Parents

Son of George B MCSWAIN & Harriet L PADGETT.

Life History

Other facts

Notes

• The 1900 census gives the name James A as a brother of Wiley, Callieand Matthew O.  James A is reported to be 15 years old, which wouldmean a birth year of about 1885, matching the birth year of JamesMagnus), born 1 January 1885.
  
  James (A) McSwain appears as the brother of Wiley Carew, listed hereas Carew Wiley.  Carew is the head of the household after both theirparents have passed away.  Their father George died in April beforethis June census.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 15 June, PrairieTownship, District 7, page 11B, Hse #146, Fam #141
  McSwain, Carew W Head W M July 1877  22 AR NC NC Farmer
  McSwain, Callie D  Sister W F Dec 1879  20  AR NC NC
  McSwain, Mathew O  Brother W M July 1882  17  AR NC NC
  McSwain, James A  [James M] Brother W M Jan 1885  15 AR NC NC
  
  In the 1910 Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, census, he is listedonly as James McSwain.  The 1920 census gives the name as James M.This is also the name on the gravestone in Mt Pleasant Cemetery,Ethel, Arkansas.  I learned in January 2008 from public documents thathad become available on Ancestry.com that his middle name was Magnus.
  
  In 1910 James is married to Ruth Lowry and they have two daughters.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 20 April, PrairieTownship, District 13, Page 3A, House #121
  Fam #125, McSwain, James Head M W 25  Married 5 years AR NC NC Farmer
  McSwain, Ruth L  Wife F W 33  Married 5 years AR IN AR
  McSwain, Bernetta Dau F W 4 AR AR AR
  McSwain, Stella  Dau F W 2 AR AR AR
  
  Stella lived only a few years.  We find her grave in Mt PleasantCemetery in Ethel, Prairie Township, Arkansas County.  Her date ofdeath given there is 2 May 1914.
  
  I see that in 1910, Ruth's birthplace is reported as Arkansas, but in1920 it is Oklahoma.  We know for mother information that she was bornin Indian Territory, so the 1910 census is wrong.  See Lowry familyNotes.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 4 February, District16, Page 7A, Ethel & Chute Rd, House #121
  Fam #125, McSwain, James M  Head M W 35 AR NC NC Farmer
  McSwain, Ruth L  Wife F W 33 OK IN AR
  McSwain, Bernetta O  Dau F W 14 AR AR OK Farm Laborer
  McSwain, Ruth A  Dau F W 9 AR AR OK
  McSwain, Marvin J  Son M W 6 AR AR OK
  McSwain, Thad M  Son F W 3yrs 2mos AR AR OK
  McSwain, Wirt B  Son F W 8- 1/12 [this should read 9 months] AR AR OK
  
  Wirt B was born in 6 April 1919.  This should make his age 9 months inFebruary 1920.  The enumerator must have had the right idea, but wroteit as though it was 8 years (instead of 8 months in the previous year)plus the one month of 1920.
  
  James Magnus (Jim) was married to Ruth Lowery (spelled Lawery in somefamily documents and on her tombstone).  Ruth died in 1924.  Jimmarried widow Annie Padgett McSwain sometime between 1920 and 1930.Annie's first husband Robert McSwain died in January 1920, right afterthe 1920 census (in early January that year).  In the 1930 census theyare married and Annie's three younger daughters, Elsie, Nina and HazelBob, are living with them.  There were no children from this marriage.
  
  Bobby Butler research says middle initial is M.  There was someuncertainty about the middle name; family members thought it might beMarvin, like his son.  I could not get any information at that pointfrom the direct family members to clarify this.  In January 2008, Ifound James' WWI Draft Registration card online.  This clarifies thathis middle name was Magnus.
  
  In 1930, we find that James' first wife has died, and he has married awidow.  His new wife is Martha Annie Padgett McSwain, widow of RobertPerry McSwain, a son of Phillip K McSwain, one of the original McSwainpioneers.  Robert is a cousin of James Magnus, whose father is GeorgeB McSwain.  James and Mattie have merged their families into one largehousehold.
  
  1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 22 April, District 25,page 6B, Prairie Township, Ethel & Point Rd, Hse #125, Fam #126
  McSwain, James M  Head M W 45 AR NC NC Farmer
  McSwain, Mattie A  Wife F W 43 AR NC TN
  McSwain, That M  Son M W 13 AR AR OK
  McSwain, Wurt B  Son M W  11 AR AR OK
  McSwain, Bruce B  Son M W  6 AR AR OK
  McSwain, Elsie E  Step-Dau F W 20 AR AR AR
  McSwain, Nina M  Step-Dau F W 14 AR AR AR
  McSwain, Hazel Bob Step-Dau F W 11 AR AR AR
  Rowland, Walton Cousin M W 18 AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  
  The latter person is the son of Maggie E McSwain Rowland Porter, adaughter of Phillip McSwain, and thus a sister of Robert Perry.
  
  Jim died by suicide.  The date on his gravestone gives the date ofdeath as 15 Oct 1944.  It appears, however, that there was first a 1(1941) then a 4 was carved over it.  I first dismissed this as aprominent flaw in the gravestone, until I found the record in theArkansas Death Index.  The date of death on that register is 15October 1941!  Correlating with this is the report of his age at deathas 56.

Sources

• 1. 1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 20 April, Prairie Township, District 18, Page 3A, Hse/Fam #42
• 2. 1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 4 February, District 16, Page 7A, Ethel & Chute Rd, House #121, Fam
• 3. U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
  • James Magnus McSwain
• 4. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 22 April, District 25, page 6B, Prairie Township, Ethel & Point Rd,
• 5. 1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 15 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 11B, Hse #146, Fam #141
• 6. Gravestone of James M McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 7. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
  • http://content.ancestry.com/iexec/?htx=View&r=an&dbid=8771&iid=ARDTH_1
• 8. Edith Marie McSwain Jenkins, Personal Knowledge
• 9. Bertie Lois Dumond McSwain, letter to Orville and Edith Jenkins, 12March, 1977
• 10. Bobby Butler, McSwain family notes on census, compiled 1995
• 11. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 12. Gravestone of Herbert and Bernetta McSwain Norsworthy, Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 13. Gravestone of Stella McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 14. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 21 April, Prairie Township, District 7, Page 6B, Ethel & Chute Rd, Hse
• 15. U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 2
• 16. Gravestone of J Marvin McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 17. U.S. Public Records Index
• 18. Obituaries -- Funeral Remembrance Card, Thad Mathew McSwain
• 19. Social Security Death Index
  • Thad M. McSwain
• 20. George Oliver McSwain, email correspondence, November 2006
• 21. Social Security Death Index
• 22. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 22 April, District 25, page 7A, Prairie Township, Ethel & Point Rd,
• 23. Gravestone of Wirt Bernard and Inez Sanders McSwain, Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 24. Gravestone of Katherine L McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel,Arkansas
• 25. Gravestone of Bruce B McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 26. Gravestone of Ruth Lawery McSwain, Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel,Arkansas
• 27. Lowrey-Wirt Genealogy, by Octavia Lowery
• 28. Gravestone of Robert P and Annie Padgett McSwain, Mt PleasantCemetery, Ethel, Arkansas
• 29. 1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas
  • 21 April, Prairie Township, District 25, page 7A, Hse #125, Fam #126