![[Photo of Charles Robert Swickard]](Pictures/CRSwickard.jpg)
When I became interested in tracing the family tree, my father told me about his granduncle who had done the same thing. A few years later Barbara Swickard (Mrs. Robert Waite), a granddaughter of William Ellsworth Swickard and a great-granddaughter of Henry Swickard and Sarah Ann Langham, gave me a printed copy of the article that appears below.
The full article is Ohio Genealogical Quarterly 4(2):338-349 (1940). The last two pages consisting of a pedigree chart have been omitted. Instead go here.
CHARLES ROBERT SWICKARD
April 14, 1864—May 12, 1940
IN MEMORIAM
This issue of the Ohio Genealogical Quarterly is dedicated to the memory of Charles Robert Swickard, trustee of the Columbus Genealogical Society and a member of the committee on Publication, Ohio Genealogical Quarterly.
CHARLES ROBERT SWICKARD
Born April 14, 1864—Died May 12, 1940
Charles R. Swickard, aged 76, a leading real estate broker in Columbus died suddenly at his home 30 South Monroe avenue Sunday, May 12. The funeral was held at Egan-Ryan Chapel with interment in St. Joseph's cemetery. Mr. Swickard had spent Saturday as usual at his office. A native of Westerville, Mr. Swickard had been engaged in the real estate business in Columbus 44 years.
Surviving him are his wife, the former Helena G. Cohan, a daughter, Marion, and a sister, Mrs. Edgar B. Smith, Detroit.
Mr. Swickard was a trustee of the Columbus Genealogical Society, and served on the committee of Publication for the Ohio Genealogical Quarterly. He was interested in genealogy, not for himself, but as a matter of public interest and civic concern. He was a member of the class of 1893, Ohio State University, the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, The Virginia Historical Society, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The German Society of Pennsylvania, a life member of the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and of the Society of Colonial Wars.
A SHORT SKETCH OF THE SWICKARD FAMILY
As given by Charles R. Swickard, at a Reunion at
Steubenville,
Ohio,
July 26, 1935.
As far as known the first Swickard who came to this country was Daniel. He eventually settled in Somerset Township, Washington County, Penna. At the time this part of Pennsylvania was claimed by Virginia and Daniel on Feb. 18, 1780 entered a claim for 400 acres of land but after a survey there was issued to him a Pennsylvania patent April 8, 1788 for 312 acres strict measure. Pennsylvania honored Virginia titles. The farm was patented under the name, THE GERMAN FARM.
This land was originally surveyed under a Virginia certificate in 1780 by Colonel William Crawford, friend and land agent of Colonel George Washington, the same Colonel Crawford who led the ill fated Expedition against Sandusky.
The latest information as to when Daniel came to this country is derived from a recent publication known as Pennsylvania German Pioneers in which appears the name Dannial Zwigart. This was in 1765. There is a tradition in our branch of the family made known to me December 5, 1894 by a cousin Jonathan Swickard, a grandson of Daniel, brother of Martin and who was thirty-one years of age when this Daniel died. This cousin was reared in the vicinity of where this Daniel resided, after Daniel came to Franklin County, Ohio.
The tradition is that the Swickard family came with two sons Martin and Daniel. They came from Germany about 1764 and were six months "Crossing" (really coming). Martin was about eighteen years of age and Daniel eight years younger.
In 1764 Martin actually was eighteen years of age but Daniel was only born that year. As a mistake of one year in the date of coming so far back could easily be made, being handed down by word of mouth for 100 years and more, it seems reasonable to assume that the family who arrived in Philadelphia in 1765 was our family.
No doubt Elizabeth and Eva, known members of the family, and David, probably a member, as well as others, came along. There was a difference of 18 years between the ages of Martin and Daniel. If there were only five children the three in between these two would have been born about five years apart which would have been unusual and the probability is that there were some others who became victims of the long voyage which will be referred to later.
In a history of Washington County, Penna, it is stated that Martin Swickard was born in Penna., but this seems to be an error as all evidence points to his having been born in Germany.
In the Martin Swickard line it is said that the Swickards came from Alsace, France. Alsace was long a part of the German government but at the time the Swickards are thought to have come over here Alsace was a part of France just as it is now. But it had been German so long prior to becoming a part of France and was a part of France such a comparatively short time prior to the coming of the Swickards, that I, myself, am convinced that the Swickards when they came over here were German. The name Zwickart and variants of this as used in Washington County, Penna., and also their writing at that time is plainly German.
