Mary Swift (abt. 1661 - bef. 1728)

Born about 1661 in Warrington, Lancashire, England

Wife of Henery Tarbucke — married 15 May 1690 in St Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire, England

Died before 16 Feb 1728 before about age 67 in Warrington, Lancashire, England

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Biography

Mary was born about 1661. She married Henery Tarbucke in 1690. ^[1] Mary was buried around 1728. ^[2]

Marriage

Marriage: 15 May 1690 St Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire, England

Henery Tarbucke -

Mary Swift -

Burial

Burial: 16 Feb 1727/28 St Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire, England

Mary Swift, widow -

Abode: Warrington

Notes: No Aff. March 17th.

Notes

Birth year is estimated from the mean age at marriage for an English female in 1690. Swifts of Lancashire: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Swifts_of_Lancashire.

The term aff. (affidavit) noted in burials means that the body is not to be wrapped or buried in any item that is not woollen. This was enacted by the Burial in Woollen Acts 1666-80 by the Parliament of England which required the dead, except plague victims, to be buried in pure English woollen shrouds to the exclusion of any foreign textiles due to the decline of the woollen industry on which so many places in this country depended.

The Act of Parliament was intended to create a new market for woollen cloth. It was a requirement that an affidavit be sworn in front of a Justice of the Peace (usually by a relative of the deceased or some other credible person) confirming burial in wool, with the punishment of a £5 fee for noncompliance. Parish registers were marked with the word affidavit or with a note 'A' or 'Aff' against the burial entries to confirm that affidavit had been sworn or marked 'naked' for those too poor to afford the woollen shroud. Some affidavits survive.

This legislation was in force until 1814 but was generally ignored after 1770. These related records are generally regarded as a source of genealogical information that can help provide evidence of economic status and relationships that may be unavailable elsewhere or ambiguous. The 1666 Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1863.

Mary was noted as No Aff. impling she died a poor widow.

Sources

1. ↑ Lancashire Online Parish Clerk. http://www.lan-opc.org.uk Register: Marriages 1680 - 1698, Page 19, Entry 19 Source: LDS Film 1562956.
2. ↑ Lancashire Online Parish Clerk. http://www.lan-opc.org.uk Register: Burials 1699 - 1730, Page 95, Entry 23 Source: LDS Film 1562956.