History of the Swope family and descendants of Rockingham County, Virginia online

acted as the attorne}' for the general government in the
courts of the U. S. at Pittsburg, Erie and Williamsport.
He married Susan P. Irvine, and had children — Rol-
land, William and Janie. The two former are promi-
nent attorneys in Clearfield and Cunvensville, Pa.

ii. C.A.ROLINA E. Swoopp:, b. Aug. 28, 1833. Resides at .Alex-
andria, Pa.

iii. Granville P. Swoope, b. Oct. 6, 1S35. He served through
the war of the Rebellion in the Fifth Regiment of Penn-
.sylvania Reserves, was promoted to a captaincy for
gallant conduct at the battle of Gettysburg; died at
Alexandria, Pa., June 6, 1869.

iv. William Conrad Swoope, b. Aug. 10, 1838; d. April 21,
1874.

V. Hannah M. Swoope, b. May 19, 1S41; ni., Sept. 14, 1876,
William W. Brisbin, who died June 2, 1879. The ftimily
reside at Alexandria, Pa.

vi. George Howard vSwoope, b. Sept. 9, 1843; d. March 5,

1844.
vii. John Porter Swoope, b Jan. 9, 1845.
viii. Clara Swoope, b. vSept. i, 1847; m., Sept. 2, 1S71, George
S. Ballantyne, M. D., who died July, 1891, at Hunting-
don, Pa., and had issue.
24



CHAPTER XVI.

I. Jacob Swope\ of Lebanon township, Lancaster (now
Lebanon) count}-, Pa., died prior to 1788. The records of
the Land Department of Pennsjdvania show Jacob Swope to
be a warrantee for 200 acres of land in Lebanon township,
May 16, 1759. At his death he left the following children: —

i. Jacob Swope.

2. ii. Peter Swope, and his wife, Catharine.

3. iii. Margaret Swope; m. John Mish.

iv. Elizabeth Swope; m. Jacob Smith, of Cumberland

county, Pa.
V. Anna Maria Swopp:; m. Martin Rudy, of Dauphin

county. Pa.
vi. Catharine Swope; m. Peter Arnold.

vii. Barbara Swope; ni. Shanley.

viii. Susanna Swope; m. Daniel Houser.

II. Peter Swope'' ( Jacob^) and his wife, Catharine, lived
at Hagerstown, Md. We have knowledge of only one son, but
there were several daughters —

4. i. Jacob Swope.

III. Margaret Swope" (Jacob') was born Sept. 28, 1738.
She married Johannes Mish, b. Sept. 8, 1829; d. Jan.
20, 18 10. Both are buried in Frieden's Kirch graveyard,
near Shiremanstown, Cumberland count}-. Pa. They had
three children — Jacob, John and George. George married
and settled near Clearspring, Md., where he died, and where
his descendants .still reside.

I\'. Jacob Swope* (Peter, Jacob') married Eliza Leight,
and lived at Hagerstown. They had issue as follows: —

i. Anna Catharine Swope; m. Ellicott, New York.

ii. Benjamin Leight Swope, was born in Hagerstown, Md. ,
about 1824, and died 1896. In early manhood he moved
to Louisville, Ky. He there engaged in various business



The Sii'ope Family. '.5^

enterprises, and stood very high in commercial circles.
He was an expert accountant, and was employed on
several famous cases. The press said at his death:
" Louisville lost one of its most estimable citizens by
the unexpected death of Mr. B. L. Swope. He was a
gentleman of culture and literary taste, and an earnest
and outspoken advocate for all that was best in govern-
ment and politics. He wrote much good poetry and
prose of a fugitive nature, and he did iiuich good all
through his honorable and useful life." He married
Jessie Staines, who survives him. They had children
as follows: —

i. JE.SSIK Swope.

ii. Cornelius Swope, residing at Jackson, Tenn.
iii. Katf: Swope.
iv. S.\LiA' Swope.

