Descendants of William Harrison Swor

Generation No. 1

1. William Harrison¹ Swor was born Abt. 1824 in Hinds, MS, and died Bef. 1900 in LA. He married Ruth Verlinda Strait 01 May 1851 in TX. She was born March 1835 in Allen, KY.

Notes for William Harrison Swor:

William H. Swor - Private; Company A, Mississippi Infantry

More About William Harrison Swor:

Census: 1837, MS 1837 State Census Index, Simpson County, No Twp.

Notes for Ruth Verlinda Strait:

Verlinda's daughter Alice Swor of Rocky Mt., La., wrote a letter in July 1894 to Mr. W. T. Willoughby of KY, asking if he could tell them anything about the Willoughby family. She stated "[my mother's] name was Verlinder Strait. She left Kentucky in the fall of 1847, I think, in company with her brother and sister, Jeremiah Pinson, and Mary Emily Strait. Aunt Hetty Strait, mama's oldest sister, was married to Mr. Hinton Willoughby, she had one daughter named Elisabeth Verlinder and a son named Samuel Briggs, they were named for their respective grandmothers and grandfathers. My mama is the youngest child of Briggs Strait and his first wife, who was a Miss Verlinder Pinson, daughter of Zephaniah and Ruth Pinson, who lived for many years near Scottsville." This letter is reproduced in Vol X No 1 1987 of The Longhunter magazine.

Verlinda is listed with Briggs and his second wife Harriet, in the 1850 Clark Co. AR census, age 14. When and where did she meet and marry William Harrison Swor? In TX on May 1, 1851.

They are found in the 1860 census of Lafayette Co. Mississippi, (PO Paris) with Martha Swor age 7, Laura Swor age 4, John Swor age 8 mos. and William Young age 9 (he is probably her nephew, son of her sister Mary Emily Young). All the Swor children were born in Mississippi.

In 1880, the family is living in Bossier Parish, LA (ED 10 p 23 house #2), with Verlinda's name given as Melinda, age 46 b KY; William H. is age 56 b MS. There are 8 children at home, which does not include John who was born about Jan 1860, so either he has died or married.

In 1900 Verlinda is age 65 (b Mar 1835 KY) widowed, living in Bossier Parish, (ED 22 sheet 1 house #18) with only her unmarried daughter Alice age 45 with her. She reported having had 10 children, with 6 still living at that time.

She has not been located in 1910.

In 1920 Verlinda, age 84, is living in Shreveport (ED 62, sheet 18, at 2124 Harp St.) with bachelor son James E. and spinster daughter Alice.

Marriage Notes for William Swor and Ruth Strait:

Marriage record located in TX State Gazette, Vol 2 , May 10, 1851 very hard to read photocopy

Children of William Swor and Ruth Strait are:

2 i. Martha Alice² Swor, born 06 January 1855 in MS; died 28 February 1933.

Notes for Martha Alice Swor:

In 1860 Lafayette Co. MS census (Paris PO, house #696) Martha is age 7, and in 1880 Martha A. is age 22.

In 1894, Alice wrote a letter for her mother, postmarked Rocky Mt., LA, in which she identified her mother Verlinda Strait Swor, her aunts Hetty Strait Willoughby, and Mary Emily Strait, her uncle Jeremiah Pinson Strait, and her grandparents, Briggs Strait and his first wife Verlinda Pinson and Verlinda's parents, Zephaniah and Ruth Pinson. (The Longhunter, Vol X No 1, 1987, p 3)

Evidently Alice never married, as she was still a spinster in 1900, age 45, living with her widowed mother in Bossier Parish, LA (ED 22 p 1). Her date of birth is given as Jan 1855 Mississippi.

In 1920 census, Alice age 65 is living with her brother James E. Swor, and their mother Velinda [sic] age 84 in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA (ED 62 p 18).

More About Martha Alice Swor:

Burial: Rock Mount Cemetery,Benton, LA

3 ii. Laura M. Swor, born Abt. 1857 in MS.

4 iii. John Swor, born January 1860 in LA.

5 iv. William Armstrong Swor, born 1869 in Lafayette, MS; died 1931.

More About William Armstrong Swor:

Burial: Rock Mount Cemetery, Benton, LA

+ 6 v. Lee Sommerville Swor, born 26 May 1865 in LA; died March 1944 in LA.

7 vi. James Edgar Swor, born 1867 in LA; died 1931.

More About James Edgar Swor:

Burial: Rock Mount Cemetery, Benton, LA

8 vii. Lucy Swor, born Abt. 1869 in LA.

9 viii. Verlinda Swor, born Abt. 1873 in LA.

10 ix. Ann Swor, born Abt. 1878 in LA.

Generation No. 2

6. Lee Sommerville² Swor (William Harrison¹) was born 26 May 1865 in LA, and died March 1944 in LA. He married Addie Lenora Smith 28 December 1893 in Bossier Parish, LA. She was born 29 December 1876 in LA, and died 17 September 1955 in LA.

Notes for Lee Sommerville Swor:

In 1920 Lee is listed as circulation manager for a newspaper in Shreveport, LA

Located in 1920 census in 1917 West Gary Street, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA

born in AR instead of LA?

More About Lee Sommerville Swor:

SS#: 439-01-4003 / issued LA

Children of Lee Swor and Addie Smith are:

11 i. James P.³ Swor, born 24 May 1905; died December 1983 in Shreveport, Caddo, LA.

12 ii. William E. Swor, born July 1898.

13 iii. Lester A. Swor, born 24 February 1910; died September 1976 in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, LA.

Notes for Lester A. Swor:

Hope Street High School Eight-B, Shreveport, LA, Caddo Parish

More About Lester A. Swor:

SS#: 435-03-0023/issued LA

14 iv. Swor. She married O. P. Ice.

+ 15 v. Murff H. Swor, born 28 August 1906 in LA; died November 1976 in Shreveport, Bossier, LA.

Generation No. 3

15. Murff H.³ Swor (Lee Sommerville², William Harrison¹) was born 28 August 1906 in LA, and died November 1976 in Shreveport, Bossier, LA. He married Mary Frances Evans. She was born 16 June 1910.

Notes for Murff H. Swor:

In 1920 Murff was listed living with his unmarried uncle, James E. Swor, his grandmother, Verlinda age 84, and unmarried aunt, Alice.

More About Murff H. Swor:

SS#: 435-05-5977

Children of Murff Swor and Mary Evans are:

16 i. Martha⁴ Swor.

+ 17 ii. CDR Jerry Glenn Swor, born 10 March 1930 in LA.

Generation No. 4

17. CDR Jerry Glenn⁴ Swor (Murff H.³, Lee Sommerville², William Harrison¹) was born 10 March 1930 in LA. He married Mary Valeria Allen. She was born 15 October 1933 in TN.

Children of Jerry Swor and Mary Allen are:

18 i. Lisa⁵ Swor.

19 ii. Mary Swor.

20 iii. David Swor.