Very little is known about the origins of the Swaney family.

One reference, in a letter, says James

Swaney (born 1752) was from Yorkford, County Longford, Ireland. However, no Yorkford has been
found in County Longford, or in all of Ireland. Also, in County Longford, no records of any Swaney (or
other name variations) has been found. Longford was one of the five Plantations of the settlement of
Ireland from Scotland, but does not seem to have been as successful as the other four.

Information from Scotland indicates that the Swaney name is part of the Clan Gunn, with
origins in Scotland in the Orkney Islands. The early settlers of the Orkney Islands were from
Scandinavia.

We first find James Swaney (born 1752 in Ireland) in Pennsylvania in 1790. Although there is
some differences in the spelling of Swaney (Sweeney, Sweney, etc.), it appears as if he was in East
Bethlehem Township, Washington County, PA, in the 1790 census. In 1811 he purchased land in
Morgan Township, Greene County, PA. Morgan Township borders, to the north, East Bethlehem
Township in Washington County, PA.

There is also a Daniel Swaney found in the 1820 census of Greene Co., PA. To the east, in
Fayette County, PA, several Swaney families are found, but no connection with James Swaney (b.
1752) has been found. In Fayette County there seems to be at least two Swaney families. One, whose
progenitor is James Swaney, born about 1775, has been described in My Cooley-Walters Ancestry from
Fairchance, Penna. And Surrounding Areas by Kathryn Mercedes Cooley Miller, published in October
1987. Also, about 1800, several Swaney families were in Washington County, and Beaver County,
Pennsylvania. Again, no connection with James has been found.
Clarksville, Morgan Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania

The land in Greene County that

James Swaney purchased was near
present-day Clarksville, Penn-
sylvania. Although it has been
difficult to find the exact location of the
land he purchased, it appears to be, now, a
site of a strip-mine. The original land
purchase was for 198 acres. James sold
the land over an eight year period, in
three sub-divisions of the original. Also
found was a Quit Claim Deed, for
unspecified land, from James
Swaney (born 1790), signed in 1830,
and registered in 1900.
Area where James Swaney (b.
In Ohio, James (1752) 1752) had land (1811 – 1820)
Swaney settled in Richland County (now
in Ashland County). Nearby, James (1790)
Swaney had land that he sold about the
time he moved to Hancock County. In Wayne County, east of Ashland, a John Swaney is found. Then
in Hancock County a John Swaney of Wayne County purchased land very close to James (1790)
Swaney. An estate record for John Swaney is found in Hancock County in 1830. Then later, in Iowa, a
John Swaney (1797) is in the area where some of the children of James (1752) Swaney and a son of
James (1790) Swaney moved. No connection with either of the James Swaney families and these John
Swaneys have been found, but I believe they are closely related to ‘our’ Swaneys.

Information on the descendants of John Swaney, born 1797 in Pennsylvania, is included

following the descendants of James (1752) Swaney.
 The Descendants of James Swaney

Generation One

1. James1 SWANEY was born on 13 Jul 1752 at Ireland. He married Catherine NOBLE on 8 Dec 1804.1 He died on 31 Oct 1841.

Early census information for James Swaney is somewhat uncertain. In the 1800 census of East Bethlehem Township, Washington
County, Pennsylvania, there is a James Swiny with 3 males less that 10 years; one male 26 to 45; one female less that 10; one female 10 to
16; and one female 26 to 45. In 1800, James Sr. would have been 48, and James Jr. would have been 10. In the 1810 census for Morgan
Township, Greene County, PA, a James Sweny is listed. Morgan Township in Greene County, PA, is adjacent to East Bethlehem Township
in Washington County, PA. Ages for the ones listed in 1800 and 1810 correspond.

No record of James Swaney for the 1820 census has been found. His son, James, is in the Richland County, Ohio census for that year.
In 1830 James Swaney (with his family) and his son James (with his family) are found in the census for Richland County. In the personal
property tax records for Richland County, James Swaney is shown for the years 1827 to 1831. Two of his children, Wesley and David, are
shown for the years 1832 to 1835.