V. Thomas S. Swope, residing in Louisville,
vi. EuzA Swope, residing in Louisville.

iii. Rev. Cornelius E. Swope, D. D., was born in Hagers-
town, Md., in 1826. He received his collegiate educa-
tion in St. James College, in the same State, and was
ordained a deacon of the Episcopal Church, at Burling-
ton, N. J. His first call was to be assistant rector of
Trinity Church, Chicago. Shortlyafter he became con-
nected with Grace Church, as rector, and after a stay
of three years became rector of Trinity Church, of Pitts-
burg, Pa. In 1S67 he accepted a call to Trinit}- Episco-
pal Chapel, New York, where he remained until his
death, which occurred April, iSga. Dr. Swope was
popular in social and religious circles in New York, and
was an earnest and hardworking churchman. He died
full of ecclesiastical honors. He was one of the found-
ers and for several years president of the New York
Churchmen's Association; a corporate member of the
American Board of Foreign and Domestic Missions, and
a member of the Standing Committee of the diocese of
New York. From resolutions passed on his death by
his brother clergymen the following is given: " We de-
sire to put on record an expression of our high esteem
for his character, and a sense of our great loss in his
death; his calm judgment and genial nature endeared
him to his associates and won their confidence. He will
be greatly missed in many places of trust in the Church,
but in none more than in her missionary councils.
The Church-at-large throughout the whole I'nited



368 Tlic S'ci'ope Family.

States will mourn the loss of one whose calm judgment,
sound understanding, and remarkable tact, made him
one of the most marked men in her general councils."
He married earh' in life, but his wife did not live long,
and left no children. In 1S67 he spent some time in
Europe, and while in Vienna, obtained the coat-of-arms
of the Wurtemburg house of Schwab, believing his
family to have descended from that house.

iv. Sallv Swope.

V. Virginia Swope.



CHAPTER XVII.

COL. MICHAEL SWOPE, HANS JORG SWOPE, AND
BENJAMIN SWOOPE.

Col. Michael Swope, of York county, was one of the first
purchasers of lots when the town of York was laid out 1741.
This is the first record we have of him. He vyas a judge of
the Orphans' Court of York county from 1767' to 1772, and
commissioned a Justice of the Peace 1764. He was a member
of the Assembly from 1768 to 1776. He was appointed, June
30, 1775, by Act of Assembly, one of the Council of Safety.
In 1775 he was elected major of the Independent Light In-
fantry Co. The next year, on the organization of the cele-
brated Flying Camp, he was made colonel of the first battalion
of the first brigade. Col. Swope's battalion suffered as severely
as any during the Revolutionary war. At Fort Washington,
near New York, nearly his entire command was either killed
or taken prisoners, he was among the latter. He married
first, Mary, daughter of Casper Spangler, who came to
America 1727, and by whom he had children; the names are
unknown. She died previous to 1764. By his second wife,
Eva, he had a son, Andrew vSimon, born Feb. 4, 1764, and
another, George, born April 2, 1773. We have no account
of Col. Swope after 17S3. In a list of taxables of that year
we find his family to have consisted of five persons, and him
to have been a man of considerable means, among man>-
things mentioned being a silver plate or medal valued at thirty-
two pounds, supposed to have been given him for distinguished
services in the war.

Hans Jorg Swab arrived in Philadelphia, Sept. 21, 1727.
(Col. Rec, Vol. 3, page 597. ) This is supposed to be the
George Swope who settled in the neighborhood of York. He
was one of the organizers of Old Christ's Lutheran church at
York, 1733. George Swope was "one of his majesty's Just-



0/



o T//e Swope Family



ices of the Peace for the County of I^ancaster, Aug. 29, 1746."
He was reappointed April 22, 1749. (Col. Rec, Vol. 5, pag^
378.) Penna. Archives, 1740 to 1756, page 38, refers to him
as " a principal inhabitant." George Swope died 1757; his
son George was administrator of his estate. Besides the son
he had daughters — Anna Barbara, married Michael Rancke;
Eva Elizabeth, married Peter Yeager, both of Paradise town-
ship, now York county; Anna Eve, married Paul Burget;
Anna M. , married Peter Huber. George Swope left a widow,
Anna Eve. Nothing is known of any of the descendants of
his children.

