Posted on: Nodaway Co Query Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mo/Nodaway/941 Surname: Stephenson, Stinson, Swinford ------------------------- My Stephenson line came from Madison County, Kentucky to Nodaway County, Missouri & Maryville during the 1850's. My gggrandfather was Edward Stephenson & I have found several places where the surname was spelled Stinson. I am pretty sure he was illiterate, as were a lot of people at that time , & I believe the name was recorded improperly by people who heard the name Stephenson spoken. There were a lot of Swinfords in Nodaway, County and my ggrandmother was Martha Lorinda (Swinford) Stephenson, wife of John Howard Stephenson. I have a copy of the entry made of their wedding from a book in the Nodaway courthouse where his surname was entered as Stinson. Her father was William Swinford who was Sheriff there in the 1850's. My ggrandfather John Howard Stephenson & wife Martha & family left Nodaway county In 1879 & homesteaded near the town of Logan in Phillips County, Kansas.