James Swaney (1752) and his family and their movement West

Children of James Swaney (1752)

Washtenaw Co., MI (~1835 – 1839)

John Swaney (1820 – 1892)

Iowa Co., IA (1856 – 1892) James Swaney (1752)
Greene Co., PA (? – 1819)
(and children of second family)
James Swaney (1790)
Hancock Co., OH (1831-1855) James Swaney (1790)
Children of James Swaney (1752) (and children) (and children)
Jackson Co., IA (1839 - )
Sarah (1805 – 1867)
David (1807 – 1882)
Rebecca (1809 – 1883) James Swaney (1752)
Fletcher (1813 – 1886) Richland Co., OH (1819-1841)
Eliza Ann (1822 - ?) (and children of second family)

James C. Swaney (1821- 1875) James Swaney (1790)

(son of James Swaney (1790) Richland Co., (1819-1831)
In the 1840 census, James is listed in Richland County as being a pensioner, and is 84 years old. No record of this pension has been
(and children)
found. There is a James Swaney listed with the roster of Adam's Battalion (1812-1813) Ohio Militia (Capt. Richard Sloan's Co., 3rd
Regiment, Ohio Militia). He served from October 8, 1812 to April 7, 1813. However, the Graves Registration Card of this James Swaney
says that he is buried in the Old New Paris Cemetery, New Paris, Preble County, Ohio. His place of birth is given as Virginia. No birth or
death information is shown. It is not certain where this unit originated, but it seems as if many were from Preble County.

From the abstract in Book 1, p 457, Washington County, PA, a James Swaney was a witness to the will of John Arbengast on 1 Nov
1800; the will was probated 22 Jul 1802; John Arbengast's wife was Rebecca. No connection between the Swaney and Arbengast families
has been found.

Greene County, PA, records show a James Swaney and Catherine, his wife, as having land in Morgan Township; the land was bought
in 1811, and three portions were sold between 1812 and 1820. The last was sold in May, 1820. This may be the time that James and
Catherine moved to Ohio. If they were enroute to Richland County, OH, at census time, they may have been missed. Maps of the land
purchase by James Swaney and the sales of this land to John Lewis, David Cummings and John Morton. The is also a quit-claim deed to
land owned by James and Sarah Swaney, but no description is given.

Children of James1 SWANEY include:

+ 2 i.James2 SWANEY, born 26 Dec 1790 at Pennsylvania; married Sarah Ann CLARKSON.

Catherine NOBLE1 was born on 3 Mar 1780 at Ireland. 1 She died on 31 Jul 1844. The 1880 Census record for Eliza Swaney Davidson
says that her mother was born in England and the 1880 Census for David and Fletcher Swaney says that their mother was born in Ireland.
The children of Catherine and James are given in a transcription of Bible records.

Children of James1 SWANEY and Catherine NOBLE were as follows:

+ 3 i.Sarah2 SWANEY, born 6 Nov 1805; married John POLLOCK.
+ 4 ii.David S. SWANEY, born 7 Mar 1807 at Greene Co., PA; married Sidney LATTA.
+ 5 iii.Rebecca SWANEY, born 25 Dec 1809 at Pennsylvania; married Lewis LATTA.
+ 6 iv.Wesley SWANEY, born 19 Nov 1811 at Pennsylvania; married Lydia M. BILLINGS.
+ 7 v.Fletcher D. SWANEY, born 25 Oct 1813 at Pennsylvania; married Mary Ann GITCHEL.
+ 8 vi.Alexander N. SWANEY, born 25 Sep 1815 at Pennsylvania; married Eliza SHEEY.
9 vii.Artabanes SWANEY1 was born on 18 May 1817. He died on 12 Dec 1821.
10 viii.Robert H. SWANEY1 was born on 21 Feb 1819. He died on 26 Aug 1840.
+ 11 ix.Eliza Ann SWANEY, born 1 Jan 1822 at Ohio; married John B. DAVIDSON.

James Swaney (1790)

(Sold 1831)

Wesley Swaney
(1860 – 1895)

James Swaney
(1752 – 1841)