Charles James Sweasy (1847 - 1908)

Born 2 Nov 1847 in Newark, New Jersey

Ancestors

Died 30 Mar 1908 at age 60 in Newark, New Jersey

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Biography

Charles Sweasy is Notable.

Charles James Sweasy was born on November 2, 1847 to John Sweasy and Rachel Meeker in Newark, New Jersey. He is noted in the 1850 and 1860 censuses of Newark with parents.

Charles was to become one of the first professional baseball players. He and friend ANDY LEONARD played together in leagues in New Jersey, but went west to play with the Cincinnati Red Stockings, who went 65-0 in 1869. The two were among 10 paid players on the team.

Charles J. Sweasy is shown in Cincinnati census, 1870, ward 5, as a boarder.

In 1871 Charles, Andy, and 3 teammates from the Red Stockings moved back east to play for the Washington Olympics. Those mates were Fred Waterman, Asa Brainard, and DOUGLAS L. ALLISON. Two other players that joined the Washington team were from Newark, so Charles and Douglas likely familiar with them: Henry S. Burroughs and Everett Mills All were depicted on a baseball card produced in 1871 by a sporting goods store in Chicago. A picture of the card and more regarding the Olympics can be seen on wikipedia's Washington Olympics page.

About 1875 Charles Sweasy married Ellen M. Robertson(in numerous census reports and other records, most early records show her as Ellen, later records show her as Helen). In 1876 daughter Effie J. Sweasy was born in Massachusetts. In 1877 son Charles, who was short-lived, passing in 1878.

Two of the last teams Charles Sweasy played for were Cincinnati in 1876, and Providence in 1878.

On June 26, 1879 son Howard Tipper Sweasy was born in Providence, Rhode Island. The 1880 census showed spouse Helen M. Sweasy and children Effie and Howard living in the home of Helen's parents William and Jane. Charles was not shown in this report.

Howard and sister Effie are also shown in census reports with their mother Helen in 1900 and 1910. In 1917 Howard registered for the draft for World War I and mother is listed as Helen McGregor. Not sure if that was her middle name or if she remarried, as Charles Sweasy passed away in 1908.

Charles and Helen had another child, Fannie, who only lived from 1881-1882.

CHARLES JAMES SWEASY's Findagrave page shows his timeline and a biography regarding his baseball life.

Sources are attached to the FamilySearch profile of CHARLES JAMES SWEASY and spouse Helen.

There is also a biography on the baseball history and statistical site of sabr.org.

Sources

• *1850 census Newark, New Jersey
• 1860 census Newark, New Jersey
• 1870 census Cincinnati, Ohio
• 1871 Washington Olympics team card
• 1880 census Massachusetts
• 1900 census Massachusetts
• 1910 census Massachusetts
• 1917 World War I draft card
• Wikipedia page for Washington Olympics
• sabr.org bio
• Findagrave 92271539
• FamilySearch profile LVMZ-43F
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Sweasy