Eller Sr. is a brother to Melker (sic) Eller, and they could be brothers to Christian Eller. All three are mentioned in land purchases about 1760 in Rowan County, NC. Ruth Goodman (112 Brookwood Ave, Rockingham, NC 28379) says Jacob Senior came over on the Ship "Brittania." He makes his first land purchase on the Yadkin River (Rowan County, NC) on 31 Dec 1761. J.Gerald Eller (Rt.2, Box 145-D, Whittier, NC 28789) believes Jacob Eller is the "John Jacob Eyler" who arrived 05 Sep 1748 aboard the "Edinburg" from Rotterdam. He notes that there is a lot of evidence that Jacob's first name was John. And he says Jacob's first land purchase in North Carolina was made jointly with Georg Laembden. Laembden arrived in Philadelphia only two days after the arrival of John Jacob Eyler. Gerald also notes the arrival on the "Edinburg" of Lenhard Ohler (Eller) and Johannes Uhler (Eller). (Letter from Gerald Eller, dated 08 Oct 1993) Is Jacob the brother of Christian Eller? We are not certain. Jacob's will states, "I do consitute, make and ordain my well beloved friends Christian Eller and John Gethe sole executioners of this my last will and testament." He could have been a "beloved friend" and a brother, but one thinks he would have noted that. Researchers from the Eller Family Association show Casper Eller as both John Melker's and Jacob's father. The Casper-Jacob relationship is noted in "Eighteenth Century Emigrants, Volume II, the Western Palatinate" by Annette Kunselman Burgert (The Pennsylvania German Society, 1985). It quotes church records from St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Red Hill) of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, which notes the marriage of "...Jacob Eller, son of Casper Eller, born in the Palatinate, m. 11 Dec 1753 Maria Eva Goettge, daughter of Hannes Goettge, born in Zweybrucken." p. 142. There is also considerable dispute over the children of Jacob and especially which children are by which wife. Most of that debate centers around the daughter Eve. Ruth Earnhardt Goodman (112 N. Brookwood Ave., Rockingham, NC 28379) lists Eve as a daughter of Jacob and his second wife, Barbary (see RIN #3372). And Ms. Peggy Troutman (Salisbury, NC) seems to suggest that John Melker (Melchoir, Michael) might also be a child of Jacob and the second wife. While others aren't even willing to list John Melker as a child of Jacob at all. Jacob's will doesn't help a lot but it does note that the second wife, Barbary, bore him two children who are to get a "chest and the wearing apparrel that apertained to my last wife Barbary."

He was married to Maria Elizabeth "Eva" GETCHEY (daughter of Johannes (Hannes) GOTTGEN and Anna Christina (Hamen) HAMM) on 11 Dec 1753 in St. Paul's Lutheran (Red Hill), Montgomery County, PA. Maria Elizabeth "Eva" GETCHEY was christened on 16 Aug 1732 in Ruschberg, Germany.⁽⁷⁾ She was born in Zweybrucken, Germany.⁽⁸⁾ She died in Rowan County, NC.⁽⁹⁾
The name is also shown as Maria Eva GOETTGE and Mary Eva GOTTGEN. And Ruth Goodman (112 Brookwood, Rockingham, NC 28379) lists her as Mary Eve Ketchie, daughter of Hannes Ketchie. There is little doubt these are the same person. We apparently not the first to have difficulty spelling German names.
Whatever the case, her nickname was apparently "Ketchey." There is some dispute among Eller historians about Jacob's daughter, Eve Eller. Janine Eller Porter says she is a daughter of Jacob by his second wife (which is what we show here). Ruth Goodman (in the Feb 93 "Chronicles") says she also believes Eve is a daughter of the second wife. Apparently, earlier published efforts have suggested she is a daughter of the first wife, Maria Eva Getchey. Ruth Goodman, however, believes daughter Elizabeth is also by the second wife. Jacob ELLER , Sr. and Maria Elizabeth "Eva" GETCHEY had the following children:

+12 i. John Jacob "Jake" ELLER , Jr..
+13 ii. John Melcher (Melchoir) ELLER.
14 iii. Joseph ELLER died in 1782 in in the American Revolution. ⁽¹⁰⁾ It is possible his full name is John Joseph Eller. Unpublished notes from J.W. Hook list Joseph as "probably a son." He was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined Bailey's company with a brother John (?). He is shown on the record of Bailey's Company, 10 NC Reg. Continental Line, 15 Jan 1782, apparently the day he and John joined. His heir (son ?) John Eller is granted land in Tennessee 17 Mar 1786 for Joseph Eller's "signal bravery and perservering zeal."
15 iv. John ELLER. Native German families of the 17th and 18th century frequently gave the name John (Johan or Johannes) to all their male children, using a middle name to distinguish between them. Gerald Eller believes this is a seperate person, not John Jacob or John Melcher (listed above). As such, Gerald lists this John as the one who marries Susannah, daughter of immigrant Christian Eller. Peggy Troutman (and this author) believe Susannah married John Melcher Eller. Neither Ms. Troutman nor I can speak to whether there is ALSO a seperate John Eller. However, we show the Susannah connection (and their children) under John Melcher Eller (RIN #3389). A John Eller (this one or John Melcher or John Jacob) joined the Revolutionary Army with his brother Joseph on 15 Jan 1782, Bailey's Company, 10 NC Reg. Continental Line.
+16 v. Christian ELLER.
17 vi. Christina ELLER. Gerald Eller (EFC, Vol.V, #4, p.253) lists Christina as "..a ninth child of Jacob Eller/Eve Gitchey not listed by Hook."

He was married to Barbary UNK in Rowan County, NC. Jacob ELLER , Sr. and Barbary UNK had the following children:

18 i. Elizabeth ELLER.
+19 ii. Eve Getchey ELLER.
20 iii. Frederick ELLER.