John Adam SETZER came from Germany. The Palatinate is divided into two sections, upper and lower. The upper section being mountainous and rugged. The lower section is level. Both sections are primarily farming land, the upper section being known for vineyards and fine wines.
We assume that John Adam SETZER came from the upper section. This assumption being based on the similarity of the terrain there and in western North Carolina, where they settled.
Survey by German Society of Pennsylvania shows that John Adam SETZER arrived in America from Germany on the Sail Ship, Patience which landed in Philadelphia, Pa. on 10 Aug 1750. Captain of this ship was shown as Hugh Steel. We believed that he was the father of our clan of SETZER's in America.John Adam SETZER had a brother, Michael SETZER, who also came from Germany, and according to the book, Rupps 30,000, landed at Philadelphia, Pa., on the sail ship, Brotherhood on 3 Nov 1750. Captain of the ship was shown as John Thomas.
It was related by my Great-grandfather, Robert Thomas Nelson SETZER that it had been handed down through his family, verbally, that two Setzer brothers came to America from Germany, landing at Philadelphia, Pa., about the middle of the 18th Century. That one of them came to North Carolina and the other one went out West.
Based on this, we believe that John Adam SETZER is the one that came to North Carolina and also according to the following:
The first census taken in America, which was made in 1790, shows Adam SETZER living in Burke County, North Carolina, and at that time has four sons under 16 years of age, a wife and a daughter, names of the family was not listed in this census unless over 16 years of age and only listed the head of household. This record is shown on page 108 of the Census, Census Co. No.7, and Adam SETZER was the only SETZER living in North Carolina at this time.
Tombstone record obtained from grave at Littlejohn's Methodist Church Cemetery in Caldwell County,Lenoir, North Carolina, (formerly a part of Burke County) shows Adam SETZER, b. 1759,d. 29 May 1843. This was apparently the son of the original John Adam SETZER.
We believe that the four sons of Adam SETZER were:
Daniel, William (Billy), John and Matthew.
Robert Thomas SETZER had brothers named Billy and John, apparently named after the above two. He also related that his Grandfather was named Matthew SETZER of Caldwell County, the Piney Woods Section, and that he married Miss Nancy SHELL, who came from England when she was only six weeks old.
Incidently, I noted Richard SWANSON of the Piney Woods married Cora LOWDERMILK of Chesterfield, NC. My Great Grandmother on my Mother's side was a LOWDERMILK and married a SETZER. She lived in Burke County.
A Mr. Walter A. Hahn told in 1955 that his Mother's sister, Caroline Corpening Fathering, lived near Patterson, N.C., near the Yadkin River. She told him in 1936 that Daniel SETZER, the Father of his Grandmother, had two brothers she knew of and possibly another one. The two she knew were William (Billy) SETZER who lived between Littlejohn's Church and Hartland, N. C., and John SETZER, that married a Miss BRYANT of Piney Woods section back of Hartland, N.C. It was the same area of Piney Woods section of Caldwell County, North Carolina, that Robert Thomas SETZER grew up.As far as we know and have been able to determine from people who knew them, all of our people were farmers and carpenters. Our great grandfather being a Carpenter, lived in the mountainous section of Caldwell and Burke Counties until the industrial expansion to the South brought in factories. At this time he and his brothers moved to Morganton, North Carolina, in Burke County and earned their living doing Carpenter work. This is where he met Lillie Virginia LOWDERMILK whom he married.
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