Since we are talking about the census -- this is from Ancestry's email newsletter. ======================================================= GEORGE G. MORGAN: "ALONG THOSE LINES . . ." "Following Your Migrating Ancestors" <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>> ======================================================= We've all been told that when researching in census records, we should make note of the residents on each side of our ancestors. A common rule of thumb is to make note of the six resident families on each side of your ancestors. This may seem like overkill but it can have its advantages, especially when your ancestors were moving from one place to another. In "Along Those Lines ..." this week, I want to share an example of why this is important when tracing your migrating ancestors. A Tale of Two Families In the late 1700s, there were two families in South Carolina: the John S. SWORDS family was in the Pendleton District and the John MINTON family was in Union County. On 19 March 1783, William SWORDS was born, and on 27 August 1791, Sylvanus MINTON was born. Their lives and the lives of their children would be intertwined. John S. SWORDS received bounty land from the government for his service in the Revolutionary War between 1777 and 1782. On his return from the war, he settled in the Pendleton District, married in April of 1782, and his first child, William, was born in 1783. William grew up to become a Justice of the Peace, and the 1810 and 1820 census records find him in the Pendleton District, and the 1830 census finds him in Anderson County (formed in 1826 from Pendleton). Land records reflect that land was surveyed for him in June 1814 and purchased in August 1814. William and his family are no longer listed in SC census after 1830. Land records indicate that they sold their land in 1831. John MINTON and his wife, Lydia, had several children. Their son, Sylvanus MINTON, was destined for greatness. He became a Baptist minister and moved to the Pendleton County about 1810, was married for the first time in 1813. He founded a Baptist church there and the first of his eighteen children was born in 1814. His church grew and he enjoyed great success as one of the finest preachers in SC. He started other churches in what was then Pendleton County and which later became Anderson County. He lost his first wife following the birth of their eighth child in November 1827, and remarried three months later in February 1828. Like William SWORDS, Sylvanus MINTON last appears in the census records in SC in 1830. Land records indicate that Sylvanus MINTON's land was also sold in 1831. A search of census records in 1820 and 1830 shows that Sylvanus MINTON and William SWORDS were neighbors. Subsequent SWORDS family records indicate that they were Baptists. Due to the geographical proximity, there is a strong probability that the SWORDS family were members of Sylanus' congregation. A search of SC and the surrounding states' 1840 census records finds Sylvanus MINTON in Cherokee County, AL. Also found in Cherokee County at this time are William SWORDS and his family, as well as his brothers, Jonathan Gullet SWORDS and family and Andrew J. SWORDS. Cherokee County historical documentation indicates they all settled near the site of the Tecumseh. Here there was the site of the Tecumseh Iron Furnace manufacturing concern, Andrew SWORDS' mill, and Rev. Sylvanus MINTON's newly established Baptist church, the first in this area. As time passed, Sylvanus moved on to Arkansas to found other churches. He died in Hazen (Prairie) AR on 10 November 1880 at the age of eighty-nine. MINTON and SWORDS families remained in Alabama, and some moved to Georgia. Ultimately, however, Sylvanus' grandson, William Martin MINTON, married Lydia Caroline SWORDS, the granddaughter of William SWORDS, in Floyd County, GA, on 1 October 1866, thus uniting these long-standing families. History Repeats Itself What I did not mention before is that I searched in vain for several years to locate William SWORDS and his family after they left SC. It was not until I went back through the census records and checked for their neighbors on either side in 1830 and before that I located the removal of Sylvanus MINTON from the area. Further investigation of land records showed the sale of both men's real estate in 1831. A subsequent search of surrounding states' census records in 1840 located Sylvanus, as well as William, Jonathan G. and Andrew SWORDS. When researching our ancestors, it is not uncommon to find that they moved one or more times in their life. Any number of factors may have influenced their decisions to migrate elsewhere, not the least of which was that friends or other family members were moving. The MINTON/SWORDS example above shows both situations. Sylvanus and William both sold their property in SC and moved to AL at the same time. Two of William's brothers, one of whom had a family, accompanied or followed him to AL. Later, the families went their own ways migrating elsewhere, individually or in groups. These patterns repeat themselves again and again. In another example in my own ancestry, I have traced the migration of nine families from Cecil County, MD, in the 1750s to Mecklenburg County, NC. These families formed strong ties in their church in MD and moved to NC where they established a new congregation, intermarried, and became deeply involved with the patriotic movement that led to the American Revolution. Their story is even more involved. As you research your family, especially in census and land records, be sure to make notes about their neighbors. Sometimes, by following the documentation of their movements, you may be able to trace your migrating ancestors. You may pick up the trail several years, or an entire generation, later and that may be just the link you need. Happy hunting! George <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>> Copyright 1999 George G. Morgan. All Rights reserved. "Along Those Lines . . ." is a weekly feature of the Genealogy Forum on America Online (Keyword: ROOTS). Cheryl Rothwell clrothwell@mindspring.com