| Notes |
- Daniel Zwears was born in Germany in 1744. His exact place of birth is unknown. He emigrated with his parents when he was only 2 years old. The Zwears family settled in Lancaster Township, Worcester County, Massachusetts, when it was still a British Colony. This is where it is believed that Daniel was raised. He was a member the Church of Christ in Lancaster. He married Abigail Willard in 1770 and began a family with her in Lancaster. Daniel Zwears is believed to have served as a private in the American Revolution in 1776. After the war, the family moved to Dummerston Township, Windham County, Vermont about 1778 where they spent the remainder of their life. Three of their children were born in Massachusetts and the remaining three were born in Vermont. With Daniel, the surname Zwiers undergoes its first Anglicization shift to Zwears. Two generations later it will have become Sweers.
Research by MJ Robbins (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~kidmiff/miriam.htm)
1770 - Church of Christ, Lancaster, Massachusetts, Book I - "Declarations of Intention" pg. 43. This is part of the book, "Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643 - 1850" edited by Henry S. Nourse, A.M., pg. 43: "Daniel Zwear of Lancaster and Abigail Willard of Harvard Declaired [sic] their Intentions of marrage [sic] June ye 19th, 1770"
1770 - "Vital Records of Harvard, Massachusetts to the Year 1850" compiled by Thomas W. Baldwin; pg. 242: "Daniel Zwear Jr. of Lancaster, and Abigail Willard, Dec. 6, 1770, m."
1771 - "Early Massachusetts Marriages" edited by Frederic W. Bailey; pg. 55: "Daniel Zwear (?), Jr., of Lancaster & Abigail (?) Willard, Dec. 6, 1771"
1773 - Member of First Church, Lancaster, Worcester Co., Massachusetts
1790 - Census of Dummerston Twp., Windham Co., Vermont, household of Daniel Swears: Males 16+: 1 (Daniel, Sr.), Males 15-: 4 (Daniel, Jr.; Benjamin; Peter; and Henry), Females: 3 (Abigail, Hannah, Lois).
1800 - Census of Dummerston Twp., Windham Co., Vermont, household of Daniel Swears: Males 0 - 9: 2 (?), Males 10 - 15: 1 (Henry), Males 45+: 1 (Daniel, Sr.), Females 0 - 9: 1 (?), Females 26 - 44: 1 (?), Females 45+: 1 (Abigail). Note (MJR): It is possible that the unknown woman and three children living in this household are either a widowed Hannah or Lois with three children. Hannah is most likely; she had 2 boys who would have been ages 4 and 1 by 1800. Need to research Dummerston Twp. death records to find out if her husband, Thomas Betterley, Jr., died before 1800.
1802 - "Vermont Historical Gazette" Vol. 5, pg. 110--Tax Bill of 1802, Dummerston: Daniel Zwear 93 cents, state tax; 93 cents, town tax.
1810 - "Vermont Historical Gazette", vol. 5, pg. 179: "WEST DUMMERSTON IN 1810. West Dummerston includes all that part of the town lying west of West river. Not until the summer of 1812 did we find a record of families as they were divided into school districts in 1810 by a committee composed of Rufus Moore, Ezra Butterfield and Jotham Burnett. District No. 1, West, comprised 31 families in 1810 and were located, beginning at Brattleboro line: Henry Willard...Henry Zwears, Peter Stickney, Daniel Zwears, Benjamin Zwears...Benjamin Willard...".
|
1744 - 1819 (75 years)
