Swift Family of England and Massachusetts
Last update of page: 3 September 1999.
The Swift family on this page represents five generations, mostly in England, which eventually merged into the Fish and Tupper families of Massachusetts.
William Swift, b. ca. 1530 --- m. --- Elizabeth Mason
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William Swift, b. 1561 --- m. --- Janet Wilson
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Wiliam Swift, b. 1589 --- m. --- Joan Sisson (4 children)
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William Swift, b. 1619 --- m. --- Ruth Tobey (10 children)
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Ambrose Fish, b. 1638 --- m. --- Hannah Swift
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Eliakim Tupper, b. 1681 --- m. --- Joanna Fish (14 children)
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Elias Tupper, b. 1715 --- m. --- Jerusha Sprague (6 children)
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Eliakim Tupper, b. ca. 1740 --- m. --- Elizabeth Newcomb (11 children)
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Samuel Tupper, b. 1764 --- m. --- Elizabeth Archibald (2 children)
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William Creelman, b. 1787 --- m. --- Hannah Tupper (8 children)
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James Graham, b. 1808 --- m. --- Rachel Creelman (7 children)
William Swift, b. ca. 1530
All we know of the first William Swift (2) is that he was born about 1530 in England and that he married Elizabeth Mason, also born about 1530. They had at least one son, William.
William Swift, b. 1561
The only known son (all information from (2)) of William Swift (b. ca. 1530) and Elizabeth Mason is William Swift, b. 3 December 1561 at Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. He married 13 October 1582 at Halifax, Yorkshire to Janet Elizabeth Wilson. Janet, "of Halifax" was born about 1561, son of Robert Wilson, b. ca. 1530. William Swift died after 1597 at Darrington, Yorkshire as did his wife.
William Swift, b. 1589
The only known son of William Swift (b. 1561) and Janet Wilson is William Swift, b. 15 April 1589 at Darrington, Yorkshire, England (3). He married about 1619 at Bocking, Essex (4) to Joan Sisson, b. about 1586 at Bocking (3). About ten years later, ca. 1630, he emigrated to Massachusetts and died 1 January 1643/44 at Sandwich (5). Joan died 26 November 1663 at Sandwich (4). She may have been Joanne (4). It is also possible, according to Frank Allaben, that she was a second wife of William Swift and not the mother of his children (see 17).
Citing (4) as his source, the following is from (1):
William Swift came from England about 1630; a proprietor of Watertown, Mass., 1636; Removed to Sandwich about 1639. Lawsuit at Salem in 1638; served in Lt. John Blackner's company, 1643. His son Edward was apprenticed to George Andrews, Butcher, in Eastclepe, London. He sold a house and land at Sud. 28-4-1641{Suff. De. and Col. Rec. vol.1} He died at Sandwich, Inventory taken 29 Jan 1642. Wife Joanne, Administer, and Daniel Wing gave bonds with her; a house at Sudbury was mortaged to Mr. Burton. The widow's will was Probated 8-12-1662. Bequest to Daniel Wing's two sons, Samuel and John; Grandchildren Hannah Swift and Experience Allen; to Mary Darby; To Hannah Wing the Elder, and her Daughters; to Zebadiah Allin; son William Exec.
William Swift, b. 1619, and Siblings
The known children (1) of William Swift (b. 1589) and Joan Sisson were all born in England. They were:
1) William Swift, b. 1619 in England (6). He would have been about 10 or 11 when his parents emigrated to America. He married about 1645 in Sandwich, MA (7) to Ruth Tobey and died 7 January 1704/05 at Sandwich (8) (in 1706 according to (17)). Ruth was born about 1628 at Sandwich (6) and died after 1705 at Sandwich (7). See following section for their children. The source (17) does not mention Ruth Tobey at all but has Ruth Dillingham as his wife, marriage in 1651. It is not highly probable that his wife Ruth was at her second marriage because she would have been only about 17 or 22 at the time of her marriage to William Swift.
2) Hannah, b. about 1620 at Bocking, Essex, England (3). She married 5 November 1641 at Sandwich (3) to Daniel Wing. Daniel was b. 1617-1618 at Sandwich, Kent, England, son of John Wing and Deborah Bachiler. Hannah died 1 January 1664/65 at Sandwich (5). In June 1666 Daniel remarried to Anna Ewer (3). The following note (3) is about Daniel:
Daniel Wing came from England with his parents, and settled at Sandwich. He was Enrolled, 1643, as "liable to bear arms." in 1657, "the people called Quakers, " made their first appearance in Sandwich. Daniel Wing soon associated himself with the Society of Friends, and with his associates, was subject to "penalties of law," in not supporting occasions, from Oct, 1658, to June, 1660, he was fined 5 pounds, and at another time he was fined 10 pounds, "for refusing to aid the marshall," and was excluded from the number of freeman, 1658. He married, Nov 5, 1641, Hannah, daughter of William and Joan Swift, she died Jan 31, 1664. One of their children was John Wing.
