On 16 October 1738, a Johann Mardin SCHWEDNER arrived at the Port of Philadelphia aboard the ship HMS Queen Elizabeth. Departing Rotterdam, via Deal, England the ships master listed this individual as a 51-year-old male, with a  seven-year-old son and a wife. Based on historical background information it would appear that this Johann Mardin SCHWEDNER was a man of means, he must of had money to pay for his passage. The Master's Log book of the HMS Queen Elizabeth for the year 1738 resides in the Museum of Naval History in London, England. This ship's log contains information regarding passengers boarding both in Rotterdam and Deal, England. The passengers picked up in Rotterdam were destitute. They would have been unable to pay for their passage.

Passengers boarding at Deal, England, on the other hand, most likely came from some of those Palatine Germans transported to London, England by British businessmen.

Also boarding at Deal were individual and family groups of immigrants comprised from a large group of German immigrants who had been settled in Ireland several years earlier and had acquired some wealth. These Germans, not liking the heavy hand of their English masters and desiring to join family members who had already immigrated to America, moved on to the new world as soon as they were able. Johann Martin SCHWEDNER/SCHWEDENER could have been one of these.

 In 1709, there were 3,000 Germans transported to what is now New York State. They were indentured to produce Naval Stores for the British Navy. 800 died enroute. Twenty-seven of those who survived the journey to New York were SCHWEDNERS. Three years later only an Elizabeth SCHWEDNER and a "maiden" were alive in December 1712 on the banks of the Hudson River, 90 miles up-stream from New York. They did not survive the winter of 1712/13.

There were small groups of these German immigrants who did survive the long, cold winter of 1712/13 and British Neglect. It is recorded that a few hundred, with no help from the British left New York for Pennsylvania and settled in and around several counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Perhaps Johann Martin SCHWEDNER wanted to join his family. Was he the only SCHWEDNER to survive? Did he know that he was the only survivor of a once, large, extended family?

 On October 16, 1738, a Johann Martin SCHWEDENER was listed in a group of male individuals who took the Oath of Allegiance at the courthouse in Philadelphia. While the spelling of the names is different from the ship's manifest, there is reason to believe that the two recorded individuals are one in the same.

Other documents of the period recount how those male individuals who arrived as "free men" (not indentured), paid for their passage before boarding the vessel. Some on the other hand had friends or family meet them at the port to pay their passage upon arrival, and were then given the "Oath of Allegiance".

 Had Johann Martin SCHWEDENER or Johann Mardin SCHWEDNER, what ever the spelling, not been able to pay for his passage, he and his family would have been retained on board the ship until an auction could be held to indenture them to individuals willing to pay for their passage. Records held by the Pennsylvania Historical Society in Philadelphia listing those individuals indentured from each ship, show that there is no record to indicate that this individual, either spelling was indentured. Thus, it would appear that Johanne Martin SCHWEDENER/Johann Mardin SCHWEDNER arrived in America and departed Philadelphia as a free and perhaps well to do man.

According to the tax records of Berks County, Greenwich township, Pennsylvania in the year 1752, listed a John SWEEDNER. These records, a "List of Taxables", indicate that this individual was assessed taxes on property owned in Berks County, Greenwich Township, and did in fact pay the taxes due. Now there is no way to determine if this is the John SWADNER(age 21 in 1752) who settled in Libertytown, Maryland, or if this is the Johann Martin SCHWEDNER (age 65 in 1752) who arrived in 1738. Yet, the fact remains and is documented that a majority of those passengers arriving in 1738 settled in South Eastern Pennsylvania.

In addition, what is know is that a mass immigration occurred in the mid to late 1750's from the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania, which includes Berks County to Northern Maryland along a newly blazed road which lead to Virginia, an opened territory for settlers. Libertytown, Frederick County, Maryland lays along this route of travel. There are no records, to date, that would indicate that John SWEEDNER remained in Berks County after 1754.

 Around 1754 John SCHWEDNER/SWADNER and his wife Elizabeth arrived and settled in Libertytown, Maryland. From court documents John Swadner purchased, with cash, several large pieces of property in and around Libertytown, including lot # 67 upon which a house was built. Which appears to have remained in the family since its construction except for a brief period after Elizabeth's death in 1820(see notes). Moreover, he paid in cash. John had money. He had property and indentured servants. He was a man of some means.

 John and Elizabeth SWADNER, according to church records, fathered and gave birth to five sons, Henry (1757),John (1759), Andrew (1761), Adam (1763), Martin (1765) and six daughters Mary (1763), Elizabeth (1769, Polly (1771), Susanna (1773), Catherine (1775), and Eve (1776). These children were all baptized as SCHWEDNER.

 The eldest son, Henry, baptized Heinrich SCHWEDNER, later in life changed the spelling to SWEADNER. Henry, some time after his mother's death in 1820 re-acquired the property and house on lot # 67 in Libertytown, Maryland. Built before 1764, the house is still standing and has been the residence of his descendants for the past 234 years. GARETH DUVAL SWEADNER, 2ND Great Grandson of Henry, his wife Maria, daughter Kelle, and son Jason is the fifth and sixth generations of SWEADNERS to live in "the house that John built".