Elisabetha (and?) Barbara Mäurer and Martin Engel

There are four children christened in Freinsheim during the years 1820-1826 whose father was Martin Engel. For the children christened 1820-1824, their mother's name is given as Elisabetha Mäurer. The name of the mother of the child christened in 1826 is given as Barbara Mäurer.

Now it's not impossible or even unlikely that Elisabetha Mäurer died after November 1824 and that Martin had remarried her sister or cousin Barbara by October 1826. But I can't find a burial record for an Elisabetha Mäurer.

What I can find is a christening record for an Elisabetha Barbara Meurer, the daughter of Eva Catharina and Johann Leonhard Meurer who was born 12 Oct 1784 and christened in Großkarlbach 14 Oct 1784. Protestant marriage records in Großkarlbach didn't resume until January 1819. If Eva Catharina and Johann Leonhard's daughter became Martin Engel's wife, this might explain why there's no marriage record even though their first child (that I know of) wasn't born until April 1820.

As far as I know, the name Martin Engel wasn't used in Freinsheim prior to the records gap. It was, however, used in Dackenheim. The two possibilities I have for Martin Engel are that he was either the son of Maria Catharina Muschel and Hartmann Engel christened in Dackenheim 01 Apr 1777 or his cousin, the son of Catharina Margaretha Wagner and Martin Engel christened in Dackenheim 20 Apr 1781.

Here are the four children. All were christened in Freinsheim, and all but one died young:

• Catharina Margaretha christened 11 Apr 1820. Her christening record gives her mother's name as Elisabetha;
• Anna Barbara christened 05 Jan 1823. Died and buried in Freinsheim 12 Dec 1827. Her christening and burial records give her mother's name as Elisabetha;
• Dorothea christened 08 Nov 1823. Died and buried in Freinsheim 23 Dec 1826. Her christening and burial records give her mother's name as Elisabetha; and
• Johannes born 09 Oct 1826, christened 11 Oct 1826. Died and buried in Freinsheim 12 Oct 1826. His christening and burial records give his mother's name as Barbara.

I have no further records for Catharina Margaretha, Elisabetha (and?) Barbara or Martin. What I do have is a Freinsheim burial record dated 10 Feb 1821 for Martin Engel, son of Martin Engel. Now this could be a son of Elisabetha Mäurer and Martin Engel born during the records gap, but if he was born in Dackenheim (and couples generally did marry in wife's town but settle in the husband's town), he would have had to have been born before 1816. That would create a gap of at least five years between him and Catharina Margaretha born 1820.

The other possibility was that the Martin son of Martin who died in 1821 was the son of Catharina Margaretha Wagner and Martin Engel born in 1781. If that's the case, then the Martin Engel who married Elisabetha (and?) Barbara Mäurer would have to be the son of Maria Catharina Muschel or Muschel and Hartmann Engel born in 1777.