Life History

Notes

• The starting point for understanding this family was the bareinformation of the 1880 census.  There it appeared that Katy, livingin a household with only her single son James, was the widowed motherof Phillip and George.  They all lived in adjacent houses in PrairieTownship of Arkansas County, Arkansas.   Other likely brothers wereWilliam, who also appears in a house next door to Katy, and J L, nextdoor to William, in the 1880 census.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 10 June, PrairieTownship, page 16D, Hse #105, Fam #108
  P K McSwain  W M  31   Farmer  NC NC NC
  Elizabeth McSwain W  F 32 Wife Housekeeping  NC SC NC
  Maggie E McSwain W  F 4 Daughter AR NC NC
  A L McSwain W  F 2 Daughter AR NC NC
  J E McSwain W  F 7mos b Nov 1879 Son AR NC NC
  
  They were confirmed as one family when I finally found the censusesreporting the family in 1850 and 1860 in Cleveland County, NorthCarolina.  Their father George was in those censuses, but Katy appearsalone in 1870 and 1880.
  
  One of Phillip's sons was JE (Joseph Edward).  Edith McSwain Jenkinsreports that she remembers being told by her family that Joseph'sfather was a brother of George B, the grandfather of Edith's fatherOliver.  George B appears with the first McSwains in Arkansas Countyin the 1880 census, who all came from North Carolina.
  
  Appearing only as P K McSwain in 1880 census, he is listed as Phillipin the 1900 census.  The grave next to Martha in Mt Pleasant Cemeteryidentifies him as P. K. McSwain.  The one discrepancy is that the nameof the wife of P K in 1880 is reported as Elizabeth.  The wife ofPhillip in 1900 is reported as Martha.
  
  This is easily reconciled if we understand her name as MarthaElizabeth.  The gravestone reads Martha E.  She is also listed thisway in the 1900 census (actually Marth E).
  
  Ages are a close match, with the ages for Elizabeth and Martha givingthe same year of birth: 1880 - age 32; 1900 - age 52.  For Phillip,there is a discrepancy: 1880 - 21; 1900 - 53.  We can commonly expectup to two years difference from census to census, depending on when abirthday is and at what date in the year the census is taken.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 19 June, PrairieTownship, District 7, Page 13B, Hse #218, Fam #293
  McSwain, Phillip K Head W M  Jan 1847  53 Married 25 years  NC NC NCFarmer
  McSwain, Marth [sic] E   Wife W F Oct 1847 52  Married 25 yearsHousekeeping  NC NC NC
  McSwain, Joseph  Son W M  Nov 1879 20 AR NC NC Farm Laborer
  McSwain, Robert F  Son W M  Sept 1882 17 AR NC NC Farm Laborer
  McSwain, Benjamin  Son  W M  June 1886 13  AR NC NC Farm Laborer
  McSwain, Lillie  Dau  W F Feb 1888  12 Single AR NC NC
  McSwain, Lee O  Dau  W F Mar 1891  9 Single AR NC NC
  Padgett, Lavina  Mother [actually mother-in-law of a cousin, andmother of Jane Padgett] W F Mar 1819 81 Widowed NC NC NC
  Padgett, Jane Sister [actually about a 2nd cousin] W F Jan 1849 51Single NC NC NC
  McSwain, Lester Grandson  W M  Mar 1899 1 AR NC NC
  Criswell, Harvey  Boarder W M  Jan 1876 24 Single MS VA AL
  Jenkins, Andrew  Servant W M  Apr 1878 22 Single TN GA GA
  
  A Lavina [Lavinia] Padgett is reported living in this household, andshe is described as his mother.
  
  This Lavina Padgett is actually the mother of Edwin Padgett, whomarried Phillip's distant cousin Judith McSwain in North Carolinabefore moving to Ethel, Arkansas in late 1870.  Their third child,Mary, was born in Ethel in 1871.  How the enumerator confused Laviniawith Phillip's mother is a puzzle.  This is one of the numerous errorsin these censuses.
  
  In 1900, there is also a Jane Padgett, reported as Phillip's sister.But there was no Jane in this McSwain family.  An earliertranscription has been misleading because it had listed this Jane asJane McSwain.
  
  Multiple facts indicate that this Jane was Lavinia's daughter JanePadgett.  In the 1880 census, Jane Padgett was unmarried at age 26,and still in the household of her parents Wiley and Lavinia, who livenext door to Phillip McSwain, and two doors from Phillip's motherKaty, with William McSwain next door to her.
  
  Note that Harvey Criswell is living with them.  Harvey later marriesPhillip's niece, Callie McSwain, daughter of George and Harriet.Living next door to Phillip's family is Harvey's oldest brother, JamesCriswell, and his family.
  
  It appears that several McSwain and Padgett families moved from thesame area of North Carolina, through Tennessee and finally toArkansas.  This occurred over the period of about 1865-75.  EdithMcSwain Jenkins reports that she recalls it being said that the mencame first, then sent for their families.  The period of the move wasfairly short, however.  I have found that none of the McSwain men weremarried in 1870 in Tennessee.
  
