Swain Family

Swain Family:  The first Swain to come to Ohio County was Henry "Harry" Swain, who was born 25 Sept 1780 in NC.  Henry died 7 Jan 1856 in Ohio Co. I am told that Henry was buried in the Swain Family Cemetery [possibly called the Hudnall Cemetery], which is located above Green River at the mouth of the Thoroughfare on Highway 169 below Prentiss and Schultztown. I am not certain of the location of the 116 acre Swain farm and family cemetery, but I think the following maps are close:

Henry married Mary Howell 25 Jan 1808 in Logan County, KY. She died in Ohio Co. 13 Sept 1843.  Henry and Mary had the following children:

   1. Peyton T. Swain, born about 1810 and he died after 1863.

   2. James H. Swain, born about 1812; moved to Missouri; and died 1 June 1847 in Mexico during the Mexican War. James married Nancy Terrence in Ohio Co. in 1833 and married Mildred P. Cason in MO in 1840.

   3. Nancy Swain, born about 1814 and died 20 Dec 1853 in Ohio County.

   4. Mary D. Swain, born about 1819 and died about 1882 in Ohio Co. Mary married John W. Haws in 1844 in Butler Co.; and married Nicholas Taylor in 1854 in Butler Co.

   5. Martha Swain, born 3 May 1822 and died 21 Jul 1899. Martha married Phillip Davenport in 1844 in Butler Co.

   6. Elizabeth Swain, born about 1825 and died 26 Oct 1911 and is buried in Butler Co. Elizabeth married Woodson Legrand in 1857 in Ohio Co. 

   7. Henry Allen Swain, born 26 March 1827 and died 31 March 1878 in Ohio Co. Henry married Eliza Jane Garner Morton "Maud" 20 Feb 1851 in Ohio Co. and they had ten children (see below).

  8. Rhoden Burgoyne Swain, born 1 Jan 1832 and died 2 Apr 1908 in Ohio Co.  Rhoden married Nancy Jane Smith about 1850 and that marriage ended in divorce. Rhoden next married Elizabeth Mary Davenport in 1867 in Ohio Co.

   9. Homer C. Swain, born about 1837 and died before 1 Sept 1856. Homer married Mary A. Howerton in Ohio Co. 28 Nov 1877.

Next generation. The children of Henry Allen Swain:

   1. Mary Frances Swain, born 30 Dec 1851, and died 8 Feb 1947 in Butler Co. Mary married James R. Read 28 Oct 1869 in Ohio Co.

   2. Peridope Swain, born 5 Aug 1853.

   3. Percipial Aurthine Swain "Sip", born 5 Aug 1853 and died 7 March 1951 in Beaver Dam. Percipial married Wihelmina Elminia Angle 17 Nov 1875 and they had five children.  "Sip" Swain (198) died at age 97. His obituary stated that he was a sterling citizen of quaint individuality and would be remembered for his dapper manner, long locks of hair, and friendly jollity. He was an accomplished fiddler and maker of fiddles, a horse racing devotee and hiking enthusiast. He was a farmer, merchant, blacksmith, and postmaster, living most of his life in the Prentiss community. He was buried in Slaty Creek Cemetery, Ohio County, Kentucky.

   4. Peyton Timoleon Swain, born 21 Jul 1855, and died 2 June 1935 in Butler Co. Peyton married Laura E. Turns 3 Oct 1878 in Ohio Co.

   5. Finis Leona Swain, born 7 June 1857, and died 21 Apr 1937 in Ohio Co. Finis married Samuel William Leach 10 Jan 1874 in Ohio Co. and they had four children: Henry Oscar, Harney Leslie, Clyde Fielding, and Chester Finis Leach. Her obituary states: 

Venerated Woman Dies at Beaver Dam.  Mrs. Finis Leona Leach, 79 years of age, died at her home in Beaver Dam at 4:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 21, after having been ill for a number of years and bedfast for the last two years.  Her death was attributed to a complication of diseases.  Mrs. Leach was a native of Ohio County, born near Cromwell, a daughter of the late Allen and Lyda Morton Swain.  She was the widow of Samuel William Leach, who preceded her in death a number of years ago.  She was an admirable woman and a member of the Baptist church.  Surviving relatives are three sons, Oscar, of Cincinnati, Clyde, of Lexington, Chester, of Owensboro, eight grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Frank Cooper, and two brothers, Sip and Harper Swain, Ohio County.  Funeral services were conducted at the home at 1:00 p.m. last Thursday, and also a short service at the Leach cemetery, near Rob Roy, where commitment was made.  Services were in charge of the Rev. J. L. Sullivan, pastor of Beaver Dam Baptist church.  Ohio County News, April 30, 1937.

Finis was my great-grandmother. Here is her photo:

   6. Laura Lelah Swain, born 1860. Laura married John S. Buckley.

   7. Jefferson Davis Swain, born Feb 1863, and died 12 June 1905 in McLean Co.  Jefferson married Elizabeth H.

   8. Ellis Harper Swain, born 12 march 1865, and died 12 march 1962 in Ohio County.

   9. John Wilkes Booth Swain, born 19 Nov 1868, and died after 1910. John married Iona Alice Carter 20 Feb 1895 in Ohio Co.

   10. Elida Quantrilla Swain, born 2 Jan 1871, and she died 7 May 1968 in Ohio Co., having married Frank Cooper 19 Oct 1892 in Ohio Co.

   The following is a family history narrative sent to me by Marguerite Leach (1908-2007); Marguerite was my cousin:

My father was Clyde Leach and my mother was Sylvia May McCoy.  Father was born 29 Sep 1879 and died 9 Aug 1962.  Mother was born 1 May 1887 and died 2 Oct 1980. My grandfather was Samuel William Leach and my grandmother was Finis Swain. Grandfather and grandmother had 4 sons, Oscar, Harney Leslie, Clyde and Chester.

Grandmother Leach had a brother we called Uncle Sip who raised trotting horses.  I remember watching them race at the Ohio County Fair.  The horses pulled a sulky while racing. 

When I was a child we lived near the Swain farm.  My mother called Uncle Sip's wife " Aunt Willie", and I remember mother telling me to run over to Aunt Willie's home and borrow a cup of flour.  To get there I had to go through the field where Uncle Sip had his horses and they were very big and I was afraid of them.  My father, Clyde Leach, would keep the (racing) time for Uncle Sip with Uncle Sip's stop watch.  After Uncle Sip died my father ended up with the stop watch, possibly by inheritance, and I got it when father died.  I gave it to Otis Leach, who lived in Owensboro, and his son, Billy Leach has it now. 

I remember that Uncle Sip and Grandmother Leach (Finis) had a sister that we called Aunt Lydia, and that she married a Cooper and had two children, Juanita and Corbit. Corbit was a Mason and was very good to Uncle Leslie's widow, Ella, after Uncle Leslie died (Uncle Leslie was also a Mason).  I remember that Aunt Lydia lived west of Beaver Dam, near Centertown. 

Uncle Sip had a daughter named Effie T. Swain that married Richard (Dick) Taylor. They had two children, Ruby and Wilma, who were friends of mine.  I remember that Effie had a family bible that had all of the Swain family information. 

I remember spending the night with Grandmother Leach (Finis) when I was quite young.  She cooked in the fireplace.  I slept upstairs in a little room.  She had a shawl that hung on a nail that she called a facinator. When Uncle Oscar's wife died I was small and they held the wake at Grandmother Leach's house.