Family of Andrew Swartout - BREAKTHROUGH!

I just made a genealogical breakthrough on the family of Andrew Swartout, who was my 4th great grandfather!   His family is a very good illustration of how family groups migrated together.  So here's his story and the breakthrough.

The Father:

Thomas Swartwout (1756-1848) was a private in the Revolutionary War.  He and his wife and family lived in Olive, Ulster County, New York.  His wife Juda died sometime between 1810-1820.  He then lived with his son Andrew and family.


Because Thomas was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, he was entitled to a pension and benefits.  There were several acts passed, but the one that Thomas seemed to have been able to qualify under was the Act passed on June 7, 1832 because his pension started on Sept. 11, 1832.    I bring the matter of the pension up because now Thomas had an income, besides the farming income of his son Andrew.  (He might have also received a land grant, but I do not have information on that at this point).

 

The Son:

Andrew Swartout (1790-1859) married Judah Avery about 1812 and they proceeded to have 14 children, 11 who lived into adulthood.  They raised their family in Ulster County, New York.  I believe they were farmers (as were most families of this time period).


The Migration

It's possible that when Thomas received his pension benefits in 1832, they may have saved up that money to be able to purchase land and start a new life in Michigan.  Because in 1836, the entire family migrated to Lenawee County, Michigan.

Per the obituary of Zetus Swartout, son of Andrew, here is the tale of their migration:

In the year 1836, Andrew and Juda Swartout, with their family of 11 children, came to Michigan from New York. They crossed the land by ox team and Lake Erie by boat, arriving here the last of April.  (NOTE:  They would have landed in Detroit and then migrated into southeastern Michigan).  With them came their aged grandfather Thomas Swartwout, then aged 80 years.

In a later newspaper article from the early 1910s or 1920s, the article indicates that the 1000 acres of land was purchased by Thomas Swartwout for $1.25 per acre.

 

A Breakthrough:

So tracking children in these early 1800s in somewhat difficult.  US Census records from 1790-1840 only indicated the name of the head of the household and the number and ages of the wife and children, with no individual names.  In 1850, the census started listing the name and ages of each person in the household, however, the women were never listed with their maiden name.

When I was trying to track the 11 children that came with Andrew and Juda in 1836, there were 3 daughters that I had not been able to identify.  I only knew that they existed (assuming that the census taker wrote the information down correctly). 

Then www.ancestry.com loaded probate records of some counties in Michigan and I found the probate/estate records of Freeman Swartout (1818-1891), son of Thomas Swartwout, the Revolutionary Soldier.  Freeman and his wife had no children that lived in adulthood.  Freeman's wife pre-deceased him.  So when Freeman wrote out his will in 1891, he listed every heir (basically, all his brothers and sisters and the children of those siblings who had died).  Here' the wonderful  list:

Heirs at law listed in will:

1:  Zetus Swartout of Columbia, Jackson County, Michigan, brother of said deceased;

2:  Thomas Swartout of Columbia, Jackson County, Michigan, brother of said deceased;

3:  Andrew Swartout of Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan, brother of said deceased;

4: Mrs. Juda Lewis of Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan, sister of said deceased;

5:  Mrs. Miriam Brooks of Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan, sister of said decased;

6:  Mrs. Phoeba Ann Mix of Napoleon, Jackson County, Michigan, sister of said deceased;

7:  and the following children of Isac Swartout, deceased, being a brother of said deceased:

·         Daniel Swartout of Somerfield Kansas;

·         Albert Swartout of Somerfield Kansas;

·         Antonette Kelley of Columbia, Jackson County, Michigan;

·         Mrs. Abby Phurber of Quincy Michigan;

·         Mrs. Emma Bush of Lincoln Nebraska;

·         Mrs. Lavina Lewis of Wheatland Michigan;

·         Mrs. Adah Terrill of Woodstock, Michigan;

·         Mrs. Belle Briggs of Hudson, Michigan;

8:   and the following children of Cornelius Swartout, deceased, being a brother of said deceased:

·         John Swartout of Jackson, Michigan;

·         And Hattie Cara Cassius Harry and Della all of Mason Michigan;

9:   and the following children of Lavina Benham, deceased, being a sister  of said deceased:

·         Andrew Benham of Homer Michigan;

·         Mrs. Delecla Webber of Albion Michigan; (actual name - lavinia webster)

·         Ida Benham of Albion Michigan;

10:   and the following children of Mrs. Polly Kelly, deceased, being a sister of said deceased:

·         Marvin Kelley of Columbia, Jackson County, Michigan;

·         Percy Kelley of Woodstock, Lenawee County, Michigan;

·         Martin Kelley of Hart, Michigan;

·         Mrs. Gusta Leggett of Paris, Michigan;

Lavinia Benham and Polly Kelly had not been previously identified!  But now they're identified!