Intruduction to this Blog

This blog is created for the descendants of George Swainston and Mary Groom. There are two types of entries that are hoped for to be put on this blog. First is authenticated history with sources and who is furnishing the history. The book "A Swainston Family History" that Theron Lane Swainston Jr. published in 2003 is a good example of authenticated histories. The book is 530 pages but only has brief entries for many family members. It is hoped that this blog can be useful for the family histories, legacies and traditions which can be shared with multiple generations.

The second type of entry is the stories that are not authenticated. As my great Uncle Harold put it, or maybe it was my great Uncle Bill, (both sons of Heber Swainston) there is no reason ruining a good story by sticking to the facts. An example is a story that is told of Uncle Bill. He had horses and beef cows. The story goes that one day a man came and wanted to buy a horse from him. So they went out to look at the horses. The man picked out the horse he wanted and Uncle Bill told him "You don't want that horse. It doesn't look too good."
The man said "No, that is the horse I want."
Uncle Bill countered "No, that horse doesn't look to good"
The man countered "That horse looks fine for me."
At that Uncle Bill agreed to sell him the horse.
The next day the man was back and very upset. He accused Uncle Bill of selling him a blind horse.
Uncle Bill told him "I kept trying to tell you it didn't look to good."
At a Heber Swainston and Rosa Lane reunion about 5 years I told the story to Max Palmer a grandson of Uncle Bill. Max said he had never heard that story before. Viva, Uncle Bills youngest daughter was standing nearby so I asked her if the story was true. She said the story about the horse was not true. It was a cow.

My father, Heber Campell Swainston, said that the early reunions he remembers there were many stories that didn't necessarily stick to the facts. I think it is important to share these stories too but I point out that if they are not authenticated then They must be concidered as one which is not bound by the facts.
I have been a officer in the George Swainston and Mary Groom Family Orgainization for the last six years. During this time I have pondered the legacy of our grandparents. In 1852 they joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints while living in Beachwood Green, Hertfordshire, England. They had the desire to emigrate to Utah. It took 20 years for the family to save enough money to send Albert George Swainston the oldest son to America. It only took a year in America to earn enought to go back to England and bring his next younger brother Ebenezer James Swainston back to Utah and Idaho with him. Over the next six years they worked together to earn enought for the rest of the family. It took until 1882 to get the whole family to America. Mother Mary insisted that she would be in the last group to leave, refusing to leave any living child in England. Mary's resolve over 30 years is a legacy and inspiration to me.