HEINREICH SCHWEITZER b. 1710 Switzerland Issue: JOHANNES JOHN SCHWEITZER m: ANNA WARNER A Heinreich Schweitzer buried 2 of his children in 1740, in the Moravian Church Yard in Lancaster PA. (pp. 392 PA VITAL RECORDS)JOHANNES "JOHN" SCHWEITZER b. 1729-1730 Berne Switzerland d. 12 April 1802 Augusta Co. Va m: 1750 ANNA WARNER in Philadelphia, Pa. A John came to America aboard the Ship `Patience', commanded by Hugh Steel. Taking the oath on 17 Sep 1753, his age is listed as 24. The ship came from Rotterdam, and ported at Cowes, before landing in Philadelphia. None less than Benjamin Franklin, Esq., was the man "in front of whom the usual Qualifications, (no. 108), and oaths were made." He signed his own name on all the ships papers requiring them. Info from Gerald Swisher is that John arrived on the ship the "Fane" in 1749 with his brothers Valentine and Nicholas. John became an Indian Trader and merchant, making extensive trips into the interior of what was then Pennsylvania; and returning to Philadelphia heavily laden with valuable furs. He made these trips about once in six weeks. The value of the merchandise he brought back varied from around two hundred to seven hundred dollars. (As shown by receipts given at that time, the oldest being dated at Philadelphia, 24 July 1767, in the amount of thirty-nine pounds, two shillings, nine pence.) He seems to have traded in Philadelphia, largely with two men, by name: Daniel and William Wister. Shortly after his marriage in Philadelphia to Anna Warner, he moved to McGaheysville, Rockingham County, Virginia where he was a merchant. Later, he moved to Augusta Co., Va where he died in 1802. He is buried on what was known as Spring Hill Farm. He is thought to have had three brothers also living in America, but where and their history is unknown. On p. 532 of "CHRONICLES OF THE SCOTCH-IRISH SETTLEMENT IN VA vI": April 16, 1802.--John Swisher's noncupative will--not established: To children, two daughters, sons. Made 11th April, 1802--the day before his death. John Pence and Jacob Spots and testator's son John to be executors. Test: Mathew Hunter, Catherine Hunter. To four eldest sons, among them John and Jacob. He had two daughters and six sons. (Either Mary is not named or is not of this family.) On p. 416, same vol., "May 1800. John Swisher vs. James Powell Cocke.-- Deceit, 12th November, 1796."
JACOB SOLOMON SWISHER b. 13 Mar 1752 Bucks Co., PA d. 1833 Catawba, WVA m1: to RUTH (Rutha) STANLEY (Standley) b. 1756 d. 1856 (?) (Ruth Info from Gerald Swisher) Issue: JACOB SWISHER b. 10 Feb 1775 Berkes Co., WV m: CATHERINE BUNNER Nancy Swisher m: Asa Harrison on 8 Dec 1829 Served as a Pvt., for 13 months in the Revolution, under Capt. Lesherd or Leasure, and Capt. Folk in Bucks Co., Pa. He enlisted in 1775 He changed the family name from SCHWEITZER. Rev. # S . 6179 # 12574 JACOB'S papers, made out on 30 March 1833, when he was 81 years old, state that he lived in the County of Berke in Pennsylvania, during the time of the Revolution. "In 1775 he entered the service as a volunteer in a company commanded by Captain John Lesher; that he marched to South Amboy and stood guard at that place during the term of three months and was discharged." In March of 1777, he was drafted in a company commanded by Capt. Folk; marched to the town of Reading and remained there three months as guard over the Heshens and was discharged. He was drafted again in 1777 into a Company under Capt. Lesher "marched to Chester and continued marching about there until the battle of Brandywine which was on 11 September 1777 at which battle he received a wound in his back....in a hospital eighteen weeks and was discharged having served seven months....born in Berkes County he moved to Frederick County State of Maryland from thence to Martinburg Virginia, thence to Harrison County where he now resides. His diffrent discharges he burnt with his continintal (sic) money thinking they would be of no use. That he has no documentary evidence and knows of no one who can testify to his services He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and declares that his name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any state...." He signed his name with an "X". He received a pension for two years, but in 1834, the U.S. District Attorney had his named dropped.
