Life History

Notes

• I have found no marriage record for Catherine's marriage to Hugh Kerr McSwain.  She was his second wife.  The youngest child reported in the 1860 census, Peter W, is 2 years old.  It appeared that this was Catherine's first child.  But I find that some genealogies report that Peter's mother was Hugh's first wife Adalissa Hopper.  I have also failed to find any death record for Adalissa.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 1 August, page 51 (scan 430), Hse/Fam #363
  H K McSwain 43 M Farmer $900 Real Estate $1914 Personal born No Carolina [b abt 1817]
  Catherine McSwain 37 F born So Carolina [b abt 1823]
  William S McSwain 19 M Farm Laborer born No Carolina [b abt 1851]
  Emily J McSwain 16 F born No Carolina [b abt 1844]
  Luther C McSwain 10 M born No Carolina [b abt 1851]
  Margaret L McSwain 8 F born No Carolina [b abt 1852]
  Peter W McSwain 2 M born No Carolina [b abt 1858]
  James McSwain 18 M Farm Laborer born No Carolina [b abt 1850]
  John T W McSwain 16 M Farm Laborer born No Carolina [b abt 1844]
  
  In 1870, Hugh is alone in the home, which would lead us to think Catherine has died.  But her grave says she died in 1879.  She likely was ill at the time of the 1870 census.  It must have been an extended illness, because no children are in the home.  The children must have been placed with family relatives.
  
  Hugh's daughter Rachel, whose husband died in 1862 in the Civil War, is enumerated as a second family in this household.  There is also a 16-year-old Hannah McSwain keeping house in Hugh's household whom I have not identified.  No child of Hugh and any of his wives matches this child in any census.  She should have been in the 1860 census.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 8 July, Township 3, P O Stices Shoals, page 7 (scan 112), Hse #45, Fam #51
  H K McSwain 33 M Farmer $200 Real Estate b North Carolina
  Hannah L McSwain 16 Keeps House F b North Carolina
  - Fam #52 -
  Rachel Paggett 28 Keeps House F b North Carolina Cannot write
  Cemantha Paggett 11 At Home F b North Carolina
  Susan P Paggett 8 At Home F b North Carolina
  
  Catharine Davis McSwain
  Birth Feb. 19, 1832
  Death Aug. 28, 1879
  Spouse Hugh Kerr McSwain (1817 - 1899)
  Children:
  Leroy Wellington McSwain (1861 - 1935)
  Lawson Mills McSwain (1866 - 1954)
  Burial Buffalo Baptist Church Cemetery, Blacksburg, Cherokee County, South Carolina
  Created by Elizabeth Dec 18, 2008
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #32257125, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32257125

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 21 June, Township 3, page 24, Hse/Fam #238
• 2. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 1 August, page 51 (scan 430), Hse/Fam #363
• 3. 1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 8 July, Township 3, P O Stices Shoals, page 7 (scan 112), Hse #45, Fam #51
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #32257125, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32257125
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #23499633, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23499633
• 6. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 5 June, Rippys Township, District 50, page 4A, Hse #43, Fam #44
• 7. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #23513092, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23513092