Benjamin Swoope (Swope) was an inspector of the election
during the riots at York, Pa., 1750. Penna. Archives, Vol.
1748 tO'f756, page 52, gives his deposition touching the riots.
Nothing further is known of him except that he lived in the
country near York, and was a member of Zion's Reformed
church in 1754.

NOTES.

Note I. Elizabeth Herr was a daughter of Michael and Elizabeth
Herr, of Manheim township, York county, Pa. Michael Herr died
Sept 30, 177S (?), and his will was probated Nov. 15, 177S. He devised
his plantation to his son John upon the payment of 400 pounds to his
sister Elizabeth. His personal property was equally divided among his
children and wife. Tradition says that the guardian of the children so
mismanaged the estate that nothing was left for the children when they
became of age. Elizabeth married Henr}- Swope, and John moved to
the neighborhood of Louisville, Ky., about 1793. He there amassed
quite a large fortune. He had eight children by two wives, and his
descendants are among the most prominent and influential members of
the community. This family of Herr are said to be descended from
Rev. Hans Herr, the first Christian minister who settled in Lancaster
county, Pa.

NoTK II. An extended sketch is here given of the Shriver family for
the reason that three different members of the Swope family have
married into that family, viz: Eliza Swope, daughter of Henry vSwope,
of Taneytowii, ]\Id., married Samuel S. Forney, whose mother was
Rachel Shriver, daughter of David Shriver, of Little Pipe Creek, Md.

Catharine Wirt, whose mother was Catharine Swope, daughter of
John Swope, of Hanover, Pa , married Andrew K. Shriver, son of David
Shriver, of Little Pipe Creek.

Lydia Swope daughter of John Swope, of Hanover, married Henry
Shriver, son of .\ndrew Shriver, of Conewago, Pa.



The Swope Familv



61



This narrative of the Shriver family was taken from the "Shriver
Family History," and most of it was collected by Jndge Abraham
Shriver from various authentic sources in 1826. Judjje Shriver was a
son of David Shriver, of Little Pipe Creek, Md. Judj^e Shriver begins
his account with Andrew Shriver, who was born 1673, but Andrew is
not the first Shriver of whom we have knowledge; his father was Yost
vShriver and his mother, Anna, who died in 1690; the date of birth is
unknown. The father of Yost was Lorenz and mother, IMargareta,
both of whom died in 1684. The dates of their births and marriage is
unknown.

THE SHRIVER FAMILY.

" Andrew Shriver was a native of Alsenborn, in the Elector-
ate Palatine, Oberanit, Lauten, Germany. Hi.s parents were
Andrew Shriver, /. c, Schreiber, and his wife, Anna Mar-
gareta, who had been the widow of John Young. He was
born Sept. 6, 17 12, and baptized in the church at Alsenl)orn
by John Miller, the Reformed pastor of that place. He came
to America in the Fall of the year 1721 with his parents, who
paid the passage of the whole family, and landed at Phila-
delphia, after which they moved to the neighborhood of
Goshenhoppen, near the Trappe, on the Schuylkill, where
his father soon died. Andrew then learned the trade of
tanner. Havdng attained his freedom in the year 1732, he
worked one }'ear after, in which time he had 18 pounds in
hand.

In the Spring of 1733 he married Anna Maria Keiser, and
in June following he removed to Conewago, where, after pay-
ing for sundry articles with which to begin the world, he had
two shillings left.

