[1] His father Daniel Swan was a private in the Highland Light Infantry who was killed in the Peninsular War.

Jennet McLaren was a deaf mute, who was murdered in front of her son James in August 1823.

[1] James's wife Christina died aged 76 years at their home "Burnside" at Swan Hill (now Windsor), Brisbane on 27 January 1888 after a lingering illness[3][4] and was buried in Toowong Cemetery.

[3][6] James Swan died on 26 May 1891 on board the ship Jelunga while in the Mediterranean Sea bound for England.

[1] On arrival in Sydney in 1837, he worked on Rev Dr John Dunmore Lang's newspaper, The Colonialist[1] until it ceased publication in 1841.

[2] After providing for his second wife, his will directed that his substantial estate was to be distributed to various charities with the bulk of it going to the Baptist Church.