I was just searching for something completely unrelated to the McQuown family and ran across this link (which you may already be familiar with) but in case you haven’t seen it, you might contact the person who created it.

McQuowns of Eastern North Carolina

Cynthia

BTW – I have done a DNA Y-chromosone test and it reveals that we McCowans (McQuowns) are Nordic in origin and were probably Vikings from Norway who settled in Scotland around 1000 AD. History also reveals that much Viking activity took place in and around Loch Fyne where the MacEwens lived during that time.

Have any males in your McQuown line done a DNA Y-chromosone test?

This is not a direct line of mine, so I haven’t done a whole lot of research on it.

Cynthia

I did find this on ancestry.com (are you the one who posted it?):

First of all, this is not my story. It was written by Thomas E. McQuown and published in the “Genealogical Society of Ireland Journal” in 2001. I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong; but, I believe Thomas passed away the following year.

LAURENCE McQUOWN from Thomas E. McQuown

Laurance McQuown, his wife Jean, and their thirteen children sailed from Londonderry, Ireland to America in 1761 or 1762. The first known record of Laurance in America appeared on the Tax Roles of Menallen Township, York County, Pennsylvania with the surname spelled McCoon. Subsequent census and tax records had the surname spelled in different ways, although McQuown was the most prevalent and his will, dated 13 July, 1789, was signed Laurance McQuown. Laurance died sometime between the signing of his will and 15 August, 1789 when the document was probated. In addition to his wife Jean, the following children were listed as beneficiaries in the will, and I must assume that the order of the listing represents the order of birth:

Thomas McQuown, who married Margaret Sillik Galloway

John McQuown

William McQuown

Catherine McQuown, who married Isaac Leany or Loany

David Samuel McQuown, who married Margaret, or Mary Harris

Elizabeth McQuown, who married Able Hasty, or Hesty

Mary McQuown, who married George McCreary

Jean McQuown, who maried David Pantan

Rebecah McQuown, who married Benjamin Stewart

Laurance McQuown

Margret McQuown

Elenor McQuown

I have little doubt that the family came to the Colonies from Ireland, as the Histories of Westmoreland, Armstrong, and Indiana Counties of Pennsylvania indicate that Laurance’s son David Samuel McQuown “…came to this country from Ireland while in early manhood.’ The Armstrong County History states that he came from ‘Londonderry, Ireland.’ Further, the History of Washington County, Pennsylvania, refers to Laurance’s son Thomas as ‘a gentleman of Irish descent.’ The fact that the entire family apparently came over at the same time would indicate that Laurance was fairly well to do financially. The fact that they sailed from Londonderry does not necessarily indicate that they lived in that city as Londonderry was a major port for emigration to America, but it strongly suggests that they resided somewhere in Northern Ireland.

One possible clue to identifying the family in Ireland is daughter Mary McQuown’s husband George McCreary, who resided in the town of Armagh, County Armagh, Ireland. George was born in County Armagh, Ireland in 1752. He came to York County, Pennsylvania at the outbreak of the Revolutionary War where on 1 May 1776 he enlisted as a private in the Pennsylvania Militia and eight months later was promoted to End Sergeant. He took part in the battle of Long Island and was taken prisoner at the surrender of Fort Washington, 16 November 1776 and later held prisoner on a British Man-of-War for two months. He was discharged in 1777. On 31 May 1774, George McCreary leased a tenement on abby (Abbey) Street in the city of Armagh. Other McCrearys who came to America were brothers Thomas, John, and Samuel who settled in York County, Pennsylvania, early in the 18th century. I am including this information in the hope that one of the readers of this article may be aware of a McCreary family history that includes reference to Laurance’s daughter Mary.

One of the major problems we encounter in tracing our American family ancestry back to Ireland is the correct spelling of the surname. In Colonial America, many of the emigrants were either illiterate or semi-literate, and were forced to rely on the mostly semi-literate census takers, tax collectoers, and other public functionaries who often spelled names phonetically. Thus, and Irish brogue or Scottish burr would most times result in a spelling only phonetically resembling the correct spelling. For example, I have found my great-great-great-grandfather, David Samuel McQuown’s name spelled fourteen different ways in Colonial census, tax roles, and land transfer documentation; in one case it was spelled four different ways in the same document. I suspect that the name was originllhy spelled McKeown, McKown in Ireland, but that is strictly conjecture on my part. The more predominant alternate spellings in colonial documentation are, McCown, McCune, McKeown, McKown, McKowen, and McKune.

Any assistance in locating my Irish ancestors and identifying the Irish spelling of the name would be deeply appreciated. In this respect, I have accumulated a significant amount of informtion concerning the McQuowns in America that I would be most happy to share with any genealogists requiring that information for their own research.

I am attempting to determine the true Irish spelling of my ancestor’s name and trace my family’s history in Ireland.

Cynthia

Cynthia

I don’t have anything on her parents or siblings, but I will see what I can find.