Verse

So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned. Jesus, Luke 20:38 CEV

Friday, September 26, 2025

Swann | Swaine | Svensson

Most recently updated: 

In England, as nearly always was the case in early days, the name was spelled in a number of forms, principally Swayne, Swain, and Swan, 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. Probably it did. (Thomas Frederick Davis, Descendants of William Swann). 

Swann Surname Origin 

Swann Lineage
Olof Svensson 1429-TBD, father of William Swaine 1450-1526, father of William Swann 1474-TBD, father of John Swann 1500-1550, father of Henry Swann 1526-1578, father of Francis Swann 1545-1622, father of William Swann 1585-1638, father of Thomas Austin Swann Sr 1615-1580, father of Sarah Swann 1672-1714. 

Sarah Swann > Henry Randolph III > Sarah Randolph > Sarah Barksdale > William Davis > Roxie Ann Davis > Charles Eugenius Benton > Ina Belle Benton > Thelma Irene Brown > William Harris Lawson Sr

Swann Migration
Klacksåsen, Jämtland, Sweden > 
Binfield, Berkshire, England > Kent, England > London, England Gravesend, Gravesham Borough, Kent, England > Swann's Point, Surry, Virginia

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Sarah Swann, Bill's 8th Great-Grandmother
1672 - 31 December 1714
b. Swann's Point, Surry County, Virginia
d. 
Henrico, Virginia

Ancestry | Find a Grave | Google

Parents:
Thomas Austin Swann Sr 1616-1680
Mary Mansfield 1644-1700

Maternal Lineage:
Mary Mansfield 1644-1700

Spouse 1: Henry Randolph II
Married: 17 December 1687
Children: 

  1. Henry Randolph III 1689-1726
  2. Richard Randolph 1590-1748
  3. Thomas Randolph 1691-1692 
  4. Robert Randolph TBD
  5. Mary Randolph TBD
  6. Sarah Randolph TBD
  7. Thomas Randolph TBD

Spouse 2: Giles Webb 1661-1719
Married: 1699
Children: None

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Thomas Austin Swann Sr, Bill's 9th Great-Grandfather
8 May 1616 - 16 September 1680
b. 
Surry County, Virginia
d. 
Swann's Point, Surry, Virginia

Ancestry | Find a Grave | Google | WikiTree 

Noteworthy

  1. Colonel
  2. Tags: Military_

Parents:
William Swann 1585-1638
Judith Greene 1589-1636

Maternal Lineage:
Judith Greene 1589-1636

Spouse 1: Margaret Delton 1614-1646
Married: 13 January 1639
Children:

  1. Susannah Swann 1640-1660
  2. William Swann TBD - update children from Davis p 13
  3. Thomas Swann 1645-1666

Spouse 2: Sarah Codd 1632-1654
Married: 13 January 1649
Children: 

  1. Sarah Swann 1651-1652
  2. Samuel Swann 1652-1707
  3. Sampson Swann 1653-1668

Spouse 3: Sarah Chandler 1645-1662
Married: 30 July 1665
Children: 

  1. Judith Swann 1656-1659
  2. Anne Swann 1658-1658
  3. Infant Son Swann 1658-1658

Spouse 4: Ann Fludd 1602-1668
Married: 1665
Children: None

Spouse 5: Mary Mansfield 1644-1700
Married: 30 July 1655
Children: 

  1. Mary Swann 1669-1700
  2. Francis Swann 1670-1676
  3. Thomas Swann 1670-1705
  4. Sarah Swann 1672-1714

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William SwannBill's 10th Great-Grandfather

Various sources have Austin William Swann, William Morris Swann, William Swan, William Swanne, and William Swain, all with the same dates.

10 Jul 1585 - 28 Feb 1638 (52)

Some sources give the birth year as 1607, which helps to resolve some of the parental dates but then would make him 9 years old at the birth of his son, Thomas.

"While some records indicate William Swann was born in 1585 (before their marriage), others suggest that he was a child of Francis Swann and Dorothy Boys. The 1585 date for William may be an estimate, and he was likely born later, after the marriage of Francis and Dorothy in 1598." (From Google response to query, "How could Dorothy Boys be the mother of William Swann 1585-1638).

b. Gravesend, Gravesham Borough, Kent, England
d. 
Surry County, Virginia

Swann's Point Cemetery
Surry County, Virginia

Ancestry | Davis | FamilySearch | Find a Grave | Genealogy OnlineGeneanet | GoogleWikiTree 

Noteworthy

  1. Colonel
  2. Tags: Immigrated_to_USA | Military_

Parents:
Francis Swann 1545-1621
Dorothy Boys 1580-1611

The mother, Dorothy Boys, would have been 5 years old at his birth if he had been born in 1585, making the 1607 date of his birth more likely but conflicting with the 1616 birth of his son, Thomas Austin Swann.

