Household #163: Swain, Stephen

Back to the 1900 Census & Household Index

In the 1900 Barney census, Stephen Swain headed a 2-person household. The table below preserves the exact names, relationships, ages, birthplaces, and occupations recorded for the household.

Household Snapshot

Stephen Swain headed a 2-person household in the 1900 Barney census with 1 spouse or marital partner.

Stephen Swain's listed occupation was Farmer.

All listed household members were reported as born in Georgia.

Newspaper and Public-Record Trail

This section flags public-record leads separate from the census table. The detailed discussion stays in the family narrative, research status, and source citations below.

1900 Census Household

Name	Relation	Age	Birthplace	Occupation
Stephen Swain	Head	45	Georgia	Farmer
Susan Swain	Wife	46	Georgia	—

Children and Later Trails

No children are listed in this household in the 1900 census table.

Stephen Swain and Susan Sellers Swain are documented as a couple from their 1873 Mitchell County marriage through the 1910 census in Barney, Brooks County. The confirmed sequence places them in Pearces District, Decatur County, in 1880, then in Barney in both 1900 and 1910. A 1920 Boston, Thomas County census household for Stephen and Susan Swain is probably the same couple, but the record does not name children, parents, or a collateral relative.

The 1900 Barney census is the anchor record for this household. It records Stephen as a farmer, born in Georgia in January 1855, and Susan as his wife, born in Georgia about 1854. The couple had been married 27 years, which fits their 1873 marriage. Susan was recorded with 7 children born and 5 living. James reviewed the 1900 census image and confirmed that no children were enumerated in Stephen and Susan's household.

The 1910 Barney census again places Stephen and Susan together. Stephen was recorded as Stephen W. Suain/Swain, age 55, and Susan as age 53. Their marriage length was recorded as 37 years, again fitting the 1873 marriage. Susan's child count, however, changed to 15 children born and 8 living. The current evidence does not explain that difference. Because no children appear with Stephen and Susan in the confirmed household records, their children cannot be named from the 1880, 1900, or 1910 census alone.

Stephen's parents are not proved by primary records. The Find a Grave memorial for S. W. Swain, memorial ID 24938259, includes a headstone photo at Gornto Cemetery and gives his death date as 10 October 1927. The memorial names Thomas E. B. Swain and Sarah Jane Gilbert as his parents and links apparent siblings John Randolph Swain and Thomas Jefferson Swain. Those names are useful leads and may be described as believed parents, but the parentage still needs proof from probate, guardianship, land, church, death, or another primary record. An 1860 Decatur County Stephen Smain/Swain remains only a possible origin lead. The earlier 1870 Wilcox County Stephen Swain lead is weaker because the Wilcox/Berrien Stephen A. or Stephen Americus Swain trail belongs to a man whose later marriages conflict with HH#163 Stephen's 1873 marriage to Susan Sellers.

Susan Sellers's origin is better developed but still not fully proved. The 1873 Mitchell County marriage record proves her maiden name. James supplied Ancestry census-index images for a likely childhood trail: Susan Cellars, age 6, in the 1850 District 8, Baker County household of Wright and Mary Ann Cellars/Sellers; and Susan Sellers, age 14, in the 1860 Mitchell County household of Wright Sellers and Marianna Sellers. The 1860 Mitchell County placement matters because Susan married Stephen Swain in Mitchell County in 1873. These records support Wright Sellers/Cellars and Mary Ann or Marianna Sellers/Cellars as Susan's believed parents. The relationship is still based on household placement and index inference, not a direct adult record naming her parents.

Susan's 1937 death certificate confirms her late-life trail. The certificate names her as Mrs. Susan Swain, age 82, widowed, and says she died 21 February 1937 at Pavo, Georgia. It names J. P. Jones of Pavo as informant, gives congestive heart failure as the cause of death, and records burial on 22 February 1937 at Campground Cemetery, Morven, Georgia. It does not list her spouse, father, or mother.

Connections to Other Barney Families

No children or close relatives are confirmed from the Barney household itself. Possible children need to be developed through separate marriage, death, probate, land, cemetery, obituary, church, or collateral census records that name or otherwise connect them to Stephen and Susan Swain.

Two child or family leads should not be merged into this household without new evidence. A Marion County Stephen/Susan Swain household with children John, Alvertis, Susan, Joseph, and Francis is a separate older couple. A Joseph S. Swain death record names Darling Swain and Elizabeth Spence as his parents, so that Joseph is not evidence for a child of Stephen and Susan Sellers Swain.