Anna Maria Keiser, his wife, was a daughter of Ulerich
Keiser and Veronica, his wife. Both were natives of the
Pfalz, Germany. Veronica's father was a tanner, who lived
five hours from Heidleburg, in a small village called Reuche.
Her father and mother came wath her to America in the fall
of the year 1731. They arrived at Philadelphia, and moved
to the neighborhood of where Andrew Shriver lived and
where her father, soon died, and she married Andrew Shriver.

In moving to Conewago, Andrew Shriver's step-brother,
David Young, came with them and helped to clear three acres



372 The Swope Family.

of land, which they planted in corn, and Young then returned
home. During this clearing — about three weeks — they lived
under Young's wagon cover, after which Andrew Shriver
peeled elm bark and made temporary huts to keep off the
weather and by Fall prepared a cabin. The w^agon that
brought them to this place passed through what is now
known by the name of "Wills' Bottom," and in the grass,
which was as high as the wagon, left marks of its passage
which were visible for several years. There was no oppor-
tunity for obtaining necessary supplies for the first year, short
of Streamer's Mill, adjoining Lancaster.

• One hundred atres of land where he lived, were the first
he bought, which cost him one hundred piirs of negro shoes,
being the price agreed upon with Mr. Diggs, the owner, of
whom he shortly after bought more land, which was paid for
in money.

At the time of his settlement in Conewago, the nearest
neighbor of Andrew Shriver was a family of the name of
Forney, living where the town of Hanover is now located.
It is worth}' of remark that these families were in after j'ears
united in marriage. For a long time the public road from
the South came by Andrew Shriver's house, and, at the time
of his settlement, Indians lived near him in every direction.
About this time, and for several years after, the Delaware
and Catawaba Indians were at war and each Spring many
warriors passed by, after stopping at Andrew Shriver's
spring, which was a large flush limestone one. At this time
they would display in triumph the scalps, painted and sus-
pended from a pole, which they had been able to obtain from
the enemy. They received the accommodation of free
quarters as demanded; the consequence was they were very
social, and smoked around the pipe of friendship very freely,
without any attempt at wanton injury.

Having but little cleared ground at this time, the stock
was left to run at large in the woods. vSuch as were wanted,
David, being the eldest child, had to collect ever}' morning,
much to his discomfort, the pea vines and grass being nearly
as high as himself and covered with dew, soon made his deer
skin dress so wet as to render it like unto his skin, adhesive



The Su'ope Family. -^y-j

to his body. Deer and other game were so abundant, and so
destructive to grain fields, as to render hunting necessary for
their protection.

David Shriver, son of Andrew Shriver, and Anna Maria,
his wife, was born in York county, Pa., at a place called
Conewago, south of Hanover about six miles. His parents
had been but a few years from Germany, and recently married
when they settled at Conewago, in the woods surrounded by
Indians. David Shriver, the first born, grew up with scarcely
any education, the opportunity and means being both want-
ing. The time of his majority was, of course, occupied in
rendering his father assistance in the business in which he ^-as
engaged. On arriving at age, he attracted the attention of
Andrew Steiger, residing in Baltimore, who was an enter-
prising man engaged in extensive business. Steiger employed
him as storekeeper in a county store, which he located not far
from his father's residence. The want of an education being:
immediately experienced, he so applied himself to attain what
his business required, that, in a short time he acquired a
very good knowledge of figures, as well as wrote a fair hand,
and otherwise improved himself in knowledge and address.

At this time Lancaster had become a considerable town,
and it was the custom to hold semi-annual fairs, which drew
together vast numbers of people. At one of the.se fairs David
Shriver first met Rebecca Ferree, who had been placed at
school in L,ancaster to acquire a knowledge of ornamental
needle work. He accompanied her home, and was received
with becoming respect by her father, but with much dis-
pleasure and indignity b}' her mother, who was lilizabeth
Eltinge, she having imbibed high notions in con.sequence of
the opulence and distinction enjoyed by her family in New
York. Standing well, however, with the daughter and father,
he persevered and succeeded in his object. Previous to this
he had settled on a tract of land provided for him by his
father, at Little Pipe Creek, P'rederick county, Md., where
he had erected some buildings and cleared lands. To this
place he brought his wife, and thereupon built a mill, which,
though of little value in after time, was, nevertheless, of con-



374 ^^^'- Szcope Family.

siderable importance to himself and neighbors at that period,
the settlement being in its infancy.

