General Notes

1  BIRT
2  PLAC Maybe N. Ireland, Orange, VA or Orange NC


Copied from Early Western Augusta Pioneers by George W. Cleek, 1957

"The Gwin Family is of ancient Welsh origin, and the name in Welsh means "white" or "candid". The Gwin coat-of-arms bears the legend, "vim vi pellere licet" -"It is permissible to oppose force with force." The name Gwin is found in records as Guinne, Guin, Guinn, Gwinn, Gwinne, Gwyn, Gwynn, and even Gowan. This name has often been confused with the name of Given, sometimes spelled Givin."

"Robert Gwin, the progenitor of this branch of the Gwin Family, came to Virginia before 1744. In 1746 he was appointed Constable at the head of the Great Calfpasture River in Augusta County, Virginia. (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. I, page 18.) He was allowed a certificate for land as a result of military services, which shows he participated in the early Colonial Wars in Captain Wm. Preston's Company of Rangers, 1758. (Ibid., Vol. I, page 212.) In 1744, he bought 544 acres of land lying on both sides of the Calfpasture River from James Patton and John Lewis. In 1762, for five shillings, he deeded to his son, Robert Gwin, Jr., 241 acres of land. Robert Gwin married Jean (or Jane) Kincaid, daughter of David Kincaid and Winnifred ____ of Albemarle County, Virginia."

"Robert Gwin had three brothers: John Gwin whose wife's name was Alice ___; William Gwin; and Patrick Gwin whose wife's name was Janet ___. (Abstracts from the Records of Augusta County, Virginia, Lyman Chalkley, Vol. III, pages 526 and 533.)" There is no conclusive evidence that they are brothers

OCTOBER 21, 1778.
(363) Samuel Neal, orphan of James Neal, to be bound to Lanty Graham; James Neal to Robert Gwinn.
Chaulkys Page 83.--17th May, 1785. Robert Gwinn, of Calf pasture, to his son,
Joseph Given (this name is signed Given).



Speculation,but not proven is that he arrived in America at Belhaven, near Alexandria, Va.on the Potomac River on 26 Aug., 1736 on the ship Walpole with Capt. James Patton in command. Patton had received a grant of 120,000 acres of land in Americaearlier from the King of England who held Patton in high esteem. The only stipulation was that the land be west of the Blue Mountains and that settlements should be estalished by worthy and dependable British subjects. Patton made the one last voyage to America with his family along with Alexander Breckinridge andhis wife Jane, John Preston and his wife Elizabeth Patton Preston and three daughters and son, the McCues, McClungs, McPheeters famlies and many others, supposedly 56 passengers in all with 30 of them imported to settle a 30,000 acre tract, 1,000 acres to each. The first land that Patton owned was in the Calfpasture grant. Orange Co., Virginia Deed Book 10, p.104-106 records an " Indenture 16 Jul., 1745 between James Patton and John Lewis, both of Augusta Co and RobertGwin of the Calf Pasture of the same county...witnesseth..for five shillings...sold 544 acres in Augusta County on west side of the Great River of the Calf Pasture...Witnesses were David Kincaid, Robert Bratton and Louis Pullin. The money was paid and the release date recorded 25 Jul., 1745.
Copied from Early Western Augusta Pioneers by George W. Cleek, 1957