My Journey to find 16 Great Great Grandparents

Is it as good as it gets? I don't know but I continue to work at finding all 16 great greats despite the missing pieces. By utilizing both paper records and DNA I am getting pretty close to a full picture although my "head count" is down.

My father's father was unknown to us, and I believe, to him.His grandparents adopted and raised him and we were told his birth certificate was sealed. Six years after his death I was able to find his birth data and there was a name.

(1 and 2). Great Great Grandfather Seybold may have been born in North Germany or Poland.My Autosomal DNA and my X markers as well as Sister's( my only sibling) indicate that this man may have been from that area. POLISH
(3 and 4)Great Great grandmother ( same unknown group of folks) may have been from Russia or Estonia( or else we reverse this).Initially my autosomal profile was said to be Native American but it eventually has come to look more Siberian tribal. POLISH or RUSSIAN
(5)William F. Carrow's Delaware family was in America (Accomac Virginia) by 1643 and the immigrant was from the north of Ireland very likely Portglenone Antrim. IRISH
(6) Margaret Edenfield from Delaware also had early immigrants ( 1680)ENGLISH
(7)Patrick Kirwan emigrated to South Jersey in 1880 from County Wexford IRISH
(8)Elizabeth Sweeney's parents were from Tyrone. IRISH
(9)William Faunt was born in Fethard Tipperary where his Anglo-Norman line ( Walter L'Enfant) lived since 1270. IRISH
(8)Ellen Lynch was born near Bruff Limerick, not so far from where the Faunt family lived for centuries.They came to Beverly NJ in 1869.IRISH
(9)Patrick Dugan lived and died in an area of Donegal where Gaelic is still spoken.IRISH
(10) Catherine McClafferty also still spoke Gaelic in the 1911 census in Falcarragh Donegal.Patrick was deceased by then.IRISH
(11) John Swanson 's father Captain Charles Swanson was born in Gotheburg, served in the Swedish Navy and very likely fought in the Russian War before he emigrated to the Delaware Valley in 1813.SWEDISH
(12)Rebecca Spencer's family is most likely English or Irish.
(13))Charles Rementer's grandfather Peter came with other Palatinates and settled in Southwark, Philadelphia.He is thought to have been from Alsace-Lorraine.His children said he was from Germany ( Alsace was both German and French)GERMAN
(14)Margaret Lynch was from Cork Ireland.She emigrated during the famine to Rhode Island.
Mitochondrial DNA almost exact match indicates it is likely near Bantry Bay.IRISH

Since I have an approximation of DNA that "looks like" a reference population and since my paternal grandmother eventually married a Norwegian sailor I believe unknown Grandfather (and his forebears) was Polish/Russian.

Drumroll! This was fun.
IRISH 50%
POLISH/RUSSIAN 25 %
ENGLISH 12.5 %
GERMAN 6.25%
SWEDISH 6.25%

Captain Charles Swanson and his brother Andrew

Two men named Swanson are in the Southwark Philadelphia area in the 1830 census.

Andrew Swanson and his presumed brother Charles come in 1813 according to records.These same records indicate that the men are from Goteborg Sweden. Charles Swanson at least very likely served in the Swedish Navy in their war against Russia : "While the War of 1808-09 is not to be considered being of world historical proportions, it certainly was an important event in both Swedish and Finnish history" as when the war ended 110 ships were delivered into Russian hands as was Finland after 600 years the Swedish-Finnish union was dead.

Since Charles Swanson as well as Andrew were born in Goteborg they surely were Swedish but possibly had ties to Finland.To me the men of the family appear more like Finns as they are short and dark a trait that goes on for generations. ( see attached pictures of Richard Johnson Swanson and youngest son Addison)

Andrew Swanson identifies his birthplace in his death certificate in 1862.He is a merchant.

Andrew may leave only one child Catherine B. who marries Cyrus Wilson Foss a merchant who is born in Maine.Catherine B.Foss has two children and memorializes her parents with their names I suspect, Andrew Swanson Foss and Annie Waterman Foss. Andrew and Annie and their families remain in the Delaware Valley for generations.

Charles Swanson dies August 1850 of cholera and that document describes him as a pilot on the river.Posthumously at least he is called "Captain Charles Swanson" in his daughter Hannah Swanson Jackson's obituary.

His sons who followed his career continued to live in South Philadelphia and later Camden NJ these were James and Andrew.

The three men who are found in Beverly NJ seem to be involved in transportation and merchandising perhaps and this combination of occupations may reflect their origins.

The ship type listed in their 1813 passport is "Angare" which means steamship although that is surely not possible?

Civil War records for the Beverly NJ brothers are confusing.From what I have read many men from the Burlington County area went for the bonus money; some actually went to PA for the larger bonus( Bob Knoll has information on that). All three brothers, Edward, William and John may have served in some capacity in the conflict as records exist for all. although not an actual Civil War packet.I have ordered one for each of them from NJ Archives which is offering vouchers for a very reasonable sum.

I continue to try to piece together the Swanson in America tale.