BIOGRAPHIES - SWEENEY, Rev. John S., Bourbon County, Kentucky From: Bob Francis http://www.shawhan.com Date: 07 Feb 2000 The biographies are taken primarily from William Perrin's "The History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky" and E. Polk Johnson's "The History of Kentucky and Kentuckians," Vol. III. Many Bourbon County, Kentucky, researchers have pointed out mistakes and they are notated. Name: Rev. John S. SWEENEY _________________________________________ Father: Guirn SWEENEY Mother: Talitha CAMPBELL Spouses _________________________________________ 1: Mary COONS Death: 1873 Father: James COONS Mother: Mary CHEATHAM Marriage: 1860 Children: Alla; Daisey _________________________________________ 2: Alice MONIN Children: John M.; William E. REV. J. S. SWEENEY,1 minister; P. O. Paris. Elder John S. Sweeney is a native of Kentucky, born of a family of preachers, and the great-grandson of Moses Sweeney, who emigrated from Ireland to this State, shortly after the advent of Daniel Boone, and settled in what is now Lincoln County, Kentucky. He was a farmer, but for several years was engaged in salt manufacture. He raised a family of seven children, six sons and one daughter. Job, one of his sons, was the grandfather of our subject; he married Sallie Edwards, who bore him nine children, among whom was Guirn, the father of the above, who was one of the pioneer ministers of the Reformed, or Christian Church; he was born in Lincoln Co. in 1807, and proclaimed the doctrine embraced by the church, almost a score of years before Alexander Campbell joined its standard. Guirn Sweeney married Talitha Campbell, daughter of John, who came from Scotland. Nine children crowned this union, four of whom are ministers of the same church as their father. William G. is a minister in Dubuque, Iowa; George W., pastor at Terre Heute, Indiana; Zach. T. has charge of a church in Augusta, Georgia. The Sweeney family are strong and robust in constitution, and long-lived, some of whom closely verged upon centenarians. John S.early in life had a desire to attain a knowledge of the law, and commenced reading at eighteen years, which he pursued some length of time. At the age of twenty-two he entered the ministry and began his labors in Greene County, Ill., laboring in that State about fourteen years; five years he was pastor of the First Christian Church, on Wabash Avenue, in Chicago. In 1870 he came to this place and had charge of the church at this place since that period. Elder Sweeney is well known as one of the ablest divines and worthy exponents of the doctrines of his church, in the North or South, having very ably and most successfully measured lances on the forum and elsewhere, with the best talent that could be arrayed against him. He was first married in 1860 to Mary Coons, daughter of James and Mary (Cheatham) Coons. Mrs. Sweeney died 1873, leaving two daughters, Alla and Daisey. His present wife was Alice Monin, by whom he has three sons: John M., William E. and babe. Sources 1. Perrin, p. 490 ------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogical information on the Internet, data may be freely used for personal research and by non-commercial entities as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for profit or any form of presentation, must obtain the written consent of the file submitter, or his legal representative and then contact the listed USGENWEB archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.