Friday, March 30, 2012

The Langdon Family

As with many surnames, there is more than one variation for the Langdon name. When researching this branch of the family I have come across . . . Langdon, Langton, and Langdon.

So far, I've been able to trace back to George Langton.

The Langton descent is as follows . . .

George Langton - Unknown First Wife

John Langdon - Mary Seymour-Gridley (widow of Thomas)

Joseph Langdon - Susannah Root

Joseph Langdon II - Rachel Cowels

Daniel Langdon - Phoebe Clark

Roswell Langdon - Mary Coles

Roswell Langdon - Charlotte Chloe Richardson

Delana Catherine Langdon - Alexander Sweat

William Joshua Sweat - Margaret Morris

William Oscar Sweat - Mary Willie Boone (my grandparents)


The Langton/Langdon branch of the family tree begins with George Langton, since I haven't been able to trace back beyond him . . . at least not yet. So far, I haven't been able to find the name of his first wife, by which he had three children. He married second Hannah Lambe-Haynes (widow of Edmund Haynes) by which he had one daughter. From all I've been able to discover, he was born in 1598 and died Novebmer 28, 1676 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. 

George Langton and unknown first wife had the following children . . .
  • John Langdon - b. 1624 in Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire; d. 1689 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Deliverance Langton - b. September 22, 1627 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts; d. June 10, 1718 in Suffield, Hartford, Connecticut
  • Hannah Langdon - b. 1629 in Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts; d. September 17, 1690 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts
George Langton and Hannah Lambe-Haynes had the following child . . . 
  • Esther Langdon - b. August 22, 1649 in Northampton, Hampshire County, Massachusetts; d. unknown
John Langton/Langdon married Mary Seymour (b. 1622 in Hertfordshire, England; d. 1689 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut), widow of Thomas Gridley, by which she had three children - Samuel, Thomas, and Mary - and daughter of Robert Seymour and Elizabeth Waller) on September 29, 1644 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. They had the following children . . .
  • Elizabeth Langdon - about 1655/56 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. unknown
  • Nathan Langdon - b. about 1657 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. unknown
  • Joseph Langdon - b. March 18, 1659 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. March 31, 1736 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
Joseph Langdon married Susannah Root (b. 1654 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. December 5, 1712 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut), daughter of John Root and Mary Kilbourne, on October 1, 1683 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. They had the following children . . . 
  • Joseph Langdon II - 
  • Ebenezer Langdon - b. April 3, 1691 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. April 17, 1756 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Mercy Langdon - b. April 1704 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. 1704 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut
Joseph Langdon II married Rachel Cowles (b.June 1, 1690 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. 1750 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut), daughter of Samuel Cowles II and Rachel Porter, on December 24, 1713 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. They had the following children . . .
  • Thomas Langdon - b. January 6, 1715 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. August 12, 1783 in Harwinton, Connecticut
  • Mary Langdon - b. November 13, 1716 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. 
  • Joseph Langdon III - b. August 7, 1718 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. unknown
  • Giles Langdon - July 22, 1720 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. December 1777 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Rachel Langdon - b. February 11, 1724 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. April 28, 1770 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Daniel Langdon -  b. December 24, 1728 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. January 20, 1812 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut
Daniel Langdon married Phoebe Clark (b. November 9, 1737 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. April 18, 1822 in Hartford County, Connecticut), daughter of David Clark and Hannah Woodruff, on March 31, 1755 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut. They had the following children . . . 
  • Phebe Langdon - July 25, 1755 in Farmington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. December 5, 1836 in North Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Daniel Langdon - b. May 9, 1759 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. May 21, 1841 in Vincennes, Knox County, Indidana
  • Job Langdon - b. April 1764 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. July 28, 1847 in Southwick, Hampden County, Massachusetts
  • Roswell Langdon - b. September 13, 1766 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. August 16, 1834 in Perry County, Indiana
  • Gad Langdon - b. about 1772 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. November 21, 1828 in Plainville, Hartford County, Connecticut
  • Rachel Langdon - b. April 29, 1774 in Southington, Hartford County, Connecticut; d. November 27, 1811 unknown
Roswell Langdon married Mary Coles (b. 1768; d. August 23, 1845 in Perry County, Indiana), daughter of Jesse Coles and Sarah Smith. They had the following children . . .
  • Mary Langdon - b. May 18, 1795; d. May 15, 1810
  • George Langdon - b.July 20, 1797; d. unknown
  • Roswell Lee Langdon - b. September 13, 1804 in Liverpool, Perry County, Indiana; d. January 9, 1868 in Perry County, Indiana
  • Daniel Langdon - b. September 16, 1801 in Liverpool, Perry County, Indiana; d. September 1, 1803 in Liverpool, Perry County, Indiana
  • Samuel C. Langdon - b. May 26, 1808 in Liverpool, Perry County, Indiana; d. March 1879
Roswell Lee Langdon married Charlotte Chloe Richardson (b. June 3, 1803 in Whitehall, Washington County, New York; d. March 11, 1885 in Perry County, Indiana), daughter of Daniel Saxton Richardson and Mary Norton. They had the following children . . .
  • Mary Catherine (Delana) Langdon - b. more on this later; d. October 15, 1925 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky
  • Daniel C. Langdon - b. January 9, 1828 in Perry County, Indiana; d. November 26, 1862 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
  • Sarah Ann Langdon - b. December 22, 1829 in Perry County, Indiana; d. 1911 in Casey, Clark County, Illinois
  • Roswell Coles Langdon - b. October 16, 1833 in Perry County, Indiana; d. June 27, 1904 in Magnet, Perry County, Indiana
  • Henrietta Langdon - b. December 22, 1835 in Perry County, Indiana; d. unknown
  • Emma Jane Langdon - b. December 6, 1839 in Perry County, Indiana; d. 1927 in Indiana
  • Helen Langdon - b. March 24, 1842 in Perry County, Indiana; d. unknown
Mary Catherine (Delana) Langdon married first Alonzo Richardson (possibly a relative on her mother's side) on November 25, 1851. They had one child: Daniel Richardson. She married second Alexander Sweat (b. more on that later; d. August 24, 1911 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky), son of Israel Sweat and Charlotte Hare-Sprague, on July 26, 1856. They had the following children . . .
  • Emily Sweat - b. August 29, 1857; d. unknown - probably very young, since there isn't any mention of her in family records, however, I did find birth records for her listing Catherine and Alexander Sweat as her parents
  • William Joshua Sweat - b. March 1, 1859 in Hancock County, Kentucky; d. unknown - see below for more information
  • Nancy A. Sweat - b. August 26, 1861 in Hancock County, Kentucky; d. September 7, 1861 in Hancock County, Kentucky. As with Emily, there isn't any mention of her in family records; however, I did find both a birth and death record for her listing Catherine and Alexander Sweat as her parents.
  • James Sweat - b. December 4, 1863 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. February 4, 1959 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County, Kentucky
  • Elizabeth Ann Sweat - b. October 10, 1870 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. November 3, 1957 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky
Catherine & Alexander's Age


