Switzer Family Number 3 :: Jacob and Polly

The First Families of Ohio application (No. 2190 dated February 27, 1990) was my first clue that there were actually four Jacob Switzers in Columbiana County. After reviewing that file, things seemed to fall into place. The nonsensical began to make sense. This previous post was a summary of the Tax Lists, Land Records, and Census Records for each of the Jacob Switzers, and in that post this Jacob was identified as Jacob #3. Much, but not all, of the information below was obtained from the First Families of Ohio application (sources are available upon request).

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Jacob Switzer was born December 25, 1794 in Pennsylvania and died August 29, 1849 in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio. He is buried in Orange Cemetery near Nankin, Ashland County, Ohio.

According to the First Families of Ohio application, this Jacob Switzer came to Ohio late in 1815 and married Mary (Polly) Skelton on January 16, 1816 in Columbiana County. (Marriage Record v1 p229 gives her name as Polly Skilton.) This would seem to imply that Jacob knew the Skelton family prior to his arrival in Columbiana County. Or perhaps, it was love at first sight!

Mary (Polly) Skelton was born January 16, 1791 and died November 28, 1841 in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio. She is also buried in Orange Cemetery near Nankin, Ashland County, Ohio. Her father was William Skelton.

On January 13, 1817 Jacob purchased 50 acres of land in West Township, Columbiana County, Ohio. Seven years later, on January 17, 1824 Jacob Switzer and Polly, his wife, sold that land and moved a few counties west. They purchased land in Orange Township in 1834 in what was then Richland County and which, in 1846, became part of Ashland County, Ohio.

Polly died on November 28, 1841 and a little over a year later, on February 22, 1843 Jacob was married to Lydia White (Columbiana County Marriages v3 p331).

An Ashland County, Ohio deed record (v10 p318) provides the names of the heirs of Jacob Switzer. On October 6, 1852 John McDowell and James Sloan, the administrators of the estate of Jacob Switzer, filed a Petition in the Court of Common Pleas against the estate of Jacob Mitchelin. Apparently there was some discrepancy or disagreement and a small portion of the land of Jacob Mitchelin was transferred to the heirs of Jacob Switzer. Those named in the deed were: John Switzer, William Switzer, Nancy Switzer, Henry Fluke & Margaret Flukes his wife, and Lewis Switzer.

So now we have names... and through the wonders of the internet and online databases we now also have some additional information.

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Jacob Switzer had five known children, as shown in the above mentioned deed. The first four children were by Polly Skelton and the last one, Lewis, was by Jacob's second wife Lydia White.

• Margaret (Switzer) Fluke was born March 12, 1819 (birth date calculated based upon age at death) in Ohio. She died June 12, 1892 at age 73y 3m and is buried Nankin Cemetery, Ashland County, Ohio.

Margaret married Henry Fluk [sic] on December 13, 1836 in Richland County, Ohio (v1 p144). Henry Fluke was born about 1811 and died December 17, 1875. He is also buried in Nankin Cemetery, Ashland County, Ohio.

They were found in the 1850 census in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Henry Fluke, 38, farmer, Real Estate valued at $3000, born Pa
Margaret Fluke, 31, born Ohio
Mary Ann Fluke, 13, born Ohio
Wm Fluke, 11, born Ohio
Amanda Fluke , 8, born Ohio
Enos Fluke, 5, born Ohio
Nancy Sweetzer, 26, born Ohio
Jacob Sweetzer, 12, born Ohio

• Nancy Switzer was born born 1820/1824 in Ohio. She was age 78 at death and age 26 in the 1850 census where she was enumerated in the household of Henry and Margaret Fluke. Nancy died February 3, 1898 and is buried in Nankin Cemetery, Ashland County, Ohio.

• John Switzer - There were two men named John Switzer (one was John B.) in the 1860 census in Ashland County. They were 37 and 38 years of age thus born about 1822 or 1823. It is possible that either one or neither is this John Switzer.

• William Switzer was born September 9, 1825 in Ohio and died January 7, 1895. He is buried in Nankin Cemetery, Ashland County, Ohio

William married Mary Ann Richards on February 3, 1846 Richland County, Ohio (v2 p312)

Mary Ann (aka Ann) Richards was born June 12, 1829 in Ohio and died August 3, 1901. She is also buried in Nankin Cemetery, Ashland County, Ohio.

They were found in the 1850 census in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio
William Switzer, 24, Farmer, born Ohio
Ann Switzer, 20, born Ohio
Mary Ann Switzer, 1, born Ohio

And, they were in the 1860 census in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Wm Switzer, 34, Farmer, Real Estate valued at $5200, Personal Estate $698, born Ohio
Anne Switzer, 30, born Ohio
Mary A Switzer, 11, born Ohio
Howard Switzer, 9, born Ohio
Homer Switzer, 7, born Ohio
Laura Switzer, 5, born Ohio
Virgil E. Switzer, 3, born Ohio
Adda Switzer, 1, born Ohio
Frederick Switzer, 73, born Ohio, Blind

• Lewis Switzer was born about 1846 in Ohio.

He was listed with his mother in the 1850 census in Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio
Lydia Switzer, 47, Personal Estate valued at $2000, born Md
Lewis Switzer, 4, born Ohio
Frederick Switzer, 62, born Pa, Blind

And in 1860 Orange Township, Ashland County, Ohio – Family
Lydia Switzer, 58, Personal Estate valued at $150, born Pa
Lewis Switzer, 15, born Ohio

Neither Lydia nor Lewis were listed in Nankin Cemetery or in any Ashland County cemetery on Find-a-Grave. That does not mean they aren't buried there.

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The Frederick Switzer listed with Lydia in 1850 and William in 1860 is most likely a brother of Jacob Switzer. Frederick was born August 19, 1787 (calculated from age at death 82y 3m 18d) and died December 7, 1869. He is buried in Nankin Cemetery. The census records state that he was blind.

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I do not plan to pursue this family any further. The information is being presented here because I have it and hopefully it will be of some use to another researcher someday.