Swainson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Swainson family

The surname Swainson was first found in Durham where they were Lords of the manor of Stockton from early times. But by the year 1221 they had moved north into Scotland and acquired the lands of Swaynystoun, near Colinton, in Midlothian, where Duncan Swainston was the scion of that branch. 1

Swainston Manor lies 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east of Calbourne on the Isle of Wight. It was originally a manor house but has now been converted to a hotel. It has a 12th-century chapel on its 32 acres thought to have been built by the Bishops of Winchester.

Early History of the Swainson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Swainson research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1605, 1660 and 1661 are included under the topic Early Swainson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swainson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Swainson, Swanston, Swenson, Swenston, Swainston, Swanson and many more.

Early Notables of the Swainson family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Dr. Alan Swainston of York; and Francis Swanton (c 1605-1661) of Wincanton, Somerset, an English lawyer and politician...
Another 28 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Swainson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Swainson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Swainson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rowland Swainson, who settled in Virginia in 1726

Swainson migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Swainson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Elijah Swainson, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 2

Swainson migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Swainson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

William Swainson, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship Tyne
William Swainson, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1841 aboard the ship "Jane" 3
William Swainson, aged 52, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 3
Ann Swainson, aged 34, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 3
William John Swainson, aged 17, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Jane" in 1841 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Swainson (post 1700) +

John Burley Swainson (1925-1994), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 18th District, 1955-58; Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1959-60; Governor of Michigan, 1961-62; Defeated, 1962 4
John A. C. Swainson, American Democratic Party politician, Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1964; Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1972 4
William Swainson (1789-1855), English naturalist, born at Liverpool, where his father, who died in 1826, was collector of customs; His family had originally been ‘statesmen’ at Hawkhead in Westmorland
Charles Anthony Swainson (1820-1887), English theologian, the second son of Anthony Swainson, a descendant of an old Lancashire family, and a merchant and alderman of Liverpool
William Swainson (1809-1883), English statesman from Lancaster, 1st Attorney-General of New Zealand, eldest son of William Swainson, merchant

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html