So, with dear great-great grandma Catherine Delana Langdon and great-great grandpa Alexander Sweat, there's this whole age thing . . . as in I don't have a clue when they were born. Their age varies depending which Census Record I look at, and then there are the death certificates . . . which lists her year of birth as 1825 and his as as 1822. Hmmm, both years are before their respective parents married. Strange. 

There's always the possibility that Alexander was not Charlotte's son, but the son of Israel's first wife Sarah, and that Catherine, well, I don't have a clue. Another theory, proposed by my distant cousin Ben Swett - Captain Benjamin Swett is our common ancestor - is that . . . 

In 1862 the Confederates started drafting men age 18 - 35 into their army. Kentucky was a border state, but it was heavily influenced by the Confederates until later in the war. Alexander Swett was 30 in 1862 - if 1832 was his actual birth year - but told the local authorities he was 40 to avoid the draft. He was probably too poor to hire a substitute. And then, to avoid being known as a draft-dodger, he repeated that fiction in the 1870 Census by saying he was 48 years old, i.e., born in 1822.

I tend to agree with this theory. I think once he claimed his birth year was 1822, he stuck with it through to his dying day, and such that was the year recorded on his death certificate. His wife Catherine Delana Langdon also has quite the varying years of birth - from 1822 to 1826, but her parents didn't marry until March 1825. Ben and I theorize that she, being pretty much the same age as Alexander, lied about her birth year as well to cover up the fact that he was, well, dodging the draft. Ah, the things a person discovers when dancing with the ancestors.

So, for the record, I'm going with . . . 

