The Three Jacob Switzers

As mentioned previously, there were three men with the name of Jacob Switzer who resided in Columbiana County, Ohio during the 1805-1860 time period.

I've been able to separate them to some extent but more research is needed in land records to determine exactly where each of them lived. Census records prior to 1850 are of little help since only the head of household is named. Other people living in the household are designated by age and gender only and there is no way of knowing if they are actually family members. And it appears that at least one of the Jacobs lived in one township for a while then a few years later moved to another.

The tax lists are helpful in determining who owned land and where but these guys seemed to have owned land in several sections and townships. By searching for and analyzing the land records, particularly the grantor deeds that include the name of the wife, I may be able to determine who was who and who lived where.

The Columbiana County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society has published 14 (or more) volumes of Cemetery Inscriptions, which have enabled me to at least identify the three Jacobs.

The English Lutheran Cemetery in Salem Township (v13 p1106) includes transcriptions for “my” Jacob and Catherine. I know this is my family because I have a copy of Jacob's probate file (No. 4962 which entered probate on November 7, 1859 and it gives the names of the spouses of the four living daughters).

• row 1 sixth entry: Switzer, Catharine w/o Jacob d 6 Mar 1852 ae 64y 8m 17d [from other records, we know her maiden name was Brinker]
• row 2 second entry: Swettzer, Jacob d 2 Nov 1859 ae 71y 9m 29d
• row 3 ninth entry: Switzer, Leathy w/o Jacob d 17 Jan 1869 ae 79y 11m 25d [Leathy is Jacob's second wife and his widow named in the estate file]

On page 6 of Volume 1, which includes the Old Section 1 of Columbiana Cemetery in Fairfield Township are listed the other Jacob who was about the same age as my guy, whose wife was also named Catharine, and several of their children.

• row 16 first entry: Switzer, Jacob C., d 25 Mar 1859 ae 70y 4m 17d Father
• row 16 second entry: Switzer, Catharina, d. 17 Dec 1850 ae 62 y 3m 5d Mother
• row 16 third entry: Switzer, Sophia, b 13 May 1830, d 27 Apr 1916 ae 85y 11m 14d
• row 16 fourth entry:Crook, James, d. 23 Oct 1895, ae 75y 1m 6d and Crook, Aliza Switzer, wife of James Crook, d 20 Apr 1903, ae 84y 6m 16d

• The record for Sophia Sweitzer in the Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 database on FamilySearch shows her parents to be Jacob Sweitzer and Catherine Murmmouh (difficult to read). A record for an Anna Grove gives her parents as Jacob Switzer and Catherine Mummert.

The wife of the third Jacob Switzer is mentioned in a transcription of the Switzer Cemetery in Salem Township (v2 p189). On the same page is Daniel Switzer whose wife was also named Elizabeth.

• Switzer, ______eth, consort of _____ b 7 Feb 1766 d 20 Dec 1844 ae 78y 10m _0d (also metal marker, 1766-1844, the original old brown stone is broken, but appears to be clearly that for Elizabeth Switzer, the elder)

• Some additions and corrections to volume 2 were included on page 835 Volume 9 which gave details of Jacob's burial. The corrections came from Barbara Greene of Royal Oak, Michigan.
• Switzer, Jacob d 27 Oct 1841 ae 80y 7m 27d (copied in 1919 by S. W. Switzer)
• Switzer, Elisabeth consort of Jacob, b 7 Feb 1766, d 20 Dec 1844 ae 78y 10m 20d

So, here are the three Jacobs, in birth order:

• Jacob Switzer, the elder, whose date of birth calculates to February 28, 1761 who died October 27, 1841 and had a wife Elizabeth.

• Jacob Switzer, whose birth calculates to January 4, 1788 who died November 2, 1859 and whose wife was Catherine Brinker.

• Jacob C. Switzer, whose date of birth calculates to November 8, 1788 who died March 25, 1859 and whose wife was Catharine Mummert.

It is quite possible that one of the two younger fellows is a son of the elder Jacob... more research is definitely needed. I need to look not only for additional land records but estate records for the other two. I've got the census records and the tax lists. I've looked at some family trees online for clues. What other records are there that could shed some light on these families?