Life History

Other facts

Notes

• William McSwain (b 1806) was a Baptist pastor.  David was the son of David M McSwain and Susannah Hamrick (called Sarah Susannah by some).  His wife Judith is described on her burial information in the Beaverdam Baptist Cemetery as the wife of Rev William McSwain.  His burial information likewise identifies him with the title Rev.  The 1850 census identifies William as "Baptist Clergyman" and 1860 as "Baptist Minister."
  
  The burial information gives 1806 as the birth year, with the exact date of 28 Feb 1806.  The Hamrick Data Pages also report this date as William's birth date.  In the 1880 census, William's age is 74, which matches birth in 1806.
  
  Beaverdam Baptist Cemetery Register, Shelby, Cleveland, North Carolina
  McSwain, Judith February 1, 1809  November 30, 1894 w/o Rev. William
  McSwain, Rev. William February 28, 1806  May 18, 1881
  --  W. D. Floyd, http://files.usgwarchives.org/nc/cleveland/cemeteries/bdamclev.txt
  
  The 1850 census leads to a birth year of 1806, based on his reported age of 44.  His wife Judith (Hamrick) is reported to be 41 in 1850, which yields a birth year of 1809.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 19 August, page 272 (scan page 137), Hse/Fam #295
  William McSwain 44 M Baptist Clergyman $150 Real Estate born North Carolina [b abt 1806]
  Judith McSwain 41 F born North Carolina Cannot read or write [b abt 1809]
  Polly McSwain 20 F born North Carolina
  David McSwain 19 M Farming  born North Carolina
  Elijah McSwain 17 M born North Carolina
  George McSwain 12 M born North Carolina
  Ainsley McSwain 10 M born North Carolina
  Benjamin McSwain 8 M born North Carolina
  Sarah H McSwain 2 F born North Carolina
  
  Polly matches the child known as Mary, born 22 May 1829 according to family sources.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 13 August, page 132-3, Hse/Fam #955
  Wm McSwain 54 M Baptist Minister $300 Real Estate $1030 Personal  born North Carolina [b abt 1806]
  Judith McSwain 41 F born North Carolina [b abt 1809]
  Ensley McSwain 10 M  Farm Laborer born North Carolina
  Berryman McSwain 18 M  Cripple born North Carolina
  Sarah H McSwain 12 F born North Carolina
  Judith M McSwain 8 F born North Carolina
  
  Polly, David, George and Elijah are out on their own now.  Elijah and his wife Susanna (Hamrick) are living next door in house #956.  A few houses down from William we find David and his wife Delphia (listed in this census as Delfa) with their daughter Judith V, age 1.
  
  The 1880 census records a William McSwain with an age that makes him born in 1806, whose wife is reported simply as J, seeming to be Judith Moore.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 3 June, Township 7, Sandy Run, District 71, page 6, Hse #57, Fam #60
  Wm McSwain W M  74 Father Farmer NC NC NC [b abt 1806]
  J McSwain W F 71 Wife Keeping House Cannot write NC NC NC [b abt 1809]
  B McSwain W F 38 Son Single NC NC NC [b abt 1842]
  M Lovelace W F 51 Dau Widow Cannot read or write NC NC NC [b abt 1829]
  Lucy McSwain B F 52 Single House Servant Cannot read or write NC NC NC [b abt 1871]
  
  J, presumably the correct Judith Hamrick, has an age consistent with her birth in 1809 reported in genealogies.  Two children are living in the home, one a widowed daughter.  B McSwain here matches Berry McSwain who appears in the family lists.  M Lovelace matches Mary Polly McSwain, widow of William Lovelace.  Note the black female servant Lucy McSwain also in the household.
  
