JOHN WILLIAM SWIGER AND MARY
John William Swiger was b. abt. 1730 in Bayern, Germany and d. aft. 1773. He md. Mary abt. 1755 prob. in Bayern, Germany. She was b. abt.1730 and d. near Hepzibah, Harrison County, Virginia at an unknown date. Children: Christopher Columbus, John, Eve, Elizabeth, Jacob, Lavinia or Libby and Mary.
Ira L. Swiger began his research for his book by interviewing the oldest members of the family and found two distinct accounts, differing in details, from widely separated sources who were not acquainted with each other. He found them both to be true - . . in the main after checking the records of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Both accounts declare that the Swiger family was one of the prominent families of the German Empire, and that John William Swiger and Mary Swiger, his wife, sometime prior to the Revolutionary War, emigrated to America and first settled, one account has it, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania; the other, that they first settled in Virginia, removing from there to Fayette County.
Information from the Pension Department at Washington, establishes the fact that the Swiger family first established themselves in America in Loudoun County, Virginia in about the year 1755, where, no doubt, all the children were born, except Christopher, before the family removed to Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It is not certain that Christopher is the oldest son or was born in Pennsylvania but both accounts declare they had one son when they came to America. Jacob was definitely the youngest and John has a birth record in Loudoun County.
In an old historical volume which came into [Ira Swiger’s] hands a few years ago, which was written sometime in the sixties [1860s] --we find the following biographical sketch: "Prior to and during the war John William Swiger was engaged in mercantile pursuits and had a large distillery in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and in this way came into possession of considerable Continental money. His executors invested it in a large tract of land, in what is now Barbour County, WV (then VA), this being the only way in which the government would redeem the money. The heirs of this land failed to look after and pay the taxes and revenues upon it and the land reverted to the government."
Tradition has it that he, finding that his stock of wares was becoming short and desiring to replenish it-sailed back to his native land for that purpose; but was never heard from again. It is supposed that he and his little craft were swallowed up by the waters of the ocean.
In a "Special Report of the Department of Archives and History of Virginia for 1911," by Hon. H. J. Eckenrode, Archivist, is a list of the Revolutionary soldiers furnished by the State of Virginia. Both the names of John and Christopher Swiger, sons of John William, and that the latter's name appeared on a manuscript list with others that were paid off at Pittsburgh [Fort Pitt] after the war was over.
John William’s family had settled on Coon's Run, in what is now Clay District, Harrison County, West Virginia.[18] "After Mr. Swiger failed to return [from his business trip to Germany], tradition from two distinct and different sources have it that his widow soon married Joshua Barnes Allen, a Scotsman and a widower, who had one son, Barnes, born in Scotland, who . . . married Eve Swiger, the daughter of the stepmother. Mary and Joshua settled on what is yet known as the old Allen farm, near Hepzibah."[19] [Sarah Allen, sister of Joshua Barnes Allen is another of my ancestors. She married Aaron Smith, Sr.] [18] Harrison County Genealogical Society Newsletter, June 1997, p. 26.
[19]Ira L. Swiger, A genealogical and biographical history of the Swiger family in the United States of America, (Fairmont, West Virginia: Fairmont Printing & Pub. Co. C.1916) pp. 207, 208 & 315.
John Swiger was born on April 25, 1759, in Loudon County, Virginia. He died June 26, 1844, at Coon's Run, Harrison County, Virginia (WV). He married Elizabeth Tetrick on May 13, 1794 in Harrison County, Virginia (WV). She was born August 20, 1769, in Loudon County, VA (WV) and died September 17, 1843, at Coon's Run, Harrison County, Virginia (WV). It is unknown where John is buried. Elizabeth is buried at the Tetrick Family Cemetery, Enterprise, Harrison County, West Virginia.
Thomas Swiger was born February 24, 1798 in Harrison County, Virginia (WV) and died January 16, 1858 in Harrison County, Virginia (WV). He married Mary Nancy Righter on November 30, 1820, at Bridgeport, Harrison County, Virginia (WV). She was born on September 8, 1797, at Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland and died April 7, 1870 in Harrison County, West Virginia. Thomas & Mary are buried at Wallace Lion's Cemetery, Wallace, Harrison County, West Virginia.
John Silas Swiger was born March 7, 1828, in Harrison County, Virginia, (WV). He died September 13, 1887, at Wallace, Harrison County, West Virginia. He married Nancy Whiteman on August 17, 1847, in Harrison County, Virginia (WV). She was born on September 7, 1828, in Harrison County, Virginia, (WV) and died May 8, 1892, in Ashley, Doddridge County, West Virginia. John & Nancy are buried at Wallace Lion's Cemetery, Wallace, Harrison County, West Virginia.
Jasper Swiger was born October 20, 1848, at Boothsville, Marion County, Virginia (WV), and died February 11, 1934, at Harrison County, West Virginia. He married Lucy Catherine Lang on April 28, 1878 in Harrison County, West Virginia. She was born July 14, 1856, at Ten Mile, Harrison County, Virginia (WV) and died March 20, 1928 at Lost Creek, Harrison County, West Virginia. Jasper & Lucy are buried at O'Neil Cemetery, Wilsonburg, Harrison County, West Virginia.
Verda Leona Swiger was born on November 30, 1882 in Wallace, Harrison County, West Virginia and died July 19, 1960 in Wilsonburg, Harrison County, West Virginia. She married Claude Hamilton on November 4, 1900, in Harrison County, West Virginia. He was born September 4, 1868 in Wilsonburg, Harrison County, West Virginia and died on August 6, 1953, in Wilsonburg, Harrison County, West Virginia. Claude & Verda are buried at O'Neil Cemetery, Wilsonburg, Harrison County, West Virginia.
