Last Updated: October 9, 2020

Ann Sweeney

(single mother)

Sweeney, Ann done

Parents: Andrew or Adam & Martha This is from an Ancestry.com public tree. I have no doubt Ann was noted in Benjamin Sweeney’s will as stated but because of the parent’s names given in her death record, I have my doubts she was his daughter. Probably born in Ireland around 1760-1770, Benjamin is said to have come to America about 1790 with two brothers and a sister.  He settled in Franklin County, Virginia, near where the town of Ferrum is now located.  This town, the home of Ferrum College, is located on Virginia Route #40, ten miles west of Rocky Mount, the county seat, which is located at the intersection of Virginia Route #40 and US Route 220, about 25 miles south of Roanoke, Virginia.  Benjamin died in Franklin County, Virginia during the winter of 1823-1824. Benjamin met and married his wife Elizabeth in Virginia, county unknown. "Dr. Wingate" lists Benjamin Swinney as a pioneer Presbyterian minister in Franklin County, Virginia, and according to tradition, the progenitor of this branch of the family was a preacher named Benjamin Swinney.  Franklin County records reveal that he performed marriages as a minister, however his church is unknown. Benjamin's will was dated November 17, 1823, and was probated in Franklin County, Virginia on January 5, 1824.  All of his real and personal property was bequeathed to his wife Elizabeth, during her life or widowhood, after which the real estate was to be divided equally between sons Joel and Johathan (Jack) Swinney.  A bequest of money was made to daughter Rebecca Moore, wife of William Moore.  Certain household items were left to Ann Sweeney who was not otherwise identified but is believed to be his daughter. A son, John, m. x2 and an has an interesting history: John Janney m. 1st Ann Martin 4-3-1847 Patrick Co., VA. He son of Isaac Janney. Sur. James Martin. Wit. Stephen Thomas John Sweeney m. 2nd Malinda Hale 11-21-1854 Franklin Co., VA. He 28 yo widowed w/m, b. Franklin Co., VA, s/o Ann Swieney. She 19 yo single w/f b. Franklin Co., VA, d/o Frances & Cyllar Hale. The history: My brother found this grave when he and his wife built their home on Bent Mountain, Virginia. The grave is beside a road known as Patterson Drive (Route 644)which is located just off Rt 221. My brother's address is 9502 Patterson Drive and Mr. Janney's tombstone is located to the left of the driveway in a wooded spot. To the best of my knowledge, the only words still visible on the tombstone are as follows: John Janney 1828. The following information was submitted by a ggg granddaughter of John Janney and Malinda Hale after finding his grave on this web site... Born to a single woman by the name of Ann Swinney, father unknown. Ann Swinney died in the poor house. John Swinney married Ann Martin and had several children. Ann Martin died in childbirth. John Swinney married Malinda Hale on March 21, 1835 but changed their name to John and Malinda Janney. Isaac Janney had raised John. Ann Swinney never told the name of John's father. Isaac did not leave John in his will but did mention all of his other children. John's 2nd wife Malinda, according to family lore, was an Indian. Her nickname was "Skidge". Story has it that she preferred to sleep around the stove on blankets. Proving Malinda was an Indian is also impossible because back then Indians had to pass for white or be forced to live on a reservation. The picture is of Mary Ann Janney, daughter of John Janney and Malinda Hale Janney. I almost forgot to tell you why he is buried at this spot on Bent Mountain. It was his favorite place to be, he used to pick greens there, it used to have a great big tree and he told his family to bury him in the shady spot, and they did.  