The father of William Swann 1585-1638 is identified as Sir Francis Swann by Davis, p. 12. WikiTree has Samuell Swann 1560-1586. Some sources have John Swann and William Swann.

Maternal Lineage:
Dorothy Boyes 1580-1617

Spouse 1: Judith Greene 1589-1636
Married: 16 April 1612 or 7 July 1609
Children: 

  1. Thomas Austin Swann Sr 1616-1680

    Some sources name an additional 4 children, but Davis writes, "There is a record of but one of their children, Thomas Swann" (Davis p. 13), and other sources agree.

  2. Matthew Swann 1620-1702
  3. Samuel Swann 1625-1625
  4. John Swann 1630-1631
  5. James Swann 1632-1633

Spouse 2: TBD
Married: 1 May 1637
Children: 0

Tags: Immigrated_to_USA

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Francis SwannBill's 11th Great-Grandfather
1545-1622
b. Denton, Kent, England
d. 
Denton, Kent, England

Cemetery TBD

Google AI Mode states, "He was buried in Nonington, Kent, on December 17, 1622." in his article "Anglo-Saxon cemetery sites around Nonington," Keith Parfitt describes in great detail the archaeological works at these location. 

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Noteworthy

  1. Knighted on May 8, 1608.
  2. Tags: TBD

Parents: 
Henry Swann 1526-1578
Amy Neele Deering 1549-1598

Maternal Lineage:
Margaret Brent 1505-1562, mother of Amy Neele Deering 1549-1598, mother of Francis Swann.

Spouse: Dorothy Boys 1580-1617 35 years younger
Married: 20 February 1598, in Nonington, Kent, England
Children: 

  1. William Swann 1585-1638 

    Dorothy Boyes would have been 5 years old at his birth for these dates, and his birth would have been 13 years before their marriage.

  2. Others TBD

The following list of children is provided in the Google query AI mode, but the birth year for William needs to be reconciled:

  1. Edward Swann 1600-TBD
  2. Priscilla Swann -TBD
  3. Mary Swann 1602-TBD
  4. Francis Swann 1603-TBD
  5. Peter Swann 1604-TBD
  6. Ann Swann 1606-TBD
  7. William Swann 1607-TBD
  8. John Swann 1609-TBD
  9. Robert Swann 1611-TBD
  10. Dorothy Swann 1612-TBD
  11. Paul Swann 1614-TBD
  12. Elizabeth Swann 1615-TBD
  13. Anne Swann 1617-TBD

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Henry SwannBill's 12th Great-Grandfather
1526-1578
b. Denton, Kent, England
d. London, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Noteworthy

  1. Title: Lord of the Manor of Denton 

Parents: 
John Swann 1500-1550
Margaret Smyth 1500-1550

Maternal Lineage:
Margaret Smyth 1500-1550

Spouse: Amy Neele Deering 1549-1598
Married: 1540 in Manchester, Lancashire, England
Children: 

  1. William Swann 1550-TBD
  2. Francis Swann 1545-1622
  3. Others TBD

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John SwannBill's 13th Great-Grandfather
aka
Sir John Lord Denton Swann
1500-1550
b. Kent, England some sources say Derbyshire
d. St Mildred Poultry, London, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Noteworthy

  1. Title: Sir John Lord Denton Swann

Parents: 
William Swann 1474-TBD
Margaret Smyth 1476-TBD 

Maternal Lineage
Margaret Smyth 1476-TBD

Indications are that Margaret Smyth 1474-TBD was the mother of Henry Swann, and that Margaret Smyth 1500-1550 was his wife.

