Ancestors of Lois Virginia NISWONGER Smith Rasure

NINTH GENERATION

256 Christian NEISWANDER/NIGHSWANGER/NEUSCHWANGER/NEISWANGER was born in 1703 probably in southwestern Germany. He died before the Feb 22 1738 neear Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. Christian's name was spelled Nighswanger by the English hand that copied his signature when he arrived in America.

He and Marie were born near each other, came to America at the same time and grew up in the Minnonite settlement at Germantown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They were married in 1720 in Germantown, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

On May 10, 1728 Christian NEISWANGER and Johann Justus Heit (anglicized to Jost Hite) together with seventy-five other people signed a pietition to Governor Gordon of Pennsylvania asking for protection from the Indians who were harrassing and killing their people. The document is dated and signed at Colesbrookdale, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

In 1732 Jost Hite, somtimes referred to as the 'Old Swiss Baron' purchased and was granted by the Crown of England through the council of Virginia, a large tract of land in the Shenandoah Valley. He came to Virginia with sixteen families, among them Christian and Maria Magdelena (HERR) NEUSCHWANGER, with two of their children.

On March 30, 1736 Jost and Anne Marie (BOISE) HITE conveyed 435 acres of land west of the Shenandoah River to Chirstian NEUSCHWANGER (the 2nd deed given by HITE), and recorded in Orange County, Book 1, Page 436, which was recently formed out of Spottslyvania County and before Frederick County was formed. Christian died in Feb 1738 and on Feb 22 1738 Jost Hite conveyed the identical piece of land to Christian's eldest son Jacob for 16 pounds.

On Nov 16 1741, Maria Magdalene (HERR)NEUSCHWANGER married as her second husband Jost Hite, whose first wife Anee Maria (BOISE) had died in 1738 and was buried on 'Long Meadow' about 10 miles south of the Opequon Church.

Jost Hite died in 1760, his will is dated Apr 25 1749 and was probabed May 7 1761. Both he and Maria Magdalena were buried in the Opequon churchyard, about 4 miles south of the present city of Winchester, Virginia. This church is still in use.

Christian NEUSCHWANGER helped build this church as well as Fort Neiswanger. The fort was recently torn down and some of the stones were used in setting up the bulletin board of the Reliance Evangelical United Brethern Church, Reliance, Virgina and likewise stones were used by the Methodist Church in Winchester, Virginia for the same purpose.

257. Maria Magdalene HERR was born about 1703 probably in southwestern Germany. She died in 1792 near Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia and was buried in the Opequon churchyard, about 4 miles south of the present city of Winchester, Virginia. She has been described as a beautiful girl, with dark curls and grey eyes. She was small in stature, but with an air and manner that seemed to add to her height. She must have been mischievous and fun-loving, as in later life she in mentioned in Virginia history as being a pleasing hostess. She was the granddaughter of Hans Herr who was in prison with her father-in-law in Berne.

Christian NEISWANDER/NIGHSWANGER/NEUSCHWANGER/NEISWANGER and Maria Magdalene HERR had the following children:

i. Christian NEISWANDER Jr was born in 1728 in Colebrooksdale, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He died in 1803 in Frederick County Maryland.

ii. John Jacob NICEWANGER/NEISWANDER. ((128))

iii. Isaac NEISWANDER was born in 1730 in Colebrooksdale, Lancaster County, Pensylvania.

iv. David NEISWANDER was born in 1731 in Colebrooksdale, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1771 he bought land and a stone house there. He later moved to South Carolina where he lived in Abbeville County.

v. Abraham NEISWANDER/NEISWANGER was born in 1733 in Shenandoah Valley Virginia. He died on Mar 8 1785 in Frederick County, Virginia. His estate was administered by his nephew John Niswonger. On May 8 1767 he bought 148 acres from the estate of his brother, John Jacob NICEWANGER/NEISWANDER.

vi. Maria (Mary) NEISWANDER was born in 1734 in Shenandoah VAlley Virginia. She died in 1803 in Fredrick County (Formerly Orance County), Virginia

324. Henry DANIEL was born in Jan 1676. He was married to Magdalene KLEIST on Jun 1, ?.

325. Magdalene KLEIST.

Henry DANIEL and Magdalene KLEIST had the following children:

i. Adam DANIEL ((162))

MY ANCESTORS BY GENERATION