My Genealogy Hound

Henry Swift was born in Orange County, N. Y., July 29, 1843, and is a son of John and Jane (Welch) Swift, who were born in Nottingham, England, the former’s birth occurring in 1815. His father, William Swift, was a postman, and carried the mail from Longar to Elton, a distance of four and a half miles, making two trips per day, and in fifty-three years’ service did not lose one day’s time. John Swift served as a private in the Crimean War, and was in the siege of Sebastopol, being one of the only two surviving members of his camp. He died in 1882, having been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a well-to-do land holder. His wife was also a member of the Methodist Church, and in 1843 came to the United States, locating in New York State, but returned to England the same year, and died there in October, 1846. Henry Swift lived with his grandfather until his eleventh year, and received a good common school education in the schools of Longar. He then made a trip to the United States, and after living three years in York State returned to England and again attended school. Eleven years later he came again to the United States, and lived with an uncle in Jo Daviess County, Ill., for about three years, later working out and residing among the farmers in that county for two years more, attending school during the winter and doing farm work in the summer months. While the war was going on he traveled over the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and at the close of hostilities began working on the Mississippi River, being engaged in the construction of the Belleville Railroad, continuing such work until 1873, when he came to Arkansas. He was occupied in farming in Randolph County until 1885, since which time he has been a resident of Clay County, and owns 280 acres of fertile land, eighty-three of which are under cultivation, although all could be easily put under improvement. It was heavily covered with timber, but is now furnished with good buildings and fences. He gives much attention to breeding Poland China hogs, and is a thrifty and successful farmer and stockman. He was among the first to demonstrate the fact that swamp and overflowed land could be tilled as profitably as the sand ridges, and seven or eight of his neighbors have followed his example and now possess comfortable homes of their own. He is active in school matters, is a Mason, and in his political views is a Democrat. He was first married February 7, 1879, to Miss Malinda Smart, a daughter of Lemuel and Jane Smart, of Arkansas, and by her became the father of two children: Laura, who died at the age of fifteen months, and an infant, deceased. His wife died in 1882, and he took for his second wife, in 1884, Miss Retta Boyd, a daughter of William Boyd, of Shannon County, Mo. She died quite suddenly in February, 1885, having borne one daughter: Henrietta, who was born on the 22d of March, 1883.