View source for Swartz (Schwartz) family

Swartz is a Mennonite family name found mostly in [[North America|North America]]. The North American name originated from the Swiss Schwartz family. Felix Schwartz of Regensdorf, canton of [[Zürich (Switzerland)|Zürich]], and Adelheyd Schwartz were both [[Anabaptism|Anabaptists]] ca. 1527-1530. Mennonites of this name were found in the [[Emmental (Switzerland)|Emmental]], Switzerland in the 17th century, and in [[Alsace (France)|Alsace]] in the early 18th century.

In America most Swartz families are descendants of Abraham Schwartz (Swartz), [[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church (MC)]] bishop of the [[Deep Run  Mennonite Church East (Perkasie, Pennsylvania, USA)|Deep Run Mennonite congregation]] in [[Bucks County (Pennsylvania, USA)|Bucks County]], Pennsylvania. Swartz arrived at Philadelphia on the <em>Friendship </em>on 16 October 1727. He was ordained preacher in 1738 and bishop in 1756. In 1778 he and Bishop Andrew Ziegler of [[Skippack (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA)|Skippack]] deposed Bishop [[Funk, Christian (1731-1811)|Christian Funk]] for his favorable attitude toward the American Colonies who were in rebellion against England. Early in the 19th century Christian Swartz, the grandson of Abraham Swartz, moved to [[Waterloo County (Ontario, Canada)|Waterloo County]], Ontario, and became the head of a large family there. Other descendants of Abraham Swartz found their way to [[Virginia (USA)|Virginia]] and [[Ohio (USA)|Ohio]] and points farther west. One of the best-known members of the family was Freeman H. Swartz, a [[General Conference Mennonite Church (GCM)|General Conference Mennonite]] pastor at Schwenksville, Pennsylvania from 1921 until his death in 1957. The Schwartz families among the [[Amish Mennonites|Amish]] of [[Adams County (Indiana, USA)|Adams County, Indiana]] are of a different lineage than the descendents of Abraham Swartz. In 1958 there were 5 ministers named Swartz in the [[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church (MC)]]. In the [[Old Order Amish]] group of 1958 there were 9 ministers named Schwartz, 3 of whom were bishops, almost all of whom lived in northern [[Indiana (USA)|Indiana]].
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[[Category:Family Names]]