John was born in Coventry Twp., Chester Co. PA in 1720. He married Veronica Wenger b. in New Hanover Twp. Montgomery Co. PA. John was listed in the Census between 1765- 1781 as having 200 acres, the 1771 tax list assesses him for 3 horses, 4 cattle and 4 sheep, in addition to the land. The 3 witnesses to John's Will were all ministers. One, Martin II Urner had charge of the Coventry German

 Baptist Church, from 1755 to 1799. Another was John High, a preacher at the Mennonite Church at Coventry, who was married to a niece of John I. Vronica Wenger was from the Mennonite family.  Heinrich Wenger was among those who were persecuted as anabaptists in Switzerland that are in the Martyr's Mirror.. Vronica's name was spelled without an "E" and she furthermore apparently used a  nickname and was called by her brother Abraham, "sister Franah Switser".

 Children

Hannah Switzer Heath, Mary Switzer Croussan, Jacob Switzer, Esther Switzer Gerhart, Magdalena Switzer Maurer, Elizabeth Switzer Wissler/Whistler, John Switzer II, Vronica Switzer, Barbara Switzer.

 Vronica Switzer's will was written Dec. 16, 1795, in Chester Co.. She made her mark, "F" and beside the letter someone wrote " Frena".  The Coventry tax list has her as Frenah and Frannah.  She probably died shortly before Jan. 21, 1800, as that is when the valuation of John Switzer's estate was made.

 John Switzer's Will

I, John Switzer of the Township of Coventry in the County of Chester in Pennsylvania, Yeoman, bring under weakness and indisposition of body, but through mercy of sound and well disposing mind and memory Do this seventeenth Day of February, in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Five, Make and Ordain this my last Will and Testament in the following manner and form as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased the Lord to bless me in this life.... Item I give unto my well beloved wife Vronica Switzer all and every part of my personal estate and also the use of my Dwelling house and Plantation... to hold to her my said Loving Wife during the term of her natural life, She committing no unnecessary  waste thereon and after her Decease it is my will that my said Plantation shall be appraised by six honest and judicious men to be chosen by the joint and mutual consent of all my Children, namely Jacob, Hannah, Mary, Vronica, Esther, Barbara, and John, and the price or amount of the appraisement thereof shall be equally divided amongst them my said  Children and my Grandson by my Daughter Elizabeth Whistler, Deceased and my two Granddaughters by my Daughter Magdalena Morura Deceased my two said Granddaughters taking one Share or ninth part thereof equally between them.... Item It is my will and Order that after the decease of my Loving Wife, when my real estate comes to be appraised, as above directed that my youngest son John Switzer above named shall have the first refusal thereof at the appraisement or value so set thereon and that if he so accepts thereof then the same shall hold to him my said Son John Switzer and to his heirs and assigns forever.... Item It is my will that in as much as I have already given to my children who are married and gone from me something for their Assistance in beginning the world which I have in account against them I do consider and order it to be considered as part of their portion of my Estate.... Item that if any of my Children shall raise any strife or Contention about his/her or their interest or the interest of their mother in this my will, in that case my Will is that every one  of my children so my children so offending shall forfeit his/her or their interest or Interests therein and be forever debarred from recovering any part or portion of my Estate and the Share or Shares so forfeited shall be paid to my other Children who Shall peaceably and quietly acquiesce therewith.  Item  I give unto my youngest Son John Switzer my big Bible in addition to his Legacy.

A Story from Joyce Whisler

This story concerns the gift John I Switzer made to his son, John II Switzer, of the Big Bible. She heard the story from her grandfather, John Will Switzer, the son of John H. Switzer. He told her that there was a large family bible that was supposed to be in the hands of the oldest John William Switzer at all times. (This indicates at least that John II Switzer's middle name was William) Joyce's grandfather hoped that the bible would be passed to him as time went by, but some of the girls in John Will's generation used the pages of the bible to curl their hair.

~0~

The End of the Story by Les Whisler

There is, in the possession of the author, one folio of an extremely large bible, that covers the part before and after Psalms 100, that was in the papers of John Will Switzer, and the author believes it was a part of the "big bible". The author has framed it and listed as "John Will's Big Bible", on the intuition that J.W. Switzer acquired a piece of the desecrated bible after all. =)  

The Single Folio