"SWAFFORDS of TENNESSEE

A

HOUSE DIVIDED"

PAGE UPDATE: 18 May 2008

My maternal great-grandparents
Larkin Franklin SWAFFORD and Effie Neoma WILSON (SWAFFORD)

Effie Neoma Swaffar's Obit

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 Let me introduce myself; I am Rev. Jimmie Lee Robins, my SWAFFORD connection is through my mother, Emma Neoma SWAFFAR/SWAFFORD. Mother is still alive and is currently 90 years old and doing well. I am a graduate Historian, Anthropologist, Historical Socologist and ordained non-denominational minister. I did my graduate and post-graduate work at Oklahoma State University. That aside, lets get into the fun stuff.

RESEARCH

First of all, I would like to say WELCOME to all the cousin's far and wide, that may stumble upon these pages: welcome home wayward children. These pages are dedicated to you. From this page you can find your way to most of the other cousin's and their sites. I am in contact with most of them. I also wish to thank cousin's Ray SWOFFORD from Texas [Ray passed away sometime back, and we are going to miss him] and Sybil WILSON from Georgia and all the other cousins, for their generous contribution's to the data base and these pages, and please visit them.

You may ask, what do I mean by the reference to: "a house divided." Over the years I have been asked numerous times, the cause of the rift in the family that caused them to change the spelling of their name. During the Civil War, the Swafford line was divided almost exactly down the middle. I think this was the catalyst that prompted the one of the name changes which took place within the family. Or, at least for that period. There appears to have been a name change early on shortly following their imigration. There have been no less than seven different spellings of the name. I believe the Swafford surname is Welsh by origin [the Welsh are a Celtic people], since the oldest spelling of the name SWJIAORDappears to be Celtic in origin as well. As late as my g-grandfather it has been spelled Swafford, Swaffer and Swaffar.

I think that the feud between the SWAFFORD's and TOLLETT's had a lot to do with it as well. “Swafford-Tollett Feud” This new book by Tommy Swafford presents the events that led up to the Swafford-Tollett feud. This feud between the Swafford and Tolletts had its beginnings in the Civil War and continued until the 1920's.

There was also a feud Swafford-Wilson that has also affected the families.

Note's on Ray Swofford: It is my loss that I was never able to meet Ray in person. We comunicated for a number of years working on the genealogy and history of the Swafford/Swofford surname. Ray's books are still available through Jay Swafford's web site.

We mourn the passing of cousin Ray Swofford. He will be sorely missed by all.

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NOTES about on going research: This is a remote possibility: I have spent untold hours posting queries all over Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland trying to track down any reference to "Peter James SWAFFORD," without success. I have, however been in touch with a cousin who sent me some material refering to an origin in Caernarfonshire, Wales. This however proved to be a dead end [?]. I contacted a professional genealogist in Wales, he did my searching for me. As I have indicated; I have my doubts about our progeny being name "Peter James SWAFFORD" or his being born in Belfast or Dublin, Ireland. I am swiftly coming to the conclusin that perhaps he used the name "James SWAFFORD", when he arrived here. Reason for this conclusion is that, there is a James Swafford listed on the same SC census for the period 1800, along with the Swafford brothers [or some of the brothers]. I have searched for many years and am unable to locate the SWAFFORD surname in Ireland, Wales, etc.. However the variation of the surname; SWINFORD is located in England.

New Notes: A new found cousin Dorothy FOX just contacted me from the HOWARD side. Speciffically relating to Rennie HOWARD's side. Dotties mother was a SMITH and her line shows a Peter HOWARD, born 1725 in Belfast, Northern Ireland with a daughter name Rennie HOWARD. Who was married to a Peter James SWAFFORD. This of course brings us back to Ireland, I think they may have been located there for a period before immigration. Logic and reason pertaining to the Swafford lines propensity for travel tends to indicate that he may have came to Ireland from England. I have found a line of Swaffer's in England. During that period of history, it depended on what side of the fence your political views were as to wheather you were in favor or out of favor with the crown. If you were out of favor, you were likly to have a King's warrant issued for you as not. Many adventurous young men left England under a cloud. Remember that England was a country and a citizenship, not a race or cultural group. It was made up of many divergent cultural groups which had invaded Bretannia, such as Celts, Romans, Vikings, Angles, Saxons Normans and Spanish, etc. Political boundries in early Britian shifted faster than one could change boots.

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There are numerous books, references, and periodicals containing information on the SWAFFORD line: yet they are yet to clarify the period from imigration to the 1800 census in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Remember there have been about seven spellings of the SWAFFORD name. So do not over look those that are close or similar in spelling

"SWAFFORDs of the Sequatchie Valley,"

in two vol. by Ray Swofford of Texas. The most researched and deffinitive study on the SWAFFORD surname that has been done to date. You can contact Ray if you would like about the two volume set and the reunion dates at:

RSWOFFORD@aol.com


"Sequatchie, a Story of the Early Cumberlands,"

by Raulston and Livingood. There is a page in the appendix on the SWAFFORDs.