Whether from Alsace or just what part of Germany they came from, it seems that they must have come from far up the Rhine. The story of the cousin who told me of their being on the way six months indicates this because upon good authority it required about six months to come from far up the Rhine. Gottleib Mitttelberger in his "Journey to Pennsylvania in 1750" tells about this. The Rhine boats from Heilbronn* to Holland had to pass by twenty-six custom houses, at all of which the ships were examined and this was done when it suited the convenience of the custom house officials. In the meantime the ships with the people were detained long so that the passengers had to spend much money. When the ships came to Holland they were detained three to six weeks and because things were expensive the poor people had to spend nearly all they had during that time. From Rotterdam in Holland it was necessary to go to some English port in order to get clearance papers to enter a Province of England. In England there was another delay of one or two weeks when the ships were either waiting to be passed through the custom house or waiting for favorable winds. The voyage proper was marked by much suffering and hardship. The passengers were packed in densely, like herring, without proper food and water and were subject to all sorts of diseases.
*Heilbronn is on the Neppar[sic] river which empties into the Rhine at Mannheim, south of Heidelberg a short distance. But the Rhine extends far up beyond the Neppar[sic] into Germany.
The children were the first to be attacked by diseases and died in large numbers. The terrors of disease were much aggravated by frequent storms.
Quote:
"A gale rages for two or three nights and days so that everyone thinks that the ship will sink. When the sea rages and surges the ship is constantly tossed from side to side so that no one can walk or sit or lie and the closely packed people in the berths are thereby tumbled over each other, both sick and well –it can readily be seen that many of these people, none of whom were prepared for hardships, suffered so terribly that they did not survive."
So many passengers were ill on arrival that an island was set apart and a hospital erected there. Many of the sick passengers died. In the year 1754 there were 253 deaths of immigrants on this island.
Just when the Swickards first came to Washington County, Penna., is not positively known, but the Penns who had bought this part of Pennsylvania from the Indians in 1768 for 10,000 pounds in gold coin, were in control and in the spring of 1769 opened the land for settlement and offered it for 5 pounds or about $25.00 per 100 acres. There was an additional charge of one pence per acre Quit Rent. In 1774 the Virginians usurped the land claiming it as part of Virginia. They opened sales giving 100 acres for 10 shillings plus 2 shillings 6 pence for the certificate, making the land purchased from Virginia cost about 1/10 of that bought from Pennsylvania. Disregarding the 2 shillings 6 pence, this Virginia land in our money cost about 2½ cents an acre. Lord Dunmore on behalf of Virginia broke up the court established by the Penns and established his own. The next year, 1775, when the Revolutionary War began, Lord Dunmore was driven out as a Tory but the Virginians divided the southwestern Pennsylvania land into three Virginia counties. The section in which the Swickards settled was presided over by the Yohogania court.
The minutes of this court are preserved and the first records of the Swickard family, found in these minutes appear to show them on a farm which was the identical piece of ground in Somerset Township on which they lived for a number of years.
These old courts were jammed with suits about land. The first Swickard record was on the docket of Dunmore's court May 20, 1775, Swigart v. Mills. The title of this case was preceded by "B" and followed by "Adj" both being notations by clerks. Just what "B" means is not surmised. It is possible Adj means adjusted or adjourned.
Again on Yohogania docket are four cases in which two were brought by Francis Morrison, one against Danial Swigart and the other against David Swigart. In one of the other cases Danial Swigart was plaintiff v. James Murphy and in another some Swigart, first name not given on Nov. 25, 1778 was plaintiff v. Clemens et al.
There appears one in March 23, 1779, Swigart v. Murphy, Judg. W. I. which is interpreted to mean judgment with interest in favor of the plaintiff.
These records indicate that there was a David in the family and as the next to the last case mentioned (brought Nov. 25, 1778) was abated by the death of the plaintiff, the presumption is that this was David who may have been a Revolutionary War Casualty.
I have made a careful search of the United States census of 1790 for the name of Swigart in Washington County, but such a name was not found. However, the name Swickard as will appear later was found. From this it is concluded that these court records with Swigart referred to ancestors in our family. If so, and there can scarcely be any doubt about this, these records prove that the Swickards were on their Washington County land as early as 1775 and from the fact that these lands were open to settlement as early as 1769 it is possible they were there at that time. If there is any question in your minds as to the Swickards being over there early, then how is this?
