Moses Sweeney (abt. 1734 - 1813)

Descendants

Died 17 Jun 1813 at about age 79 in Stanford, Lincoln Co., Kentucky

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Biography

Note 1: In the 1700s there were several individuals named Moses Sweeney/Swinney living in Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky. They may have spelled their names in many different ways over the years, even within their own families, but they all seem to be descended from a relatively recent common ancestor (see below). Based on their primary place of residence, five of these individuals are known as: (1) Moses Swinney of Granville Co., N.C., (2) Moses Sweny/Sweeney of Amherst Co., Va. (and Lincoln Co., Ky.), (3) Moses Swinney #1 of Pittsylvania Co., Va., (4) Moses Swinney #2 of Pittsylvania Co., Va. (and Warren Co., Ky.) and (5) Moses Sweeny/Sweeney of Buckingham Co., Va. Researchers often confuse these men, ascribing parents, wives, children, and localities where they resided in an indiscriminate manner and often without adequate sources. At this time, with regard to Moses Sweny/Sweeney of Amherst Co., Va., we do not definitively know the names of his parents; however, many researchers seem to gravitate towards Charles Sweny/Sweeney and Ann Wythe as fulfilling that role. As we'll see below, we are not sure these were Moses's parents, but if they were, Moses would have been born into two prominent families of the Tidewater area Virginia.

Note 2: Y-DNA testing, conducted through Family Tree DNA and shared in the Sweeney surname project on their website (see Family Group 02a), is helping to sort out relationships between the five Sweeney/Swinney families listed above and other Sweeneys who immigrated to Colonial America. Y-DNA tests of male descendants of the first three men have determined that they share a common ancestor who was born in the mid-1600s. We do not believe any direct descendants of the last two men have come forward for testing at this time, but we are optimistic that, when they do, they will be confirmed as descendants of that same, as yet undetermined, common ancestor. It will take more Y-DNA testing and primary source research to definitively flesh out the early family trees of these individuals.^[1]

Moses Sweny/Sweeney is said to have been born around May 1734, but we have not seen a birth record to confirm this date nor his place of birth. Many researchers say he was born in Belfast, Antrim, Ireland to Charles Sweny/Sweeney and Ann Wythe. Both the Sweny and Wythe families had been living in Elizabeth City Co., Va. since the mid and late 1600s. Charles Sweny and Ann Wythe of Elizabeth City married in the late 1730s in Norfolk, Va. and had at least eight children. No surviving records mention Moses Sweny as their son and, unfortunately, we have not found a copy of Charles Sweny's last will, so we are unable to confirm Charles and Ann as Moses's parents.

In 1772 Moses Sweny received a land grant of 18 acres on a branch of Harris's Creek. One year later, John Swinney sold a 64 acre tract of land on Pedlar River along with household items, livestock and one slave. Today, Harris Creek and Pedlar River are around 8 miles apart at their closest juncture just north of Lynchburg, Va. In the 1780s Moses, Joseph and John Sweney/Swinney appeared on several Amherst Co., Va. tax lists. However, in 1790 Joel and a recently married Henry Swiney were the only Swinneys appearing on the tax lists; Moses, Joseph and John did not. Around that same time, Swinneys began appearing on tax lists in Lincoln Co., Ky. including Moses and Joseph. While we couldn't be certain that these were the same family members who previously lived in Amherst Co., Va., there are two documents that fairly conclusively confirm that they are the same family. First, on Aug. 27, 1788, "Moses Sweeney of Kentucky" signed an indenture for the sale of a 184 acre tract of land on the Pedler River to Peter Waterfield.^[2] Was this piece of land near the 64 acre tract that John Sweney sold in 1773? Does this suggest that Moses Sweeny was the son or brother of John Sweeney and perhaps obtained the tract when John died or moved on? Second, according to the Revolutionary War pension application of Joseph Sweeny of Washington Co., Ky., dated November 1833, he recalled entering service in October 1780 in New Glasgow, Amherst Co., Va.^[3] In a supporting document, Charles Sweeney of Casey Co., Ky. (Casey County was formed out of Lincoln County in 1807) called Joseph Sweeney his older brother and confirmed his account of Revolutionary War service.^[4] We do believe these two items are compelling evidence that Moses Sweeney of Amherst Co., Va. is the same individual as Moses Sweeney of Lincoln Co., Ky.