  We don't know exactly how long they were in Tennessee before moving onto Arkansas, but it was 10 years or less.  We now know that Katy'shusband George died in North Carolina between the 1860 and 1870census.  He is last seen in 1860.
  
  1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina, 4 August 1860,p 54, Hse/Fam #385
  George McSwain Sr   61 M Farmer $100 Personal Estate b NC
  Catherine McSwain 40  F b NC
  Mary G McSwain 17  F b NC
  Sallie H McSwain  15   F b NC
  Phillip R McSwain  12  M b NC
  Francis M McSwain 10  M b NC
  Julius L McSwain  8  M b NC
  George McSwain  7  M b NC
  Nancy McSwain 6  F b NC
  William W McSwain   5  M b NC
  James L McSwain  1 M b NC
  Mary Weathers 84   F b NC
  
  In the 1870 census, Katy and her children are in a household headed byPhillip.  Phillip (spelled Phelp) is a farmer.  Catherine is listedsecond as Keeping House.  We cannot tell how long the family have beenin Tennessee before the 1870 census.
  
  Phillip and all his siblings are single in the 1870 census.  We findhim and his mother and all the brothers except Francis in GilesCounty, Tennessee.  Francis moved on to Arkansas earlier with acousin, and settled in St Charles on the White River, in the northernsection of Prairie Township in Arkansas County.
  
  1870 Federal Census, Giles County, Tennessee, 15 August, Pulaski,Civil District 4, Enumeration District page 41, Hse/Fam #306
  McSwain, Phelp 21 M W Farmer NC
  McSwain, Catheron 52 F W Keep House  NC
  McSwain, Login 18 M W Farm Labor NC
  McSwain, George 17 M W Farm Labor NC
  McSwain, Nancy 15 F W NC
  McSwain, William 12 M W Farm Labor NC
  McSwain, James 10 M W Farm Labor NC
  
  I learned the maiden name of Phillip's wife in November 2008.  AMcSwain researcher working on the family from the North Carolina sideknew the name of Wiley Padgett's wife, Lavinia Nancy McSwain, a cousinof Phillip's father George.  In reviewing the Padgett-McSwainconnections with this new information, I realized I already had thenames of the McSwain boys' wives but had not made the connection.
  
  It turned out that three daughters of Wiley Padgett and Nancy McSwainPadgett were the wives of Phillip and two of his brothers.  A son ofWiley and Lavinia Nancy's son Edwin also married a McSwain cousin,Judith, and they moved to the same area.  Padgetts and McSwains wereintermarried for several generations in North Carolina, and theirrelationships continued in Arkansas.
  
  The McSwains and Padgetts lived in Cleveland County, North Carolina.Martha Padgett's family were in Buncombe County, North Carolina, forthe 1860 census.  In 1870 we see the Arkansas pioneers of bothfamilies on their way west.  Then we find them in Cocke County,Tennessee for the 1870 census.
  
  For the 1870 census, the McSwains were in Giles County, Tennessee.These counties are quite far apart, so there is no indication thatthey were in touch during the time in Tennessee.  They moved eithertogether or about the same time to Arkansas County, Arkansas, settlingin Ethel, a community south of St Charles, on the White River insouthern Prairie Township.
  
  Philip's brother Julius Logan (J L) married Martha Padgett's sisterLevina in about 1875.  Their brother George B married another sister,Harriet Padgett, in 1876.  That same year William McSwain marriedSarah Lowe, a daughter of an Arkansas family, born in Arkansas.  Itseems likely that they all married in Arkansas.  I would expect theymoved in the early 1870s, since some or all of them were married by1875 in Arkansas.
  
  The Padgett family, including the three who later marry Katy McSwain'ssons, are in Cocke County, Tennessee, for the 1870 census.  Their postoffice is given as Newport, which is the county seat, though near theborder with Jefferson County, Tennessee.
  
  I find this interesting, since the McSwains and Padgett's are my wifeEdith's family, and Cocke County is where all the children of mygreat-grandparents Dock Patrick Gregory and Julia Ann ClementineStrange Gregory were born before the family moved to Indian Territoryabout 1895.
  
  In the 1880 census Wiley and Lavinia and their children are in Ethel,Arkansas, living next door to Phillip.  Edwin and Judith are living inthe same area a little farther away.
  
  In 1900 Edwin's mother Lavinia (Lavina) and her daughter Jane areliving with Phillip.  In 1910 Jane is still single and living withPhillip's daughter Maggie Nolen and her family.
  
  The 1870 census reports Phillip's age as 21, but the family has anexact birth date for him as 30 January 1847.  This means he shouldhave been 22 at his last birthday 6 months before the 1870 census.
  
  The next thing we know, they are all married with children in the 1880census in Prairie Township (Ethel), Arkansas County, Arkansas.
  
