Susanna (Eastman) Swan (1673 - 1772)

Born 11 May 1673 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony, New England

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Wood — married 19 May 1693 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts

Wife of John Swan Sr. — married 1 Aug 1699 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts Bay

Descendants

Died 20 Mar 1772 at age 98 in Stonington, New London, Connecticut

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Alison Andrus [send private message], Jamie Swindells [send private message], and Chris Hoyt [send private message]

Biography

Susanna was born in 1673 in Salisbury, Massachusetts. She passed away in 1772 in her 100th year.

Susanna was the daughter of Philip Eastman and his second wife Mary Barnard of Newburyport, Massachusetts. Phillip was born in Salisbury, Massachusetts, 20 Oct 1644. He was the son of Roger Eastman arrived in Massachusetts on the ship Confidence in April 1638.

Her mother, Mary Barnard, was the daughter of Thomas and Elenor Barnard of Newburyport, Mass. Mary was the widow of Anthony Morse.

Susanna married 19 May 1693^[1], first, in Haverhill, Massachusetts, Thomas Wood. ^[2] He was killed by Indians on 15 Mar 1697. She then married secondly, 1 Aug 1699, John Swan, born 1 Aug 1668, who died in Stonington, Connecticut, 1 May 1743.^[3]

Child of Thomas and Susannah (Eastman) Wood:

1. Susannah Wood, she was killed by Indians in 1697 at the same time as her father.^[4]

Children of John and Susanna (Eastman) Swan^[5][6][7]:

1. John Swan, b. Haverhill, Dec. 26, 1700.
2. Ruth Swan b. Haverhill, Dec. 31, 1703; m. Feb. 8, 1726, Jabez Wright.
3. William Swan, b. Haverhill, June 24, 1706; m. 1st, Jan. 20, 1726, Thankful Holmes ; m. 2nd, April 14, 174.3, Anna Smith.
4. Nathaniel Swan, b. Stonington, Conn., April 11, 1709 ; m. Jan. 3, 1731, Mehitable Brown.
5. Asa Swan, b. June 4, 1712 ; m. Nov. 19, 1740, Marrin Holmes.
6. Elizabeth Swan, b. May 14, 1715; m. Dec. 19, 1739, Jedadiah Andross.
7. Timothy Swan, b. Sept. 2, 1721 ; m. Mary Smith, Dec. 28, 1743.

Captivity in the French and Indian Wars

Susanna was captured and taken to Canada by Indians in an attack on her father's house, which was burned. Her husband Thomas and daughter Susanna, were killed. Her father was captured but escaped. Other family members scattered. She was returned in 1698/9 on the ship Provence Galley.^[8]

During the Indian war, when so many of the inhabitants of Haverhill were killed, the Indians attacked the house of John and Susanna Swan, which stood in the field now called White's lot nearly opposite to the house of Capt. Emerson. Mr. Swan and his wife saw them approaching and determined if possible to save their own lives and the lives of their children from the knives of the ruthless butchers. They immediately placed themselves against the door which was so narrow that two could scarcely enter abreast. The Indians rushed against it, but finding that it could not be easily opened, they commenced their operations more systematically. One of them placed his back to the door so that he could make his whole strength bear upon it, while others pushed against him. The strength of the besiegers was greater than that of the besieged and Mr. Swan, being rather a timid man, almost despaired of saving himself and family and told his wife that he thought it would be better to let them in, but this resolute and courageous woman had no such idea. The Indians had now succeeded in partly opening the door and one of them was crowding himself in while the other was pushing lustily after. The heroic wife saw that there was no time for parleying, she seized her bake spit, which was nearly three feet in length and a deadly weapon in the hands of the woman, as it proved and collecting all the strength she possessed drove it through the body of the foremost. This was too warm a reception for the besiegers, it was resistance from a source and with a weapon they little expected, and surely who else could ever think of spitting a man. The two Indians, thus repulsed, immediately retreated and did not molest them again. Thus by the fortitude and heroic courage of a wife and mother, this family was probably saved from a bloody grave.^[9]

Burial

Susanna is buried in Great Plain Cemetery, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut. Her marker reads:

In Memory of Susanna Wife of Capt John Swan, She died March the 20th AD 1772 in the 100th year of her age. ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the Year 1850
2. ↑ Source: #S0031 Vol. II, Marriages & Deaths; Pg 339. http://ma-vitalrecords.org/MA/Essex/Haverhill/Images/Haverhill_M339.shtml
3. ↑ Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the Year 1850
4. ↑ Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the Year 1850
5. ↑ History and genealogy of the Eastman family of America: containing biographical sketches and genealogies of both males and females Compiled by Guy S. Rix Concord, NH 1901
6. ↑ History of the First Congregational Church, Stonington, Conn., 1674-1874: With the Report of Bi-centennial Proceedings, June 3, 1874. With an Appendix Containing Statistics of the Church By Richard Anson Wheeler T. H. Davis & Company, 1875
7. ↑ Vital Records of Haverhill Massachusetts to the Year 1850
8. ↑ New England Captives Carried to Canada Between 1677 and 1760 During the French and Indian Wars: Volume 1 By Emma Lewis Coleman Heritage Books, p. 345
9. ↑ The History of Haverhill, Massachusetts By Benjamin L. Mirick, John Greenleaf Whittier A. W. Thayer, 1832, p. 123-4
10. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #70233229

See Also

• https://archive.org/stream/historyofhaverhi61chas#page/198/mode/2up/search/thomas+wood p. 198

Acknowledgement

This profile was created through the import of master 11_12.ged on 21 October 2010.