JACOB "Jobe" SWISHER b. 10 Feb 1775 Berkes Co., WV or Marion Co., WVA (some sources claim his birth to be 1769, and his middle initial "M") d. 7 Dec 1873 (Death Record Book 1, page 37 Marion Co.,WVA) buried @ Swisher Cem. Fairmont, WVA "104 years, 10 months and 7 days." Served in the War of 1812 m1: CATHERINE BUNNER b. 25 Nov 1778 Bunner Ridge, Fairmont WVA d. 1 May 1856 Fairmont, Marion Co., WV m: JACOB SWISHER c. 1801 buried @ Swisher Cem. Fairmont, WVA In 1824, he had 77 acres at Piney Run surveyed. Jacob had 40 acres surveyed at Prickett's Creek in 1837, the year after his father; JACOB SWISHER, SR., died. m2: Margaret Miller the widow of Robert Miller. Issue: JOSEPH SWISHER m: SARAH MORGAN Elizabeth Swisher m: John Carder on 17 Sep 1831 Mary Swisher m: John R. Cain on 3 Apr 1835 Morgan M. Swisher m: Mary Ann Summers on 18 Jan 1836
JOSEPH SWISHER b. 14 Nov 1802 Berkeley Co. WVA (D/C M/R) d. 18 Jan 1862 (Aged 59 years, 2 months, 4 days) Buried at Mt. Zion Cem. near Fairmont, Marion Co., WVA m: 89 on 23 Jan 1826 to SARAH MORGAN daughter of Buffalo Jim b. 18 Sep 1808 Fairmont, Marion Co., WVA (M/R) d. 9 Oct 1876 (aged 68 years, 28 days) Buried at Mt. Zion Cem. near Fairmont WVA He was her 2nd. cousin. He served in Co. E, 11th VA Cav. in the CSA. He died of Typhoid, as a soldier. Before the war he was a farmer. He was 61 years old at his death. There are a few other; "Sarah Morgan daughter of James Morgan" that took out Marriage Bond's in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Because of this fact, I am including the other ones who took out bonds in that place, during the early 1800's. I will show why they are NOT our "Sarah Morgan". 1805 Jan 16th. A marriage bond was taken out for Jonathan Butler, and Sarah Morgan, dau. of James. Our Sarah was not born yet. 1814 Nov 23rd A marriage bond was taken out for William Price, and Sarah Morgan, dau. of James. Our Sarah was aged five (& 3/4) 1819 Apr 3rd A marriage bond was taken out for Joshua Parrish, and Sarah Morgan, dau. of James. Our Sarah was 11 at this time. 1826 Jan 23rd A marriage bond was taken out for JOSEPH SWISHER, and SARAH MORGAN, dau. of JAMES. Our Sarah. She was 18 years old. Issue: Alpheus Swisher b. 9 Dec 1826 d. 8 Sep 1901 m: Abigail Vangilder This son joined the Union Army after his father's death. John Swisher m: Anne Miller JACOB SWISHER m: CHRISTIANNA MENEAR James Swisher d. in Army Never married Salinda Swisher m: Tom Croft Sarepta Swisher m: George Phillips Rachel Swisher m: William Baker Catherine Swisher m: James Baker
JACOB SWISHER b. 11 Dec 1831 Marion Co., WVA m: CHRISTIANA "ANNIE" MENEAR (Linton) on 12 Apr 1860 d. 28 June 1883 Fairmont, WVA CHRISTIANA "ANNIE" MENEAR b. 3 May 1834 Kingwood, Preston Co., WVA (Widow of John Henry Linton) d. 7 Apr 1915 Fairmont, WVA She was fine boned, and rather pleasant looking. Linton Issue: John Henry Linton, Jr. b. 30 Nov 1854 m: Mary Shaw 21-11-1878 Swisher Issue: Sarah E. Swisher { mx4 twins { b. 23 Sep 1861 Mary Elizabeth Swisher {d. 27 Nov 1904 m: Edman H. Shaw on 23 Nov 1878 Joseph W. Swisher b. 23 Sep 1864 d. 9 July 1901 m: Carrie Warsingshire Martha Jane Swisher b. 8 Oct 1866 mx2 ANDREW BURTON SWISHER b. 23 JUL 1870 mx8 Bernice B. Swisher b. 29 Sep 1872 m: James M. Lawrence 9 Oct 1899
