Van Swearingen Sr (abt. 1692 - 1787)

Born about 1692 in St Marys, Somerset County, Maryland [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth (Walker) Swearingen — married before 4 Jul 1715 in St Barnabas, Queen Anne's Par, Prince George's, Maryland

Descendants

Died 27 Aug 1787 at about age 95 in Hagerstown, Washington, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Captain Van Swearingen Sr performed Patriotic Service in the American Revolution.

Van Swearingen Sr is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A111736.

Van Swearingen Sr lived in Appalachia, in Maryland.

Van Swearingen was born about 1692 in St Mary's, Somerset Co., Maryland, and died 27 August 1787 in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. He was buried in Ringgold, Washington County, Maryland. He was the son of Thomas Van Swearingen and Jane (Unknown) Swearingen.^[1] Baptized at what would become St Barnabas Parish, which was established a few years after his birth.^[1]

In 1761 at the November term of Frederick County Court, he was appointed Press Master for the ensuing year at the March Court for Frederick County. In 1760, Van and John Swearingen received a license to keep an ordinary or public house. Van and his son, Van Jr. (known as "Middletown Van") both served in the French and Indian War under Captain James Baxter. Several histories maintain that Van lived to be 108 years old and died in 1801, but in the Jefferson County Historical Society Magazine, Vol. XVI, it was reported that he was [about] ninety years old at the time of his death.

He moved to Frederick County, that afterward became Washington County, Maryland, and took up lands afterward found to be covered by a prior Grant by General Samuel Ringgold and called "Ringgold's Manor," which included several thousand acres of land. He secured the lease for 90 years. As he made improvements on the land, it was held by Van and his two sons for eighty-nine years. His home was built on the present location of St. James School [17642 College Rd, Hagerstown Maryland 21740]. Van and Elizabeth were the parents of twelve children, six sons, and six daughters. Maryland Van is listed in DAR Patriot Index, page 662, as patriotic service in the Revolutionary War, as well as the French and Indian Wars.

Van Swearingen married Elizabeth Walker on 14 February 1713/14 in Queen Anne Parish, Prince George's, Maryland (later became Frederick County Maryland).^[2]

He married Elizabeth Walker on 14 February 1713/14 in St Barnabas, Queen Anne's Parish, Prince George's, Maryland, daughter of Charles T Walker and Rebecca Isaac. She was born 22 December 1695 in Prince George's County, Maryland, and died 1767 in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland. She was buried in Frederick, Maryland. Died Between 1740 And 1765.^{[citation needed]}

Abt 1720 "Maryland Van" Swearingen took up lands in Washington County, Maryland, afterward found to be covered by a prior grant--Ringgold's Manor. As he had made improvements he leased the land for his own life and that of his two sons, and it was held by them for eighty-nine years.^{[citation needed]}

Settled 1733 first at Monocacy Hundred, Frederick County, Maryland, then in 1737 to Conococheague Manor, near Fairview on the Pennsylvania/Maryland line in which is now Washington County, Maryland, near Hagerstown [site of St. James School in 2019].^[3]

1739: Lived in Prince George's County, Maryland, the area later became Frederick County, and then Washington County, Maryland.

February 1778, he signed an Oath of Allegiance and was considered a Revolutionary War Patriot.^{[citation needed]}

In an endorsement on the back of his Will, he wrote "At the time of making the above Will it is my desire and do hereby direct my sons ... that my Negri Moll now my slave at the time of my decease may be free from slavery of servitude to any person".^{[citation needed]}

Will dated 7 June 1784, proved 27 August 1787. Chris H. Bailey^{[citation needed]}

Revolutionary War. Van Swearingen Sr., is a proved DAR Patriot, his Patriot # is A111736.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Additional data and sources from Van Swearingen Paper
2. ↑ International Genealogical Index (R). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of July 18, 2007. Record submitted after 1991 by a member of the LDS Church. Search performed using PAF Insight on 11 June 2006 Data: Text: Van Swearingen; Male; Death: 1785; Spouse: Elizabeth Walker; Marriage: 14 February 1715, Frederick, Maryland
3. ↑ https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Saint+James+School,+College+Road,+Hagerstown,+MD/Williamsport,+MD/@39.5884988,-77.8250666,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c9f1f71d9917a3:0x2d8cf5637de669fc!2m2!1d-77.7586879!2d39.5753999!1m5!1m1!1s0x89c9f3e8b91bdac7:0xea0ab972ab5a1c42!2m2!1d-77.8205508!2d39.6006523

• Early Families of Southern Maryland, Volume: 4. Information found on the internet about Van Swearingen and his family, with a list of 13 children -- their names and births and some information on deaths and spouse

• Cresap, Joseph Ord, and Bernarr Cresap, comps. The History of the Cresaps. McComb, Mississippi: Cresap Society, 1937. Pages 272, 294.

• Additional data and sources from Van Swearingen Paper

• U.S. Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783. Ancestry.com. Operations Inc. NOTE: He signed an oath of fidelity. -- Fiscus-32 08:28, 2 February 2016 (EST)

• Maryland Revolutionary War Records. Ancestry.com. NOTE: He signed an oath of fidelity -- Fiscus-32 08:28, 2 February 2016 (EST)

• Maryland, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1772-1890. Ancestry.com.

• U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970. Ancestry.com. NOTE: He signed an oath of fidelity -- Fiscus-32 08:28, 2 February 2016 (EST)

• U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900. Yates Publishing. Ancestry.com.

• Ancestry Family Trees

• http://records.ancestry.com.au/van_swearingen_records.ashx?pid=5203096

• Family register Gerret Van Swearingen pp 17-18, DAR patriot index p. 662

• http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search_adb/?action=full&p_id=A111736

• Jordan, John W. Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania (Lewis Historical Pub. Co., New York, 1915, Vol 1, p. 159-162)

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/243686413/van-swearingen: accessed April 2, 2024), memorial page for Van “Maryland Van” Swearingen (1692–27 Aug 1787), Find A Grave: Memorial #243686413, citing Ringgold's Manor, Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, USA; Maintained by The Blue Salt Box (contributor 48537896).

Acknowledgments

• Thank you to Bob Nichol for creating WikiTree profile Swearingen-165 through the import of Hamilton.ged on Mar 9, 2013.

• Swearingen-270 was created by Matthew Stalter through the import of Stalter Family Tree.ged on Jul 15, 2014.

• Swearingen-358 was created by Ron Hallberg through the import of Wilcox-Ellinger Family Nov 2014.ged on Nov 9, 2014.