The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-02-17
SOME OF THE EARLY LAND
SPECTATORS IN GARRETT
General John Swan
Family Motto: Paratus sum q an
ready


was the largest Spectator in the lands
of what is now Garrett county, Mary
land.
In the assessment of this part of AL
legany county, in 1898, Swan was as
sessed with over $4,000 acres, and
later he owned as much as $4,000
acres.
The name Swan is of ancient Danish
extraction. Swan-of noble ancestry
settled in southeast Britain. The
Swans possessed landed property in
Kent and Derby from the period of
the Norman Conquest. Branches of
the family scattered through Eng
land, Scotland and Ireland, and it is
from the Scotch line that the Swans of
Maryland are descended.
John Swan was baptized in Torthor-
wald Parish, November 27, 1850, and
was only lad of sixteen years when
he landed in the New World In the
Bible carried by him through the Rev.
dictionary War he wrote:
John Swans book. Arrived at An
napolis, in Maryland, from Scotland,
on 30th August, 1866"
He was the eldest son of John Swan
of Cocklefeld, hence the name of
"Cocklefeld," which John Jr., gave
to one of his first land tracts; an
other he called "Dumfries," for his
Scottish town.
Young John Swan came to America
as the heir of his uncle, Robert Swan,
who died, unmarried, in Annapolis,
May a, 1854. John soon removed to
Frederick county and later to Bait
more, where he resided until his death
August 81, 1924. The remains of John
Swan, his wife and son James are in
tered in a vault in Westminster Pres
byterian church, Baltimore.
Revolutionary War Services
Like most Scottish-Americans of
1776, John Swan was a revolutionist.
In 1777 he became captain of the
Third Continental Dragons, recruited
in Fredericksburg Va, and in 1880 he
was promoted to major in the First
Dragons. He served with gallantry
until the close of the war, when he
was made General of the Maryland
militia.
Washington and Lafayette were his
personal friends.
The Swan Lands
General Swan owned enormous
tracts of land in Maryland and in Vir-
ginia, including 6,166 acres awarded
him by Virginia for his Revolutionary
services. In 1774, when Lord Balti-
more opened his lands westward of
Fort Cumberland" for settlement,
John Swan was one of the spectators
who surveyed and patented extensive
tracts in what is now Garrett county.
Later the State of Maryland patented
to him large tracts, among them be-
ing Swans Meadows" at Gortner
(1798); Potomac Manor" 1919
acres (18OO); "Yough Manor" 8,613
acres (1799); "Walnut Hills" at Az
ilton, 4,O89 acres (18OO); strawberry
Plains" near Swallow Falls, 1880
acres (18O6).
When the Military Lots were allot-
ted to soldiers of the Maryland Line in
1888 none Of them went to live on
their lots. General Swan bought many
of these lots from veterans, such as
Patrick Doreen. of Baltimore county,
"late sergeant" who, in 1898, decided
his lot, 1881, so acres, to John Swan
for three pounds sterling or $500. The
General also bought tracts and lots
from lesser spectators, such as the
purchase in 1903 from David Lynn, Of
twenty-one Military Lots for $500.
These lots included Muddy Creek Falls
and valuable farm land near Gortner.
As this county became settled, the
Swans leased or sold small tracts to
settlers. William Chisholm, Jr., fell
low Scot, was their agent in the
Yough Glades, and William Sharpless
looked after the lands across the
Great Backbone Mountain.
General Swans Family
John Swan married July II, 1877,
Elizabeth, daughter of George Max
well. They were the parents Of four
sons: Robert (born 1889; John
(179O); George NJ. G79D, and James
(1792).
John and Robert Swan resided for
a time on the family lands in Garrett
county.
John Swan, Jr., lived with his fam
lily and few slaves in a good log
house on Johns Prospect" 1872 acres,
which includes the site of the village
of Gortner. Swans house was on the
high ground west Of the present Gort-
ner Mill. The house was destroyed by
fire years ago. 1t is said that Mr.
Swans father-in-law was buried near
the house in a grave now unmarked.