Life History

Notes

• Some sources have no parentage for Burwell (or Burrell).  Others report him as a child of William McSwain (born 1792) and Mary Nancy Bridges.  I have not found formal records of his parentage.  David Holden reports Burwell as the son of William McSwain and Mary Nancy Bridges, but has no wives for him.
  
  Burwell's name appears as Burrell in the 1850 census and in some family genealogies.  The name also appears as Burl in some of his cousin lineages, like the Padgetts.  More commonly the form Burrell is found among these related families.  Burrell's middle name Blanton is a family name for the Blantons, who have married Green, McSwain and other related families in Cleveland County, North Carolina over the generations.
  
  In 1850 Burwell, enumerated as Burrell, is unmarried and working on the farm of William and Sarah McSwain, (or maybe farming his own portion of their farm, since he is reported not as a Farm Laborer, but a Farmer in the same household).  This census is one indication in support of the genealogies that report Burwell is the son of William (b 1792) and Mary Nancy Bridges, since this William is also a son of that couple.  Thus Burwell would be living in the home of his brother William.  Unfortunately these early censuses did not report the relationship to the head of the household.  An exact birth date for Burwell is provided by some genealogies, like the one below by Douglas McSwain.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 4 September, page 315, Hse/Fam #573
  William McSwain 35 M  Farmer $460 Real Estate b NC Cannot read or write [b abt 1815]
  Sarah McSwain 34 F  b NC Cannot read or write [b abt 1816]
  Robert McSwain 14 M Farmer NC [b abt 1836]
  Luiza McSwain 10 F b NC [b abt 1840]
  Timons McSwain 8 M Farmer b NC [b abt 1833]
  Puryear McSwain 2 M NC [b abt June 1848]
  Burrell McSwain 22 M Farmer b NC [b abt 1828]
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 10 August, page 66, Hse/Fam #468
  B B McSwain 30 M Farmer $750 Real Estate $250 Personal  born North Carolina Cannot read or write [b abt 1830]
  Eliza McSwain 31 F born North Carolina  Cannot read or write [b abt 1829]
  Cynthia McSwain 3 F born North Carolina [b abt 1857]
  
  The Hamrick Data Pages report that Burwell married Eliza McSwain, but gives no date for the marriage.  Douglas McSwain provides a date of marriage, reporting Burwell's wife by the full name Elizabeth.  (David Holden also has an Elizabeth McSwain as a daughter of Thomas and Frances (Selena) McSwain, but puts her birth in 1821, and reports an additional daughter Eliza born in 1829, who would match this Elizabeth, reported in 1870 census as Eliza.)
  
  McSwain, Burwell (*1826 - )
  spouse: McSwain, Eliza (*1828 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Doctor F (*1860 - )
  ----------child: McSwain, Jane (1861 - 1926)
  ----------child: McSwain, Cinthia (*1863 - )
  --  Hamrick Data Pages, http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hamrick/wga74.html
  
  Hamrick's birth year for a Cynthia puzzle here.  Cynthia was the first born, enumerated in the 1860 census as 3 years old, thus born about 1857, and 12 years old in 1870, so born about 1858, not 1863 as Hamrick reports.  The child Jane matches the girl reported in the 1870 census as 8-year-old Permelia.
  
  Elizabeth McSwain
  Birth 1829 in NC, Death 1874 in Cleveland County, NC
  Parents Thomas McSwain 1796 - 1872, Frances Bridges 1793 - 1862
  Marriage 7 Oct 1855 Cleveland County, NC to Burwell Blanton McSwain
  Birth 15 JUL 1829 in Rutherford (Cleveland) County, NC, Death 13 SEP 1903 in Cleveland County, NC
  --  Douglas McSwain, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4520040/person/-1590235388
  
  Census records of Burwell agree with the birth date for Burwell given by Douglas McSwain here, indicating his birthday was about 1829, not 1826 as the Hamrick Data reports.
  
  In 1862 Burwell signed up to serve in the War Between the States.
  
  U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles
  Burrell B McSwain
  Residence: Cleveland County, North Carolina
  Enlistment 17 Mar 1862 Cleveland County, NC
  Age 33, Est Birth Date 1829
  Service Record: Enlisted as Private in Company H, North Carolina 28th Infantry Regiment
  
  1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 13 July, Township 3, PO Stices Shoals, page 15 (scan 116), Hse #111, Fam #117
  McSwain, Burwell 40 M Farmer $150 Real Estate $100 Personal  born North Carolina Cannot read or write [b abt 1830]
  McSwain, Eliza 41 F W Keeping House born North Carolina [b abt 1829]
  McSwain, Cynthia 12 F W At Home born North Carolina [b abt 1858]
  McSwain, Permelia 8 F W At Home born North Carolina [b abt 1862]
  McSwain, Franklin 1 M W At Home born North Carolina [b abt 1869]
  
  Permelia is close in age to the Jane reported by the Hamrick Data Pages for this family,  so we can take her name as Permelia Jane.  The Hamrick list would seem to indicate that she went by Jane.  We also have an approximate death year of 1926 from Hamrick.
  
