Swain Family History

Joseph Swain Marriage Record

2010-04-27T11:34:00.004-06:00

Whereas Joseph Swayne son of Nathaniel Swayne of Guilford County North Carolina & Jedidah Macy, Daughter of Jethro Macy of the same place having declared their intention of marriage with each other before ___ monthly meetings of the people called Quakers held at New Garden in the county of __ and nothing appearing to obstruct were left to their Liberty to accomplish their marriage according to___ order the which they did on the 9 g of year ____ 1780 at New Garden meeting in the presence of many witnesses of whose names are here incerted to wit
Ann Jessop William Coffin
Jemime Gardner John Unthank
Mary Macy Enoch Macy
Hannah Gardner Thomas Thornbrugh
Dinah Macy William Stanley
Persscilla Coffin Paul Macy

From Births, Deaths, Marriages, 1740-1803 and minutes, 1775-1782. Society of Friends, New Garden Monthly Meeting FHL/US CaN371252

Family Group Sheets

2009-04-09T00:07:00.003-06:00

I've added a family group sheet for each of my Swain families up to William Swain Sr. You can access them by clicking on each family in the "My Swain Line" section of this blog (to the right).

John William Swain b1893 Draft Card

2009-03-20T23:07:00.003-06:00

World War 1 Draft Registration Card of John William Swain, my great-grandfather.

1) Name in Full: John William Swain Home

2) Address: Munday, TX

3) Date of Birth: March 28, 1893

4) Citizenship: Natural Born Citizen

5) Where were you born: Weatherford, TX

7) Present occupation: Farmer

8) By whom are you employed: Myself

9) Dependents?: Wife & One Child

10) Married: Married Race: Caucasion

11) Past Military Service: None

12) Exempt from draft?: -----

Registrar's Report:

1) Tall, medium, or short? Tall

Slender, Medium, or stout? Medium

2) Color of eyes? Gray

Color of Hair? light

Bald? ------

3) Disabilities? None

Marriage License

2009-03-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

Here is the marriage license of Milus Swain to Margaret Detheridge. They were married the 24 Feb 1879 in McNairy, TN.

Parents of William W. Swain Sr.

2009-03-14T15:05:00.001-06:00

I'm searching for real evidence that William W. Swain was indeed the son of Joseph Swain and Jedidah Macy of Nantucket Island. I took this as fact, having seen several other genealogists report this same information, but on the McNairy, TN genweb site I came across a biography of William W. Swain from a book titled "McNairy County History of Tennessee" published in 1887 by The Goodspeed Publishing Co. of Chicago and Nashville, that is having me question the data:

"William Swain of Irish descent, born in South Carolina in 1783; when about thirteen years of age he went to Georgia, where he married at the age of 26. He moved to Lincoln County in 1812, and in 1828 to Henderson, Chester Co., TN, and remained there until 1840, when he settled in McNairy County, resuming his farming and so continuing up to a year previous to his death , which occurred in 1871. Rebecca Williamson Swain was born in Georgia about 1788; she died in 1861; she and her husband were both faithful members of the Primitive Baptist Church."

This information contradicts some of the information I have. According to census records, it is stated that William was born in North Carolina. I also have him born in 1781, not 1783. I also did not know he was of Irish descent. So it brings up some questions, especially since this biography was written only 16 years after his death.

Today I found a link to the Barney Genealogical Record. "Eliza Starbuck Barney's journal is the most reliable genealogy for Nantucket’s families for the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. The Barney Record contains vital information on more than 40,000 Nantucketers". William Swain, b1781 is listed as a child of Joseph Swain and Jedidah Macy; however, when clicking on this William Swain it has him listed as married to a Nancy Osborn with no other identifying information.

Either this is the same William Swain who then remarried Rebecca Williamson in 1808, the person who wrote the biography was all wrong, or we have the wrong family all together.

Will of William W. Swain Sr.

2009-03-13T15:25:00.000-06:00

Here is a transcription of William W. Swain Sr. will found on the McNairy Co., TN genweb site (thanks to the transcriber Jeff Kemp for getting this on the web!):

Will of William Swain Sr.
This day the will of William Swain Sen. was presented in open court and sworn by the subscribing witnesses in common form of law which was examined and ordered (illegible 2 words) which was done in the words & figures following.

To wit
In the Name of God Amen
I William Swain Sen. of the county of McNairy & state of Tennessee being of sound mind and disposing memory do make & publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking & making void all other & former wills by me at any time heretofore made.