"Bledsoe County, Tennessee, a History"

by Elizabeth P. Robinett, page 15; "the eight Swafford bothers; Abraham, Jacob, Aaron, Isaac, William, John, Paul, and Thomas with their families from South Carolina" arrived in Bledsoe County shortly after 1810.

"Biographical Index, Goodspeed's, The History of Tennessee" Decatur County, mentions the biography of W.L. SWAFFORD, has dates of birth on most of the brothers.


"The Lone Welshman," speaks of James SWAFFORD and his arrival in the Carolinas in the middle 1700's. It also refers to or attempts to establish as a fact; that he was the first SWAFFORD in North America. [NOTE: I have yet to view a copy of this book, to verify its contents. If anyone has a line on this book please let me know. One of the problems I have with what iformation I do have on the book, is about the imigration timeline [middle 1700's], and that is that my ggg-grandfather Jacob Swafford was born in 1762 in Greenville County, SC.. If James Swafford is in fact the parent of the eight brother's then they would to have arrived much earlier.]

What we need to find are the imigration records for the period of the late 1600's to the early 1700's with ships arriving in the north and in the Carolinas.

Remember cousins do not take for granite information that you find on the Internet.

If anyone knows where this book is contact me at:

Jim Robins

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Please visit this site and check the work of our cousins. There are many SWAFFORD's and associated surnames listed.

 Bledsoe County, Tennessee Cemetery Registery

SWAFFORD's in the CIVIL WAR
If your ancestor was born between 1828 and 1847 it is very likly that they served during the Civil War. The average age of the soldiers on both sides was 22 years old.

Swafford's from Tenn. who served in the Union Army, Civil War

Swafford's from Tenn. who served in the Confederate Army, Civil War"

There were Swafford's from our line who faught in the Civil War from other states as well. I will research those and list them as well.

The Many Spellings of the Swafford Line

There are also several very definitive SWAFFORD spread sheets listed on the net as well. Our-many thanks go to Cousin Lavonne Moore, who recently e-mailed me; reference new information that she had discovered relating to the spelling of the surname SWAFFORD. She found a book titled "Pearce Pioneers in Kentucky," with notes on related families, which includes the SWAFFORD surname. It indicates that it was originally spelled SWJIAORD and was eventually changed into: These variations have been used since the early 1700's - SWAFFER, SWAFFAR, SWINFORD, SUARFORD, SWAFORD, SWAFFORD, and SWOFFORD. The spelling SWJIAORD has its roots in the very early Celtic invasion of the United Kingdom. I believe the origin is more specifically Celtic/Viking [early Irish/Scottish and Welsh were Celts of course]. The Norwegian and Danish Vikings were natorious mariners who left their mark all over northern Europe. The Vikings through their agressive migration were in constant confrontation with the Celts of Ireland, Scotland and Wales, western United Kingdom [what is the United Kingdom? It is a modern term! You may ask? It is England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland]. Swafford or whatever variation you like; is my mother's surname. From which we are members of the CLan Donald USA.
If anyone can find a copy of "Pearce Pioneers In Kentucky" let me know.

The Story and History of the Swafford Migration

The period that had the greatest impact on the process of name change, was the Civil War. After considerable research I have noted very little name change here in North America until the close of the Civil War. All most all the records following the war indicate a change in the spelling of the name. I think that the fact the family was divided between North and South may have been the reason. This page represents the continuing research of the turbulent history of the SWAFFORDS. Their arrival in North America from (?); there are at the least four different books, which give four different origins. It seems the only thing that they agree on, is that they originated somewhere in the United Kingdom. For example; one record indicates; Peter was born in Dublin, Ireland and married Rennie HOWARD who was also born in Dublin. My research show he [may] have been born in Belfast, Northern Ireland abt. 1725. This information comes from cousin Barbara SWAFFORD McDonald (line is from - Aaron SWAFFORD), she indicates; she found it in The biography of William Linville SWAFFORD, 1831-1900, a great-grandson of Peter James SWAFFORD and Rennie HOWARD. This is listed in the "Biographical Index, Goodspeed's, The History of Tennessee," Decatur County, page 893. I suppose it is still open to speculation! I have numerous queries posted in an effort to determine which of the speculated origins is true. I am doubtful of the "Goodspeed" information, there are to many errors in the manuscript.

"Note on HOWARD surname: The SWAFFORD boys married heavily into the HOWARD line; of Peter HOWARD and Sarah PORTMAN. I have located the HOWARD spread sheet and have posted it here for your consideration."

Census records in Greenville Cty., SC puts them there at the time of the census. So their tracks, which show their migration to Geenville Cty., SC. and their return to Bledsoe Cty., Tennessee, is still fodder for research. According to the census records for Greenville Cty., SC. the SWAFFORDs; were in the County from about the 1760's, to about just before 1810. Peter James Swafford and Rennie Howard, brought their family to Greenville County about 1760 (calculated based on records -?). The 1800 census for Greenville Cty., SC had them still there. They remained in the South until on or about-just before 1810, when Tennessee census records show the (8) brothers had return to Tennessee, after the death of their parents (burial locations, yet to be confirmed). The brother's had originally spreadout throughout the South; SC, GA, AL, and MS. Cousin Brent RAINS, research has located a number of burial locations throughout the South for SWAFFORDs and ancellary surnames. His research seems to indicate a sudden increase in deaths.(I suspect - that it was the Militia - the federal government had turned the State Militia's loose to deal with the Indians inside the individual states as they saw fit - this is, to some part based on information from cousin Brent RAINS, from AL., and his research, as well as known practices of the state militia's. This created a state of unrest among all nationalities.

