Valentine Switzer. (Immigrant) arrived from Germany, Oct. 13, 1749. He was a brother of John and Nicholas Switzer, who arrived in 1753 and 1761, from Germany, and all settled in Hampshire County, Virginia.
Mary Hotzenbella, Wife of Valentine Switzer, was a daughter of Stephen and Barbara Hotzenbella of Frederick County, Virginia.
CHILDREN:
Phillip Switzer,
John Switzer,
Abraham Switzer,
Peter Switzer,
Henry Switzer,
Valentine Switzer,
Nicholas Switzer,
Catherine Switzer,
Born’ March 15, 1757, died July 3, 1835.
Born 1759, died in Ohio, 1844.
Born April 4, 1767, died in Indiana, January 12, 1838.
Born May 9, 1769, died in Indiana, Nov. 14, 1844.
Born 1772 and died August 10, 1839.
Items:
An immigrant in America represents the First Generation in the Genealogy of his family.
Valentine Switzer arrived in America on the ship Lydia Oct. 13, 1749. The ship’s master was Captain John Randolph. The ship sailed from Rotterdam with passengers from Wurtemburg, Derlach and Zwerbracken. They were Palentines from the highlands of Germany, Manhiem was their oft-mentioned city. The name originally spelled Schweitzer was soon changed to Switzer.
The family relations of Valentine Switzer are established through the probated wills of Stephen Hotzenbella of Frederick County, Virginia, and his own recorded in Hampshire County, Virginia, now West Virginia. The first named Valentine as son-in-law and the second declares him as ancestor.
The will of Valentine Switzer was made November 7, 1809, and was probated May 19, 1817. The Executors were Philip Hoover, Frederick Secrist and “My brother John Switzer.”
Phillip was probably the oldest of the Valentine Switzer family. It is mentioned that he was born in Hampshire County, Va., and served in the Revolutionary War. He moved to Ohio in about 1802 and in 1807 he sold land to John Switzer, who in that year had arrived from Virginia. Evidently, these men were brothers. (The foregoing obtained from William F. Switzer, Gary, Indiana.)
Phillip Switzer and his brothers, John Switzer and Nicholas Switzer, are buried in Bethel Church Cemetery on ‘Chickamauga Creek, in Addison Township, Gallia County, Ohio.
The son Nicholas is described in the will of his father, Valentine Switzer, immigrant, as an incompetent, and a trust fund was provided for his maintenance. When Nicholas died, August 10, 1839, his nephew, Valentine Switzer, son of John Switzer and grandson of Valentine Switzer, immigrant, was his guardian, and a report by J. P. R. Bureau, Com’r. filed in the proceedings of the settlement of the estate of said Nicholas Switzer in the probate court of Gallia County, Ohio, discloses that Nicholas Switzer, the’ incompetent described in the will of Valentine Switzer, immigrant, came to Ohio and lived with his brother Phillip until the death of Phillip in 1835, when Valentine Switzer, the nephew, was appointed by the above court his guardian and that he then lived with said Valentine until his death in 1839. (R. M. S.)