Prominent Citizens
During this time in American history, Gold is discovered in California, sparking entrepreneur Levi Strauss, 20, to introduce, “bibless overalls.” These later become what we know today as “blue jeans”, and will be worn by many future generations of Americans (1850). Congress abolishes slavery in the District of Columbia on April 16, 1862, and in the U. S. territories on June 19, 1862. Congress also prohibits distillation of alcohol without a federal license but “moonshiners” continue to make whiskey. All of these events are sure to have touched our Swetnam ancestors’ lives in one way or another.
Louisa Ann Eliza Swetnam, the first born of Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born January 28, 1805, in Culpeper County, Virginia. The family moved from Virginia to Blaine Creek, in Lawrence County, Kentucky when she was thirteen years old. On February 26, the year is not known, she married Robert Walter. Their third child, named Swetnam Walter, was killed in the Civil War. Louisa died in 1877. There is a legend that says the town of Louisa, Kentucky was named for her.
Issue of Robert and Louisa Ann Eliza Walter
Robert Walter + Louisa Ann Eliza Swetnam (1805 - 1877)
1. Edford Walter
2. Marion Walter
3. Swetnam Walter
4. Monroe Walter + Ann Patrick
Clayborne L. Swetnam, the second child of Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born on February 10, 1807, in Culpeper County Virginia. Clayborne married Derece “Terracee” Wellman on April 27, 1837, in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Clayborne was a land owner, farmer and merchant. He owned a store with H. Gambill, which was mentioned in report in the Greenup Independent Supplement, Greenup, Kentucky on Friday May 7, 1878, written by A. P. L. Goering of Hamilton Ontario, Canada.
“The Gambill and Swetnam store did a remarkable business buying country produce, shipped not less than 260 barrels of beans and 53 barrels of eggs during this summer.”
Clayborne is mentioned by name in this report. It is also mentioned that the Gambill and Swetnam Store was the best of the three stores in Blaine at that time. In his later years Clayborne became senile, as is recorded in Walter Stafford Swetnam’s book Kith and Kin.
“In his late years Uncle Clayborne became senile, and a man named Isam Skaggs was employed to look after him, keep him clean and out of mischief. Uncle Clayborne took a great dislike to him, and somehow conceived the idea that any food that he left on his plate would be eaten by Skaggs, so that he would clean his plate meticulously, saying, “If I leave any bite, that Skaggs gets it.” It is said that Uncle Clayborne had a considerable sum in gold, in a churn, or crock, which was well hidden -- so well, in fact, that after his death it was never found. Of course somebody may have found it and made off with it, or it may still be hidden somewhere about the place.”
Clayborne died on November 5, 1898.
Issue of Clayborne L. and Derece Swetnam
Clayborne L. Swetnam (1807 - 1898) + Derece Wellman (1847 - 1896)
1. Milton Swetnam (1836 - 1896) + Lydia Botner (1847 - 1931)
2. Sarah Jane (Jackie) Swetnam (1840 - 1934) + Millard Carter
*2nd Husband of Sarah Jane (Jackie) Swetnam: + John Holton
3. Emily A. Swetnam (1843 - 1880) + Elisha Wellman (1853 - )
4. Mary Elizabeth Swetnam (1845 - 1932) + Harry Sr. Gimbill (1844 - 1905)
Zepheniah F. Swetnam, the third born of Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born May 21, 1809, in Culpeper County, Virginia. He married Charlotte Burgess on April 14, 1836, in Floyd County, Kentucky. Zepheniah moved with his wife to Oskaloosa, Iowa, possible to seek his fortune. He died May 16, 1855 at Prescott, Iowa and is buried there. It is not known if he ever found his fortune.
Issue of Zepheniah F. and Charlotte Swetnam
Zepheniah F. Swetnam (1809 - 1855) + Charlotte Burgess
1. John James Swetnam (1849 - 1917) + Sydney Ann Flaugher
John James Swetnam, the fourth born of Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born June 9, 1811 in Culpeper County, Virginia. John moved to Kentucky with his father at the age of eight, and eventually settling in Bath County, Kentucky on the waters of White Oak Creek where he owned and operated a farm for many years. John James, familiarly known as “Uncle John J.” was twice married being the father of fourteen children. He and his father before him were early settlers in Bath County, Kentucky. He successfully engaged in his early days as a dry goods merchant, then as a teacher in the county schools and finally as a prosperous farmer in his community. John James was a Methodist Episcopal.
About 1833 or 1834, and Aunt of Mildred Cross Swetnam, named Cross, died in Culpeper County, Virginia. She was an extensive slave owner, and John James Swetnam and his brother Neri F. Swetnam went to Virginia to see about their mother’s share of slaves. A short time before her death, the Aunt freed a large number and sent them with a boatload to Liberia, the remainder were willed to an aged sister her lifetime, then they were to have their freedom.
John James married Rebecca Osborne on November 22, 1840 in Floyd County, Kentucky. John James purchased about 1.000 acres of land on Red River in Wolfe county, Kentucky, about two miles from Hazelgreen. In 1862 or 1863 he purchased another farm of less acreage northwest of Owingsville, Kentucky on which a new home was under construction. He moved his family to Bath County during the spring or summer of 1863. John and Rebecca had eleven children together.
Rebecca Osborne died on April 1, 1864, and John James remarried to Clarinda (Elkin) Moore. Clarinda was a first cousin, once removed, of Rebecca (Osborne) Swetnam. John had three more children by Clarinda Moore. It is said of John James that he ruled his own house well and that no man ever raised fourteen more honorable and creditable children than he.
