John Soward was born in 1774, in Anson County, North Carolina, British Colonial America. He settled in York County, South Carolina, United States, where he married Elizabeth Simril, and had two children, William and Violet.
After Elizabeth's death in 1803, John Soward married widow Jane Martin Mellon, and gained a stepson Zenias Mellon. John and Jane had two children, Mary and James. William died in 1817, the only child John is known to have outlived.
By 1810, John Soward had enslaved people on his plantation. By 1830, him and his family had settled in Double Bridges, Lauderdale, Tennessee. Evidence supports that he fathered a biracial daughter, an enslaved girl named Betty, whose mother Cynthia was enslaved by John. John had purchased Cynthia when she was a little girl in York in 1826, from the estate of Anthony Kendrick.
Jane Soward died sometime after 1850, and John remarried twice in 1856, first to a Jane Davis, and only a few months later, to Caroline Davis. Jane likely sometime after the marriage. John died in Double Bridges in 1859, making his widow Caroline Soward administrator of his estate.
There was a court case between Caroline Soward and John's son James, who had sued Caroline to become administrator of his father's estate. The Civil War had begun during that time, and the case was never really resolved.
Caroline had received an enslaved married couple John enslaved named Matthew and Lucy, according to his will, and James had sold three of his father's enslaved people, Sam, Jenny, and Frazier, despite them never being enslaved by James himself.
After Elizabeth's death in 1803, John Soward married widow Jane Martin Mellon, and gained a stepson Zenias Mellon. John and Jane had two children, Mary and James. William died in 1817, the only child John is known to have outlived.
By 1810, John Soward had enslaved people on his plantation. By 1830, him and his family had settled in Double Bridges, Lauderdale, Tennessee. Evidence supports that he fathered a biracial daughter, an enslaved girl named Betty, whose mother Cynthia was enslaved by John. John had purchased Cynthia when she was a little girl in York in 1826, from the estate of Anthony Kendrick.
Jane Soward died sometime after 1850, and John remarried twice in 1856, first to a Jane Davis, and only a few months later, to Caroline Davis. Jane likely sometime after the marriage. John died in Double Bridges in 1859, making his widow Caroline Soward administrator of his estate.
There was a court case between Caroline Soward and John's son James, who had sued Caroline to become administrator of his father's estate. The Civil War had begun during that time, and the case was never really resolved.
Caroline had received an enslaved married couple John enslaved named Matthew and Lucy, according to his will, and James had sold three of his father's enslaved people, Sam, Jenny, and Frazier, despite them never being enslaved by James himself.
John Soward was born in 1774, in Anson County, North Carolina, British Colonial America. He settled in York County, South Carolina, United States, where he married Elizabeth Simril, and had two children, William and Violet.
After Elizabeth's death in 1803, John Soward married widow Jane Martin Mellon, and gained a stepson Zenias Mellon. John and Jane had two children, Mary and James. William died in 1817, the only child John is known to have outlived.
By 1810, John Soward had enslaved people on his plantation. By 1830, him and his family had settled in Double Bridges, Lauderdale, Tennessee. Evidence supports that he fathered a biracial daughter, an enslaved girl named Betty, whose mother Cynthia was enslaved by John. John had purchased Cynthia when she was a little girl in York in 1826, from the estate of Anthony Kendrick.
Jane Soward died sometime after 1850, and John remarried twice in 1856, first to a Jane Davis, and only a few months later, to Caroline Davis. Jane likely sometime after the marriage. John died in Double Bridges in 1859, making his widow Caroline Soward administrator of his estate.
There was a court case between Caroline Soward and John's son James, who had sued Caroline to become administrator of his father's estate. The Civil War had begun during that time, and the case was never really resolved.
Caroline had received an enslaved married couple John enslaved named Matthew and Lucy, according to his will, and James had sold three of his father's enslaved people, Sam, Jenny, and Frazier, despite them never being enslaved by James himself.
After Elizabeth's death in 1803, John Soward married widow Jane Martin Mellon, and gained a stepson Zenias Mellon. John and Jane had two children, Mary and James. William died in 1817, the only child John is known to have outlived.
By 1810, John Soward had enslaved people on his plantation. By 1830, him and his family had settled in Double Bridges, Lauderdale, Tennessee. Evidence supports that he fathered a biracial daughter, an enslaved girl named Betty, whose mother Cynthia was enslaved by John. John had purchased Cynthia when she was a little girl in York in 1826, from the estate of Anthony Kendrick.
Jane Soward died sometime after 1850, and John remarried twice in 1856, first to a Jane Davis, and only a few months later, to Caroline Davis. Jane likely sometime after the marriage. John died in Double Bridges in 1859, making his widow Caroline Soward administrator of his estate.
There was a court case between Caroline Soward and John's son James, who had sued Caroline to become administrator of his father's estate. The Civil War had begun during that time, and the case was never really resolved.
Caroline had received an enslaved married couple John enslaved named Matthew and Lucy, according to his will, and James had sold three of his father's enslaved people, Sam, Jenny, and Frazier, despite them never being enslaved by James himself.
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