First I direct that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be paid as soon as possible out of any monies that I may be possessed of as which may first come into the hands of my executor hereinafter named.

Secondly I will & bequeath to my daughters Patsy Melton Lucinda Brown Sylvania Page & Vernetta Brown & Matilda Graves for their sole and separate use free from the debts of their husbands all the real estate of which I may be possessed of to be equally divided between them to have and to hold said lands for and during their natural lives and at their deaths to go to their children.

Thirdly I will and direct that all the personal property which I may be possessed of shall be sold and the proceeds divided as follows. To each of my said daughters named in the 2nd clause of this will I give the sum of two hundred dollars if living or if any of them are dead then the children of such as are dead to have the share to which their mother would have been entitled if living. The balance to be divided amongst all my children except that the share of my son E. C. Swain shall be chargeable with the sum of fifty dollars (which sum I have already paid as security for him) and the share of my son Wm W Swain shall be chargeable with the sum of forty dollars for a wagon which sums shall be deducted from the respective shares of said E C and W W Swain and the fifty dollars to go to Patsy Melton and the forty dollars to be divided amongst all my said daughters.

Fourthly ---- I have heretofore given to my sons W W Swain E C Swain & R P Swain in land and other property what I considered an equal share of my estate and direct that they have nothing more except as above. In the 3Rd clause of this will & considering what they have already acquired an equal share with my said daughters.

Lastly
I hereby nominate and appoint my sons Wm W & R P Swain executors of this my last will & testament given under my hand & seal the 19th September 1871.
his
William Swain
mark

Signed sealed & published in our presence and we have hereunto set our hands as witnesses in the presence of the Testator and at his bequest day (illegible) above written
Witnesses names __________

Transcribed by: Jeff Kemp

Berkshire Record Office Information

2009-03-11T22:32:00.000-06:00

From Berkshire Record Office
9 Coley Avenue
Reading
Berks RG1 6AF
Tel: 0118 901 5132
Website: http://www.berkshirerecordoffice.org.uk/

Transcript of an e-mail I received on December 13, 2005:
"Thank you for your email of 11 December.We have an Index and Transcripts to the Baptism Registers of Binfield parish which I have searched.

I found the following transcript:
1595 Sep 21 Rychard Swayne and also
1594 Aug 23 Rychard Swayne

It was only from 1597 that the father's name was included in the baptismentry, e.g.
1597 Jan 10 Elizabeth d/o William Swayne
1600 Jun 1 Edward s/o William Swayne

It would therefore be speculation to assume that Rychard's father wasWilliam and that the above are siblings.I also searched our Personal Names index for

Richard SWAIN/SWAYNE but foundonly the following:
Will of Richard Swayne of Binfield 1547 Doc. Ref. D/ED F80
This may or may not be an ancestor.I am sorry that I have not been able to find conclusive evidence for you."

Yours sincerelyRobin Elliott, Archives Assistant

Margaret Detheridge (wife of Milus Swain)

2009-03-11T13:05:00.002-06:00

Margaret Detheridge was a brick wall for a very long time. Although we had birth and death dates for her we could not find her family. She passed away in 1895 leaving several children for her husband, Milus to raise. My great-grandfather was the youngest of the children, being just 3 years old when she died. After much research I came across a site by Ric Tobin entitled: Deatheridge: The first four generations in America. After corresponding with I came to the conclusion that the Margaret he had record of was the same Margaret that married my Milus Swain.

How I linked Margaret Detheridge to her parents John M. and Lydia McCollum:
This website linked me to a record of a Detheridge in McNairy, TN in 1880. This family had no record of having a Margaret since by this time she was already married. It linked this same family back 10 years to Mississippi where Margaret was in the census record.
1) Coincidence - Only family in McNairy, TN with the last name of Detheridge in 1880 had a daughter named Margaret. Not on 1880 census with the family since she was married, but on a Mississippi census in 1870.
2) Margaret's children in the 1900 census (after she was already dead) mention that her birth place was Mississippi. A possibility since she had actually lived in Mississippi before she married Milus.
3) The Swain family moved to Parker Co, TX. A brother of Margaret's also moved to Parker Co, TX. - From correspondence with Ric Tobin

From these three things I deduce that Margaret is a daughter of John M. Detheridge and Lydia McCollum.
1850
1860 Roane Co., TN, federal census
1870 Alcorn Co., MS, federal census
1880 McNairy Co., TN, federal census

Rex Ragsdale Swain > Rubin P. Swain > William Swain (direct line)

2009-03-11T12:08:00.002-06:00

For this family, I have in my possession copies of the 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920 Census, photos of Louise Ragsdale Swain and Charles Swain's gravestones, and a McNairy land grant with Rubin & L. Swain's name in it.