  Hamrick has two separate marriage records of Burwell McSwain with different birthdays, but they appear to refer to the same person, despite some discrepancies.  Eliza (or Elizabeth) McSwain was his first wife, reported in the 1870 census, and the second was Louisa Jane Hamrick (called Jane Hamrick in Hamrick Data), showing up in later censuses as the wife of this same Burwell and stepmother of the earlier children.
  
  Eliza died sometime after the 1870 census and before the approximate date of marriage to Louisa, about 1855, according to Hamrick.  David Holden reports her under the name Eliza also, and as the daughter of Thomas and Frances (Selena) McSwain.
  
  McSwain, Burwell (1828 - )
  b. 1828 in Rutherford, NC
  spouse: Hamrick, Jane (~1834 - )
  - m. Abt 1855
  --  Hamrick Data Pages, http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hamrick/wga74.html
  
  This marriage date could not be for the same Burwell and his wife Louisa J (thought to be Louisa Jane Hamrick) in the 1880 and 1900 censuses.  In 1855 Burwell Blanton McSwain married Eliza (Elizabeth?) McSwain, who died sometime between the 1870 and 1880 censuses.  In 1880 Burwell's wife was Louisa J.  I have considered that there might be two Burwell McSwains, as the Hamrick Data seems to indicate, but have found no records to that effect.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 4 June, Township 2, District 66, page 6 (Scan 471B), Hse #49, Fam #52
  McSwain, Burwell B   W M  51 Husband Farmer NC NC NC Cannot read or write [b abt 1829]
  McSwain, Louisa J  W F 51 Wife Keeping House Cannot write NC NC NC [b abt 1829]
  McSwain, Cyntha  W F 21 Dau Single NC NC NC [b abt 1859]
  
  1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 12 June, Boiling Springs, Township 2, District 49, page 4A, Hse #59, Fam #60
  McSwain, Doctor  Head  W M Apr 1869 31 Married 6 years NC NC NC Farmer Owns
  McSwain, Moddie Wife W F Feb 1872 28 Married 6 years 2 children/2 living NC NC NC
  McSwain, Peyton  Son W M May 1895 5 Single NC NC NC
  McSwain, Landon  Son W M March 1897 3 Single NC NC NC
  McSwain, Burwell B  Father W M Feb 1829 71 Married 25 years NC NC NC Farm Laborer
  McSwain, Louisa J  Step Mother W F July 1829  70 Married 25 years 2 children/2 living NC NY NC
  Harrill, David A  Boarder W M Sept 1878  21 Single NC NY NC Farm Laborer
  
  This census says Burwell was born in February 1829.  But family sources report his birth was 15 July 1829.  The marriage info tells us that Burwell married Louisa 25 years ago, thus about 1875, which was our estimate based on the earlier data above.  The enumerator had originally written 43 years for Burwell then changed it to match the 25 years for Louisa.  That would refer to a date of about 1857, close to the date of 1855 reported by Douglas McSwain for Burwell's marriage to Eliza McSwain.
  
  Note that the census reports that Louisa has borne one child and that child is living.  This means there was a child born after the 1880 census, who has already moved out of the house.  I do not have the name of this child.

Sources

• 1. 1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 13 July, Township 3, PO Stices Shoals, page 15 (scan 116), Hse #111, Fam #117
• 2. 1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 4 September, page 315, Hse/Fam #573
• 3. Ancestry Trees
  • Douglas McSwain, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4520040/person/-1590235388
• 4. 1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 4 June, Township 2, District 66, page 6 (Scan 471B), Hse #49, Fam #52
• 5. Hamrick Data Pages
  • http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hamrick/wga74.html
• 6. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 10 August, page 66, Hse/Fam #468
• 7. North Carolina, Deaths, 1906-1930
• 8. RootsWeb Trees
• 9. U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles
• 10. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 12 June, Boiling Springs, Township 2, District 49, page 4A, Hse #59, Fam #60
• 11. 1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 3 June, Township 2, District 66, page 6 (Scan 471B), Hse #49, Fam #52
• 12. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 13. Ancestry Trees
  • Douglas McSwain, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4520040/person/-1590235387