The Bishop family came to Virginia from Ireland. William Bishop arrived in Jamestown in 1627 with his wife and children. His great-great grandson, Absalom Thomas Bishop Sr, moved first to North Carolina before finally settling in Union County, South Carolina. He was a Quaker.
There are two links to the Swink family through Absalom Thomas Bishop, Sr.
Martha Bishop was the daughter of Absalom Thomas Bishop Sr. She married Jesse Gray, son of John Gray Sr. Their daughter, Martha Caroline Gray, married Jonas Little Swink.
Margaret Elizabeth Bishop was a great-granddaughter of Absalom Thomas Bishop Sr. She was the wife of Jesse Lewis Swink and mother of Ralph Bingham Swink, Sr.
Her grandfather was Thomas Bishop. He had planned to migrate to Ohio with his brothers when Quakers were leaving the South in the early 1800s over fear of war due to slavery. According to family lore, a fever swept through the area. Since children of Thomas & brother Absalom Jr were affected, they decided to stay behind. They became Methodists when the Quakers left. Thomas Bishop and his wife Mary Burns eventually moved to Alabama.
Jesse Bishop, son of Thomas, married four times. His second and third wives were sisters, Elizabeth and Caroline Campbell. His tombstone has his name on one side, Elizabeth's name on one side and Caroline's name on one. They are buried in the Fair Forest Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Margaret Elizabeth Bishop was the daughter of Jesse Bishop and second wife Elizabeth Campbell.
Highlighted names show the direct ancestor line of Ralph B. Swink, Sr.