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Descendants of David Pankes Pancoast

Generation No. 1

1. DAVID PANKES¹ PANCOAST He married HANNAH SCHWANK 1831 in Elyburg, PA, daughter of JACOB SCHWANK and MARIA HEIM. She was born Abt. 1819, and died March 11, 1899.

Notes for DAVID PANKES PANCOAST:
I have a record of 'Emigrants to Pennsylvania from CD 170, Immigrants to the New World, Emigrants to Pennsylvania 1641 - 1819, Servants and Apprentices Bound and Assigned Before John Gibson,Mayor of Phildelphia, 1772 - 1773' which shows an 'Aaron Thempson with the consent of his father being apprenticed to SAMUEL PANCOST of Philadelphia, House - carpenter.' This may fit into David's family. No proof at this time.

From Joe Pinz: From 'The Pancoast Family in America' by Bennett S. Pancoast published by the Gloucester County Historical Society, Woodbuyr, NJ.':

From Volume 1, Page 190:

271l DAVID PANCOST m. 1831 Hannah Schwank

(Adin Pancoast had a son Asa who had a son, David. But in Asa's death record at Sunbury is mentioned a son, David and wife Rebecca Ward (Co. Clerk E. V. Nicely in 1913). Nothing further found of David & Rebecca. However, a David Pankus and Hannah Schwank were married at Danville, PA. Feb 16, 1831 by Rev. DePui as shown in Notebook of 'Danville Marriages' at the Columbia County Historical Society. As both of these Davids were in the same area and as the only known Pancoasts of that area were of Adin's line, if this David is not a son of Asa, he may be a nephew.

From Pat Bales, descendant of Sarah Louisa Pankes Pancoast d/o of David & Hannah Schwank Pancoast:
As noted above there was a Samuel Pancoast living in the Philadelphia, Pa. locale in the late 1770's. Also, from the internet I printed an 11 page document entitled: 'Northumberland County VASTINE' contributed by USGenWeb Archives by Tony Rebuck. In this document on pages 5 and 6, I find the following: William Vastine married Elizabeth Boone Gearhart and from that marriage had several children one of which was George Boone m. to Mary Manbridge. They had several children one being Benjamin Boone whose daughter Rachel married Hezekiah Pancoast. In addition, a William Boone married Sara Lincoln in 1748 and produced children including ABIGAIL m. to ADIN PANCOAST, May 28, 1767. He died Dec. 12, 1822; she died March 14, 1808; Abigail had a certificate to Fairfax meeting & and another to return to Exeter, and a third from Exeter to Catawissa, June 28, 1797. In the last are named children as follows: WILLIAM PANCOAST, m. Vashti Cooper; MARY PANCOAST; HEZEKIAH PANCOAST, b June 8, 1789, m. Rachel Boone, March 26, 1814, (she was b Mary 30, 1789 a daughter of Samuel Boone).
My thoughts: while there were assumed to be no other Pancoasts in the area it is obvious there had to be. Although they may very well be connected to our David in some manner. The Elizabeth Boone Gearhart mentioned above is descended from Maybury Gearhart who is descended from Capt. Jacob Gearhart of Rev. War fame. It is interesting to note that while family history has always believed that our Gearhart line descended from this Capt. Jacob Gearhart nothing in his will or his known descendants wills makes a reference of any sort to our Frederick Gearhart. However, I believe in some way their is a connection to that line perhaps through an early descendant from Alsace Lorraine. It could be that Capt. Jacob's father, Jacob, born abt 1735 may have been a brother to Frederic Gerhart, father of our Jacob Gerhart born in Bu`hl, Alsace Lorraine. None of this is proven, however. The above is included for the benefit of research only.

Notes for HANNAH SCHWANK:
Joe Pinz writes: Most of his information comes from the book 'A Genealogy of Selected Northumberland County Pennsylvania Pioneer Families from Arrival of the Immigrant Ancestors to the Present Time, Part III, 2nd Ed. The Heinrich Swank (Swenk, Schwenk, Schwenck) Family'. 1984, Joseph A. Meiser, Sarah Roadamel Meiser and Donald C. Swank. (This book is available in hardback only about $25. Also available on microfiche via LDS Family History Centers for a nominal cost.

He also published a book on Northumberland, PA burials. Joe has the Swank pages for Jacob's (Red) Church Cemetery at Reed's Station, PA. He says many of the Elysburg clan are buried there. On a recent trip he verified tht Jacob and Mary Swank are interred there.

On research around Danville, Pa., Joe found a William Pancoast 1837 - 1912 who was raised by his mother's mother, Mrs. Schwank. William nor Charles are found in Jacob's 1850 or 1860 census records. We presume Hannah died after 1850 and they lived with their grandparents after that ime being grown and gone out on their own by 1860.

Marriage Notes for DAVID PANCOAST and HANNAH SCHWANK:
Notes from my Mother, Mary Victoria Harrison Mills Kaspar, Great Granddaughter of David Pancoast & Mary Schwank: She states the Pancoasts came to Pennsylvania with William Penn in the year c. 1689 from France. She also states their name was 'Coast' and they added the Pan for Penn. Their name in France was 'Pankes or Pankus' and I have Frederick Gearhart & Sarah L. Pankes/Pankus marriage license in my possession. I, therefore, believe, having heard this story frequently, that they changed the Pankes/Pankus to Pancoast in honor of William Penn but not as mother stated.

Children of DAVID PANCOAST and HANNAH SCHWANK are:

2.	i.	SARAH LOUISA PANKES² PANCOAST, b. September 02, 1831, Elyburg, PA; d. September 08, 1905, Ira, Iowa.
3.	ii.	WILLIAM PANKES PANCOAST,SR., b. 1837; d. 1912.
4.	iii.	CHARLES H. PANKES PANCOAST, b. March 11, 1842, Elysburg, Pa.; d. April 01, 1914.
	iv.	HANNAH E. PANKES PANCOAST, b. 1848; m. WILLIAM RIFFLE; b. 1840.

Notes for HANNAH E. PANKES PANCOAST:
According to the 1870, borough of Danville, 4th ward, Montour County, PA, Hanna E. was listed as the daughter of William & Sarah Pancoast and 8 years old. I had Hanna listed as Anna but Joe Pinz has it documented as Hanna

Notes for WILLIAM RIFFLE:
' There is an affidavit from William A. Riffle and Hannah E. Riffle, age 74 & 66 respectively, dated 1914. They resided at 524 S. 17th Street, Harrisburg, Dauphin county, PA. The affidavit reads as follows:
William A. Riffle states that he is a brother of said Katherin Pancost and was raised with her from childhood up to the date of her marriage to said soldier and knew that the said Katherine Pancost and Charles Pancost were never married prior to the marriage to each other.'
'Hannah E. Riffle states that she knew the said Katherine Pancost and Charles Pancost before they attained marriage age and knew that neither of them were married prior to their marriage. She gained this knowledge by reason of knowing both parties association and (can't read this word) with them from childhood up to the time they were married to each other, and that she is a sister to said Charles Pancost.'

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