In a Will dated April 27, 1779 made by John Book and proved June 19, 1786, among the witnesses are Martin Swickert and Danniel Zwigart.
Daniel signed and Martin made his mark. The signature of Daniel is identical with that of Danniel in the Ship Betsey list 1765, which to me is positive evidence that the Swickard family early in Washington County, Pa., was one and the same as the family that landed at Philadelphia in 1765. My opinion is corroborated by that of Dr. Wm. J. Hinke, Editor of Pennsylvania German Pioneers, which work required him to decipher and translate over 30,000 signatures, mostly in German. See copy of his letter. Daniel Jr. only lacked 3 months of being 15, and it is not probable he would have been eligible to witness. Martin is known to have signed his name to deeds by making his mark. Apparently Martin could not write, but when he went on his own bond as Administrator of his father's estate he did sign and likewise signed his final account filed 31 July 1813, in Washington County, Pa. He also signed a receipt. It is quite evident that Martin himself as well as Daniel the father was there,–only 2 years and 4 months after the Battle of Trenton which to me is significant.
In 1781 or 7 years before Daniel received his Patent for 312 acres, he was assessed for taxes on 200 acres, 3 horses, 2 cattle, 5 sheep.
In Deed Book 1 N, page 620 is a deed Agreement dated January 17, 1798 by which Daniel Swickhart in effect made his last Will and Testament well worthy of study and of being followed in its provisions as to protecting the maker by any parent who executes a similar instrument. A copy of this follows:
"is to have 100 pounds good and lawful money out of the estate and the daughter Eva Lash is to have 100 acres of land of Daniel's son Martin. Then after the demise of both parents it is provided that the son Daniel received the tract of land purchased by the father from David Crawford, and the son Martin received the land originally patented less the 100 acres that went to Eva."
This Deed Agreement was accepted in writing by Daniel but there is nothing on the record that shows Martin as having accepted. There is no doubt but that he actually did accept and received this land.
From the foregoing it is evident that in the family of Daniel and his wife Maria there were at least five children. The United States census of 1790 shows Daniel as having under his roof two males under sixteen. The presumption is that these were the children of David who had apparently died as in the Yohogania court record.
Creigh's History of Washington County gives an account of the Whisky Insurrection of 1794. This grew out of the levying of an excise tax of 10c to 25c upon every gallon of domestic distilled liquor and placed a tax on stills according to their capacity. The population of western Pennsylvania at the time was about 87,000, very small compared with the population in the remainder of the country. This western part of Pennsylvania produced more whiskey than any equivalent section in the colonies. The Continental Congress, a revolutionary body which derived its authority from the success of the Revolution, had put itself on record as opposed to any excise tax and the people of Western Pennsylvania felt that this tax was an encroachment on their rights and privileges and all agreed upon the principle enunciated by the Congress of 1774 that an excise law "was the horror of all free states", They were aroused as were the New Englanders who held the Boston Tea Party when England put a tax on tea.
There was little market for the products of western Pennsylvania this side of the mountains and by distilling grain into whisky the people could transport to the east across the mountains in the form of distilled whisky what was the equivalent of 24 bushels of rye or six times as much as could be transported of the grain itself. Every sixth man became a distiller, and he distilled not only for himself but also for his neighbors so that practically everyone in this section was called upon to pay this tax. Monongahela was the center of this Insurrection.
So serious was this Insurrection that President Washington himself left the seat of government at Philadelphia and appeared in person at Bedford, Penna., before an Army which he had called out for the purpose of ending this Insurrection. This Army did so at a cost to the government in money of over $600,000.00.
Residents of Washington County and perhaps of other counties were required to subscribe to an oath of allegiance. Creigh's History gives the list and in it is found Daniel and Martin Swickard and some of their neighbors among them being Isaac Lash. The name of Swickard is there of record in the form of Zuzidant which shows how names become changed when writes the name of Swickard.
Whether the Swickards and Isaac Lash actually took part in the Insurrection is not known and need not be inferred from the fact that they signed the oath of allegiance to the government. None of these names are among those whose stills were seized nor who were arrested or wanted for arrest.
It appears that Daniel the pioneer died late in 1803 or in Jan. 1804 as Martin his son signed a bond as administrator in Washington County, Penna., on January 27, 1804. Martin moved to Jefferson County, Ohio, in 1805 and did not file his Final Account until 1813. In this account is a claim for expenses incurred during five trips made from Jefferson County to Washington County. The Mother is thought to have died before Daniel her husband.
