"I'M MY OWN COUSIN"
        -- Jean Hudson McNamara


"I'm My Own Grandpa" so the song goes, but my song and story is "I'm My Own Cousin."

    Yes, Hans (Johann) Ulrich SWINGLE and his wife Mary SHAFFER came to Canaan Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania in 1786 and began my story.  Hans Ulrich was born 15 May 1732 in the Wurttemberg region of Germany to Johann Ulrich and Anna Barbara (SCHELL) SCHWENKEL.  He came from the village of Hulben and arrived 24 September, 1751, in Philadelphia on the ship "Neptune" with 284 passengers, and most likely with his parents.  They were first in Longswamp Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, and then Montgomery, Orange County, New York.

    It is likely that the SWINGLE and SHAFFER families knew each other from Germany or traveled together.  In any event, they both ended up in Montgomery, Orange County, New York and then the same area in Pennsylvania in the same year.  Hans Ullrich and John SHAFFER were among the 29 taxpayers when Canaan Township was established in 1798.

    Hans Ulrich and Mary had six sons and four daughters.  The sons settled in the area of their parents and were successful farmers.  Three of their ten children, John S. SWINGLE 1763, Catherine "Kate" SWINGLE 1771, and Jacob SWINGLE 27 April 1782, are my grandparents in three different levels of "great."  Each of them married, one a SHAFFER (Mary's niece), one a MOORE and one an ENSLIN, had families of their own on down to Blanche Jane SWINGLE born 2 January 1885 in the very small borough of Clemo, Cherry Ridge Township, Wayne County.  Wayne County was formed in 1796 from Northampton County and Northampton County had been created in 1752 from Bucks County.  Blanche had great grandparents who were related to each other!

    The other seven children are:  Jeremiah 1765, Elizabeth Morilla 1767, Conrad 1769, Christina 1775, Mary 1781, Frederick 1787, Henry 1790 [dates not documented for some; there are varying opinions of correct birth dates].

    Blanche Jane SWINGLE attended the little school house in Clemo, which incidentally is still standing.  An 1890s photo shows her with her school mates, many of whom must have been cousins and she didn't realize it at the time.  She returned in 1928 to take a picture with her daughter, then 8 years of age.

    The HUDSONS entered the picture when Blanche Jane met Clarence Niles HUDSON of Waymart, also Wayne County.  He was the only one in town with his own horse and carriage so that may have been the initial attraction.  They moved to Scranton where Clarence was first a machinist and then foreman at the Scranton Lace Company.  They later moved to Clarks Green where Clarence died unexpectedly at a young age.  He had been an active member of the Green Ridge Lodge of F & A M.  His funeral arrangements were handled by this Lodge and one of his pallbearers was Hugh RODHAM, the grandfather of Hillary RODHAM CLINTON.

    Clarence's father Hiram T. HUDSON, born 16 February 1840 in Waymart, was at first Assistant Superintendent of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company's Gravity Railroad and by 1900 was Railroad Yard Master at Waymart.  The HUDSON homestead was just next to the tracks at Waymart where the Gravity Inn now stands just out of town down a short dirt road.  According to the deed the property still has the original foundation laid in 1895.  Hiram was also quite active with the Masonic Order, No. 542 at Waymart.  If the raised jeweled cross and crown on his pin are any indication, he must have been Master or Commander of the Lodge or of the entire district.

    Hiram's father, Oscar HUDSON, born 22 December 1801 in Goshen, Orange County, New York, came to Wayne County as did his sister Caroline HUDSON.  In August 1824 she married Edward CARR, one of the sons of another pioneer family.  When Waymart Borough was organized in 1851 from Canaan Township there were 83 taxpayers, including Oscar HUDSON.  Oscar was a railroad hand.  He and his wife Margaret JESSUP were active with the Presbyterian Church, first at Carbondale and then at Canaan in 1835.  He was one of the constituent members and was elected one of the first two elders.  In 1846 the church edifice was erected.  When there became a disagreement between the Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal Churches over building use, Oscar was asked to represent the Presbyterians to harmonize their differences.  He remained active until his hearing began to fail him in 1864 when he requested to be discharged from his church duties.  The consideration of his request was postponed.  A week later he was asked to withdraw his request which he did.  Oscar and Margaret had seven children:  Catherine S. married Emory STONE, Mary Ann married Dr. Jerry ROGERS, Samuel B. married Ann Melissa KEEN, Helen married James THOMPSON, Julia J. married Silas HOYLE, Arthur Thomas married Nancy Catherine "Kate" KLINE, and Hiram T. married Angeline BUCKLAND.  After the death of Margaret in 1841, Oscar married Mary E. MCLAUGHLIN COREY whose family had also come from Orange County, New York.

    Strange and interesting that two families had come from Orange County, New York - SWINGLES (1786) and HUDSONS (1824) and that generations later one of each family would meet and marry.

    Hans Ulrich SWINGLE died at age 78 years and his wife Mary at age 80.  The inscription on their burial stone is "He Gave This Burial Ground For The Use Of The Public.  This Stone Erected By The Public To His Memory."  This is the SWINGLE Cemetery, also known as So. Canaan Bible Protestant and Methodist Protestant Cemetery.

    There are hundreds of descendants of Hans Ulrich & Mary SWINGLE, and many are compiling and comparing their histories.  The SWINGLE name is still prominent in the Northeastern Pennsylvania area and many are found throughout the country.  You may want to contribute information regarding this family by contacting Dick Taylor, the SWINGLE/SHAFFER Families website coordinator.  Other Wayne County researchers can be found on the homepage of GRSNP, the Genealogical Research Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Inc.