Having experienced the want of an education, he sought,
at an early period to ha\-e his children taught, and for this
purpose sent his eldest son abroad for some time, there being
no school within reach of them. Possessing an inquisitive
and discriminating mind, he added rapidly to his stock of in-
formation As a self taught mathematician he made consider-
able advance, and was instructor to his sons in the art of sur-
veying — the compass and other instruments used being of his
own manufacture. His mechanical talents were remarkable.
He was, moreover, the umpire of the neighborhood, in the
settlement of controversies. Having a great a\-ersion to law
suits and litigation, he did much to preserve peace and
harmony. His house was the resort of much company, and
the place where travelers regularly sought shelter and repose;
they were always received with kindness and liberalit}- and
treated without reward.

The disputes between the colonies and mother country
early attracted his attention and he early became an active
Whig. So warm w^as he in the support of the rights of his
country that his friends were alarmed for his safety, and his
clerg3'man emphatically warned him to beware; that the
powers placed over him were of God; that he would be hung
for treason and his famih- made beggars. He treated the
admonition with marked contempt and persevered, taking an
active part in committees, vigilance and public safety, and
urging his countr3'men to vindicate their rights. He was, in
consequence, elected a member of the convention of 1776, to
frame a constitution for Maryland, and was afterwards con-
tinued, with the exception of a year or two, a member of the
lyegi.slature for thirty years, and until the infirmities of age
admonished him of the propriet}' of retirement. He ever
abhorred debt as a restraint upon his independence and free-
dom of action Of course, his advancement to wealth was
slow hut certain, and at his death without a cent of debt, he
was worth seventy thousand dollars.

David Shriver had two brothers and four sisters, who all
married. The names of the brothers were Andrew and



The Szi'Ope. Family. -'7 =

Jacob; the former continued to reside on the home plantation
and raised a large family. The latter moved to Littlestown,
had one son, who died young, and his father shortly after.

The character of Rebecca Shriver was almo.st entirely
domestic. At an early period her mind became imbued with
piety, and the duties of religion were at no time neglected or
disregarded by her. On the contrary, .she delighted in de-
votion; .she habitually spoke of the hour of her dissolution
with complacency, and while afar off prepared to meet it as a
matter rather to be desired than avoided. In her religion
there was nothing, however, of gloom or austerity. She
freely took part in the rational enjoyments of life, and was
highh- social and benevolent, ever ready to receive all who
called upon her, whether relative, friend or .stranger. The
best refreshments of her table were always presented to them
and their wants liberally supplied.

As a mother .she was truh' affectionate, ever sympathizing
in the afflictions and mini.stering to the welfare of her child-
ren with a tenderness that could not be surpassed. Her
husband having occasion to be much from home, the man-
agement of the family, which was large, devolved mainly
upon her, which she met without a murmur, and discharged
with the utmo.st propriety.

David Shriver was born March 30. 1735, and died Jan. 30,
1826, aged 90 years and 8 months. May 8, 1761. he married
Rebecca Ferree, who was born Jan. 21, 1742. and died Nov.
24, 18 1 2, aged 70 years, 10 months and 3 days. They had
eight children — Andrew, David, Rachel, Abraham, Mary,
Isaac, Jacob, Su.sanna.

