William Swift (1627 - 1705)

Born 25 Apr 1627 in Southwark, London, England

Husband of Ruth (Unknown) Swift — married about 1645 in Colony of Massachusetts Bay [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 26 Dec 1705 at age 78 in Sandwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts

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Biography

William Swift immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

William Swift, was baptized 25 Apr 1627 St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, the son of William Swift (1575 - 1644) and Joan Unknown (1576 - 1663)^{[1] [2] [3][4]}

• He was not born in 1619 in Essex. It is possible that there was an earlier son named William, son of Sarah, however a child of this name was buried with Sarah August 24, 1625. Another son named William would have been born subsequent to the burial of the first, viz William who was baptized in 1627 was likely to have been born shortly before that date, and the son of Joan (Unknown) (Dimbleby) Swift.

Christening image - Southwark St Mary Magdalene, Bermondsey 25 April 1627 https://www.ancestry.com/sharing/4641308?mark=7b22746f6b656e223a22566f61474f4b42332b4c612f7255624f4c654763546f5344415a4979384f56584345306f46522b475a63633d222c22746f6b656e5f76657273696f6e223a225632227d

William emigrated to New England with his parents in 1634, and settled in Watertown first, moving to Sandwich in 1639^[2]. William served as a selectman starting in 1669, and a deputy in 1673, 1674, 1677 and 1678.^[5]

There is no marriage record, but his will provides for his wife Ruth^[6], and she is believed to be the mother of his children^{[1] [2]}. Some say she was a Tobey, Dillingham, Morse or Arnold without source. An unsourced marriage date of 18 Nov 1650 in Sandwich, Massachusetts, has also been suggested. These theories are not supported by the records reviewed for this biography, or the 21st century researchers Anderson^[2] and Fiske^[1].

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Their children included:

1. Hannah born 11 Mar 1651^{[7] [1]}, who married first Ambrose Fish; and second Thomas Tobey^[6]
2. Ruth (1652) ^[8],
3. William, born 28 Aug 1654^[9][1] , who married Elizabeth Unknown (not the daughter of John Thomson as often stated), and died before his father^[6]
4. Ephraim, born 7 Jun 1656^{[10] [1]} ; who married Sarah Perry, dau of Ezra.
5. Mary or Maria, born 7 Apr 1659^{[11] [1]}, who married 6 Feb 1677 Shubel Smith, and who died d 1 Mar 1682;
6. Samuel, b 10 Aug 1662^{[12] [1]}; whose wife was Mary Unknown.
7. Josiah, born circa 1664 or after 1672^{[1] [6]}
8. Temperance, born circa 1666^[1]; who married Timothy Bourne^{[6] [13]}
9. Esther or Hester, born circa 1668^[1], who married about 1689-90 John Gibbs Jr ^[6]
10. Jireh, born circa 1670^{[1] [6]}; who married 26 Nov 1697 Abigail Gibbs
11. Dinah, born circa 1672^[1], who married Benjamin Perry^[6]

William Swift died 7 Jan. 1705/6 in Sandwich, Barnstable Co, Massachusetts according to his inventory. His will, dated 15 Dec. 1705, proved 29 Jan 1705/6, names wife Ruth, daughter Hannah Tobie, Temperance Bourn, Hester Gibbs and Dina Perry, sons Josiah and Jirah, the sons of his son William deceased, and son-in-law Timothy Bourn^[6][14][15]

His inventory was recorded on 29 January 1705/06 in Sandwich, which included an enslaved black maidservant.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12} William Swift, Citizen and Leatherseller of London, and Planter of Sandwich, Massachusetts by Jane Fletcher Fiske, published in Volume 77, page 161 of The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .). On pages 165-166, this article provides exerpts from the parish records of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey as they relate to this family. Page 166 shows that Sarah Swift and a youth named William Swift were buried on the same day: August 24, 1625. On 3 January 1625/6 William Swift m Joane Dimbleby, and on 25 April 1627, William son of William Swift was baptized. William (Jr.s) biography is given on page 171, clearly as the son of Joan
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Great Migration 1634-1635, R-S William Swift, page 626. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume VI, R-S, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009. The vital information for this son William are found on page 630
3. ↑ Smith, Leonard H., Cape Cod Library of Local History and Genealogy: A Facsimile Edition of 108 Pamphlets Published in the Early 20th Century, Volume 1, Genealogical Publishing Com, 1992 - History - 2052 pages. See pp 18-19. The following link will take you to the online book: http://goo.gl/vNj3GV Judith (Weeks) Ancell; May incorrectly assign Sisson as mother’s maiden name. This has been disproved.
4. ↑ Eben Swift, ‘’William Swift and Descendants to the Sixth Generation’’, Yarmouthport, MASS, C. W. Swift, Publisher and Printer, The "Register" Press, 1924, Page 219 - 299
5. ↑ New Plymouth Colony, David Pulsifer, Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff, and Massachusetts. General Court. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, In New England. Boston: Press of W. White, 185561. See Volume 5, pages 19, 35, 56, 113, 143, 164 for William among the selectmen of Sandwich; page 135, 196, 214, 231 for William among the deputies , and there are other references.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8} “Barnstable, MA: Probate Records, 1685-1789.” Probate record 2:217, published in Volume 2, page 169 of the Records of Barnstable, Massachusetts. CD-ROM. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)At Family Search
7. ↑ Massachusetts Vital Records, Sandwich Volume 1, page 15, published in NEHGS, and in Volume 14, page 166 of the Mayflower Descendant, which states Hannah Swift the daughter of William Swift was borne the 11th of March Anno.Dom: 1651
8. ↑ Do you have a source? This information is not found in these sources
9. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Sandwich Volume 1, page 25 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016), which states William Swift the sonn of william Swift was bor[ne] the 28th of agust ["last of September" was crossed out and "the 28th of agust" interlined, in the same hand] 1654
10. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Sandwich, Volume 1, page 12 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016), which states Epherim Swift the sonn of william Swift was borne the 7th of June 1656
11. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Sandwich, Volume 1, page 19 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016), which states Mara Swift the Daughter of william Swift was borne the 7th of aprill 1659
12. ↑ Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850 Sandwich, Volume 1, page 24 (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016), which states Sammuell Swift the Son of william Swift was borne the the 10 day of Ouggust 1662
13. ↑ MyHeritage profile
14. ↑ Mrs. John E. Barclay, "Hannah (Swift) Tobey, daughter of William2 Swift, and the family of Ambrose2 Fish, of Sandwich, Mass.," in The American Genealogist, 35:40.
15. ↑ Allaben, Frank. "William Swift, Senior and Junior, of Sandwich, Massachusetts," Journal of Amercian Genealogy, Vol. 2 No. 1, Jan-March 1922, pp. 19-29. See William Swift and Ruth Swift (Second Generation) at pp. 24-28.
16. ↑ "Probate records v. 1-3 1686-1747" database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9YB-5SYN : 24 April 2024), Film# 007705950, Barnstable, Massachusetts, image 218, Vol 2, Page 219.

See also:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #81352508 (Online memorial only; no gravestone)
• Hart, William Lincoln. Hart Family History: Silas Hart, His Ancestors and Descendants (Alliance, Ohio: William Hart, 1942). See Ch. VIII Swift and Warren Families, p. 30 and ff.
• Swift, Katharine Whitin. The Swift Family: Historical Notes (Whitinsville, Mass: Katharine Swift, 1955) may be borrowed from Boston Public Library at Archive.org. See William Swift p. 1.