Spouse: Margaret Smyth 1500-1550
Married: 1526
Children: 

  1. Henry Swann 1526-1578
  2. Francis Swann 1545-1623
  3. Others TBD

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William SwannBill's 14th Great-Grandfather
1474-1526
b. Kent England
d. Kent, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Parents: 
William Swaine

Maternal Lineage:

Spouse: Margaret Smith 1478-TBD
Married: 
Children: 


  1. Others TBD

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William SwaineBill's 15th Great-Grandfather
1450-1526 (76)
b. Binfield, Berkshire, England
d. Kent, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Parents: 
Olof Svensson 1429-TBD
Sigrid Jonsdotter 1433-TBD

Maternal Lineage:
Sigrid Jonsdotter 
1433-TBD

Married: TBD
Children: 

  1. William Swann 1474-1526
  2. Others TBD

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Olof SvenssonBill's 16th Great-Grandfather
1429-TBD
b. 
Klacksåsen, Jämtland, Sweden
d. Binfield, Berkshire, England

Cemetery TBD

Ancestry | Find a Grave (no record) | Google

Noteworthy

  1. Tags: Immigrated_to_England

Parents & Maternal Lineage TBD

Spouse: Sigrid Jonsdotter 1433-TBD
Married: TBD
Children: 

  1. William Swaine 1450-1526
  2. Others TBD

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Bibliography 

Ancestry ®. "Public Member Trees Database.” © 1997-2025 Ancestry®.  Ancestry.  ancestry.com/ Lawson-Robertson Family Tree. www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/10075800/family  User profile for William Harris Lawson, Jr., user Livingweb. Accessed 21 November 2025.

Davis, Thomas Frederick. "Descendants of William Swann." A Genealogical Record of the Davis, Swann, and Cabell families of North Carolina and Virginia, Family Edition, 1934. pp 12-16.  Jacksonville, Florida: © Thomas Frederick Davis. Internet Archive. archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00davi/page/n5/mode/2up Accessed 22 November 2025.

FamilySearch. "Public Member Trees Database." © 2025, FamilySearch. Family Searchhttps://ancestors.familysearch.org/en Accessed 23 November 2025.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/69630271/sarah-randolph_webb: accessed November 21, 2025), memorial page for Sarah Swann Randolph Webb (1672–1714), Find a Grave Memorial ID 69630271; Maintained by One2Wander ღ (contributor 47038231).

---, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6126891/thomas-swann: accessed November 21, 2025), memorial page for COL Thomas Swann (8 May 1616–16 Sep 1680), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6126891, citing Swann's Point Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Daisy Saunders (contributor 49222969).

---, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135330132/william-swann: accessed November 21, 2025), memorial page for William Swann (10 Jul 1585–28 Feb 1638), Find a Grave Memorial ID 135330132, citing Swann's Point Cemetery, Surry County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Arkieologist (contributor 47246586).

Geneanet. "Public Member Database." © 1996. Geneaneten.geneanet.org Accessed 21 November 2025.

Google. "AI Overview." Search term: "SWANN Surname Origin." Google. 

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Sarah Swann 1672-1714" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=Sarah+Swann+1672-1714 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Thomas Austin Swann 1616-1680" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=Thomas+Austin+Swann+1616-1680 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Francis Swann 1545-1622" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=Francis+Swann+1545-1622 Accessed 6 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Henry Swann 1526-1578" Googlehttps://www.google.com/search?q=Henry+Swann+1526-1578 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "John Swann 1500-1550" Googlehttps://www.google.com/search?q=John+Swann+1500-1550 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "William Swann 1475" Googlehttps://www.google.com/search?q=William+Swann+1475-1526 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "William Swaine 1450-1526" Google. https://www.google.com/search?q=William+Swann+1450-1526 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "Olof Svensson 1429" Googlehttps://www.google.com/search?q=Olov+Svensson+1429 Accessed 7 December 2025.

---. "Search Results." Search term: "How could Dorothy Boys be the mother of William Swann 1585-1638" Googlehttps://www.google.com/search?q=How+could+Dorothy+Boys+be+the+mother+of+William+Swann+1585-1638  Accessed 7 December 2025.

Layton, John. "Royal House of Layton of Stuart and Rohan", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/royal-house-of-layton-of-stuart-and-rohan/P9903.php : accessed November 23, 2025), "Sir Francis Swann (1545-1621)".

Parfitt, Keith. "Anglo-Saxon cemetery sites around Nonington," 2024. Archaeologia CantianaVolume 145. Maidstone: Kent Archaeological Society. Creative Commons License. 
Kent Archaeological Society https://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/journal/145/anglo-saxon-cemetery-nonington Accessed 6 December 2025.

WikiPedia Contributors. "Swann's Point Plantation Site," 26 July 2025. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swann%27s_Point_Plantation_Site  Accessed 7 December 2025. 

WikiTree Contributors, "Thomas Swann (1616-1680)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swann-65 : accessed 22 November 2025).

---, "William Swann (1585-1638)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swann-22 : accessed 22 November 2025).

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Miscellanea

Talking Kin: Swann
https://www.talkingkin.com/2025/09/swann.html
© 2025 William H Lawson Jr

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