Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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Hon. Ner Middleswarth and Christiana Swartsline


Husband Hon. Ner Middleswarth 1 

            AKA: Hon. Ner Middleworth
           Born: Cal Feb 1783
     Christened: 
           Died: Jun 1865 2
         Buried: 


         Father: John Middleswarth (      -      ) 3
         Mother: Martha [Unk] (      -      ) 3


       Marriage:

Wife Christiana Swartsline 4 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef Jun 1865
         Buried:

Children
1 M John Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Elizabeth Fall (      -      ) 2

2 F Mary Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jacob Howell (      -      ) 2

3 M Moses Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Eliza Hontz (      -      ) 2

4 M Abner Middleswarth 5 

           Born: Cal 27 Oct 1814 - Beaver Twp, Snyder Co, PA
     Christened: 
           Died: 17 Sep 1889 2
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Sophia Bickel (      -Aft 1889) 2

5 M Hon. Aaron J. Middleswarth 6 

           Born: 22 Jan 1815 - Beaver Twp, Snyder Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 9 Sep 1891 4
         Buried:  - Beavertown, Snyder Co, PA
         Status: Twin

         Spouse: Sally Feese (1811-1844) 4

         Spouse: Eliza Feese (      -1853) 4

         Spouse: Harriet Eichenger (      -1895) 4

6 M Abraham K. Middleswarth 4 

            AKA: Abraham R. Middleswarth,2 Abram K. Middleworth 7
           Born: 22 Jan 1815 - Beaver Twp, Snyder Co, PA 4
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 
         Status: Twin

         Spouse: Elizabeth Bobb (      -      ) 7

7 F Merib Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Jacob Feese (      -      ) 2

8 M Jacob Middleswarth 5 

            AKA: Jacob Middlesworth,8 Jacob Middleworth 7
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Bef 1898
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Sarah Bobb (      -      ) 7

9 F Martha Middleswarth 5 

            AKA: Martha Middleworth 9
           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: John S. Smith (      -      ) 10

10 F Sarah Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Reuben Klose (      -      ) 2

11 F Matilda Middleswarth 5 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Peter Rigel (      -      ) 2

General Notes: Husband - Hon. Ner Middleswarth


He was but a boy of ten years when he accompanied his parents to this section, and growing to manhood amid the surroundings of a pioneer home he developed an unusually strong constitution which served him well in the arduous duties of later years. His educational opportunities were of the scantiest, but by some means he managed to secure a good knowledge of books as well as of men and of affairs. When he was thirty-two years old, the War of 1812 with Great Britian commenced. He raised a company, became captain, and was attached to the 8th Pennsylvania Rifles. In 1814, he continued in the service and raised another company, became captain, marched to Marcus Hook, where they were stationed awaiting orders to face the enemy. In 1815 after the close of the war he was elected to the Legislature of Pennsylvania, filling the unexpired term of Dr. Jacob Wagenseller, who died after serving two years. In 1851 he was the Whig nominee for Canal Commissioner of Pennsylvania, and received four hundred and eighty-seven more votes in Union County than Gen. Irvin, the nominee for Governor. This flattering vote was an evidence of his popularity among the people who had known him from infancy. The Pennsylvania Canal was built in 1828 when he was a member of the Legislature, and was a measure of public improvement which he assisted in having established. The Canal Commissioners were at that time state officers, and were elected by the votes of the whole Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but this office was later abolished. The large vote polled for Mr. Middleswarth for Canal Commissioner induced his party in 1852 to nominate him for State Treasurer. His name was often mentioned as a suitable person to be elected governor, and he could have secured the nomination had he desired it.
In the year of 1853 he was elected a member of the Thirty-third Congress of the United States, serving the term of two years. After the formation of Snyder County in 1855 he was elected a county auditor with Francis A. Boyer, Sr., and Henry W. Snyder, a son of Governor Snyder, popular and leading men of the county, serving a full term of five years. In all he was a public servant for a period of twenty-seven years, and if we add to this the time he served in the war it will be about thirty years, the period allotted to one generation of man.
He was executor, administrator and guardian for many estates in his locality, which required much of his time, besides being frequently consulted in matters of public and private business. His was a busy life from infancy to youth, from youth to manhood, from manhood to old age. His appearance and manner would attract the attention of those not personally acquainted with him, and he would impress a stranger as being more than an ordinary man. During his Congressional term he was elected an honorary member of a number of literary societies in connection with different colleges and academies in Pennsylvania. He would always acknowledge these honors in neatly and properly worded replies, and he would also forward useful public documents as contributions to their libraries. The library in the Freeburg Academy contained some books which he presented with his name written therein. He had an extensive correspondence with his patrons when he was a member of Congress, and among the letters preserved by the family were some from Gov. Porter, Gov. Curtin, Gov. Miller, of Wisconsin, Judge Walls, Gov. Pollock, Judge Shindel, Dr. Hottenstein, Samuel Pawling and many others too numerous to mention.

He acquired extensive real estate on which were erected grist, saw and paper mills, and distilleries. While he was not a Church member he was a believer in Christianity, and contributed to the Lutheran Church at Beavertown, to which several of his family belonged.

His successful career seems the more remarkable when we consider that his schooling must have been very limited. When he arrived at the age of manhood, schools were still kept in private houses where English and German reading were taught. This fact is conclusive evidence that when he was a youth, if they had schools in the locality where he lived, they were of a very inferior kind and of short duration, and according to one authority he never attended school but six days in his life. Private study and keen observation enabled him to secure an excellent education, and he was a fluent speaker in the German and English languages, his addresses on political and other topics being listened to with interest by large crowds of people. As a presiding officer he was dignified, and he displayed a complete mastery of parliamentary rules. His public position brought him in contact with educated and refined people, and he was a man of polished manners when in the society of the refined.

He died in June, 1865, aged eighty-two years, four months and twenty days.

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Sources

1 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1044, 1089, 1132.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1045.

3 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1044, 1090.

4 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1091.

5 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1045, 1091.

6 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1045, 1089, 1091.

7 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1110.

8 Compiler's Speculation.

9 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1048.

10 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1045, 1048.

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