  Next door is a couple that appear to be William's cousin Mary McSwain married to James Hamrick.  Mary is reported as age 65 (born in 1815), matching the daughter of William's uncle, also a William McSwain, born in 1792, son of William David McSwain Jr. and Mary Nancy Bridges.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 3 June, Township 7, Sandy Run, District 71, page 1 (Scan 569A), Hse #56, Fam #59
  James Hamrick W M  70 Father Farmer Cannot write NC NC NC [b abt 1810]
  Mary Hamrick W F 65 Wife Keeping House Cannot read or write NC NC NC [b abt 1815]
  L Hamrick W F 27 Dau Cannot write NC NC NC [b abt 1863]
  S Hamrick W F 21 Dau Cannot write NC NC NC [b abt 1869]
  C M Wright W M 9 Adopted Cannot read or write NC NC NC [b abt 1871]
  D P Wright W M 5 Adopted NC NC NC [b abt 1875]
  
  One genealogy on the Ancestry.com collection One World Tree (sm) gives the date and place of death as 1850 in Winnetka, Illinois.  This data is for a different William McSwain, who may not be part of this McSwain line.  Our William McSwain, son of David McSwain and grandson of William David McSwain Jr, was still having children in Cleveland County, North Carolina at that time.  His daughter Judith Margaret was born in Cleveland (formerly Rutherford) County in December 1851.
  
  Some genealogies have not been careful or consistent about the place names for birth and death.  Very few comment to explain why they have the data they do, or indicate they are aware there is any discrepancy or uncertainty to deal with.
  
  In the eastern states, county names can be a problem, since colonial colonies were divided up as populations and infrastructure grew.  Tryon County originally was about the western half of North Carolina, and had been carved out of Mecklenburg County in 1769.  Mecklenburg had earlier been formed in 1762 from Anson County.  Tryon lasted from 1762 till 1799, when it was divided into Rutherford and Lincoln Counties.  The name Cleveland County comes into being in 1841 when Rutherford was divided, and boundaries were reconfigured.  I have tried to use the name current at the time, but I have probably not been consistent.  I have had to follow secondary sources for many locales.
  
  North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998
  William McSwain
  Written 7 August 1875
  Probate 24 May 1881 Cleveland, North Carolina
  Death Abt 1881 North Carolina
  Wife Judith McSwain
  Executors, Son Berrymond and Elijah McSwain
  Witnesses M J Padgett, David McSwain
  Children mentioned:
  Elijah, Berrymond, Mary, Sary H, Judith M, David (to grandson John L), George (to grandsons Andrew and Pinckney)

Sources

• 1. Rutherford/Cleveland County, NC, Burial Information
  • Name: Name: http://www.rfci.net/wdfloyd/cemm5.html;;
• 2. 1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 3 June, Township 7, Sandy Run, District 71, page 6, Hse #57, Fam #60
• 3. Hamrick Data Pages
  • http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hamrick/wga75.html
• 4. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 13 August, page 132-3, Hse/Fam #955
• 5. North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998
• 6. 1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 19 August, page 272  (scan page 137), Hse/Fam #295
• 7. Ancestry Trees
  • Hamricks of Ireland, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/9887369/person/-728280268?ftm=1
• 8. RootsWeb ID: I4751 -- Ensley (Aisley) McSwain
  • Name: Name: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=prsjr&id=I4751;;
• 9. Hamrick Data Pages
  • http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~hamrick/wga74.html
• 10. Ancestry Trees
• 11. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 13 August, page 132, Hse/Fam #947
• 12. 1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
• 13. 1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 7 June, Township 7, District 71, page 9, Hse/Family #82
• 14. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 14 August, page 133, Hse/Fam #956
• 15. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 15 June, Township 7, District 57, page 11A, Hse #177, Fam #182
• 16. RootsWeb ID: I4734 -- William David (Jr) McSwain
  • Name: Name: http:/worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=prsjr&id=I4734;;
• 17. Hamrick Data Pages
  • http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hamrick/wga74.html
• 18. 1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 24 July, Township #3, PO Stices Shoals, page 7, Hse/Fam #57
• 19. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 13 August, page 131 (scan 382), Hse/Fam #939
• 20. American Civil War Soldiers
  • Name: Name: 16 Sources;;
• 21. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 15 June, Township 7, District 57, page 11A, Hse #176, Fam #181
• 22. North Carolina, Marriage Records, 1741-2011
• 23. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 24. 1880 Federal Census Mortality Schedules, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • August 7, Sandy Rim, Enumeration District 71, Line 4
• 25. 1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 23 August, Township 7, PO Mooresboro, page 7, Hse #46Fam #50