Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Hugh Kerr McSwain was the son of James McSwain, son of William David McSwain Jr, a descendant of the originaaaaal immigrant from Isle of Skye, Scotland.  Some genealogies that have Hugh have a different parentage and line of descent from the dominant clan of McSwains in Cleveland County.
  
  Dr Ed Ellis, who seems to do careful work, reports that this Hugh Kerr McSwain is the brother of Berry Hicks McSwain, son of James McSwain and Rachel Riggins, which is in the same primary lineage of McSwains we are reconstructing in this genealogy.
  
  While Ed frustratingly does not include the documentation behind his reconstructions, this seems to account for all the details.  There is a lot of confusion in many of the slap-dash genealogies out there, and many misconnected families.  This connection of Hugh as the son of Jame and Rachel makes sense.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 5 September, page 319 (scan 160), Hse/Fam #620
  Hugh K McSwain 33 M Farmer $200 Real Estate b North Carolina
  Ulissa McSwain 32 F b North Carolina Cannot read or write
  Rachel McSwain 11 F b North Carolina
  William S McSwain 9 F b North Carolina
  Emily J McSwain 7 F b North Carolina
  John McSwain 4 F b North Carolina
  Luther C McSwain 8mos F b North Carolina
  
  In 1860 Hugh is in the same area, but his wife Ulissa has died.  This census does not report the relationship of others in the household to the Head of the household.  The listing after Hugh is Catherine McSwain, who is identified in genealogies as Catherine David, his second wife.  Ed Ellis says the proper name of the wife enumerated in1850 as Ulissa is Adalissa Hopper. Other genealogies also so name her.
  
  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 1842]
  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.  Perhaps she was ill at the time of the 1870 census.   The children just have been placed with famliy relatives.  None of his children are in his household.  His daughter Rachel, widowed in 1862, 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.  She is not in any census as a child of Hugh and any of his wives.
  
  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
  
  In the 1880 census, Hugh's wife is Elizabeth (Lizzie) Sarah Rippy, sister of Mary Rippy McSwain.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 21 June, Township 3, page 24, Hse/Fam #238
  McSwain, Hugh K  W M 62 Farmer NC NC NC [b abt 1818]
  McSwain, Elizabeth  Wife W F 33 Married House Keeper Cannot write NC NC NC
  McSwain, Petter  W M 21 Son Single  NC NC NC
  McSwain, Leeroy  W M 19 Son Single  Farm Hand NC NC NC
  McSwain, Lawson  W M 12 Son Single  Farm Hand NC NC NC
  McSwain, Avalona W F 9 Dau Single Cannot write NC NC NC
  
  Next door to Hugh Kerr McSwain Sr (b 1818) and his new wife Elizabeth Rippy is Edward Ross (Neddie) McSwain and his wife Barbara, in the home of Neddie's mother Mary Rippy McSwain.  Mary's husband was Berry Hicks McSwain.  In 1850 likewise Hugh was 2 doors away from Hicks and Mary.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 21 June, Township 3, page 24, Hse/Fam #238
  McSwain, Mary  W F 45 Married House Keeper Cannot read or write NC NC NC
  McSwain, Hannah  W F 27 Dau Single Female Weakness NC NC NC
  McSwain, Ross  W M 22 Son Farm Hand NC NC NC
  McSwain, Barbara W F 18 Dau-in-law Boarder Cannot write NC NC NC
  
  A detailed memorial on Find a Grave fills out some details and links to memorials of several family members.  The child named Adalissa (spelled Adlissa here) is not found in any family census.  The Find-a-Grave algorithms have calculated from the name that she is the daughter of Hugh's wife Adalissa Hopper (also mistranscribed here from her gravestone as Adlissa).  She should have been in the 1860 census from her birth date reported here.
  
  ---------------------
  Hugh Kerr McSwain
  Birth Aug. 27, 1817
  Death May 9, 1899
  
  Parents:
  James McSwain (1789 - 1851)
  Rachel Riggins McSwain (1789 - 1839)
  
  Spouses:
  Catharine Davis McSwain (1832 - 1879) [2nd wife]
  Adlissa Hopper McSwain (1818 - 1857) [1st wife]
  
  Children:
  Rachel McSawin Padgett (1840 - 1888)
  Luther Carson McSwain (1849 - 1913)
  Adlissa McSwain (1851 - 1931) [no matching child appears in 1860 or other censuses with this family under any name; suggested by Find a Grave]
  George Davis McSwain (1854 - 1855)
  Leroy Wellington McSwain (1861 - 1935)
  Lawson Mills McSwain (1866 - 1954)
  
  Burial New Hope Baptist Church, Earl, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  
  Created by Elizabeth Dec 18, 2008
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #32257002, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32257002
  ---------------------

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 #32257002, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32257002
• 5. 1850 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 5 September, page 319 (scan 160), Hse/Fam #620
• 6. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975
• 7. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 8. 1870 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 8 July, Township 3, P O Stices Shoals, page 7 (scan 112), Hse #45, Fam #52
• 9. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 10 August, page 66, Hse/Fam #469
• 10. U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules Index
  • Name: Name: Jackson, Ron V., Accelerated Indexing Systems, comp.; Date: 1999;;
• 11. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #35188318, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=35188318
• 12. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #32256935, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32256935
• 13. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #32257053, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=32257053
• 14. Ancestry Trees
  • Carver, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/22339936/person/1224481702
• 15. North Carolina, Death Collection, 1908-2004
• 16. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 5 June, Rippys Township, District 50, page 4B, Hse #48, Fam #49
• 17. Social Security Death Index
• 18. 1930 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 16 April, Shelby, District 18, page 23B, 309 Blanton St, Hse #458, Fam #498
• 19. 1910 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 10 May, Township 6, District 42, page 24B, Earl's Road, Hse #418, Fam #422
• 20. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• 21. North Carolina Death Certificates, 1909-1975
• 22. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #23499633, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23499633
• 23. 1900 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 5 June, Rippys Township, District 50, page 4A, Hse #43, Fam #44
• 24. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #23513092, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=23513092