Same Name

If you've ever seen my signature, you may have noticed the Roman number five ("V") that I always add like a punctuation mark at the end.  That's right, I am the fifth guy in a direct line of descent to carry the same exact name.

Originality is not our family's strong suit, at least when it comes to choosing names.

Pictured above is the original William Swinney Morgan, from whom I inherited both the great name and the even greater moustache.  

We have an abundance of stories about the original WSM.  He drove cattle along the Chisholm Trail.  He married the girl next door.  He built citrus packing mills.  Etc., etc., etc.

But, where did HE get the name that he passed on to four successors?  What was the source of that odd name "Swinney?"

Well, it turns out he was named after a cousin named William Daniel Swinney, II, who died (at age five) the year he was born.

That cousin had been named for his grandfather, a wealthy tobacco merchant named William Daniel Swinney.  Mr. Swinney not only employed WSM's father James Morgan as a broker, he was also his mother Martha (Brown) Morgan's uncle by marriage--twice over!

Mr. Swinney was married firstly 29 November 1819 to Catherine Brown, daughter of Rev. Henry & Elizabeth (Gaines) Brown of Campbell County, Virginia; and a sister of Martha (Brown) Morgan's father Rev. Richard Gaines Brown.  Sadly, Catherine died soon after the marriage.  She and Mr. Swinney had no children.

Swinney married secondly 6 February 1826 to Lucy Ann Jones, daughter of James and Catherine (Stith) Jones of Campbell County; and a younger sister of Martha (Brown) Morgan's mother Agnes Walker Jones.  They settled in Glasgow, Missouri, and had two children: Kate and Oswald.  The latter was father of WDS II.

The original WDS was born 4 September 1798 in Campbell County, a son of William Swinney (1773-1841) or Rustburg, Virginia.

WS of Rustburg was named for his father Benjamin's brother William Swinney (1756-1812) of Prince Edward County, Virginia.  This William furnished supplies to the Patriot cause during the American Revolution, and is a qualifying ancestor for those seeking membership in the DAR.  (Ancestor #A111761).

As yet, I have been unable to determine the namesake of William Swinney of Prince Edward.  So, I can only say my unusual middle name traces back thru ten generations.  And, it not only comes with a lot of stories, it is also a source of pride.

#52Ancestors