George was born in "Berghausen," no state given, tombstone reads "Wirtenburg." There are several Berghausens. One is near his wife's birthplace, Amtshausen in Wittgenstein (now North Rhine -Westphalia), Germany. The other is 168 miles south near Karlsruh in Baden-Wuerttemberg. At the baptism of his first child in Amtshausen 1736, a sponsor was "Anna Maria, Joh. Georg MUSSE of Birkenfeld's daughter." Three years later the sponsor was "Johann Georg MUSSE of Berghausen," per Clifford R. Canfield, "Some Ancestors of George MIESS / Juliana BALDT and Philip MIESS / Louisa OHRENDORF," 1994, Hemet, California. Birkenfeld is 182 miles south of the baptism which took place in Amtshausen. Birkenfeld is also located in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. There are other Birkenfelds in Rhineland-Palatinate and Bavaria, but not in North Rhine-Westphalia. I choose the Berghausen and Birkenfeld in Baden-Wurttemberg.

George's emigration / immigration: Two of their children were baptized in Amtshausen, Wittgenstein, Germany, the last one being 28 Sep 1739. It is likely that he was the "John George METZ" who arrived in Philadelphia 26 Sep 1741 on the ship "St. Mark" from Rotterdam. He was with Philip MIESS, his cousin, or perhaps his brother.
In 1743, George is said to be a member of the Swatara Reformed Church. Philip MIESS was Reformed when he joined the Moravian Church in 1749.

George's son, Johann Gerhard MIESS was born 17 Oct and baptised 26 Oct 1746 at Lancaster Moravian Church, Lancaster Co., PA, the son of "Joh. Georg MISSE and wife Anna Juliana."

Israel Daniel Rupp, the "History of the Counties of Berks and Lebanon ," copyright 1844. The following account was attributed by Rupp to the "Pennsylvania Gazette," June 17, 1756:
"On the 8th of June [1756], in the afternoon, between three and four o'clock, four or five Indians made an incursion, at a place called "The Hole", where the Great Swatara runs through the Blue mountain--they crept up, unobserved, behind the fence of Felix WUENCH, shot him, as he was ploughing, through the breast--he cried lamentably, and run, but the Indians soon came up with him: he defended himself some time with his whip--they cut his head and breast with their tomahawks, and scalped him. His wife heard his cries, and the report of two guns--ran out of the house, but was soon taken by the enemy, who carried her, with one of her own and two of her sister's children away with them, after setting the house on fire and otherwise destroying property.
"A servant boy, who was as some distance, seeing this, ran to his neighbor, George MIESS; though he had a bad leg, with his son, ran directly after the Indians, and raised a great noise, which so frightened the Indians, that they immediately took to their heels, and in their flight left a tub of butter, and a side of bacon, behind them. Mr. MIESS then went to the house, which was in flames, and threw down the fences, in order to save the barn. The Indians had drunk all the brandy in the spring house and took several gammons, a quantity of meal, some loaves of bread, and a great many other things with them.
"Had Mr. MIESS not been so courageous, they probably would have attacked another house. They shot one of the horses in the plough, and dropped a large French knife."

I. Daniel Rupp gives a source for the following as the Pennsylvania Gazette, June 17, 1756:
"From additional intelligence it appears, that immediately on the above murder [of WUENCH] being perpetrated, twenty families went into Smith's Fort [Fort Swatara],--'which was but one mile and a quarter from where WUENSCH lived,' and that still more were expected to go into the fort--and immediately a party was sent out after the enemy, but to no purpose.
"On the 26th of June, 1756, the Indians killed four persons, scalped them, and shot two horses. Two men, Franz ALBERT and Jacob HAENDSCHE, and two lads, Frederick WEISER [nephew of famous Conrad WEISER b.1696] and John George MIESS [Junior, b. 17 Sep. 1739], were ploughing in the field of one FISCHER, were surprised, murdered and scalped by the Indians, as appears, from an extract taken from the Schwatarer Kirchen Buch:" [extract in German not included here]

The burial records of Bethel Moravian give his death entry (1774) as "Joh. George MIESS, aged 70 years. Minister, Jacob TILL"

• Married: 15 Apr 1736 in Germany

1. Maria Christina MIESS b: 16 Dec 1736 in Germany c: 22 Dec 1736 in Amtshausen, Wittgenstein, Germany
2. Johann George MIESS b: 25 Sep 1739 in Germany c: 28 Sep 1739 in Amtshausen, Wittgenstein, Germany
3. Johann Gerhard MIESS b: 17 Oct 1746 in Lebanon or Lancaster Co., PA c: 26 Oct 1746 in Lancaster Moravian Church, Lancaster Co., PA
4. Catharina MIESS b: 10 May 1749 in Bethel now Swatara Tp., Lancaster now Lebanon Co., PA c: 10 Jun 1749 in Bethel Moravian Church, Swatara Tp., Lebanon Co., PA
5. Johann Heinrich MIESS b: 24 Jan 1752 in Bethel now Swatara Tp., Lancaster now Lebanon Co., PA c: 23 Mar 1752 in Bethel Moravian Church, Swatara Twp., Lebanon Co., PA
6. Johann MIESS b: 26 Jan 1753 in Bethel now Swatara Tp., Lancaster now Lebanon Co., PA c: 13 Feb 1753 in Bethel Moravian Church, Swatara Twp., Lebanon Co., PA
7. Thomas MIESS b: 23 Apr 1754 in Bethel now Swatara Tp., Lancaster now Lebanon Co., PA c: 28 Apr 1754 in Bethel Moravian Church, Swatara Twp., Lebanon Co., PA
8. Maria Elisabeth MIESS b: 29 Nov 1760 in Lebanon or Lancaster Co., PA c: 30 Nov 1760 in Lancaster Moravian Church, Lancaster Co., PA

1. Title: Burials, Bethel Moravian Church, Swatara Tp., Lebanon Co., PA
   Author: Tombstone