SECOND GENERATION

4. John Melker ELLER was born in 1735 in Germany.⁽¹¹⁾ He was confirmed on 17 Apr 1756 in New Hanover Lutheran Church, Montgomery County, PA.⁽¹²⁾ John Melker Eller is shown on early Rowan County land records as "Melker Eller." Try not to confuse him with the son of immigrant Jacob Eller.
Mrs. Ruth Goodman (112 N. Brookwood Ave., Rockingham NC 28379) says John Melker later Anglicised his name to John Michael Eller.
Mrs. Peggy Troutman (8180 Bringle Ferry Road, Salisbury, NC 28146) says she knows John Melker Eller and Jacob Eller are brothers and that she "believes" Christian is also a brother. Mrs Goodman also lists Christian as a son of Casper Eller. Casper (or Kaspar) remained behind in Germany.
Mrs. Troutman also says she understands John Melker and his son John were "...in court about "Dunkards" but were found not guilty." It is possible that is related to the Court Record (Rowan County Minute Book, 1773-1886, p.330) which shows John Melker and John Melker II found not guilty of being "Torries."
The birth date is calculated from a 1756 church confirmation record "Anno 1756 on April 17 the following young persons were confirmed by the Evangelical doctrine of the New Hanover Congregation and on the 18th of April were admitted to the Holy Communion." Among the group is listed "Melchior Eller, the late Casper Eller's son in his 20th year."
The 1790 census shows: 4 males under 16, 1 older male, 2 females. Ms. Troutman is not certain about the daughter, Elizabeth, nor the identity of the second wife.
There is no clear record of John Melker Eller's arrival in the US. If he arrived at about the same time as Christian, he would have been only 10. Persons under 16 were usually not recorded in the ship records.

Anna Elizabeth GETCHEY (daughter of Johannes (Hannes) GOTTGEN and Anna Christina (Hamen) HAMM) was baptized on 20 Oct 1742 in Germany. The surname is frequently shown as Goettge, which is probably closer to the original German name. The German records show it as Gottgen. By the time the two daughters are show in Rowan County, NC records, it is Ketchie or Ketchy. Elizabeth's marriage to Melker (Melchoir) Eller is unproved. But Ms. Peggy Troutman (Salisbury, NC) says there is a family tradition that says Melchoir's first wife was Elizabeth, the sister of his brother's wife, Maria Eva Getchey (Goettge). And records in Germany show "Anna Elizabeth Gottgen" as the sister, thus we show that name here. John Melker ELLER and Anna Elizabeth GETCHEY had the following children:

21 i. Conrad ELLER. Other records show it as Conrod Eller. Notably, there is a July 30, 1819, land deal in the Rowan County land Record Book (Bk 20, page 219), showing the sale 75 acres to Christian Eller, son of H. Eller.
22 ii. Caleb ELLER.
+23 iii. Jacob ELLER.
+24 iv. John Melker ELLER , Jr..
25 v. Elizabeth ELLER. Ms. Peggy Troutman lists Elizabeth as a possible child of Melker and Elizabeth Eller. The 1790 Census of Rowan County, NC supports the existance of this daughter. It lists 4 males over 16 (the four boys), 1 male over 16 (Melker), and 2 females (Elizabeth the mother and a daughter Elizabeth).