Exerpt of an e-mail written on 2/24/2009

I found the marriage of Rubin Swain to Louisa Ragsdale on familysearch.org. It was submitted by another person doing work on this family and I'm not sure how accurate it is.

First of all, this is what I had in my file before tonight on this family:
Rubin Swain DOB: 20 Oct 1845 (source: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sonyadmt/RichardSwainGen8-11.htm)
DOD 6 Dec 1918 (no source)
Louisa Ragsdale DOB: 13 Feb 1847, Arkansas
DOD: 15 Jan 1937, Murrietta, Riverside, CA

m. 8 Sep 1867

In doing some research via the internet tonight (I've attached the census records and gravestone pictures), this is what I think the family looks like (probably missing several kids, however) - you probably know most of it, but I do think it is safe to say that the Rubin in my family is the same one as your Rex's father:

Rubin Swain
Louisa Ragsdale:
Thomas H. Swain b 1868, Mexico
Lou(isa?) Swain, b about 1870, California
Rex Swain, b 23 Feb 1873, California
Charles Swain, b 1878, California
Marion Swain, b 1881 California
Minnie B. Swain, b Oct 1884, California

1870 - "Robert" (a misspelling?) P Swain (age 25, born in Tennessee) & Louisa J (age 23, born in Arkansas) are married and living in Los Nietos, Los Angeles, CA. They have a 2-year-old son named Thomas who was born in Mexico.

1880 - Can't find Rubin or Louisa; however, Rubin's brother Wiley was living in Los Nietos, Los Angeles, CA still.

1900 - Ruben P Swain (age 54, born Oct 1845) is living with son Marion (age 18, born Jun 1881, father born in Tennessee, mother born in Arkansas). They are Mail Coach Drivers and in Fallbrook, San Diego, CA at the time the census was taken. Ruben is listed as married for 33 years but Louisa is not with him at the time the census was taken. Charles is in the 1900 census in Murrietta, Riverside, CA and is listed as a servant. Rex (age 27, born Feb 1873 is married to Charlotte and his sister is living with them, Minnie (age 15, born October 1884). Both Rex and Minnie's father was born in Tennessee and mother was born in Arkansas.

1910 - Ruben P Swain (age 64 and widowed (okay, that's weird because Louisa is still alive . . . ) is living with his married daughter Lou (named after her mother?) and son-in-law Thomas Freeman. They are living in Murrietta, Riverside, CA. Lou's mother is from Arkansas and her father is from Tennessee. Rex and Charlie both live in Murrietta, Riverside, CA and are on the same census page. Charlie is now married. Louisa (age 63 and widowed (both claiming to be widowed? what is going on?) is living with her nephew, William (age 44, born in Texas) in Murrietta. These are the only four Swain households in Murrietta in 1910.

1920 - Louisa J. Swain is living alone in Murrietta, Riverside, CA. She is 72 years old, born in Arkansas, and both her parents were born in Tennessee. Son-in-law Thomas Freeman is living in San Bernardino, CA. He is now widowed and Ruben is no longer living with him as well (my records indicate that he died in 1918 in San Bernardino. If he moved with them that would make sense).

Cemetery Inscriptions at Temecula Public Cemetery:
Charles: Loving Memory Father 1878-Dec 1938
Louisa: In Loving Memory of our beloved Grandmother Louisa Ragsdale Swain Feb 1847 - Jan 1937

With a couple exceptions (that could easily be census error or have explanations that are unknown), everything matches up. I think it's strange that Louisa and Rubin were never together on a census after 1870, but if he was a Mail Coach Driver he would have been on the road a lot. Why they both said they were widowed in 1910 would be an interesting question to ask.

Research Journal

2008-05-13T01:42:00.001-06:00

I haven't been researching genealogy in several months; however, I thought this would be a great way to write down my research, questions, and answers - an easy way to track what I have done, and hopefully collaborate with others. From what I have gathered, I am a descendent of the Richard Swain who came to America in 1635 and helped settle Nantucket in the 1650s. His family stayed on Nantucket for several generations when they finally moved to North Carolina and then to Tennessee and Texas.