Tradition in the Martin branch of the family is that Daniel resided in Lancaster County and also that Martin resided for some time in the Everglades of Maryland. There is no such place as the Everglades of Maryland, although there is a place known as the Glades which are located in what was then Maryland but are now in what is known as Somerset County, Penna., which adjoins the north line of the western part of Maryland. Tradition in the Daniel Swickard branch of the family is that the Swickards were at one time in Bucks County which is not far from Philadelphia and were in Lancaster County, Penna. before going to Washington County.
By March 1789, Daniel, the pioneer, had acquired 466 acres. Of this 312 acres were patented and 154 acres and 115 perches, bought from David Crawford in 1789 for 154 pounds 14 shillings and 4½ pence or practically one pound an acre. The total cost of this last parcel being in our money $751.89. Although this deed was executed in 1789 it may he stated as a matter of interest that it was not put on record until March 6, 1811 or twenty-two years after the purchase.
Daniel and his wife Maria were no doubt buried in some one of the small burying grounds near his land.
Apparently Daniel, the brother of Martin, remained in Washington County until 1822. That is the date he moved to Franklin County, Ohio, and the records of Washington County show that he made sales the same year, apparently selling everything he had before he came to Ohio.
On February 26, 1822 he sold to his brother Martin an undivided one half interest in Section No. 26, Township No. 28, Jefferson County, Ohio, of which the two were seized in fee simple.
This Daniel and wife Mary, born Dague, brought up a family of twelve, all of whom in turn brought up families some of which were quite large. The descendants are widely distributed in the northern states between Ohio and California. This Mary Dague who married Daniel a brother of Martin, was a daughter of Frederick Dague, Sr., a Revolutionary Soldier, and some of his descendants are now living over near Scenery Hill, Washington County, Penna. Incidentally I might say that two of his sons were also Revolutionary Soldiers. One of them, Mathias, moved to Franklin County, Ohio, about 1810 and he and his wife and many descendants are buried in the Dague Cemetery near New Albany. Mary, the daughter of Frederick, is said to have lived to be over 100 years of age.
As Martin Swickard is credited with having been in the Revolutionary War, so also is Philip Saltzman, his brother-in-law, who married Elizabeth the daughter of Daniel, the pioneer, he being of record in Penna. Archives, Series 6, vol. 2, page 133 3S in Washington County Militia from a return made September 19, 1781.
The records were searched as to Isaac Lash in the Revolutionary War but his name was not found. But little more is known by me of either the Saltzmans or the Lashs, except that Isaac Lash and his family seemed to have remained in Washington County, Penna., while Philip Saltzman and family moved to Jefferson County, Ohio.
Daniel, a son of Daniel, son of Daniel, the pioneer, was in the War of 1812 and enlisted from Jefferson County, Ohio. He moved to Franklin County early and there with his wife who was Mary Magdalene Kintner, daughter of George Kintner of Washington County, Penna., a Revolutionary Soldier, reared a large family. He was a Justice of the Peace for many years and was known as Squire Swickard, married many people and with the help of the others in his family accumulated a number of farms aggregating about 1000 acres, leaving upon his death a farm to each one of his children, there having been ten or so. Three Daniels are of record in the same War from Jefferson County. One was put down as "Big" Daniel and in another record as Daniel, Sr., another as Daniel, Jr. and the other as Daniel. The Daniel and Daniel, Sr. were probably in the Martin line. Saltzmans are also listed in the War of 1812. In the Civil War there were some Swickards in the Daniel line and no doubt some in the Martin line but this I have not investigated. This may also be said of the World War.
Rev. Nathan A. Swickard, a cousin of mine, has it that the first Swickard who came over fought on the side of the colonists, presumably in the Revolutionary War. The assistant to the Librarian at Harrisburg wrote that she is of the opinion that Daniel the pioneer, served in the Revolutionary War but she could not give any reference. However, the records at Harrisburg and also in Washington as to Soldiers of the Revolution are quite incomplete. Another cousin of mine who resided in the vicinity of Daniel, son of the pioneer, told me that Daniel served in the Revolutionary War but I have been unable to get any official record of this. Daniel the son was only eleven years old when the War began and seventeen when it virtually ended which was October 19, 1781 when Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. The War was not actually over until the Peace Treaty was signed in 1783 when Daniel was nineteen. It is possible he did actually serve and it is hard to think that either he or his Father or both did not serve as so many during those six years of active conflict did get into the War. The very fact that Daniel the pioneer was able to patent land is evidence that he was a patriot. Referring to the Revolutionary War records I find that about the first question asked by nearly every young person with whom I talk about the family is, "are we entitled to join the D. A. R. or the S. A. R.?" The records show that any descendant of either of the Martin or Daniel line is entitled to join one of these societies.