October 15, 1827 for Catherine Langdon's birth date and July 2, 1832 as Alexander Sweat's birth date.

Catherine Delana's Name

From everything I have found, except her death certificate - go figure - her name is Catherine Delana. Her death certificate lists her name as Mary Catherine. The best guess, since she and Alexander were late in life converts to Catholicism, is that she took the name Mary as her confirmation name and that was the name her daughter listed on death certificate.


William Joshua Sweat married Margaret Morris (b. December 14, 1869 in Nelson County, Kentucky; d. August 11, 1920 in Bullitt County, Kentucky), daughter of Joseph Morris and Elizabeth Hall on October 26, 1886 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky. They had the following children . . . 

  • Joseph Leo Sweat - b. November 26, 1887 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. September 6, 1969 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County, Kentucky
  • James Monroe Sweat - b. December 23, 1888 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. September 1967 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
  • George Alexander Sweat - b. February 22, 1890 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. August 11, 1890 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky
  • John Patrick Sweat - b. March 17, 1891 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. April 27, 1891 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky
  • Benjamin Franklin Sweat - b. May 14, 1892 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. unknown
  • William Oscar Sweat - b. March 24, 1894 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. January 27, 1987 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County, Kentucky
  • Catherine Elizabeth Sweat - b. July 18, 1895 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. June 7, 1916 in Marion County, Kentucky
  • Mary Ida Sweat - b. March 2, 1897 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. January 9, 1988 in Hennepin County, Minnesota
  • Charles Daniel Sweat - b. February 2, 1899 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. November 5, 1981 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County, Kentucky
  • Mary Isabell "Mamie" Sweat - b. October 6, 1902 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. January 10, 1970 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky
The Disappearance of William Joshua Sweat

Sometime in 1907, William Joshua Sweat left New Hope, Kentucky, leaving behind his wife and ten children, never to be seen or heard from again. My grandfather - William Oscar Sweat - spent the remainder of his life, off and on, searching for his father. At one point, an uncle by marriage, working at Fort Knox, met a man who bore a striking resemblance to one of my uncles, the son of William Oscar Sweat. He struck up a conversation with this young man and discovered that this man's family had a big secret that they didn't talk about. My uncle told him the story and gave him my grandfather's address. The man went to see my grandfather and knocked on the front door. Nobody answered. He left. The problem: my grandfather never answered the front door, because anybody that knew him would have come around to the side of the house to the kitchen door. Ah, if the man had only gone to the side door . . . we might have solved the mysterious disappearance of William Joshua Sweat. Instead, my uncle never encountered this young man/soldier again. It is my hope that, somewhere out there, if William Joshua did start another family, that one of those descendants might stumble across this blog or the trees on Ancestry and get in touch with me. One can always hope.

For a picture of William Joshua Sweat go here . . . 



William Oscar Sweat married Mary Willie Boone (b. October 21, 1898 in New Hope, Nelson County, Kentucky; d. April 4, 1981 in Lebanon Junction, Bullitt County, Kentucky), daughter of Victor Ivo Boone and Mary Willie Watson, on December 30, 1919. They had ten children, 36 great-grandchildren, and a number of great and great-great grandchildren by this point.

And here ends this bit of dancing with the ancestors related to my mother's paternal line, the Sweat Family!

4 comments:

  1. Sorry, but you have some of your facts wrong.. Daniel Langton did not marry Phoebe Clark, Roswell Langdon did not marry Sarah Coles to name a few

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  2. Sorry I was mistaken, you are correct, my fault

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  3. Anonymous - thanks for your two comments. The further back I go with information, the more suspect - at least in my mind - it becomes. Much of the information actually came from published genealogy books which, as I've discovered when researching, aren't always 100% accurate. So, any corrections other researchers can offer me are greatly appreciated.

    Scott

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  4. Scott,

    I am a descendent of Joseph Langdon in Farmington, CT. I have completed my most of my geneology which is similar to your history. You may find it interesting that the Langdon family was the largest landowner in Unionville,ct. It was called Langdons Quarter and Dwight Langdon formed the first nut and bolt factory in this town. When he died his brother inlaw Mr. Upson to over the company and it was the largest nut and bolt factory in the United States. I was brought up in New Britain, CT and my Langdon line goes back to Farmington to Kensington, CT. It is a very interesting line.

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