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NOTICE

 Cousins; I have got numerous requests for information about how and where Cherokee blood came into the Swafford line. Most of us Swafford's are double and triple cousins. This type of cross marriage practices were common among all clan based cultures. Such as; Celts, Scots, ancient Irish, Vikings, American Indians, etc.. On my side that of Jacob Swafford, etc. and my father's side came here the first time about 1400 with Leif Erickson and Eric the Red, Clan Gunn of north eastern Scotland and are decedent from Olf the Black of Norway. All of our lines married into the Cherokee Tribe numerous times, but what we need to do is coallate all the information and share it. If everyone likes, I can collect and post the information here on my domain. If you have documentation of Cherokee blood coming into your Swafford line, send me an e-mail.
Jim Robins

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NOTICE

 Cousins I am looking for copies of marriage records and or location of same for my ggg-grandparents Jacob SWAFFORD and Sarah LARKIN; they were married abt. 1790 in Greenville Cty., SC. Also, if anyone has any information on her siblings and parents, I would like to confirm my records. ________________________________________________________________

After returning to Tennessee, the brother's: Jacob, Abraham, Aaron, and Thomas settled in the Sequatchie Valley, of Bledsoe Cty., Tennessee. The other brothers; Issac, moved to Kentucky, John moved back to Alabama, Paul moved back to Northern Georgia (?), and William lived in several different counties in Tennessee. (ref: Ray C. Swofford's book "Swaffords of Sequatchie Valley, TN" 1990)

The current question of our research is: What happened to Paul SWAFFORD? Some say he went back to Georgia, but there are no records of him in Georgia. I have found SWAFFORDS in Walker Cty., GA. but much later???????? Did he make it to Georgia? It's a straight shot South from Bledsoe Cty. to Georgia.

And, who is Jefferson SWAFFORD(?), born 1820 and married to Martha (?), may have had a daughter named Nancy Amanda SWAFFORD, who marries a man named Balus C. BARKER.
If you are from one of these lines, please e-mail me, so we can exchange information:
Jim Robins

PETER JAMES SWAFFORD - my gggg grandfather

Born: 1725 in Belfast, Northern Ireland (?)
Died: in Greenville County, South Carolina
Wife: Rennie HOWARD, born aft. 1725 in Dublin, Ireland (father: Peter HOWARD)

CHILDREN

Jacob SWAFFORD ; (my ggg grandfather) - Born: 1762 in Greenville County, South Carolina Died: 1856 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee - Wife: Sarah LARKIN, b 1772 in Virginia

Notes: Jacob and Sarah are both buried in Bledsoe Cty., TN. (Ray and Sybil know where the graves are, as does the coordinator for the Bledsoe County GenWeb page. The land the graves are located onland that had belong to his family at one time.)

Paul SWAFFORD; Born: (aft. 1765-?) Died: (?) in Georgia (what happen to Paul is open for spectulation)

John SWAFFORD Born: 1770 in Greenville Cty., South Carolina Died: (?) in Alabama Wife: Mary (?)

Abraham SWAFFORD; Born: Oct 10, 1772 in Greenville Cty., SC. Died: (Dec 1, 1842) in Tennessee - Wife: Jane HOWARD Notes: Abraham is buried in the same cemetary as Thomas, his brother [Swafford Chapel Cemetery, Bledsoe Cty., TN], Thomas' 2nd wife, Elizabeth NICHOLS and his children.

Isaac SWAFFORD Born: 1774 in North Carolina Died: abt. 1865 in Kentucky Wife: Margaret "Polly" SMITH, b 1783, d 1826

Thomas Younger SWAFFORD Born: Mar 10, 1783 in Greenville County, South Carolina Died: Nov 2, 1856 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee - Wives: Matilida HOWARD, Elizabeth NICHOLS, born Sep 26, 1788 died Jan 19, 1879

Notes: After returning to Bledsoe Cty., TN from Greenville Cty., SC, he turned around and moved to Mississippi for a while. His first wife; Matilida HOWARD died in 1818, while they were there. Just before he moved back to Bledsoe Cty., TN. His daughter Nancy died there in Mississippi as well, in 1819.

Aaron SWAFFORD; Born: 1784 in Greenville Cty., SC. Died: 1824 in Tennessee - Wife: Elizabeth HOWARD

William SWAFFORD; Born: 1785 in (?) Died: (?) in Hamilton County, Tennesse Wife: (?)

"FAMILY MILITARY HISTORY in TENNESSEE"

"CIVIL WAR"