Ann Swinney

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

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 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)

Buried:
...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.

Family/Spouse: Malinda "Skidge" Hale. Malinda (daughter of Francis Marion Hale and Priscilla Lamb) was born in 1837 in Franklin County, Virginia; died on 31 May 1894 in Peterstown, Monroe County, Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martha married David Rakes(Virginia). David was born in 0___ 1861; died in ~ 1904. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Residence: Princeton, West Virginia
• Residence: Peterstown, Virginia

Notes:

Description: Aribelle Rakes, later known as Mary Elizabeth, had a life shrouded in mystery.

What is known is that she became pregnant with my uncle Nightie Daniel Meadows by Russie Lee Meadows of Peterstown, WV and gave birth to him in Roanoke VA in April 1916. She later married Russie Lee Meadows in November 1916. Some time prior to 1920 Russie Lee Meadows "got a couple of women down the road pregnant" and my grandmother quickly divorced him. After Martha Ellen Janney Rakes Rice [my maternal great grandmother] died on 04-21-1921 she left Peterstown and moved to Princeton, WV, then a boomtown, where she worked in a cousin's general store.

Family/Spouse: Harry Valentine Baker. Harry was born in 0May 1885 in Platform, Ohio; died in 0May 1955 in (Jefferson County, Ohio); was buried in Union Cemetery, Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Dorothy married John NMN Molnar on 18 Sep 1953 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio. John was born on 27 Dec 1919 in Wyano, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; died on 21 Apr 1997 in Weirton, Hancock County, West Virginia. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

David married Suzan Alice Carter [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Martha married Charles Kunz [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]