ANDREW BURTON SWISHER b. 23 July 1870 Marion Co., WVA d. 12 Dec 1951 Fairmont WVA m1: c. 1892 HARRIETT STAATS (After her death; 7 others.) m2: Ivy Polen on 28 Sep 1916 He stood about 6'1, and weighed around 175 pounds. His hair was fair and his eyes light. He wore a mustache that obscured his upper lip and almost completely covered his closed mouth. Around 1892, he married Harriett Staats. I believe Nancy Christian told me that they left their county to be married in another. Stories told about him say that he was somewhat remote towards his children. He must have had something going for him, though, as he seems to have married seven more times after Harriett's death. He either lived with or married the last one, when he was into his eighties. HARRIETT STAATS b. 14 Apr 1876 Big Sandy, Jackson Co., WVA d. 7 June 1914 of Typhoid Fever at Fairmont, Marion Co., WVA Harriett was not a beautiful woman, but she was fair haired and green or blue eyed. She seems to have had a pleasant manner about her. ISSUE: NETTIE ANN SWISHER b. 9 July 1893 m: DAVID CHRISTIAN Ida M. Swisher b. 16 June 1896 m1: Raymond Headland m2: James Mulrooney Charles B. Swisher b. 4 Oct 1897 m: Grace Horshberger Clarence E. Swisher b. 4 June 1899 m: Lillian Tolbert Nellie Pearl Swisher b. 7 Sep 1901 m1: William Martin m2: ? Bertha M. Swisher b. 13 Sep 1903 m: Eric Jolliff Arlie Joseph Swisher b. 22 July 1906 d. 5 Feb 1915
NETTIE ANNE SWISHER b. 9 July 1893 Ripley, WVA d. 15 Oct 1984 Monroeville, Allegheny Co., PA of Bladder Cancer. m: DAVID JOSEPH CHRISTIAN on 2 Feb 1909 Her hair was thick, dark, and wavy. Her eyes were brown. Notes: Unable to express her love for her children, she took after her father, Andrew Burton Swisher, whom she had no such trouble with. She made all of her children's clothes and coats. She died of cancer of the bladder. She never reached five feet tall, nor weighed very much. She was a mischievous girl, but after marriage, tended to become critical and strong willed. ISSUE: Percy Casper Christian b. 2 Feb 1910 m: Helen Berg d. 9 Feb 1963 issue: George and Nancy Christian Vera Anne Christian b. 12 Feb 1912 m: Raymond Steinmetz Nettie Marie Christian b. 29 June 1914 m: Paul Kiser Mildred Virginia Christian b. 1917 UNMARRIED. VIOLET LILLIAN CHRISTIAN m1: JOHN MARTIN WARD Louise Madelyn Christian b. 1 Mar 1922 UNMARRIED. David Morgan Christian b. 19 Apr 1927 m: Norma nee? DAVID JOSEPH CHRISTIAN b. 4 Feb 1883 Verona, Allegheny Co., PA. d. 11 Feb 1951 McKees Rocks, Allegheny Co., PA Buried at Mt. Hope Cem., Crescent Hills, Allegheny Co., PA. He was a kind and gentle father to his children. He worked as a nurse for awhile. When the children were ill, it was he who tended them. His daughter Violet fondly remembers how he would hold her on his lap and tell her stories and sing songs to her. He was as expressive in his love, as Nettie was cold and indifferent. Violet remembers well that when she was five years old, that he made her a pair of leather shoes. He died of stomach cancer. He was in the PA National Guards.
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