  In 1900, a Lester McSwain, 1 year old, is reported in Phillip'shousehold as a grandson.  This is Cyrus Lester, a child of a daughterwho was born after the 1880 census, and died in childbirth.  We haveno record of her name.  A grandson of Cyrus Lester, Kevin McSwain,tells me Cyrus Lester's mother's name was Tissie (also spelled Tisseyin some families of that era).  I have other details about the familyof Cyrus Lester in his Notes.
  
  Cyrus Lester, who went by Lester, had a son named Cyrus Lester, Jr,who goes by C L.  Kevin, who gave me information about the descendantsof Lester, is the son of Cyrus Lester, Jr.  In 1910 Lester is stillreported in Phillip's household, as a grandson.  Lester appears withhis wife Mattie as a separate household in 1920.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 April, PrairieTownship, District 13, page 4A, Hse/Fam #58
  McSwain, Philip  Head  M W 69 Married 36 years NC  NC  NC Farmer
  McSwain, Martha  Wife  F W 67 Married 36 years NC  SC  NC
  McSwain, Lillie N  Dau  F W 22 Single AR NC NC
  McSwain, Ben  Son  M W  4 Single AR NC NC Dry Goods Salesman
  McSwain, Leona E  Dau  F W 18 Single AR NC NC
  McSwain, Lester  Grandson  M W 11 Single AR NC NC
  
  I note that Lillie is listed before Ben, although the age of Lillieappears to be 22.  This matches the birth year we have for her in1888.  Normally the oldest child is listed first.
  
  Kevin McSwain, Lester's grandson, tells us Lester's father was namedJohn McSwain.  He was a cousin of some sort to that family.  I havenot yet been able to trace the exact identity of this John.  AfterLester's mother died in childbirth, John moved on to Texas andestablished a family there, while Lester stayed with his grandfather.
  
  There is a listing for P K McSwain of Arkansas County in the 1911registry of Confederate Veterans in Arkansas.  No personal informationis available from this.
  McSwain, P.K. - (no personal info) Arkansas
  --  http://www.arkansasresearch.com/1911-2.txt
  
  There is a grave for both Philip and his wife Martha E in Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, where most of the McSwains are buried.  We also foundgraves for his children Robert and Bennie.
  
  Date of marriage estimated based on birth date of first child, Joseph,born Nov 18 1879.

Sources

• 1. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 19 June, Prairie Township, District 7, Page 13B, Hse #218, Fam #293
• 2. Gravestone of P K McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 3. 1870 Federal Census, Giles County, Tennessee
  • 15 August, Pulaski, Civil District 4, page 41, Hse/Fam #306
• 4. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 10 June, Prairie Township, page 16D, Hse #105, Fam #108
• 5. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 22 April, Prairie Township, District 13, page 4A, Hse/Fam #58
• 6. Genealogy.com Discussion Forum, Kevin McSwain, 2001
  • Name: Name: http://genforum.genealogy.com/mcswain/messages/351.html;;
• 7. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 5 June, Prairie Township, District 7, p 11A, Hse #181, Fam #186
• 8. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 20 April, Prairie Township, District 7, p 6B, Ethel & Chute Rd, Hse
• 9. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 4 February, Prairie Township, District 13, Ethel & Chute Rd, p 7A, Hse
• 10. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 11. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 4 Feb, Prairie Township, District 16, Ethel and Chute Rd, Page 7A, Hse
• 12. 1930 Federal Census, Bolivar County, Mississippi
  • 16 April, Beat 3, District 23, page 11B, Hse/Fam #315
• 13. RootsWeb ID: I3216 -- Thomas F Butler
  • Location:http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=sarahc_ingram&id=I3216;;
• 14. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 16 June, Prairie Township, District 7, Page 11, Hse #192, Family #195
• 15. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 20 April, Prairie Township, District 13, Page 3A, Hse/Fam #35
• 16. W H Butler Family Notes, by children of W M Butler, private paper
• 17. Gravestone of Joseph E and Allie A McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery,Ethel, Arkansas
• 18. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 21 April, District 25, page 6B, Prairie Township, Ethel & Chute Rd,
• 19. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 20 April, Prairie Township, District 13, page 3A, Hse/Fam #36
• 20. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
  • Volume 58, Certificate #6
• 21. Kevin McSwain, email communication with Orville Boyd Jenkins, January2007
• 22. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • Hse #221
• 23. SSDI Broderbund Archive #110, Vol. 1, Ed. 4
• 24. Gravestone of Robert P and Annie Padgett McSwain, Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 25. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 3 February, South Prairie Township, District 16, page 6B, Ethel &
• 26. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 19 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 13B, Hse #218, Fam #223
• 27. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 28. 1920 Federal Census, Pulaski County, Arkansas
  • 1 January, Big Rock Township, Little Rock Ward 4, District 129, page
• 29. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• 30. SSDI Broderbund Archive #110, Vol. 2, Ed. 6
• 31. Bobby Butler, McSwain family notes on census, compiled 1995
• 32. Gravestone of Bennie D McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 33. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 3 February, South Prairie Township, District 16, page 6B, Ethel-St
• 34. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • Household #105