Research Notes

The 1900 and 1910 child-count conflict remains unresolved: 7 children born and 5 living in 1900, versus 15 children born and 8 living in 1910.
The 1920 Boston, Thomas County Stephen/Steven Swain and wife Susan household is a probable later appearance, but it still needs a child, neighbor, cemetery, or collateral bridge.
Thomas E. B. Swain and Sarah Jane Gilbert are believed parents for Stephen/S. W. Swain from Find a Grave memorial evidence, not primary proof.
Wright Sellers/Cellars and Mary Ann or Marianna Sellers/Cellars are believed parents for Susan from the 1850 and 1860 household trail, not direct adult-record proof.
The 1860 Decatur County Stephen Smain/Swain remains an origin candidate only.
The Wilcox/Berrien Stephen A., Stephen America, or Stephen Americus Swain trail is separate and should not be merged with HH#163.

Open Research Questions

Resolve the open items flagged in Research Notes above with direct records before expanding this household narrative.

Research Status

Status: Source-Researched, not Source-Exhausted.
Strengths: The marriage-to-census chain is strong for 1873, 1880, 1900, and 1910. The 1900 census image confirms that no children were enumerated in the household. The 1920 Boston, Thomas County household is a probable continuation. Stephen's burial at Gornto Cemetery is supported by a Find a Grave memorial with a headstone photo. Susan's 1937 death certificate confirms her date and place of death, age, widowhood, informant, burial place, burial date, and cause of death. Susan's likely childhood census trail places her with Wright and Mary Ann/Marianna Sellers/Cellars in 1850 Baker County and 1860 Mitchell County.
Remaining cautions: Stephen's believed parents and Susan's believed parents both need stronger proof. The children remain unnamed. Susan's mother-of-children counts conflict. Stephen's death and burial are supported by memorial/headstone evidence, but no civil death record has been found in this entry. Susan's death certificate does not name her spouse or parents.

Sources

1900 U.S. census, Barney Precinct, Brooks County, Georgia, Stephen Swain household; Stephen and Susan; married 27 years; Susan recorded with 7 children born and 5 living; James's image review confirms no children enumerated in the household.
1910 U.S. census, Barney, Brooks County, Georgia, Stephen W. Suain/Swain household; Stephen and Susan; married 37 years; Susan recorded with 15 children born and 8 living.
1880 U.S. census, Pearces District, Decatur County, Georgia, Stephen Swain household; Stephen and Susan.
Georgia marriage record, Mitchell County, Stephen Swain and Susan Sellers, 4 June 1873.
Probable 1920 U.S. census continuation, Boston, Thomas County, Georgia, Stephen Swain and wife Susan, FamilySearch ARKs MJXF-2MC and MJXF-2MZ.
S. W. Swain Find a Grave memorial, memorial ID 24938259, with headstone photo, Gornto Cemetery, Brooks County, Georgia; birth year 1856; death 10 October 1927; memorial names Thomas E. B. Swain and Sarah Jane Gilbert as parents and links possible siblings John Randolph Swain and Thomas Jefferson Swain. Parent names are treated as believed, derivative leads. Related FamilySearch Find a Grave Index ARK QVVR-F56K.
Susan Swain death certificate image and related Georgia Deaths / Georgia Death Index entries via FamilySearch ARKs QJXM-1ZVY, QJXM-1ZVB, and V4M2-C1F; Mrs. Susan Swain died 21 February 1937 at Pavo, Georgia, age 82, widowed; informant J. P. Jones of Pavo; buried 22 February 1937 at Campground Cemetery, Morven, Georgia; certificate/file number 2462; cause congestive heart failure; spouse and parents not listed.
Ancestry census-index image supplied by James for 1850 U.S. census, District 8, Baker County, Georgia; Susan Cellars/Sellers, age 6, in Wright and Mary Ann Cellars household; dwelling/family 38, line 37; NARA M432, roll 59, page 67b.
Ancestry census-index image supplied by James for 1860 U.S. census, Mitchell County, Georgia, post office Camilla; Susan Sellers, age 14, in Wright and Marianna Sellers household; dwelling 50, family 54; NARA M653, roll 131, page 642; FHL film 803131.
Candidate 1860 U.S. census, District 19, Decatur County, Georgia, Stephen Smain/Swain; not yet proved as HH#163.
Disambiguation records for the separate Wilcox/Berrien Stephen A., Stephen America, or Stephen Americus Swain trail, including FamilySearch ARKs MCQS-GSB, KXJ5-WBL, FWQY-XW5, and KXVL-1K4.
Rejected or separate child leads: Marion County 1880 Stephen/Susan Swain household, FamilySearch ARKs M8GX-K2V and M8GX-K2KQJX9-H766, QVVJ-16TQ, and V4M2-1SW, naming Darling Swain and Elizabeth Spence as parents.

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