Life History

Other facts

Notes

• "Lewis Jones McSwain's son, William R. McSwain, apparently came out to Arkansas with the McSwain-Kendall party about 1855. ... Their friends, Alexander and Edmond Kendall, were also from Norwood, Stanly County, North Carolina, and most likely traveled in a large party to Arkansas with the McSwains.  Edmond Kendall and Minor M. McSwain were my 2nd great-grandfathers."
  --  Lea Harville Morgan, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 9 Apr 2016
  
  The area where they settled was in Jefferson County, Arknasas, the Pine Bluff area.  In 1873 the area was later separated into a new county as Dorsey County, which was renamed in 1885 to Cleveland County.  The trip took about 14 weeks, according to Edmond Alexander, as retold by Edmond's son, Benjamin Kendall.  Thanks to Edmond's descendant, McSwain-Kendall reseacher Lea Harville Morgan for this.  Ley left on 15 October 1855, so they owudl have arrived probably before the end of January 1856.
  
  "Alexander and Edmond Kendall with their families came to Arkansas in 1855, leaving Stanly County, North Carolina on October 15th. ... After being on the road two days, little Willie was taken seriously ill and died.   Father and Mother had to turn back and take Willie back to the old home for burial and then rejoin the others on the road.   No other bad luck happened on the trip and after fourteen weeks [arriving about January 1856] on the road, they reached Pine Bluff."
  --  Lea Harville Morgan, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 17 April 2016
  
  Alexander bought land in the cou nty in July 1860.
  
  U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907
  Alexander F Kendall
  Issue Date 2 Jul 1860
  160 Acres, 5th Prime Meridian, Jefferson [later Cleveland] County, Arkansas
  Township 8-S, Range 11-W, Section 28, Land Office Little Rock
  Authority April 24, 1820: Sale-Cash Entry (3 Stat. 566)
  Document #12200
  
  "Edmond’s wife, Emmeline, died on 1 April 1866 and was buried at Mt. Zion near their home. Uncle Frank Kendall [Alexander F. Kendall] persuaded father to bring his four children to his home instead of taking us to North Carolina to one of his sisters to raise. Then in August, Uncle Frank was returning home from Pine Bluff and was waylaid and shot to death by a man whom he had put in jail, leaving a wife and six children. Father then sold his farm and bought half interest in his brother’s farm, agreeing with his brother’s wife to look after the farm if she would take care of the ten children-her six and his four. So the two families remained together until all were grown just like one big family. Edmond was elected sheriff and served from 1874 to 1876. He died on 1 April 1866 at 4 p.m.-the same day and the same time as his wife died twenty-five years before."
  --  Lea Harville Morgan, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 17 April 2016
  
  Arkansas, Wills and Probate Records, 1818-1998
  Alexander F Kendall
  Probate 14 Jan 1867 Pine Bluff, Jefferson, Arkansas, USA
  Death 7 Aug 1867 Arkansas, USA
  Administrator Edmond Kendall
  Letters of administration included in the second half of this document
  Probate Court Docket, Book B, 1885-1889, p 211

Sources

• 1. Lea Harville Morgan
• 2. Benjamin Franklin Kendall
• 3. Arkansas, Wills and Probate Records, 1818-1998
• 4. U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907
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