Swiney Family

Includes information on the Patterson, Tinsley & Wansley Families

Contributed by
Claudie Swiney
and
Peggy L. Smith
© 2002

Note: This is a preliminary report detailing the results of research on John Swiney's ancestry by collaborators Claudie J. Swiney of Magnolia, TX. and Peggy L Smith of Fayetteville, Lincoln Co. TN.

1] On Nov. 14, 1789 a marriage license was issued in Albermarle County, Virginia to John Perry Patterson and Nancy Wansley. At least two children were born to this union, John Perry Patterson Jr. who married Rebecca Lord, and Sarah Patterson, bn. Abt. 1794. Nancy Wansley is the daughter of John Wansley of Albermarle, Va. Who migrated to Elbert County, GA. about 1800. In a will probated in 1835, Elbert county, GA. of John Wansley he mentions his daughter "Nancy Young." Nancy Patterson remarried to William Young, April 24, 1813, and Samuel Young, son of William, was bondsman.

John Perry Patterson and wife, Nancy Wansley migrated from Virginia sometime after Sarah's birth in 1794, and 1798 when John Perry Patterson recorded a stock brand in Sumner County TN, and transacted land purchase there. It is not known at this time when John Perry Patterson died, but no record is found for him after 1810. As stated above Nancy remarried April 24, 1813 to William Young.

2] Their daughter Sarah Patterson married Moses Tinsley Nov. 15, 1810 in Sumner County, TN. They had two daughters Nancy born 1814, and Sophia born about 1813. Moses Tinsley, born about 1778 in Amherst Co. VA, was the son of Isaac Tinsley, and was married previously to Elizabeth T. Turner and they had at least 4 children.

  1. Nancy Tinsley marries William Snow about 1833. A deed dated October 17, 1845 in Barren County, KY. Has William Snow, husband of Nancy Tinsley, signing deed selling land she inherited from Moses Tinsley. Nancy and her husband William Snow, are living in Lincoln County, Tennessee by 1840 and later about 1860-65 moved to Henry County, Tennessee. Both are buried in Chapel Hill Church cemetery north of Paris, Tennessee. They had 8 children.
    Their headstones read "William Snow 1804-1894" and "Nancy Tinsley Snow 1814-1886."

  2. Sophia Tinsley marries a William Smith, about 1830/31. The 1850 Lincoln County, Tn. Census lists William Smith age 48, occupation farmer born Tennessee, wife Sophia age 37, born in Kentucky. Six children are listed, all born in Tennessee: Mary age 18, Sarah age 16, Elizabeth age 15, Nancy age 11, Jemima age 8, Samuel age 5, and Thomas J. age 4 months. There is an Elizabeth Smith, age 13, living in Sophia's mother's household, and is presumed to be a double listing.


Sarah Patterson Tinsley remarries after Moses's death. A license was issued December 14, 1816 in Sumner county Tennessee for a Joel Swinney and Sally Tinsley. Two children are known to be born of this union, John Swiney born 1818 and Calvin Swiney born 1825. Both of these men were literate and used the spelling "Swiney" on all documents, but about 1870 the son of John Swiney, James Jefferson Swiney, began using "Sweeney" as the family name and his descendants continue to use that spelling. Records in Paris, Henry county, Tn. show that descendants of Calvin Swiney also began using "Sweeney" as the family name.

Joel Swinney - Little has been found about Joel Swinney to date. He appears only twice in records, the marriage to Sarah, and the 1820 census for Sumner County, TN. This census shows two males to age 10, one of which would be John, the other unknown, one male 45 and up, this would be Joel, two females to age 10, these would be Nancy and Sophia, and one female 26-44 which would be Sarah. Another reference to Joel Swinney of Tennessee in war of 1812 may be him also but has not been researched yet.

The 1810 census for Tennessee is missing except for Nashville, and Rutherford County, and none of the Joel Swinney's (all variations of spelling) in the 1830 census fit our Joel.

Sarah Patterson Tinsley Swinney - The 1840 census for Lincoln County, Tn. lists a 15-20 year old male in William Snow's household that would probably be Calvin Swiney since they had no children this age. There is an older female that could be Sarah.

John Swiney, Sarah's oldest son is married, "Betsy" (Elizabeth) Oliver, March 30, 1840, in Lincoln County, Tennessee and is listed along with his wife in the 1840 census of LCT. Living next to him is a widower named John Latham. On May 30, 1843, Sarah Sweeny marries John Latham in LCT. This is her 3rd and last marriage. No children were born to this union. It is a second marriage for John Latham and he had several children by first wife, all were grown at that time.

The 1850 census of Lincoln county, Tn. Shows John Latham age 63, with wife Sarah age 56. Also in the household is Sarah's mother, Nancy Young age 89 and a 13-year-old female named Elizabeth Smith who is believed to be the daughter of Sophia Tinsley Smith.

3] John Swiney: John Swiney and Elizabeth Oliver, born about 1819, had 8 children:

  1. Louiza Jane Swiney born abt. 1842, married Robert A. Foster, Dec. 14, 1861, had 3 children.

  2. Nancy Catherine Swiney born about 1843, married Isaac Gattis, Nov. 1, 1883. No children.

  3. William "Button" Swiney born about 1846. He married Donie Caldonia Ramsey Sept 25, 1870 in LCT. They had one child who died in infancy. William resided in north AL near sister Mollie Britton.

  4. James Jefferson Sweeney, born Feb. 18, 1848, married ( 1) Artela Foster, Feb. 24, 1869 and had 6 children. Married (2) Martha Jane Eslick March 20, 1884, had 13 children.

  5. Sarah Elizabeth Swiney, born about 1850, married Robert A. Foster August 24, 1876 (after her sister's death). 1 child.

  6. Martha Caroline Swiney, born Oct. 12, 1853, married Zera Jefferson Sawyers Jr. Jan. 30, 1879. 7 children.

  7. John Alexander Swiney, born Oct. 8, 1856, married Sarah Melissa Franklin, Oct. 28, 1883. 8 children.

  8. Mary (Mollie) Swiney, married (1) James William Mitchell, Nov. 21, 1893 and (2) Robert Britton about 1910.


After the death of his wife, Elizabeth, between 1865 and 1870, John Swiney remarried. He married Mrs. Margaret Smith on Dec. 7, 1783 in Lincoln Co. TN. She died, March 10, 1899.

John Swiney was a Mason and served in the Civil War. He served as an elected magistrate of the Court of Moore County TN, for 12 years. He died of Cancer Nov. 16, 1893. He is buried in the Lynchburg Cemetery, in Moore County TN.


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