Rebecca Osborne, first wife of John James, was born September 11, 1820. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Flannery) Osborne. John Osborne migrated from Virginia to Clayborne County, Tennessee in the early 1800’s. Two children Rebecca and John were born in Tennessee. The elder John migrated to Kentucky after 1820, settling near Prestonburg. The Osborne Family Bible was destroyed by fire many, many years ago, making it difficult to get satisfactory data. The ancestor of the Virginia Osbornes migrated from England to Virginia in the 1600’s. An Osborne was in the House of Burgesses. The Flannery ancestor was from Ireland. He was a gold-smith in Ireland and some of the hand wrought gold rings are in possession of a Colorado descendent, also a sheet of parchment, said to contain much of the family lineage.
Issue of John James Swetnam
John James Swetnam (1811 - 1898) + Rebecca Osborne (1820 - 1864)
1. James Manvah Swetnam (1841 - 1921) + Laura Ferguson
*3rd Wife of James Manvah Swetnam: + Mae E. Black ( - 1935)
2. Louise Elizabeth Swetnam (1843 - 1900) + Ely Kash
3. Isaac Newton Swetnam (1846 - 1917) + Ella Jane Lawson
4. Laura Ann Swetnam (1848 - 1937) + Reese Kash (1841 - 1887)
5. America Jane Swetnam (1850 - 1886) + E. B. May
6. John Neri Swetnam (1852 - 1938) + Mary Elizabeth Elam (1858 - 1943)
7. Rozella (Rosa Lee) Swetnam (1853 - 1934) + Daniel Morgan Hurst (1858 - 1930)
8. Nora Frances Swetnam (1855 - 1932) + Oliver S. Kash (1856 - 1933)
9. Harlan Monroe Swetnam (1857 - 1922)
10. Leslie Emerson Swetnam (1860 - 1923) + Fanme Jackson (1875 - 1960)
11. Eustace Eugene Swetnam (1863 - 1919) + Marcelina Verque
*2nd Wife of John James Swetnam: + Clarinda Elkin Moore (1838 - 1914)
1. Mary Alice Swetnam (1868 - 1954) + Ben M. Arnold (1862 - 1954)
2. Paulina C. Swetnam (1871 - 1937) + William Warren Rogers
3. Robert Richmond Swetnam (1874 - ) + Namie Belle Jones (1874 - 1903)
Dr. Hamilton Steven Swetnam, seventh born to Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born on June 1, 1818. Hamilton was reared on a farm on Upper Blaine in Lawrence County, Kentucky and left at the age of twenty one to chop wood for the iron furnaces in Bath County, Kentucky. He is said to have been a very tall man of reddish complexion. He married Mary Jane Williams on January 19, 1848 and was teaching school in Morgan County, Kentucky in 1850. He entered the Ohio Medical College and graduated in 1860. He practiced medicine in Johnson County at Paintsville, Kentucky until 1865 and then returned to Lawrence County and practiced at Louisa until his death in 1893. During the Civil War he was the Assistant Surgeon of the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry. He was an odd fellow, republican and a Methodist Episcopal Minister. Two of his sons, John Willis and William Bromlow, became doctors. He was considered a wealthy man in his day, he was very active in local affairs and businesses. He was part owner of a floor mill in Louisa and owned land in Lawrence County along the Livisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. Hamilton died on September 20, 1893.
Mary Jane Williams, wife of Dr. Hamilton Steven Swetnam, was born October 20, 1827. She was the daughter of Lewis and Susanna (Peters) Williams. Mary Jane was of Dutch decent and was a very short women. John Willis, one of her sons, said she was so short that she could walk under his arm. Not much is known about this lady except that she was very close to her family. During the Civil War, she moved so that she could keep her family as close together as possible. She was quite well educated by most accounts, and was active in church and social work. She bore Hamilton seven children. Mary Jane died on January 14, 1911.
Issue of Hamilton Steven and Mary Jane Swetnam
Hamilton Steven Swetnam (1818 - 1898) + Mary J. Williams (1827 - 1911)
1. Cordilia M. Swetnam (1844 - 1878) + David J. Johnson
2. John Willis Swetnam (1851 - 1931) + Alice Louise Burgess ( - 1934)
3. Sarah E. Swetnam (1853 -)
4. Rosabelle Susan Swetnam (1855 - ) + Burgess
5. Mony Trinvilla Swetnam (1858 - ) + Alice Burgess
6. William Bromlow Swetnam (1863 - ) + Henry Evans
7. Victoria Rice Swetnam (1871 - )
Purlina Elizabeth Swetnam, the eighth child born to Neri and Mildred Swetnam, was born on Blaine Creek, in Lawrence County, Kentucky on January 22, 1821. Purlina married John Preston Osborn in 1840. Purlina died December 3, 1912.
John Preston Osborn, husband of Purlina Elizabeth Swetnam, was born March 31, 1815 the brother of Rebecca Osborne Swetnam, wife of John James Swetnam. John Preston Osborn moved to the Salt River Valley of Arizona, was one of the founding fathers of Phoenix, helped to lay out the township, and was on the first Town Council and school board. John died January 19, 1900.
Issue of John Preston and Purlina Elizabeth Swetnam
Pauline Elizabeth Swetnam (1821 - 1912) + John Preston Osborn (1815 - 1900)
1. Margaret Osborn
2. Neri Osborn + Marilla W. Murray
Thomas Levi Swetnam, fourth born to Dr. Levi and Fanny Roane Swetnam, was born September 13, 1830. Thomas married Katura Taylor White on March 10, 1857. Thomas Levi migrated from Virginia to Kentucky and settled at Florence in Boone County, Kentucky, where he engaged in general merchandising business; his store is referred to in John Uri Lloyd’s book, Stringtown on the Pike.
