The Gwinn's

This is a record of what I believe to be true about our earliest Gwinn ancestors in Virginia and later West Virginia. Not all, especially the early Gwinn research was done personally by me. I owe this information to many others who have done much more extensive research. This is a compilation of information I've gathered and others have shared. I wanted to put it all of the information in one place and this seemed to be a good way to do it. My goal is to share what I've found with my many cousins and relatives who have asked questions about our family origins and history. 

The record starts with Robert Gwinn on the Calf Pasture River in Augusta County, Virginia. When and how Robert came to Virginia is uncertain. There is some evidence that suggests the crossing of the Atlantic may have been in 1738. James Patton and John Lewis, were looking for settlers to cultivate the area along the Calf Pasture River in Virginia. Ronald C. Gwinn, a current researcher and descendant of Robert Gwinn, found the following documentation.

Executive Journals, Council of Colonial Virginia, entry for April 27, 1742: 
In 1737, the Council of Colonial Virginia, granted Lewis and Edward Barradall
leave to survey 30,000 acres including the Calfpasture for settlement. Patton
"had become a Partner in the said Lands, and had at great expence transported
Several Families from the North of Ireland in Order to Comply with the
Condition of said Order...."

If Robert Gwinn came to Virginia from this area, it was most likely from the Ulster Plantation of Northern Ireland, a Protestant group transplanted in Northern Ireland made up of many Scots and Welsh families. The name Gwinn has always historically been associated with Wales, however, only recently through Y-DNA testing, the name may have origins in North West Ireland instead. If this is the case, maybe Robert sailed from one of the Northwestern counties. The DNA testing of other Gwinn descendants points to this area. (See map below). I recently ordered my own DNA testing and will share the results when they have arrived.

Calf Pasture River area near Deerfield, Photo Credit: Steve Hildreth, Virginia Paddler http://www.virginiapaddler.com/2009/05/calfpasture-river-near-deerfield-may.html

Robert Gwinn Spring on his property, Photo Credit: Jim Talbert, Lewisburg Historical Society

Robert Gwinn land on the Calfpasture, Photo Credit: Jim Talbert, Lewisburg Historical Society

Records show that Robert Gwinn owned 544 acres along the Calf Pasture as early as 1744. Robert's name was mentioned in a record of land being deeded to John Graham. The land John Graham was purchasing on July 17, 1745 was adjoining the land of Robert Gwinn. We also know that Robert Gwinn was appointed Constable on May 12, 1746. Robert served in Captain William Preston's Company of Rangers in the French and Indian War, 1758, and was awarded fifty acres for his service. This documentation firmly plants Robert in the Calf Pasture River area near Deerfield, Virginia. 

The last record dated May 17, 1785 for Robert Gwinn was a deed recorded between him and his son, Joseph Gwinn, where he sells off what remained of his 544 acres. Robert most likely died between 1785 and 1791. Robert Gwinn may have been buried on the family farm, or possibly at the Rocky Springs Presbyterian Cemetery, 432 Rocky Spring Lane, Deerfield, VA. My brother, Scott, and I visited this cemetery in the late 1990's and saw many Gwin/Gwinn's in the area, but no marker existed for Robert or his wife Jean Kincaid. In 2001, a memorial marker was added to the cemetery at Rocky Springs Cemetery. 

Photo Credit: Ronald C. Gwinn, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gwinn/index.html

Here is where the information gets hazy... Robert Gwinn married Jean Kincaid. I have never seen proof of this marriage, but it has been passed down by tradition for many years. If it was Jean or Jane Kincaid who married Robert, she was probably the daughter of David Kincaid of Augusta County. Robert and Jean Kincaid had the following children. David, James, Samuel, Robert, Simon, Joseph, and possibly two daughters, Agnes and Nell. I will elaborate much further on Samuel Gwinn, our ancestor, but I should mention that Robert's son David Gwinn served as Lieutenant and Captain in the Revolutionary War. He commanded a company at the battle of Guilford Court House. Our Samuel Gwinn also served in the Revolutionary War filing a pension for his service.

Thousands of Gwinn's descend from Robert Gwinn of the Calf Pasture River in Virginia. I count myself fortunate to be one of the them. Next post will be Samuel Gwinn, my (our) 5th Great Grandfather.