Many sources indicate that Moses Sweeney/Sweny married Elizabeth Johnson in Amherst Co., Va. There are no clear birth, marriage or death records for Elizabeth Johnson; however, from Moses's last will we know that his wife's name was Elizabeth and that he had at least four sons, John, Charles, Joseph and Edmund. It's said that Moses and Elizabeth Sweeney had 15 children. Here's a list of their children based on several sources:

1. Joseph Sweeney, born 28 Feb 1760 in Amherst Co., Va., died 7 Jun 1846 in Mackville, Washington Co., Ky.
2. Mary Sweeney Slatten, born 28 Feb 1760 in Amherst Co., Va., died 4 Jul 1835 in Morgan Co., Ill.
3. Henry Sweeney, born about 1762 in Amherst Co., Va., married Anne Martin in April 1787 in Amherst Co., Va.
4. Nancy Sweeney, born May 1764 in Amherst Co., Va., died 29 Jun 1852 in Mercer Co., Ky., buried in Garrard Co., Ky.
5. Charles Sweeney, born 26 Aug 1766 in Amherst Co., Va., died 23 Oct 1853 in Casey Co., Ky., buried in Drake (aka Sweeney) Cemetery, South Fork, Casey Co., Ky.
6. Edmund Sweeney, born 29 Aug 1768 in Amherst Co., Va.
7. Patsy Sweeney McCormack, born about 1771 in Amherst Co., Va., died after 1866 in Stanford, Lincoln Co., Ky., buried in McCormack Church Cemetery in Lincoln Co., Ky.
8. Shepherd Sweeney, born about 1773 in Amherst Co., Va., died Dec 1844 in Boone Co., Missouri.
9. Millicent Sweeney Peter, born 22 Dec 1774 in Amherst Co., Va., died 10 May 1814 in Mackville, Washington Co., Ky., buried in Old Peters' Family Cemetery, Mackville, Washington Co., Ky.
10. Daniel Sweeney, born 23 Nov 1776 in Amherst Co., Va., died 26 Oct 1851 in Sturgeon, Boone Co., Missouri.
11. Job Sweeney, born about 1778 in Amherst Co., Va., died 6 Apr 1871 in Scottsville, Macoupin Co., Ill.
12. Priscilla Sweeney aka Celah Waters, born 2 Jun 1780 in Amherst Co., Va., married Joseph Waters^[5] and died 18 Sep 1845 in Morgan, Ill., buried at Union-Sulphur Springs Cemetery, Pisgah, Morgan Co., Ill.
13. Elizabeth Sweeney Graves, born about 1783 in Amherst Co., Va., died 21 Apr 1832 in Washington Co., Ky.
14. John Sweeney, born 15 Sep 1785 in Lincoln Co., Ky., died 9 Jan 1851 in Washington Co., Ky., buried at Turney-Sweeney Cemetery, Mackville, Washington Co., Ky.

Moses Sweeny wrote his last will on May 27, 1813 and it was proved in court on July 13, 1813. It's clear from his will that he owned slaves, that his wife's name was Elizabeth and that he had at least four sons. After apportioning some of his estate and slaves to his four sons mentioned, he said "I also leave all the rest of my negroes to be equally divided among all the rest of my children . . . and all the rest of my personal property to be sold and equally divided among all my children...." He named Charles Sweeny and John Thomas as executors of his estate.^[6]

According to FindAGrave. Moses Sweeny died on June 17, 1813 and is buried at Sweeney Cemetery in Stanford, Lincoln Co., Ky.^[7] The narrative for his Find-a-Grave record mistakenly indicates he was "a Private for 6th Virginia Regiment / Revolutionary War in Warren County, Ky." The pension application cited for this service is actually the record of Moses Swinney #2 of Pittsylvania Co., Va. (see Note 1 above) who moved to Warren Co., Ky. in the early 1800s and filed his pension application from that county in 1832.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/sweny.php
2. ↑ https://www.pruiett-parker.com/sweny/documents/MosesSwineyIndentureAmherstCoVa1788Opt1136.jpg
3. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Sweeney-780-2
4. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Sweeney-780-1
5. ↑ "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QG16-MPPG : 9 March 2021), Moses Sweeney in entry for Joseph Waters and Celah Sweeney, 27 Nov 1798; citing Marriage, Lincoln, Kentucky, United States, various county clerks and county courts, Kentucky; FHL microfilm 192,262.
6. ↑ https://www.wikitree.com/photo/jpg/Sweeney-780
7. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104207736/moses-sweeney