William DavidMcSwain

There is some discrepancy between sources on whether William David and his brother David (John David) were born in Orange County, North Carolina or in Virginia. Some sources express uncertainty between these two locations for the sister Priscilla, which some sources do not list in the genealogy. Due to the line of migration from Pennsylvania to North Carolina, there is reason to believe that the older son David was born in Virginia.

Cleveland County was created out of Rutherford and a bit of neighbouring areas in 1841. Thus some sources might differ or overlap in the use of the names. I have noticed that some sources even place events in "Cleveland, Rutherford." Some sources are also unclear as to whether they intend a city (or township or location) name or a county name.

Some sources refer to William and his father as William I and William II. But they are not commonly referred to as William (David) Sr and Jr. Some sources just give the same full name for both, but without any sequential designations.

Then one source refers to William II and his son as William Sr and William Jr. But I do not find sources that clearly inform us that the third William's name was William David, which you would expect if he is a Junior to his father who was William David II.

This William McSwain appears to be the one whose military gravestone is found in the McSwain Cemetery in Cleveland (then Rutherford) County, North Carolina. This has no dates but indicates he was a member of Brevard's Company #10 in the Revolutionary War.

-- McSwain Cemetery list, http://www.rfci.net/wdfloyd/cemm5.html

In the 1800 census there is a listing for three McSwain household (spelled McSwaine) in York District of South Carolina, the area bordering Rutherford County, North Carolina. McSwains lived across this border area. With only the names of heads of the household and ages reported in broad age ranges, there are not enough details to definitely confirm the persons reported.

But these three appear to be the sons of William David McSwain, who was born about 1725 and died about 1780. I have not seen any one else analyze this and other early censuses of these McSwains. Maybe someone else will probe this and provide clarification.

I analyzed these census entries in October 2010, and compared with other earlier sources already reported and analyzed. None of these men are in the age range over 44 years old, though the older brother John David (called David in some sources, but the only one to match this John) should be, since family sources indicate he was born about 1750. I do not know of three other McSwains with similar names in this area at this time that these entries might represent.

The following entry appears to be for William David McSwain born about 1762. But this John David, or David, was born in about 1750, so he should be 50 and in the next category. Even with the discrepancies, it seems likely this is the three brothers, sons of William David McSwain, born about 1700, who died about 1780.

1800 Federal Census, York District, South Carolina, page 962 (scan 626)

David McSwaine 1 male under 10, 1 male 26-44

2 females under 10, 1 female 26-44

3 members of household under 16, 2 over 25

The will of William lists all his children [See below]. Note that the second child is referred to as Polly, yet the name in other sources is either Mary or Mary Margaret. I find Polly is a common nickname for women named Mary in the 1800s. There are several McSwain children named Mary but called Polly. Some sources seems to indicate that a child is named Mary Polly. This is a conflation of the name with the nickname. The same child will be listed in one census as Mary and the next census as Polly.

Sarah is listed in the will as Sally, a common nickname for Sarah. The witness Hugh Kerr is a great great grandson of William David.

The following information is from World Family Tree, Pedigree #809

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He served in Brevard Co 10th NC Infantry.

1830 census Rutherford County, North Carolina. 1 male 60-70 1 female 70-80.

William's will #489 written February 3, 1833 lists children:

David, Polly, Hannah, Sally, James, Rebecca, William, John, Thomas, Judith, Elizabeth, and George.

Witnesses Hugh Kerr and John McSwain.

William was listed as voter #24 1835 Jolin's Precinct, Rutherford County.

William was living in Orange County, NC in 1780 when John Moore went to Gates Defeat, Battle of Camden.

William listed for road jury in Rutherford in April 1786.

Deed May 13, 1789 William bought 500 acres on Bowen River

Deed Book E I p 291

Witnesses David McSwain and Abednego Adams

Pension filed 1830 books 37-38 pa 134

-- World Family Tree, Pedigree 809

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David Holden, who has extensively researched the McSwain and related lines, provides a good summary of this family. He reports two sons here, David and William, which have been conflated by some into one son, while some have conflated the son William shown here (born 1806) with the father William (born 1793). Some report William born 1793 as the husband of Judith Hamrick (b 1809), instead of or as well as Mary Nancy Bridges. Judith Hamrick was the wife of his son William (b 1806). One limitation to Holden's online research is that he does not provide write-ups or details on sources.

David has different parents for William (born 1762) than my research and that of others have concluded. The David McSwain born in 1734 in Maryland appears to be a different person, and I can find no connection between that David's wife Hannah Jones and our William or William David McSwain born in 1762. His father appears to have been William David McSwain (b 1725 in a ship on the Open Sea between Skye and Pennsylvania), and his mother Susannah Hamrick (also b 1725 in Rutherford District, North Carolina).

