McSwain-SC-1807

The following information was sent to me by Jesse E.
McSwain.

Name:  Malcom McSWAIN
Death:  1807  Marion Co SC
Burial:  Marion Co SC
Spouse:  Flora ?
Death:  1818  Christian Co KY
Burial:  Christian Co KY

Places of residence: Scotland?, Fairfax Co VA, Marion Co SC

Children:  Daniel (1796-1873),  Polly,  Catron,  Elizabeth
"Betsy",  Margret

Acc. to letter of Feb. 18, 1997, from Jesse E. McSwain, his
great-great-great-grandparents "Malcom & Flora McSwain were
foreign-born." Sometime before 1788 they were in Virginia
but bought 150 acres of land in SC in 1788 for 3 pounds
Sterling. Malcom died in 1807 at his Buck Swamp plantation
in SC, leaving his lands and slaves to his only son, Daniel
and his four daughters. His slaves were: MILLY, LETTIE,
CHANA, ORRIS, PRINCE, BEN, SAM & HOLLY.

The following is excerpted from a family history being
written by Jesse Ecton McSwain:It is not known when the
first McSwain family members arrived in the United States.
U.S. Federal Census records reveal that both Malcom and
Flora McSwain were foreign born. It may be that they were
both from the Isle of Skye in the Hebrides Islands off the
northwest coast of Scotland. It is not known whether they
married in Scotland or met in the U.S., as no records have
been located. It is known that in his will, Malcom
bequeathed a cash payment of $100 to his mother. In the
absence of any comment to the contrary, it is presumed that
Malcom's mother also was living in or near Buckswamp
Plantation on Little Pee Dee River in Marion County, SC, at
the time of his death in 1807.

The first documented record of Malcom McSwain appears in
1788 when he purchased 150 acres of land along the Little
Pee Dee River for £3.10 from the State Treasury of South
Carolina. However, in 1929, at the age of 94, Alexander C.
McSwain of Fresno CA, related his life story. In it, he
spoke of how, when he was about 3 or 4, he had been told
stories by his Aunt Betsy of the McSwain family's life in
VA. Alexander claims she told him she had gone with his
grandfather Malcom to visit with George Washington at Mount
Vernon, VA, and that the McSwain family lived near Mount
Vernon at the time. Thereıs no previous indication that
Malcom and/or Flora lived in Virginia prior to settling in
South Carolina. Diaries and letters in histories of George
Washington make no mention of the McSwain name. A search of
the records of Fairfax County, VA for the year 1760, show no
occurrence of the McSwain name on tax rolls of land owners,
leaseholders, tenants or slave holders. There had been no
previous indication that Betsy McSwain had moved to MO to
SC. Alexander said she lived about one mile from the McSwain
residence.

Malcom McSwain's Last Will and Testament, executed on the
8th of October 1807, provided for the distribution of his
estate as follows:

... I lend to my beloved wife during her natural life the
plantation that I now live on with all the land adjoining
thereto with all my working tools and household furniture.
Also I give to my wife one negro woman named MILLY to be at
her disposal forever.
... To my daughter Catron I give one negro girl named CHANA.
... To my daughter Polly I give one negro boy named ORRIS.
... To my daughter Betsy I give one negro man named PRINCE.
... To my son Daniel I give two negroes, one named SAM and
the other named BEN; also the plantation on Buckswamp that I
bought of James Smith containing five hundred acres.
... To my daughter Margret I give one negro girl named
HOLLY.

I desire that my wife and all my children that are under age
should live on the plantation with my wife till they come of
age, that is to say, the male to 21 years of age and the
females to 18, and then they are to command their own
property. I give to my mother one hundred dollars to be
immediately received at my decease. My negro woman named
LETTIS is to be with my wife to work for the small children
till the youngest comes of age and then the said negro woman
is to be sold by my Executors with all her increase and
divided between Catron, Polly, Betsy and Margret. The
plantation that is not lent to my wife at her decease I
desire my Executors to sell of my stock and crops as much as
may be sufficient to satisfy my just debts and funeral
charges and then divide the stock between all my children
and wife. I do hereby utterly disallow and disannull all and
every other will or wills made before by me and do appoint
Daniel McDiarmid, Flory McSwain and Malcom Purcell my whole
and sole Executors and Executrix of this my last will and
testament. In witness I have hereunto set my hand and seal
this 8th of October 1807. 

Malcom (his X mark) McSwain (seal).

An inventory of Malcomıs goods and chattels on 13 Nov 1807,
disclosed the following possessions to be distributed among
his heirs as stipulated in his will:

Negro woman MILLY, $300; negro boy ORRIS, $150; negro man
PRINCE, $400; nebro boys SAM & BEN, $500; negro girl HOLLY,
$75; negro girl CHANA, $250; negro woman LETTIS, $300; four
horses, $140; 23 cattle, $138; 20 sheep, $25; 30 hogs, $45;
200 bushels corn, $100; fodder, $20; 500# seed cotton, $20;
2 saddles, $12; working tools, $10; 2 beds, furniture &
stead, $30; dwelling house furniture, $18; kitchen
furniture, $8.

======================

Also from Jesse McSwain's letter of Feb. 18, 1997: "Flora
died in Christian Co. KY 1818 where she had moved with her
son Daniel, my g-g-grandfather." She apparently accompanied
or followed Daniel McSwain from Buckswamp to Christian Co
KY. Her Last Will and Testament, dated 10 Aug 1818 in
Christian Co KY, stated:

 At the discretion of my children hereafter named Nothing
doubting but shall remain the same again by the power of
Almighty God to bless me with in this life, I give and
dispose of in the following manner.
... That is to say, I give & bequeath to my daughter Margret
one black mare, one cow & calf, and two feather beds.
... Also, to my son Daniel I give a negro woman named MILLY.
Also all the rest of my household furniture and plantation
assets, one feather bed & also all the rest of my moveable
property. And my son Daniel is to pay all my just debts &
funeral charges.

I do hereby utterly disallow all & every will or wills made
before by me in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand
& Seal this 10th August 1818. The will was signed with "X
her mark" and seal. Her will was proved in the Nov 1818 Term
of the Christian County Court. Witnesses were James
Galbreath and John Blue.

Contributed by: "Carla Cushman"  ccushman@wcoil.com