Researching James Oswald
Research the background of James Oswald using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
![]() | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 1376 people with the Oswald surname? In that year Oswald was ranked number 2266 for popularity in the UK. |
Good news! There is already a One Name Study on the Oswald surname.

The name James means "one who supplants" and is of Hebrew origin.
Records of James Oswald on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of James Oswald in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for James Oswald. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for James Oswald. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for James Oswald. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for James Oswald. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for James Oswald. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. A DNA test can sometimes help to make a link to a particular family name if you find you share common DNA with people who have the same or similar surnames as each other. If you are lucky then you may get a match within a few generations and discover some Oswald ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Oswald Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for James Oswald and the Oswald Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Oswald Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Oswald family tree.
Check out Parish Records for James Oswald at Find My Past.
Search for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of James Oswald using the FreeBMD database.
Look at Genealogy Bank for James Oswald records.
Investigate MyHeritage for James Oswald information.
Study the LDS Database for records about James Oswald.
Research the Oswald surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Oswald Military records.
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 1331 people with the Oswald surname in the UK? Oswald is now ranked number 2824 for popularity in the UK. |
Oswald Genealogy Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Explore the WikiTree database for user contributed records for James Oswald.
Study MyTrees for information on the Oswald family and people looking to contact living Oswald relations.
Look at One Great Family for Oswald records submitted by people who are already researching the Oswald Family Tree.
Find James Oswald from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Oswald Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Oswald surname using Genealogy.com forums .
![]() | Did you know that there are currently 12153 people with the Oswald surname in the USA? Oswald is ranked number 153 for popularity in the USA. |
Miscellaneous Oswald Databases
Study the Ellis Island Database for information on James Oswald. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called James Oswald
James Townsend Oswald
James Townsend Oswald (23 February 1748 – 3 January 1814) was a Scottish politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1779.
Oswald was the son of James Oswald, a politician of Kirkcaldy. The Oswald family became the dominant force in Kirkcaldy politics in the 18th century and Dysart, the second-largest burgh was controlled by the St. Clair interest. The combined Oswald and St. Clair influence often decided who was to be elected.
Oswald was elected Member of Parliament for Dysart Burghs in succession to his father in 1768 and was Secretary for the Leeward Islands in 1772. He lost the seat in 1774 when to his surprise a rich outsider bribed his way into Parliament. In 1776 Oswald was elected MP for Fife until he resigned on being appointed Auditor of the Exchequer of Scotland on 2 July 1779.
About 1790 he had built Dunnikier House, "a handsome mansion beautifully situated in a richly-wooded demesne".
Oswald died at age 65. He had married Janet Grey of Skibo, Sutherland, who died in 1843. Their son was General Sir John Oswald and their daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin.
Source: James Townsend Oswald, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaJames Oswald (younger)
James Oswald (1715 – 24 March 1769) was a Scottish politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1741 to 1768.
Oswald was the grandson of James Oswald a politician of Kirkcaldy, and son of James Oswald whom he succeeded in c.1725, inheriting his Kirkcaldy home, Dunnikier, now known as the Path House.
His brother John was Bishop of Raphoe and another brother Thomas was an army officer.
He was admitted at Lincolns Inn in 1733.
The Oswald family became the dominant force in Kirkcaldy politics in the 18th century and Dysart, the second largest burgh was controlled by the St. Clair interest. The combined Oswald and St. Clair influence often decided who was to be elected. Oswald was elected Member of Parliament for Dysart Burghs in 1741 and was a Commissioner of the Navy in 1745. In 1747 he exchanged the seat with James St Clair and was elected MP for Fife until 1754. In 1752 he was Commissioner for trade and plantations. Oswald exchanged seats with James St Clair again in 1754 and was elected MP for Dysart Burghs. He was Lord Commissioner of the Treasury in 1760 and Vice-Treasurer of Ireland from 1763 to 1767.
He retired in 1768 when his son James Townsend Oswald took over the seat and died in 1769 at the age of 52. In 1747 he had married Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Townsend, a London brewer and the widow of Abraham Reynardson. They had 1 son.
Source: James Oswald (younger), Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Oswald
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
OKielt OSheilds Oshields Oagletree Ocheltree Ochiltlree Ochiltree Oglethorpe Ogletree Oselton Osselton Ossulton Oswalt Oxlade Ozelton





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