The Swalwell One-Name Study
One family historian has made the most of the opportunities that the guild presents
Sue Swalwell started researching her tree just over 30 years ago. Since Swalwell is a relatively rare surname, she began collecting information on all of the individuals who carried it. This evolved into a one-name study, and she registered the name with the guild in 2012.
Sue has a database of nearly 7,000 individuals who are grouped into 14 separate branches. Sue has set up a guild profile page and a Facebook group for the surname. She has a fledgling DNA project that was initiated when she tested her 93-year-old father who was the last surviving male of her own personal Swalwell line. A newly established study website has been set up as part of the Members’ Websites Project. Surname mapping shows that the Swalwell surname was heavily concentrated in County Durham in 1881. An analysis of Swalwell marriages from the 1500s to the 1800s shows a similar concentration in County Durham, with the surname confined to five specific parishes.
Sue says that the “holistic and integrated research approach of a one-name study has deepened my understanding of the Swalwell surname beyond all measure, and deepened my understanding and love of history”.