Abraham Swango’s daughter, Mary (daughter of Abraham) married William Hicks. His granddaughter, Harriett Ann Swango (daughter of Henry Swango and daughter of James Swango, brother of Mary) married Rice Hicks (grandson of William and Mary (Swango) Hicks. Here is a chart that shows the relationship starting with James Hicks, son of Rice and Harriett Ann (Swango) Hicks.

Tradition has it that William Swango, his wife and sons, migrated from Germany, probably on “The Saint Andrew” ship on 20 October 1747. The ship’s sailing originated in Rotterdam, Holland via Leith, Scotand and was captained by James Abercrombie. Jacob, son of William, signed the oath of allegiance as “Jacob Schwanger.” Further tradition has it that William’s wife died on the journey to America and was buried at sea. William and Abraham landed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and shortly after thereafter, William died. Jacob Schwanger who immigrated in 1747 is not our Swango Family. Annette Kunselman Burgert in her book Eighteenth Century Emigrants from the Northern Alsace to America has a more detail listing of passengers on that ship.

Other passengers on the ship (unnamed in Ms. Burgert’s book) that arrived on October 20, 1747 were his wife, Maria Leyenberger Schwanger of Hellgering and children Johann Peter (born “29 May 1740), Maria Magdalena (born 1 Jan 1742), Jacob (born 5 May 1743), Isaac (born 25 Nov 1744) and Catharina (born 19 Oct 1746). This listing is based on church records in Germany. Ms. Burgert’s book also goes on to add information from church records after they arrived in Philadelphia. Jacob and his wife had a daughter Anna Maria baptized 22 Oct 1749, a daughter Eva Elizabeth born 26 Aug 1751 and baptized 4 Nov. 1751, and a son Abraham born 16 Feb 1757and 20 Mar 1757.

An Abraham Swanger was listed in the 1782 Virginia tax list along with his brother Jacob in Berkeley County (now Jefferson Co. West Virginia.). Source: Virginia Tax Payers 1782-1787 Other than those Published by the United States Census Bureau, by Augusta B. Fothergill and John Mark Naugle, Richmond, Virginia: 1940, page 122). Other researchers have assumed this is Abraham and Jacob Swango. It is probably not. The surnames Swanger and Swango were two distinct surnames by this period of time. These two brothers are probably the sons of the Jacob Schwanger who arrived in Philadelphia on October 20, 1747 via Rotterdam discussed above.

The name Swango has been anglicized from the German name Schwangau, which means “swan land” and is probably taken from Schwangau, Bavaria, Germany. The name Swango is not interchangeable with Swanger which was anglicized from the German name Schwanger.

By tradition, Abraham, only 14 years of age when he arrived, was apprenticed to a wagon maker, whom he served until age 21.   He became a wagon maker by trade.

I have found no evidence that Abraham’s father was William or that he had brothers Isaac and Jacob. Based on long standing family tradition I have included them in this listing. Other researchers have provided that Abraham’s mother was Mary Agnes Oesing. I have found nothing to support this.

In 1760, Abraham married Ailsie Pyle in the Old Swedes Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Ailsie was born in Ireland and lived in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood at the time of her marriage to Abraham. In both Pennsylvania and Virginia, Abraham has Pyle neighbors. His wife, Alisie Pyle was a Quaker, as evidenced by some records in both PA and VA. She probably is the descendant of the Pyle family that came from England with William Penn.

Abraham and Ailsie lived in Frederick County, Virginia after their marriage. In 1769 he signed the lease with George Washington for property in Frederick County. Virginia. (Source: Frederick County, Virginia Deed Book Series, Volume 4, Deed Books 12, 13, 14, 1767-1771, by Ameila C. Gilreath, Willow Bend Books, Westminster, Maryland, 2001, page 86).   The lease called for building of buildings, clearing of land, setting fruit trees all according to a plan laid down by Washington. George Washington considered Germans as the finest of farmers and therefore he had a rather large number of them on his various land holdings throughout Virginia.

Abraham migrated to Kentucky around 1785 with Ailsie and their four sons and three daughters. Samuel, Abraham and Ailsie’s oldest son, stopped in the area of Red River, present Powell County, because of the excellent hunting. The remainder of the family, including their son James who we are descended from, moved on to near Lexington where they remained for two years. Then they migrated on to present Gallatin County, Kentucky where Abraham and Ailsie are both buried a short distance from Warsaw.