As a matter of interest it seems fitting to repeat the story related to me a few years ago by Rev. Nathan A. Swickard who is now about 74 years of age. When he was a boy some elderly man at New Albany, Franklin County, Ohio, told him that some years before two courtiers in livery or uniform, each wearing a sword dangling at his side came to New Albany in search of an heir to the title and estates of a nobleman who had died in Germany and who was the last of his family in Germany to have the right to the title and estate. They were looking for an heir in this country and satisfied themselves that one of the Swickards in New Albany, presumably Daniel the brother of Martin, was the right heir. They so informed the Swickard found but he refused to go with them and qualify saying that he was settled in this land of the free, had a large family, and was content to remain where he was.
The same story so Nathan Swickard informed me was told his Father. Whether it is a fairy tale or was part of an attempted racket such as the racketeering that goes on now I cannot say but its repetition seemed worth while for entertainment if nothing else.
The Swickard family is known to have been and still is represented by those who have devoted their lives to the ministry, to medicine, to the law, and to teaching. Some have engaged in business and some in the trades but for the most part, they have been tillers of the soil and hewers of wood, doing in a quiet way their share of the work of the world, a hard working, industrious and law abiding people, representatives of that great middle class, which is the salt of the earth and without which civilization could not carry on. They were here in colonial times before our nation had separated from her unworthy mother country. They and those into whose families they married played an honorable part in making possible this separation. After the separation our forebearers and their descendants, have taken an active part in clearing the forests, making homes, establishing communities, building roads and in all other things necessary in the making of a great country. They have not made for themselves names known far and near but certainly their combined efforts in the making and upbuilding of the nation, I dare say, is equal and in some cases, far superior to the work, judged by its results, of some who have risen to distinguished positions in the affairs of the nation. Yet, while none have become nationally prominent, however, as time goes on and the younger and coming generations with the new blood from marriages into other families, reap the advantages afforded, there is no telling who and from whence in the family will come those who will attain high places in the nation.
But whether this is ever realized or not, let us bear in mind that work honorably and intelligently performed is what counts in the world and it is not to be thought but that the members of the Swickard family and their descendants, will do their part with credit in the future as they have done in the past. The Swickards, although industrious, ambitious and accumulative, as is shown by their large and widely distributed land holdings, yet, when it comes to forging to the front in public life, they seem not inclined to act in that direction, being of a more retiring disposition, preferring to live their lives in the quiet of their callings and their homes.
We sometimes think life is hard and that we are called upon to do more than our share but let us recall and ever bear in mind the perilous ocean voyage necessary, the sacrifices of our forebearers and other pioneers, the hardships they endured and perils encountered, as they made a place for themselves in this new world, clearing the land, building cabins, encountering ferocious wild animals, required to be alert against the attacks of savages and compelled to huddle in stockades for protection of themselves and their large families, to say nothing of the superhuman efforts required to provide for their families. Comparing those experiences and conditions with the present, the most modestly provided for among us live in comparative luxury and ease.
Our nation is a composite of its family units. Water can rise no higher than its source nor can our nation, the land of our adoption, rise higher than its source, the families of the nation.
As many others, though far too few, show themselves by their works to be worthy of their forebearers, so, I am sure, will the members of the Swickard family show themselves to be worthy of our rich heritage and to be ever eager to carry on the work so well begun but far from completed by our forebearers, and thereby do our part to make this nation a democracy in fact as well as in name, a democracy founded upon the principle of special privileges to none and equal rights to all, with Liberty really enlightening the world.
It seems fitting to close by quoting from Pennsylvania German Pioneers, Volume I, P. X.
"These ancestors of ours were more than mere immigrants, in the everyday sense of the word. They were even more than refugees from a beloved and despoiled homeland. They were pioneers in that they came not to a ready-made republic of opportunity but to a virgin land inhabited by savages. They blazed the trail that helped to transform that land into the America of today, built our institutions and moulded American character. Many were men of eminence in the fatherland; others came up from the penury and virtual slavery of the redemptioner system. Together they worked and won, together they fought America's battles and led in public service, industry, science, invention and in that art of agriculture which is the very foundation of our national wealth and of human progress."