My granma Westberry was a Swilley. Born in Georgia, died in Florida, she 
did.

SWILLEY, Reason F.	1766-1854  Echols

Reason F. Swilley, a son of Samuel Swilley, R.S., was born in South 
Carolina in 1766, and died October 13, 1854, age 88 years, at his home on 
the Florida-Georgia line just inside of what was then Lowndes, but now 
Echols County, Georgia.  His family moved to Georgia soon after the 
Revolutionary War and lived in Bryan and Liberty counties.  The subject, 
Reason F. Swilley, was commissioned lieutenant of the militia in the 17th 
district, Liberty County, May 21, 1808.  He married Mary Terrell (or 
"McTerrell" as the name was originally called), a daughter of Philemon 
Terrell of Liberty County and sister of John MeTerrell of Echols County. 
 She was born in South Carolina January 27, 1787, and died at the family 
home in Echols County, October 12, 1864.  She and her husband were buried 
in the Swilley Cemetery in Echols County.  To them were born the following 
children:

1. Nancy	b. January 24, 1811, m. ______ Bone.
2. Calvin E.	b. March 29, 1812, died single, September 16, 1841.
3. Franklin	b. November 21, 1813, m. Vicy Boyd daughter of Henry.
4. Elizabeth	b. June 16, 1815, m. John Lee.  Moved to Florida.
5. Senie	b. February 29, 1818, evidently died young.
6. Jesse A.	b. December 19, 1819. ***Roxalena Morgan****
7. Eliza	b. December 12, 1823, m. John Boyd, son of Henry.
8. Reason E. F.	b. March 20, 1826, m. Maria ______.
9. Samuel S.	b. March 25, 1828, Died in C.S.A. Army.
10. William Madison 	b. May 13, 1830, m. Rebecca Daniels.  Died 1908.

Most of the Swilley family connection moved to Tattnall County when it was 
created and lived there some years.  When Appling County was created, 
Reason F. Swilley moved there and lived a few years, but by 1830 had moved 
to Lowndes County.  He settled on Lot of Land No. 116, 16th District of 
Lowndes (now Echols) County, and lived there until his death, October 13, 
1854.  In 1858 the Swilley home place was cut into Echols out of Lowndes. 
 Mr. Swilley was the owner of several lots of land adjoining his home place 
lot, had several farms, and was considered well-fixed in his day.  His son, 
Franklin Swilley, was administrator of the estate.  The youngest son, 
William M. Swilley, became the owner of the home place and owned it until 
his death in 1908, after which it passed to Mr. J. A. Swilley, a grandson 
of the original owner.
Mr. and Mrs. Swilley were members of the Primitive Baptist Church.  They 
first united in Tattnall County with Sarepta Baptist Church.  On October 9, 
1830 he and his wife were received "under watch care" by Union Church in 
Lowndes County, and on August 13, 1831, their letters of dismission were 
received from Sarepta Church in Tattnall County.  On February 13, 1836, 
they were dismissd by letter from Union Church to join in organizing a new 
church nearer their home, now known as Antioch Church in Echols County. 
 They moved their membership from Antioch Church and entered into 
organization of Bethel Church in Hamilton County, Florida, January 31, 
1846, and died members there.
Mr. Swilley was a private in Capt. David R. Bryan's company of Lowndes 
County Militia in the Indian War of 1838.  His sons, Franklin, Calvin and 
Jesse, were in the same company.

Census References: 1820, Appling; 1830, 1840, 1850, Lowndes.


SWILLEY, SAMUEL E.	1793-1846  ECHOLS

Samuel E. Swilley, first representative from Appling County (in 1820), was 
born in 1793 in Washington County (territory later cut into Tattnall 
County), a son of Samuel Swilley, R. S.  He grew up in Tattnall and Liberty 
Counties and was married in Tattnall County, February 27, 1817 to Mary 
Carter, daughter of George Carter.  She was a sister of Capt. Jesse Carter 
(Vol. 1).  To them were born a large family of children of whom only five 
lived to be grown and married:

1. Wiley T.	b. 1819, m. Maria Prescott, daughter of Moses.
2. Lucy J.	b. 1823, m. James Thomas Bevill (1st wife).
3. Sarah Ann	b. 1827, m. James Thomas Bevill (2nd wife).
4. Celia	b. 1835, m. Richard H. Wisenbaker.
5. Sherod R.	b. 1840, m. ElizabethWilson of Brooks Co., 1863.

