Frederick SWAN

Frederick SWAN, 2012, photo by Brian Zoldak, used with permission

The restoration effort of the Stewart Hill Cemetery in North Stonington has dramatically changed this gravestone of Frederick SWAN, husband of Betsey R. STEWART. 

The cemetery transcription is incorrect for his birth date. It makes it look like this is Betsey's son not her husband. Some trees at Ancestry.com have it recorded that way and it made me go back and look at both stones and look for a vital record to verify that fact. Gravestones that are fallen over or sunken into the ground are very hard to read. This is the birth date that is incorrect.

Swan, Frederick, born June 23, 1832, died Mar. 8, 1856

Frederick SWAN, photo by Midge Frazel

 When I was last there, this is what the gravestone looked like. I actually stepped on it and hubs and I scraped away grass and dirt to see what it said. My hands were quite dirty so I didn't want to touch the camera strap which you see in the photo. As I was carrying the printout of the cemetery transcription under my arm, I couldn't touch that either. That's when I realized that I was going to need a "cemetery kit" for any further exploration. We had a bottle of water and paper towels but it was not enough. We needed gloves and grass clippers at the least.

In Memory of/Frederick Swan/born/June 23, 1782/died March 8, 1856. The SWAN chapter in Wheeler's History of Stonington, tells me the names of his SWAN ancestors, but like many genealogies, it doesn't include his wife and children. He was 43 when he married Betsey. The 1830, 1840 and 1850 census list two daughters but whether he had another wife is not known to me.

Betsey R. STEWART

Betsey R. Stewart, 2008, photo by Midge Frazel

 Betsey R. STEWART, second daughter of Edward and Rebecca (Noyes) STEWART, was my 2nd great grand aunt. She had an older sister, who is not buried in the Stewart Cemetery.

When I visited this cemetery, Betsey's gravestone was sunken into the ground to only about half its height. Fortunately, this cemetery was transcribed and the information could be read and they matched. 

Betsey R. Stewart, wife of Frederick SWAN, 2012 photo by Brian Zoldak, used with permission.

Betsey, was born 24 Nov 1803 in North Stonington as it is listed in my family Bible. She married at the age of 24, Frederick SWAN. It looks like they were married by a Coates family member who may have been part of a neighboring farm.

Betsey, m. Frederick Swan, both of N. Stonington, Jan. 14, 1828, by David Coats, J.P. Book 1 p. 103 [Barbour Index]

Betsey was only 44 on 26 Feb 1849 when she died. There are two daughters listed in the 1850 census named Elizabeth and Abby. I have not proven that these daughters are hers with Frederick.

Indian Attack!

Story of Susanna Eastman
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is the story as it appears in the History of Haverhill and is repeated in Judge Wheeler's History of Stonington,

I had to copy and paste this together from the History  of Haverhill, MA at Google books so I could show the footnote at the bottom of the page that clearly says it is ORAL HISTORY. Judge Wheeler cited it from this source but didn't say that this was oral history! I was glad I went looking for the original story.

I will leave you to read this story and wonder at the power of a woman who had previously lost a husband and a child to an Indian attack. Armed with a baking spit (think a javelin), I certainly would not want to get in her way. I loved that a man called Capt. was described as a "timid" man!

Even if it is an embellished story, still we should marvel at this woman nearly living to her 100th birthday.

The stories of the gravestones are not always factual but they sure are a learning experience! I would not have wanted to live in this time period and I am glad I found and photographed these gravestones!

Capt John SWAN

Capt John SWAN
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

John SWAN (Robert2, Richard1) was born in Haverhill, Essex, MA on 1 August 1668 and married Susannah EASTMAN, widow of Thomas WOOD on his birthday 1 August 1699. He was 31 years old.


His birth and marriage are listed in the Vital Record of Massachusetts to 1850 for the town of Haverhill. There are two histories of Havehill, MA both written in the 1800s and available for download in PDF format at Google Books.
[The History of Haverhill, Massachusettts by Benjamin L. Mirick, and John Greenleaf Whittier 1839]

According to Judge RA Wheeler's book on the History of Stonington, (Swan family p. 609-617) John and Susannah came to Stonington in 1707 before the area in which he lived was called North Stonington. Prior to that, they lived in Haverhill. When they came to Stonington, they lived in a section that came to be known as Swan Town Hill. [I searched for that and discovered a Swantown Hill Rd. in North Stonington which is only a short distance to where Capt. John and Susanna are buried]

Capt. John SWAN died 1 May 1743 in Stonington and lies buried next to his wife in the Great Plain Cemetery in North Stonington. Their son, Timothy lineage leads into mine through Noyes Wheeler who married Priscilla STEWART, a daughter of Nathan and Barbary (Palmer) STEWART, my direct line 3rd great grandparents.

I have still not determined why he is called Capt. but his death record in the Barbour Index of Vital Records list him with this title and gravestone says so too. His gravestone is marked with a flag but not in a flag holder

Wheeler's book states that his father and grandfather fought in King Phillip's War.

"In Memory of Capt. John Swan died May ye 1st 1743 in ye  75th year of his age"

Stay tuned for more on Capt. John and his wife Susanna's adventures with the Indians....