Hager, David

  General Notes:

Info on this family from descendant Rick S. Thomas <thomasrick@usaec.army.mil>

When he immigrated is not known, but he was not listed on the 1736 ship's manifest with his younger brother Jonathan. It is believed he came over in 1739 to bring Jonathan back. Jonathan had evidently run away and stowed away on the ship, lying about his age. David decided to stay.

In 1748-1769, he was living near his brother Jonathan in Elisabethtown (Hagerstown), MD. Although his brother Jonathan was given credit for founding Hagerstown, David should also get equal credit; he doesn't because he died before the official founding of the town.

In 1766, he received from his brother Jonathan 229 acres of his "Haeger's Delight" near Elisabethstown which became called "Brother's Good Will" (near today's Middleburg). David was a sickly man, and indeed died fairly young. Jonathan reportedly gave him the land to pass on to his children, which he did a few years later when, in 1769, he died.

Of his children, only Elisabeth settled in the Hagerstown area. Some of his grandchildren came back to Hagerstown later.

Per Rick Thomas: At least one line of David's (son Johannes) went out to Bedford/Somerset Co., PA--later deciding to spell their name Hauger. But that was a different David, it appears.

His brother Jonathan (the founder of Hagerstown) was the executor of David's estate. A widow and six children are mentioned.

He is buried on that part of his farm which became the cemetery for the Salem Reformed Church, about four miles northwest of Hagerstown.

Candy Cook <canccook@aol.com> is looking for info on this family. Ron Forrester <ron.forrester@icn.siemans.com> is also a descendant.




Joel Hager's Southern West Virginia Research Jan 2011

David married Katerina Kershner. (Katerina Kershner was born about 1721 in Langenselbold, Hesse, Germany and died after 1769.)