Diane-   I believe that the Mary Ann Swiger mentioned in your article is my gggrandmother, though I will need to do a bit more research to learn her father's name.   It matches up with my Bennett genealogy, of Abraham who settled near Dola about that time.   Dick put the article my grandfather wrote on the Bennetts on the HGCS website a year or so ago.   Here is an excerpt from it, and I would be interested in correponding some more with you on this once I go looking up some more facts.    That bit  about reading the Bible rings a bell.   West Virginia Line               Abraham Bennett (1745) who came to West Virginia in 1796 had but two sons to perpetuate the name. They were Abraham (1780) who became the head of the Ohio branch and William R. (1796) who remained in West Virginia and became the head of the family in this state.             William R. being born into the family at a later date than Abraham (1780) had, probably, a better education than did his older brother. He evidently had a good education for his times, because he attended a medical college in Philadelphia, and was a practicing physician. He also learned surveying like George Washington, and while in school in Philadelphia made connection with a company holding a large area of land in this part of the state, to survey and sells this land for it. He accordingly acted as its agent, selling and making the survey, collecting payments and once each year he threw his saddlebags on his old dun horse and rode into Philadelphia to make settlement with the company, get deeds for land sold and bring back the purchasers. While there he did a little “brushing up” in the medical school. He took pay for most of his work in land and at one time owned more than 8000 acres of land in Harrison County.                        William was “good roads’ advocate and builder. He helped to survey and build the Shinnston-Middlebourne pike, extending fifty miles from Shinnston to Middlebourne past his farm at Dola. At that time it was one of the best roads in this section of the country.   Lighted Her Pipe               William R. was married to Mary Ann Swiger. Her family was Pennsylvania Dutch, who came to this section about the time Abraham Bennett (1745) did. She was a workman of strong character and sterling qualities, and lived for more than eighty-seven years.     William Backus and Jacob Swiger came to Harrison Co. from Fayette Co., PA. I wrote a story that is in the HCGS archives. It's named Pennsylvania Dutch and is about these and related families. Diane Hill Zimmerman

Mary Ann Swiger's sister Sarah who married Elisha Hall was my 2nd great grand mother. Their parents were Jacob Swiger and Nancy Backus. Charlotte Fleming ----- Original Message ----- From: "nan adams" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 2:44 PM Subject: Re: [HCGS] Fayette PA to Harrison WV settlers > Diane- I believe that the Mary Ann Swiger mentioned in your article is my > gggrandmother, though I will need to do a bit more research to learn her > father's name. It matches up with my Bennett genealogy, of Abraham who > settled near Dola about that time. Dick put the article my grandfather > wrote on the Bennetts on the HGCS website a year or so ago. Here is an > excerpt from it, and I would be interested in correponding some more with > you on this once I go looking up some more facts. That bit about reading > the Bible rings a bell. > > > > > > > West > Virginia Line > > > > Abraham > Bennett (1745) who came to West > Virginia in 1796 had but two sons to perpetuate the > name. They were Abraham (1780) who became the head of the Ohio > branch and William R. (1796) who remained in West Virginia and became the > head of the > family in this state. > > William > R. being born into the family at a later date than Abraham (1780) had, > probably, a better education than did his older brother. He evidently had > a > good education for his times, because he attended a medical college in > Philadelphia, and was a > practicing physician. He also learned surveying like George Washington, > and > while in school in Philadelphia > made connection with a company holding a large area of land in this part > of the > state, to survey and sells this land for it. He accordingly acted as its > agent, > selling and making the survey, collecting payments and once each year he > threw > his saddlebags on his old dun horse and rode into Philadelphia to make > settlement with the > company, get deeds for land sold and bring back the purchasers. While > there he > did a little “brushing up” in the medical school. He took pay for most of > his > work in land and at one time owned more than 8000 acres of land in > Harrison County. > > > > > William > was “good roads’ advocate and builder. He helped to survey and build the > Shinnston-Middlebourne pike, extending fifty miles from Shinnston to > Middlebourne past his farm at Dola. At that time it was one of the best > roads > in this section of the country. > > > > Lighted Her Pipe > > > > William > R. was married to Mary Ann Swiger. Her family was Pennsylvania Dutch, who > came > to this section about the time Abraham Bennett (1745) did. She was a > workman of > strong character and sterling qualities, and lived for more than > eighty-seven > years. > > William Backus and Jacob Swiger came to Harrison Co. from Fayette > Co., PA. I wrote a story that is in the HCGS archives. It's named > Pennsylvania Dutch and is about these and related families. > Diane Hill Zimmerman > > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.432 / Virus Database: 270.14.132/2610 - Release Date: 01/09/10 19:35:00