David Swayze (1762-1838)

52 Ancestors #10 – Judge David Swayze (1762-1838)

David Swayze is a great example of an individual that I know I have so much more research to work on. His life was pretty amazing.

Birth: I am fairly certain that he was born on March 4th, 1762, to Amos and Ida
Swayze in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. There are a couple sources that indicate he may have been born on March 11th, which I would like to investigate further.  Another area is that his is the only child I know that Amos and Ida had. I would need to investigate further and determine if he had any siblings.

Military: We also know that he was a patriot.  He served as a private for New Jersey during the Revolution. According to DAR and SAR records he served under Capt. McKinney, Hazlet, Henry, Bonnel & Ribble. His service is an area that I really need to do much more research. What actions might he have seen.  He also received a pension for his service and it appears that he received a land grant for his service. 

Family:  He married Alice Mulligan on January 20th, 1792.   They had five children that I
know of.

• David (Jr.) born in 1796
• Sarah born in 1800
• Evan Thomas born in 1802
• Elizabeth born in 1804
• William Marsh born in 1814

Sometime between 1796 and 1817, David moved to Ohio. Because in 1817, David was a Justice of the Peace in Fairfield County, Ohio, where he married his son David to Catherine Walter. 

According to an entry on Find A Grave, “David Swayze was one of the founders of New Salem,
Ohio. It may have been named after the town of Salem, Mass. It was laid out by Abraham Hashbarger/Hershberger and David Swayze.”

David Swayze died on 2 Mar 1838 in New Salem, Fairfield county, Ohio at the age of 75. 

He is buried New Salem Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in Salem, Perry County, Ohio, USA.

I remember my wife’s 4th great-grandfather, David Swayze, today, on the 252nd
anniversary of his birth. 

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The Great Ancestors

1st – 12.  Rufus Harry Darling (1857-1917)
2nd – 25.  Elizabeth Jane Swayze Wiseman Darling (1818-1881)
3rd – 50.  David Swayze (1796-1850)
4th – 100.  David Swayze (1762-1838)
5th – 200.  Amos Swayze (1739-1813)*
6th – 400.  Mathias Swayze (1701-…)*
7th – 800.  Samuel Swayze (1653-1738)*
8th – 1600.  John Swayze (1619..1692)*

* = Tentative ancestor – I have not had the opportunity to independently confirm this ancestor — Yet.

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Further Research: 

• Investigate various sources for David’s birthdate.
• Investigate Amos & Ida Swayze for additional children.
• Further document David’s Military Service.
• Follow David’s move to Ohio better.
• Find/acquire a better image of David Swayze’s marker where the writing is legible.

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Sources:

• DAR Genealogical Research Databases – Nat’l #: 109611 & Nat’l #: 244347
• Find a Grave Memorial# 7656916 – David Swayze
• Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1994 (vi FamilySearch.org) – FHL microfilm 295268.
• Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997, (via FamilySearch.org) – David Swayze, 1838.
• Sons of the American Revolution – Volume: 150; SAR Memb. # 22943.
• Sons of the American Revolution – Volume: 302; SAR Memb. # 60216.