Family Record Hunter

Philip Swatzel appears in most genealogy research as a note alongside articles on Johan Henrich Schwartzel. “There is also a Philip Swatzel in Greene Tennessee in 1833 from Lancaster and Cumberland, PA.”

There’s no official beginning. There’s also no official end. Only a few pieces near the middle. My goal is to find the beginning if I can, but would be content for now with patching together the middle.

After several record hunts through the local libraries and FamilySearch archives I’ve collected about as much data on the Schwartzel family as I can without a trip to Pennsylvania. While sifting through the records and indexes I have found over 24 variations and counting of spelling their surname. I don’t expect all of these records to be accurate matches to the Schwartzel family, but better to cast a wider net and narrow my focus later than miss out with the limited time I have at the library.

This is one of my favorite finds from my family record hunts. Not that it was hard to find - It was actually saved by many other members of the family - but because of the first hand account of history that it provides.