Notes for William SWANN

Notes for William SWANN

Historical and Genealogical Notes; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. 6, No. 2

Swann's Point- William Swann patented 1,200 acres here, Nov. 5, 1635,
"bounded West from Smiths Mount to the half way neck."
This land was due him "for bringing four and twenty persons into the
Colony." His son, Col. Thomas Swann, later received a grant for the same
land, the original patent having lapsed.

SWANN.--Col. Thomas Swann, of the Virginia Council, was son of William
Swann (Land Register). In the pedigree of the Swanns, in Berry's
"Kentish Pedigrees," William Swann was fourth son of Sir Francis Swann,
of Denton Court, in Kent, who married, February 21, 1598-'99, Dorothy,
daughter of Sir Edward Boys. The arms on Col. Swann's tomb at Swann's
Point, Surry county, are the same as in Berry.

Excerpt from:
A Genealogical Record of the Davis, Swann and Cabell Families of North
Carolina and Virginia

William Swann (son of Sir Francis Swann) emigrated from England to
America not long after Jamestown was settled, probably sometime after the
year 1616. In England, as nearly always was the case in the early days,
the name was spelled in a number of forms, principally Swayne, Swain, and
Swann, and there were several shareholders in the "Virginia Company" of
that name, but whether their influence had a connection with William's
emigration is not now known. It is certain, however, that he was among
the first Englishmen who established themselves permanently in this
country.
William Swann was a pioneer when he crossed the James River and
settled Swann's Point five miles from Jamestown. This was prior to 1636,
our earliest reference to his settlement there. Several generations of
Swann's were born, lived and died at Swann's Point, in Surrey County,
Virginia. As late as 1879, the gravestone of William Swann's son, Thomas
Swann, was in evidence, bearing the date of death 1680. It was located
near the water on the bank of the James River.