Mr. Swilley was among the first settlers of Appling County when it was 
first opened to settlers, and moved there from Tattnall County.  He was 
elected the first representative from the new county in 1820 and served in 
the 1820 and 1821 sessions.  He was then elected State Senator from Appling 
County and served 1823, 1824, 1825.  In 1825 he was elected on the Inferior 
Court bench of Appling for a four-year term, but resigned in 1827, moved to 
Lowndes County, and settled on Hammock Lake.  He served as Justice of 
Peace, 662nd district of Lowndes 1830-1833.  In the Indian War in 1838, he 
was a private in Capt. David R. Bryan's company of Lowndes County militia 
and served other enlistments also.
Mr. Swilley seems to have prospered owning several plantations in addition 
to his home place plantation which was a very large one.  Extant records of 
Lowndes County show that he owned lots of land 29, 32, 62, 74, 75, 76, 96, 
111, 112, and 229 in the 16th district and Lot 316, 10th district, all in 
Lowndes County, several hundred head of cattle and twenty-seven slaves, and 
other property.  His son-in-law, R. H. Wisenbaker, and son Wiley T. 
Swilley, applied for administration on his estate January 12, 1847 and were 
appointed, but the son was taken sick and died within a few days.  On March 
24, 1847, the son-in-law, Mr. Bevill, applied and was appointed 
administrator in lieu of the deceased son.
Mr. Swilley and his wife and most of their children were victims of a 
malignant fever in the fall and winter of 1846, and a fever that the 
physicians were unable to cope with.  For lack of a better name, it was 
referred to for many years as "the Swilley fever" by residents of this 
section.
(*) Extract from article "Old Times in Lowndes," written by George W. Prine 
and republished in The Valdosta Times November 28, 1885:  "About 40 or 50 
years ago my father, Robert Prine, lived on Hammock Lake in Lowndes County. 
 He and Capt. Samuel E. Swilley owned the lake . . . Capt. Swilley was a 
jovial, good-natured man, one who delighted in teasing little boys. . . He 
with most of his family passed off with that malignant disease known as the 
Swilley fever."

Census References:  1820,Appling; 1830, 1840, Lowndes.


SWILLEY, FRANKLIN. 	1813-1893	LOWNDES

Franklin Swilley, a son of Reason F. Swilley (Vol. I), was born in Liberty 
County, Nov. 21, 1813, and died at his home in Lowndes County, east of 
Valdosta, Jan. 16, 1893. He was married March 1835, to Vicy Boyd, born 
1820, daughter of Henry Boyd of Lowndes County. To them were born twelve 
children, viz:

1. General Jackson 	b. Apr. 27, 1836, m. Mary Ann Kemp, Dec. 20, 1860, in 
Taylor Co., Fla.
2. Martha Jane	b. Apr. 20, 1837, m. 1st. John Wells. 2nd: 
--------Nicholson.
3. Samuel Elbert	b. May 16, 1838, died single in C. S. Army.
4. Rachel Rebecca	b. Jan. 10, 1840, rn. George Whitfield.
5. James Setliff	b. Feb. 24, 1842, m. Maria Terrell, dau. of John M. (Vol. 
1).
6. Thomas Union 	b. Sept. 	22, 1845. m. Jane Lofton, dau. of William.
7. Francis Marion	b. June 19, 1843, m. Georgia Fletcher dau. of Zachariah 
(Vol. 11).
8. Alfred A.	b. Apr. 28, 1848, m. MaryAnn, widow of his bro. Jack above.
9. Sarah	b. Oct. 1, 1849, m. Samuel Fletcher, Mar. 17, 1878.
10. Mary (Polly)	b. Apr. 20, 1850, m. Daniel H. Burkhalter.
11. Julia Elizabeth 	b. Oct. 2, 1853, m. Wm. Swilley, son of Jesse (Ist 
cousin).
12. Celia	b. Jan. 29, 1857, m. Charles T. Corbitt.

The son, Samuel Elbert Swilley enlisted in Co. "I", 12th Georgia Volunteer 
Infantry Regiment, known as "Lowndes Volunteers", June 14, 1861, and died 
in camp at Camp Alleghany, Va., July, 1861, of disease.
Franklin Swilley served in the Indian War as a private. He first served 
June 16th to Dec. 16, 1837, under Capt. Samuel E. Swilley, 2nd Regiment 
Florida Militia; and he served July 1st to Oct. 15, 1838, under Capt. David 
R. Bryan's company of Lowndes County militia. He was 2nd Lieut. of the 
militia, 662nd district, 1841-1842, and became Captain of the district, May 
5, 1842, serving about three years. When the Mexican War came on he 
volunteered in the U. S. Army but no particulars of his service are now 
known.
The Swilley home and plantation was located about eight or ten miles 
southeast from Valdosta, on a place he settled after he married. Deeds of 
record from him to his children to parts of his lands are found of record 
in Lowndes County deed records, all dated Feb. 1, 1867. He owned lots 203, 
204, 211, 212 in the 12th district of Lowndes, and Lot 35 in 16th of 
Lowndes, a total of about 2500 acres. He deeded portions of these lots to 
each of his children, F. M., Alfred A., Sallie, Rachel, Polly, Julia and 
Celia, these being his unmarried children at the time (Deed Book "C", pp. 
368-374).
Mr. and Mrs. Swilley were buried on their old home-place in a cemetery now 
known as the Swilley Hill Graveyard.

==== SCROOTS Mailing List ====