Parents

Son of George MCSWAIN & Catherine WEATHERS.

Life History

Notes

• William W McSwain, born in North Carolina, is found in Tennessee inthe 1870 census.
  
  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
  
  He is there with his widowed mother and other brothers, exceptFrancis, who has already moved on with some other McSwains from NorthCarolina to Ethel, Arkansas, where we will find William and his motherand brothers in 1880.
  
  William W McSwain is reported as William in the 1880 Arkansas County,Arkansas, census:
  1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 10 June, PrairieTownship, District ?, page 16, Hse #109, Family #112
  William McSwain W  M  23  Head-Farmer  NC NC NC
  Sarah McSwain  W  F  23  Wife Hsekeep Ark Tenn Tenn
  Albert McSwain W M 7mos born Nov 1879 Son Ark NC Ark
  
  His gravestone has only the initials W W.  In Mt Pleasant Cemetery,Ethel, Arkansas, there is one gravestone for three people, WW, Sarahand their son Albert.  There is a range of dates, rather than discreteinformation on each person.  The second date is faded.  It seems toread "1895 to 1904."
  
  The date 1895 must be the date Albert died, since William and Sarah'ssecond son was born in 1896.  Neither Sarah nor William show up in the1900 census.  Since the range of dates ends in 1904, at least one ofthe parents lived till then.  It is likely that William died beforethe census, since his household is not reported in the census.
  
  Jerry Gallagher provides information on this family.  Researcher PaulSarrett has information on earlier generations of McSwains in NorthCarolina, where William and his family came from.  I reference them insome information.
  
  Before making a connection with any McSwains in North Carolina, I haddetermined that William was a brother of the other two McSwains thatshow up for the first time in the 1880 Arkansas County census.  Katy,a window age 60, seemed to be the mother of three young men whoapparently moved with her to Arkansas.  These were William, Phillip K,George and J L, later determined to be Julus L[ogan] reported inearlier North Carolina censuses.
  
  When I found the Cleveland County, North Carolina, censuses or 1850and 1860, this was confirmed.  I also found later about the youngbrother Francis moving early to Arkansas.  He is already in PrairieTownship, Arkansas County, near Ethel, which becomes the new home ofthe McSwain clan.
  
  A Judith N McSwain also moved to Arkansas, with her husband EdwinPadgett, to Ethel, and in later life to Ward in Lonoke County, over ahundred miles to the northwest.  I suspected Judith's family were kinto this Arkansas family of McSwain pioneers, but could not confirm ittill months later I had finally located Katy and her husband Georgequite some time later in the NC census.  Judith was a second cousin ofGeorge and Catherine's children.
  
  A grandson of Phillip named Lester was also reported in 1900, and Ilater made contact with Lester's grandson, who indicated that Lester'smother was a daughter of Philip who died in childbirth, of whom wehave no clear record.  (See discussion on Cyrus Lester and Phillip'sdaughter Maggie E.)

Sources

• 1. 1870 Federal Census, Giles County, Tennessee
  • 15 August, Pulaski, Civil District 4, page 41, Hse/Fam #306
• 2. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 10 June, Prairie Township, District ?, page 16, Hse #109, Family #112
• 3. 1860 Federal Census, Cleveland County, North Carolina
  • 6 August, p 54, Hse/Fam #385
• 4. Gravestone of W W and Sarah and son Albert McSwain, Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 5. RootsWeb ID: I1425 -- William W McSwain
  • http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jerryg&id=I
• 6. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 20 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 15A, Hse #254, Fam #261
• 7. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • Prairie Township, page 16, Household #109
• 8. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 9. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 10. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• 11. RootsWeb ID: I1425 -- William W McSwain
• 12. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 14 May, North Prairie, District 12, page 12A, St Charles, Hse/Fam #215
• 13. 1930 Federal Census, Pulaski County, Arkansas
  • 14 April, Big Rock, District 8, page 23B, 1870 Garner St, Hse #527,
• 14. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 2 May, North Prairie Township, District 12, page 6B, Hse/Fam #116
• 15. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
• 16. 1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • Household #109