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Notes for *Phylura DUNHAM | ||||||||||||||
According to the Rev. War Pension application for Phylura's sister, Amelia, widow of Robert Wilson, they were daughter's of Deacon Daniel Dunham of Pompey, NY. 73She signed her will on 28 Feb 1861 in Manlius, Onondaga, NY as Phylura Blood. ------------------------------------------------- What follows is an attempt at transcribing Phylura's obituary from a very poor scan of the news article. Where you see underlining, it indicates illegible wording either singularly or plurally. "The Public Ledger of Tuesday last announces the death of PHYLURA S BLOOD, the venerable mother of William M. Swain, one of the proprietors of that journal. The departure of this venerable woman, who reached the advanced age of nearly eighty years, cannot fail to awaken in the heart of all who knew her the profound respect invariably paid to moral worth and intellectual excellence. She was, in the fullest sense of the term, an ______ ______ of the land." Born at a time when the Republic was just emerging from the stormy scenes of the Revolution, it was her lot to move and associate with many who had taken an active part in the glorious struggle. From them she learned the noble sentiments which characterized her conversation and ________ _____ and which to her last hour inspired her heart with the deepest devotion to the prosperity and glory of her country. God had kindly given her a ____ of uncommon strength, which was ______vated and refined by a very superior education. The writer of this tribute had the pleasure of her acquaintence and _____ that to the wworthy example and ______ of this good mother must be cheifly ascribed that ____ vigor and spirit of successful___________ while distinguishing her son as one of the scientific leaders of the American Press, have largely contributed to the improvement and happiness of the world. Of the deceased it may with truth be said: "Of gentlest manners, ever form'd to please; The sweetest temper, ever blessed with ease; In humble mind, a gay and generous heart; Good without show, and beauteous without art; Without one thought, but did from virtue flow; Without one wish, but such as heaven might know; Glad to oblige, as fearful to offend; A kind companion, and a faithful friend. To cover little failings ever prone, Blind to another's, consious of her own. Fond to spread praises; still her own would be, The only merit which she could not see. To every vanity so much a foe, She loved that virtue which she blushed to show.(") In good old age __ Heaven ordained her doom - With pious dignity she met the tomb. SOURCE: The obituary appeared in the March 23, 1861 issue of the "Sun" newspaper of Baltimore, Md., a paper co-founded by her son, Wm. Moseley Swain. The author of this obituary includes text from "The Scots magazine", Vol. 4, By James Boswell, Pub 1742 in Edinburgh, Scotland, which appeared under the title "Epitaph on a young Lady". Where you see the quote marks in parentheses, the actual text of the poem reads, "In life's fair spring (so heaven decreed her doom), Untimely hurried to the silent tomb. If beauty asks, if virtue claims a tear, Stay, gentle passenger, and shed it here." I'm sure it was altered due to Phylura's advanced age, whereas the poem was written in lament of one much younger. ------------------------------------------------- Walt E. Smith, another direct descendant says that information from William Swain's pension files describe their marriage "performed by a minister of the gospel by the name of Johnson". The name on her tombstone is spelled PHILURA. She signed hername as Phylura in 1855. She was sister to Amelia Hickox. | ||||||||||||||
Last Modified 4 Oct 2010 | Created 23 Feb 2017 by EasyTree for Windows95 |