Update on November 22, 2012: As to Malinda "Skidge" Hale Janney's supposed Indian heritage, I am her maternal great-great grandson. The family lore is disproved by the fact that I had genetic testing done through Family Tree DNA, and while there is plenty of English and Welsh DNA in my genetic background (and the surname "Hale" is of Welsh origin), and from both sides there is Arab, Jewish, and Persian blood and Magyar blood, there are absolutely no DNA indicators pointing to any Native American origins in any branch of my family. I am sorry to disabuse anybody of their hope of Indian Heritage, but "Granny Janney" would have been primarily Welsh, married to a man of English (i.e. Cheshire) blood. Additionally, John Janney married Ann Martin in 1849. They had three children together and she died from "childbirth fever" in 1854. He shortly thereafter married Malinda "Skidge" Hale. The story about Anne Swinney is correct. In 1847 John Janney appeared in a Franklin County VA court as a witness to a deed as "John Swinney, mother a single woman Anne Swinney" The story is that a man named Moses Janney later assumed responsibility or paternity for John and raised him as his own. In the 1850 Floyd County Virginia census, Anne Swinney is listed as being an "idiot" of about 50 years of age. Sincerely, David A Molnar Asheville NC Maternal great-great grandson of John Janney (1828-1902)  1786 Birth: abt 1786 VA. 1850 Residence: Floyd Co., VA, H545: …… Sweney, Joel 54 yo w/m laborer, b. Franklin Co., VA, HOH. ………… Nancy 44 yo w/f, b. VA, cannot read or write. ………… Edward 19 yo w/m, b. Franklin, laborer. ………… Anna 60 yo w/f, b. Franklin, cannot read or write, pauper. 1860 Residence: Floyd Co., VA, Little River PO, H288: ……… Foster, William 41 yo w/m Steward of Poor House, b. VA, $2000, HOH. …………… Orpa 29 yo w/f, b. VA. …………… Mary J. 10 yo w/f, b. VA. …………… Asa 8 yo w/m, b. VA. ……… Sowers, Catherine 80 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Swinny, Ann 74 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Rigney, Ruth 40 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Likens, Catherine 31 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Cross, Peridina 18 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Likens, Elizabeth 7 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Ratliff, Eliza 5 yo w/f pauper, b. VA. ……… Likens, William 2 yo w/m pauper, b. VA. 1870 Residence: Floyd Co., VA, Little River Twp: H44/43: …… Swinney, Edmund 38 yo w/m farmer & keeper of Poor House, $3000/1000, HOH. ………… Adeline 22 yo w/f, b. VA, cannot read or write, keeping house. (nee Thomas) ………… Minerva E. 2 yo w/f, b. VA. ………… Waller Jackson 5/12 w/m, b. VA. …… Thomas, Preston 17 yo w/m farm laborer, b. VA, cannot read or write. [thomas] H45/44 Floyd County Virginia Poor House ...... Carter, Nelly 80 yo black female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Sweeney, Ann 80 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Epperly, Polly 70 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Guthrie, Betsy 65 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Bowline, Rena 60 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Booth, Alfred 65 yo white male, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Harris, Lewis 65 yo white male, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Rigney, Ruth 50 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Moore, Mary 25 yo black female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ............ Alice 5 yo black female, b. VA. ............ Caldona 3 yo black female, b. VA. ...... Sawyers, Hannah 25 yo black female, b. VA, cannot read or write. ...... Graham, Dicie 30 yo mulatto female , b. VA, cannot read or write. ............ Thomas 9 yo mulatto male, b. VA. ............ William 6/12 mulatto male, b. VA. ...... Epperly, Jane 45 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write, deaf & dumb. ...... Cropp, Sally 25 yo white female, b. VA, cannot read or write ...... Cannaday, Elvira 16 yo black female, b. VA, cannot read or write, idiotic. ...... Shoemaker, Susan 16 yo white idiotic female, b. VA, cannot read or write, idiotic. ...... Poage, Julian 4 yo white female, b. VA. ............ Amanda Poage 1 yo white female, b. VA. ...... Howery, Ruth 4 yo black female, b. VA. (may be Rill) ...... Moran, Joseph 3 yo mulatto male, b. VA. ...... Martin, Martha 3 yo black female, b. VA. 1870 Death: 10-13-1870 Floyd Co., VA. Ann Swinney, 82 yo, b. Floyd Co., VA. Parents: Andre & Martha. Consort: Andrew. Informant: Edward, son of dec’d. COD: old age. (src for Andre: 1853 Birth & Death Records, Floyd County, Virginia and the Zion Lutheran Church Register by Marjorie Flour & Margurerite Tice; src for Adam: ancestry.com transcribed death records) 1870 Burial:

Ann Sweeney – single mother.