Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Swinbank, Thomas 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com October 4, 2007, 9:19 pm

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County 

THOMAS SWINBANK, deceased, who was for some years connected with the rolling
mills of Joliet, was born at Swinbank, Kendall, England, February 8, 1849, a 
son of Joseph Swinbank, a farmer and freeholder in that locality, and later a 
part owner of a rolling mill at Elsecor, where he died. Through his mother he
descended from the noble families of Bath and Birketts. He married Ann Megean, 
whose mother was a member of the noble house of Bath. Both Joseph Swinbank and 
his wife have long been dead. Of their six children, two sisters remain in 
England. Joseph, who was an engineer, died in Cleveland, Ohio; John is with 
the Oliver steel works in Pittsburg; and William died in Seattle, Wash., while 
on a trip west with the Sir Knights.

When seventeen years of age our subject entered the rolling mill at Elsecor, 
England, where his brothers, John and William, also learned the trade. In 1870 
he came to America, settling in Cleveland, Ohio, and securing employment as a
heater in the Cleveland mills. In 1883 he went to Pittsburg, Pa., as a heater 
in mills. Two years later he traveled in the west, north and south. In 1889 he 
came to Joliet, where he was employed by the Illinois Steel Company as a
heater in their mills, and also became interested in real estate and farm 
property in the county. His brother, William, who had put down a mill near 
Pittsburg and later was a boss roller in Cleveland, removed to Joliet and 
engaged as a boss roller here until the time of his death.

On retiring from the mill Mr. Swinbank settled on one of his farms near 
Braceville, Grundy County, but the location was not suited to his health, and 
he went to Atlantic City. Finally he returned to Pittsburg, Pa., where he died
April 27, 1898, and was buried in the Allegheny cemetery in that city. He had 
served as treasurer of the Amalgamated Association of Steel and Iron Workers, 
and was chairman of the committee that, at the time of the Cleveland strike,
met with the employers for arbitration. His brother, John, was vice-president 
for the district at the time of the great Pittsburg strike. In politics he was 
a Republican, in religion an Episcopalian, and fraternally belonged to 
Matteson Lodge, A.  F. & A. M., and Joliet Chapter, R. A. M.

In Pittsburg, February 2, 1886, Mr. Swinbank married Miss Margaret Robeson, 
who was born in Washington County, Pa., a daughter of James L. and Jane 
(Lower) Robeson, natives respectively of Philadelphia and of Indiana County, 
Pa. Her grandfather, Dr. James Robeson, graduated in medicine in London and 
while in his native land married Margaret Johnson, daughter of a shipbuilder  
on the Clyde. With his wife he came to the United States. Three days after 
they landed in Philadelphia, their son, James L., was born. The latter became 
a contracting decorator and artist, and engaged in business in Pittsburg until 
his death. During the Civil war two of his brothers served in the Union army 
and he raised a company of which he was elected captain, but at Washington he 
was discharged on account of ill health. His wife was a daughter of a 
lieutenant in the war of 1812 and a granddaughter of one of Washington's
aides in the Revolutionary and French and Indian wars. The Lower family was  
of Holland-Dutch descent. Three brothers of Mrs. Robeson took part in the 
Civil war. She is still living and makes her home in Dunkirk, Ind. Of her 
family of four daughters and two sons, two daughters and one son are living.  
Franklin is connected with the National Biscuit Company in Pittsburg, Pa. 
William J., an artist, died in Pittsburg; Martha is the widow of James 
Faulkner, of Dunkirk, Ind. Belle and Agnes are deceased.

Mrs. Swinbank graduated from Burt's Normal School and the Pittsburg Academy.  
After the death of her husband she returned to Joliet. In Jackson Institute,  
Chicago, she learned dressmaking and tailoring, and in April, 1899, started
in business at No. 413 Cass street, Joliet. Having excellent taste, she has 
been successful in her work and is building up a valuable business. She owns 
eighty acres in Grundy County and property in the Dakotas. In religion she is 
a Universalist. Both she and her husband were charter members of the Union 
Club of Joliet, with which they were connected until their removal to Grundy 
County. She has two children, Edith Margaret and Eugene Franklin.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/will/bios/swinbank979gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ilfiles/

File size: 5.1 Kb