It may be of interest to state that :\Ir. Clarence Shriver, of
Baltimore, Md., in a late tour of Europe, availed himself of
the opportunity to vi.sit the home of his paternal ancestry,
Alsenborn, Germany. He visited the He.ss family residence,
the home of Anna Margareta Hess (the widow Young), wife
of Andrew Shriver the emigrant, which is still occupied by
descendants of the He.ss family. He obtained from Mrs.
Hess, the present occupant of the house, a valuable relic — a
pewter plate stamped with the Hess name, said to have been
over two hundred years in po.ssession of the family."



376 The Szvope Family.

Note III. The progenitor of this Forney family in America was
Johann Adam Forney, who came to this couiitr}' from Wachenheim-in-
the-Haardt, near Manheim, Germany. Family tradition says that " the
Forneys were originally Huguenot refugees from France, who sought
an asylum in Germany from religious persecution." Johann Adam
Forney broiight with him to this country a certificate from the magis-
trates. Burgomaster and council of the city of Wachenheim, and sealed
with the city council's great seal, May 7, 1721, setting forth among
other things that, "As long as we have known him he has behaved
himself honorably, piously and honestly as well becomes a good citi-
zen, and moreover showed himself so neighborly that no one has had
an}' complaint to make of him. He is also bound by no compulsory
service or serfdom." He arrived in Philadelphia, Oct. 16, 1721. In
1734 we find him in the Conewago settlement in York county, where
he had bought land. The Pennsylvania Archives make frequent men-
tion of him because of the trouble he had in holding his land, owing to
the conflicting claims of Penn and Baltimore to the proprietorship of
that part of Pennsylvania He, however, held his own and lived there
until his death, which occurred about 1752, tradition says from the
consequences of a wound inflicted by an Indian. Johann Adam Forney
and his wife Louisa Elizabeth, had six children. One, Philip, married
Elizabeth Sherz, they had several children, among whom was Adam,
who married Rachel Shriver (s-ee note II.) They had eleven children,
one of whom was Samuel, who married Eliza Swope. A very complete
history of the Forney family has been compiled by Miss Lucy Forney
Bittinger, of Sewickly, Pa., from which the above was taken.

Note IV. Samuel S. Forney's mother, Rachel Shriver, was a daugh-
ter of Rebecca Ferree, who married David Shriver, of Little Pipe Creek,
Md. The history of the Ferree family is an interesting one, and is here
given, for not only has the Forney branch of the Swope familv de-
scended from ]\Iadam I""erree, but the Shrivers who are descended
from the Swopes through Catharine Swope Wirt. We are indebted for
our account of the Ferree family to the " Shriver Family Histor\- " and
" Rupp's History of Dauphin and Cumberland Counties," etc.

The Ferree ( L,e Fiere ) family were among the sufferers in
France after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes b}^ Louis
XIV, in 16S5.

"John Le Fiere had married a woman of rare endowments,
Mary Warrimbere. Their children were Daniel, PhiHp, John,
Catharine, Mary, Jane. On the destruction of tlie Protestant
e.6tabHshments the familv removed from their home, near the
Rhine, to Strasburg, Germany. Here they remained two
years, but on the death of her hu.sband Mary went to Holland.
The character of this ladv was tinctured with uncommon



llie Sjvopc Faviilv. -xni

resolution and intrepidity. She had left the land of her
nativity for ever, the tie of love of country had been rudelv
broken. iVbout this time hearing of the fair province of
Pennsylvania, she resolved to seek its l)enevolent founder,
William Penn. With this view, accompanied by her child-
ren, she went to London in the year 1704, and when she
arrived she employed a person to conduct her to Penn's resi-
dence. While on their way the guide pointed out to her
Penn's carriage, which was approaching them. Sb.e being of
a determined and persevering disposition, called to Penn, who
immediatel}' stopped his carriage, he being well acquainted
with the French language, which was very pleasing to her,
as she could not speak or understand the English language.
Penn understanding her business invited her into his cai'riage
as he was on his way to his home in Kensington, where he
resided, to be near Queen Anne, of whom he was a distin-