Howell-Darling-2017-Research

Waters – Swayze – Darling Line
By Don Taylor

It seems like virtually every ancestor born before 1880 has a question regarding their birth. Catharine Waters is no exception to that. Most records I have found are consistent with her date of birth being 15 June, 1794, however there are conflicting locations –  Virginia and Maryland.  The only two census records during Catharine’s lifetime indicate her birth occurred in Virginia. However, written genealogies indicate her birth occurred in Maryland, thus my quandary.

Birth Locations for Catharine A. D. Walter

Document/Source	Date of Document	Birthdate Suggested
1850 Census[i]	1850	1794-1795 – Virginia
1860 Census[ii]	1860	1794-1795 – Virginia
Marker (per Find a Grave)	1868	24 or 25 June 1789
Obituary – Kalamazoo Telegraph 18 Apr 1866	1868	May or June 1794
Genealogy of the Swasey Family[iii]	1910	15 Jun 1794 – Maryland
DAR Descendant’s List – Helen J. Roy -Nat’l #455124, Ancestor #A120153[iv]	Unknown	15 Jun 1794 – Maryland
Sweezey.Com[v]	2011	15 June 1794 – Maryland

On page 187 of the Genealogy of the Swasey Family, Benjamin Franklin Swasey writes, “Catharine A. D. Walter, b. in Maryland, June 15, 1794. Of course, he provides no source for this assertion.

Bob Sweezey, via sweezey.com, states Catharine’s birthplace is Maryland even though he notes that the 1860 Census indicates Virginia. However, I don’t see where his provided a source for his assertion either.

Finally, the DAR descendants list of member Helen J. Roy (Nat’l #: 455124 – Ancestor #: A120153) fails to indicate the source of her assertion that, “Catharine Walter born on 15 – Jun – 1794 at MD.”

The death records really confuse things.  Catharine’s obituary in the Kalamazoo Telegraph and the registry entry with the Michigan Department of Community Health suggests a birth year of 1794 (age 73 years, 10 months) but some think her marker indicates 78 years, 9 months, 22 days.  The photo evidence on Find a Grave isn’t clear and compelling. I can see it indicating 73 years or 78 years.  The image just isn’t clear enough for me.  I think some enhanced photographic techniques may be needed to clear up the conflict.

52 Ancestors – Howell-Darling Ancestor #51

Catharine Ann Dent Walter (1794-1868)

Catharine (known as Katherine[vi] in some records) Waters was born on 15 June 1794 in Virginia (See above) to James and Margaret Ann (Swan) Walker. She is the only child of theirs that I know of.

She married David Swayze on 17 January 1817.

In 1818, Catharine had Elizabeth Jane Swayze, the first of her 8 children.

In 1820, the young Swayzee family was living in Richland, Fairfield County, Ohio.

During the following decade, Catharine had five more children, Emily Ann, Margeretta, Angeline, William D. and S. B. Swayze. Margeretta Swayze died in 1823 at the age of two.

The 1830 Census found the family in Walnut, Fairfield County, Ohio. During the 1830s, Catharine had two more children, Theodore P and Caroline M Swayze in 1837 and 1838 respectively.

About 1840, the Swayzee’s moved to Kalamazoo and they were there for the 1850 and 1860 censuses.  When Catharine died in 1868, her obituary mentions that they had been living in the area for 28 years, which fits their arrival date in Kalamazoo as about 1840.

On 25 September, 1850, Catharine’s husband David Swayze died. On 24 July 1857, Catharine’s daughter, Elizabeth Jane (Swayze) Darling’s husband Rufus Holton Darling died. By the 1860 Census Catharine was living with her daughter Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s remaining children.

Death

Catharine died 16 Apr 1868 in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan.[vii]

Burial

Some researchers indicate that she was buried at Marion, Ohio, however, she has a marker at Mountain Home Cemetery in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Her marker indicates that she died aged 78 years, 9 months and 22 Days. However, her obituary indicates that she was 73 years, 10 months at the time of her death which coincides with her birth date.

Further Actions – Follow-up

• Await response from Bob Sweezey who I emailed through his website to see if he can shed any light regarding his sources for this information.
• Finally, I can order a set of 10 DAR documents which support Helen Roy’s DAR Application through the DAR for $20.
• Visit Mountain Home cemetery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Use enhanced photographic techniques on Catharine A. D. Swayzee’s marker at Mountain View Cemetery, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

List of Grandparents

• GrandParent:   Robert Harry Darling
• 1^stGreat:           Rufus Harry Darling
• 2^ndGreat:          Elizabeth Jane Swayzee
• 3^rdGreat:         Catharine Ann Dent Walter
• 4^thGreat:          James Walter

————-DISCLAIMER————-

ENDNOTES

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• [i] Family Search: 1850 Census – David Swayze – Michigan, Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Page 9 [hw] Lines 30-34. https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MF8F-QDR
• [ii] Ancestry.Com:  1860 Census – Elizabeth Darling – Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan.
• [iii] Google Books: Benjamin Franklin Swasey, Genealogy of the Swasey Family – Pages 187 – https://books.google.com/books?id=MxBWAAAAMAAJ
• [iv] DAR Descendants List: Member: Helen J Roy – Nat’l #: 455124; Ancestor #: A120153 https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_descendants/?action=list&MyPrimary_Seqn=55434
• [v] Bob Sweezey – Sweezey.Com – Individual Report for Walters, Catharine A. D. https://sweezey.com/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I03766&tree=sweez
• [vi] Katherine and Catherine are used in many records as is Catharine.  I use Catharine through this article because “Catharine” is used on her grave marker which is likely the name she was known by later in life.
• [vii] Ancestry.com:  Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1950 – Page 222 – #341 – Catharine Swayze d. 16 Apr 1868