Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Most sources lack the name of David McSwain's father.  His mother's name is likewise unknown.  A few sources have a birth date for David's father.
  
  The Ballance family genealogy is one of those that reports a date of birth for David's father:
  (Unknown First Name) McSwain
  Birth 1675 in Isle of Skye, Scotland
  Death in Isle of Skye, Scotland;  (Wife Unknown)
  Son David McSwain 1700 - 1770
  --  BALLANCE Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/11896024/person/-35150885
  
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  Clan MacQueen
  SCOTTISH RAMPANT LION
  
  The Macqueens or Clan Revan are a Celtic race. They were of the Hebrides, and the founder of the clan is supposed to have been Roderick Dhu Revan MacSweyn or Macqueen. In the thirteenth century Castle Sween, in Kintyre, was occupied by MacSweens. There were MacSweens among the Lamont clansmen executed at Dunoon in 1646.
  The ancestor of the MacEwans was called Swene MacEwan. The Hebridean Macqueens were subject to the Lords of the Isles. The Macqueens of Corrybrough, an offshoot, settled in Strathdearn. When the 10th Mackintosh married Mora MacDonald of Moidart, Revan-MacMulmor MacAngus and Donald MacGillandrish came with the bride, and settled near her new abode.
  
  John and Sweyn Macqueen signed the Clan Chattan Bond of 1609. Captain Donald Macqueen, 7th of Corrybrough, died in 1813. He was succeeded by his son, Donald, Captain 2nd Madras Cavalry, who was succeeded by his brother, John Fraser Macqueen, Q.C. He died in 1881. The chiefship, but not the estate, fell to his brother, Lachlan, of the East India Company. Lachlan died in 1896, and was succeeded by his only son, Donald, as Chief, who was resident in New Zealand.
  
  The Macqueens of Pollochaig, Clune and Strathnoon are the leading cadets. The Clan MacSweyn is officially regarded as distinct from that of Macqueen, and the arms of the MacSweyn Chief have been registered as such.
  --  Clan MacQueen, http://www.scottishclans.webspace.virginmedia.com/clan-macqueen.htm
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  The McSwains are related to both the McQueens and the McDonalds/MacDonald clans, and are a part of the clan confederation famously known as the  Clan Chattan.  There are McSuain sub-septs in McQueen and McSwain sub-septs in McDonald, and you will find references to various configuration and suggested Tartans related to those two broad clan groups.  In Ireland, the name is associated historically with the McQueens, and the name is found in the Sweeny, McSweeney and other variations of the descendants of the same ancestors.
  
  As well as being descended from the Viking settlers, some of whom first came as mercenaries, they claim descent from the original Irish High Kings.
  
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  MacQueen History
  From the gaelic 'Mac Shuibhe' or 'son of Sweyn', the MacSween clan claim kinship with the Irish high kings, of the same descent as the great clan Donald.
  
  A number of MacQueens are said to have provided an escort at the marriage between the daughter of the clan Ranald and the chief of clan MacKintosh. After this union took place, many of them did not return to their homelands but chose to settle around the Findhorn valley. This branch of the family, known as clan Revan became part of the great federation of clans known as Clan Chattan and by the sixteenth century they were in possession of the lands of Corrybrough. They became a prominent and important family of the district.
  
  The MacQueen clansmen are also numerous on the islands of Skye and Lewis and yet another branch of the family held lands at Castle Sween in Argyllshire.
  
  The Hebridean branch of the MacQueens have long enjoyed a reputation as outstanding fishermen and also boast of having the Rev. Donald MacQueen as a kinsman. He was a minister on the isle of Skye in the eighteenth century and was described as "the most intelligent man in Skye". He was looked up to by his kinsmen and also won the admiration of Dr. Samuel Johnson, who was introduced to him on his famous tour of the Western Isles.
  
  From the eighteenth century onwards the fortunes of the MacQueen clan failed, and the chiefs are believed to have emigrated to New Zealand. The family are now widely scattered throughout Scotland and much of the English-speaking world, and the chiefship of the clan is not established at the moment.
  --  Scot Clans, http://www.scotclans.com/scottish_clans/clan_macqueen/history.html
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Sources

• 1. Ancestry Trees
  • Ballance Family, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/11896024/person/-35150885
• 2. Ancestry Trees
  • Lawson Family Tree http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=:2223652&id=I116922982
• 3. Genealogy.com Trees
• 4. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 5. McSwain Cemetery Transcription, by W D Floyd
  • Name: Name: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/nc/cleveland/cemeteries/mcswain.txt;;
• 6. RootsWeb ID: I4695 -- William McSwain
  • Name: Name: http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=prsjr&id=I4695;;