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William McSwain

Birth 22 Jul 1762 in Orange Co., NC

Death 9 Dec 1838

Burial McSwain Cemetery, Mt. Sinai Community, Cleveland Co., NC

Father: David McSwain b: 1 Mar 1734 in Maryland

Mother: Hannah Jones b: Twin Jan 10 1738/39 in Maryland

Marriage 1 Judith Moore b 10 May 1758

Children

1. David McSwain b: 3 Mar 1782 in North Carolina

2. Mary McSwain b: 16 Mar 1782

3. Hannah McSwain b: 11 May 1785 in North Carolina

4. Sarah McSwain b: 16 Sep 1786 in North Carolina

5. Rebecca McSwain b: 20 May 1787 in North Carolina

6. James McSwain b: 17 Sep 1787 in North Carolina

7. Elizabeth McSwain b: 21 Jan 1791 in North Carolina

8. William McSwain b: 22 Sep 1792

9. John McSwain b: 28 Aug 1794 in North Carolina

10. Thomas McSwain b: 8 Sep 1796 in North Carolina

11. George McSwain b: Twin Oct 17 1798

12. Judean (Judith) McSwain b: Twin Oct 17 1798 in North Carolina

Marriage 2 Elisabeth Hicks b: 1784

-- David Holden, http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=dwh1951&id=I69

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U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

William McSwain

Private, Capt Brevard's Company, 10th NC Regiment, Continental Line

Pension #W2409; Served 18 months

Death Date 9 Dec 1838

Wm McSwain Family Cemetery, Shelby, North Carolina

Shipped to Mr S Collis Jones, Shelby, Cleveland Co NC

"This application is for the UNMARKED grave of a Revolutionary Soldier."

P Cleveland Gardner, Applicant, 29 September 1931

U.S. Veterans Gravesites, ca.1775-2006

William McSwain

Service PVT CONTINENTAL LINE REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Birth 1762, Death 1838

McSwain Cemetery, Hwy 18 South Shelby, NC 28150

Following is a Revolutionary War Military pension affidavit by William McSwain's son James and wife Elizabeth. Thanks to Will Graves for transcribing this and making it available on Ancestry.com.

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Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements

Pension application of William McSwain W2409 Elizabeth fn46NC

Transcribed by Will Graves 2/26/09

[Methodology: Spelling, punctuation and/or grammar have been corrected in some instances for ease of reading and to facilitate searches of the database. Also, the handwriting of the original scribes often lends itself to varying interpretations. Users of this database are urged to view the original and to make their own decision as to how to decipher what the original scribe actually wrote. Blanks appearing in the transcripts reflect blanks in the original.]

[fn p. 29]

State of North Carolina Cleveland County: Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions August sessions 1846

On this 14th day of August 1846 personally appeared Elizabeth McSwain in open Court now sitting and after being first duly sworn according to law doth on her oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the act of Congress passed June the 7th 1832, that she is the widow of William McSwain deceased, who was a private Soldier in the North Carolina Continental line, and as such served the United States in the War of the revolution for the term of 18 months that he resided in the State of North Carolina, when he entered the Service, and that this Claimant now asked of the Government for a pension, which her husband the aforesaid William McSwain might have been entitled to had he applied in accordance with the above recited act of Congress, and this deponent further declares that she was married to the said William McSwain sometime in the year 1831, and that her late husband the aforesaid William McSwain died on the 9th day of December 1838, and that the paper purporting to be a transfer or sale of William McSwain his wages, for 18 months service in the Continental Service to John Carruth, was found by the executor James McSwain amongst the said William McSwain's valuable papers, and that the only reason why an application has not been made at an earlier day is that she did not know that she was entitled having been married to the said William McSwain at so relate a period, and being his 2nd wife.

Sworn to and subscribed the day and date above written.

S/ Elizabeth McSwain, X her mark

Sworn to in open Court and subscribed before me August 14th 1846

S/ R. Champion, Clerk

S/ by D. Beam, DC

State of North Carolina Cleveland County

On this 14th day of August 1846 Personally appeared before me B. B. Bridges one of the acting Justices of the Peace for said County James McSwain who being first duly sworn according to Law doth on his oath make the following affidavit is that he is the Executor of the last Will and Testament of William McSwain Late of this County deceased That he while examining the papers of the aforesaid William McSwain Deceased found a paper purporting to be a Transfer of his wages as a Soldier of the Revolution to one John Carruth for 18 months Service in the North Carolina Continental Line and That the original Certificate or Transfer is hereunto appended.

This deponent further declares that he is a Son & one of the heirs at law of the aforesaid William McSwain deceased. That the only reason why they did not make application at an earlier day for a Pension is that they were did not know that they was entitled until recently.

Sworn to & subscribed the day & date first above written.

S/ B. B. Bridges, JP S/ J. McSwain

State of North Carolina Office of Secretary of State

I., William Hill, Secretary of State, in and for the State of North Carolina, do hereby certify, that it appears from the muster-rolls of the Continental line of this State, in the Revolutionary War, that William McSwain a private Soldier in Capt. Brevard's Company of the 10th Regiment, entered the service on the __ day of __ 1782 for the term of 18 months, and that he was transferred in March 1783. It appears on a book of settlements of the accounts of the Officers and Soldiers of the revolution that Wm McSwain no doubt the same man was allowed $26.60/100 as one of the 18 months Drafts.

Given under my hand this 10th day of March 1846

S/ Wm Hill, Secretary of State

These May Sertify [certify] that I have purtchised [purchased] William McSwaines [McSwain's] wages for Eighteen Months Servis [service] in the Continental Servis and takes all Chanses [chances] of the Same, if Never Drawed [drawn] I am Never to look to him for aney [any] part of the Same Sertifyed [certified] by me this 17th of January 1786.

S/ Thomas McSwain Witness present S/ John Carruth

[facts in file: Elizabeth, the widow, was 76 years old when she applied for her bounty land entitlement in 1855; she then lived in Cleveland County, NC; veteran's son, James McSwain, lived in Mooresboro, Cleveland County, NC in 1854.]

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