Hadaway (1) adds a note about Hannah: "Her name is recorded as Hannah Swift and Swiff. There is also another date of her birth - 5 Sept. 1641 [POM]. This individual also has the date of birth as 5 Dec 1641 [AF]. !A son named Joshua was listed in the will of William Spooner, Hannah's father, as a son of Hannah. Was this from a previous marriage?". This note seems to be confused, partially pertinent to Hannah Swift and also to a completely unrelated Hannah Spooner?
The children of Daniel Wing (the last child with his second wife, Anna Ewer) were:
1. Samuel Wing. Not mentioned in list of children in (1) but mentioned in his grandfather's will (see above).
2. Lydia, b. 23 May 1647 (15) at Sandwich, m. about 1669 to Thomas Hamilton. They had at least one son (see (1)).
3. Daniel, married in 1686 (3) to Deborah Dillingham. They had at least one son (see (1)).
4. John, b. 14 November 1656 "of Rochester, MA" (16). In addition to being mentioned in his grandfather's will, he is mentioned in the note above on Daniel Wing. There is also this note on him (3): "John Wing was an early settler (as early, probably, as 1680) of Rochester, Mass. He was a farmer and cooper, a man highly respected and of influence where he lived." He married Martha Spooner and had at least two sons (see (1)). He died 1 August 1717 (3). His wife Martha Spooner was a daughter of William Spooner and Hannah Pratt.
5. "Daughters".
3) Susanna, b. 1622 (in Sandwich according to (5) cited in (1) but this presumably in error). She married in 1645 at Sandwich (7) to Ralph Allen and died in 1691 at Sandwich (5). Their daughter Experience Allen is listed in her grandmother's will (see above). There is also a mention of a "Zebadiah Allin".
4) Esther (5), b. 1622 at Bocking, Essex (perhaps a twin of Susanna?). She m. 1645 to Ralph Allen (17). She died 1691 at Sandwich.
5) Edward, mentioned in the note above on his father William although not listed by (1). The note says: "His son Edward was apprenticed to George Andrews, Butcher, in Eastclepe, London." Does this mean he was left behind in England or returned there afterwards on his own?
Hannah Swift, b. 1651, and Siblings
The ten children of William Swift (b. 1619) and Ruth Tobey were all born in Sandwich, MA. They were:
1) Temperance, b. at Sandwich (8), ca. 1666 (17). She married to Timothy Bourne.
2) Hester (6), b. 1668. She married between 1689-1690 at Plymouth, MA to John Gibbs, Jr. and died in October 1736 at Plymouth.
3) Josiah, b. at Sandwich (8). According to (18), Josiah was b. either ca. 1664 or after 1670.
4) Hannah, b. 11 March 1650/51 (9). She married (10) between 1674-1675 at Sandwich to Ambrose Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (see his family for their children and more details). Ambrose died in 1691. Although not mentioned by (1), she remarried (17) to Thomas Tobey in about 1692. Thomas had been previously married (18 November 1650 at Sandwich to Martha Knott by whom he had at least seven children; see (17) for more details). Thomas died 9 January 1714. She died in March 1720/21 (11).
5) William (12), b. 28 August 1654. He married between 1678-1679 at Sandwich to Elizabeth _____. (17) notes that Elizabeth was "not the daughter of John Thomson as often assumed". He died between 1700 and 1701 (1) or by 1705 (17). Known children, each mentioned in their grandfather's will, include (17):
1. William Swift.
2. Thomas.
3. Josiah.
4. Ebenezer.
6) Ephraim, b. 7 June 1656 (9). He married Sarah Perry, daughter of Ezra Perry.
7) Mara, b. 7 April 1659 (9). She is listed at Maria in (17). She m. 6 February 1677 to Shubel Smith and died 1 March 1682 (17).
8) Samuel, b. 10 August 1662 (9). He m. Mary _____ (17).
9) Jirah, b. 1665 (11) or ca. 1670 (17). He married 26 November 1697 at Sandwich (13) to Abigail Gibbs and subsequently to Mary Besse. He died between 1744-1749 at Wareham, Plymouth Co., MA (12). Two of his sons married sisters of Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (they were thus first cousins once removed):
1. Silas Swift, m. Abigail Tupper.
2. Nathaniel, b. Abia Tupper.
10) Dinah, b. 1672 (8). She married about 1694 to Benjamin Perry (14). Their children were the following (17):
1. Meribah, b. 11 June 1695.
2. Remember, b. 13 March 1696.
3. Seth, b. 19 March 1699.
4. Benjamin, b. 19 March 1699 (a twin).
5. Susanna, b. 27 December 1701.
6. Abner, b. 10 March 1703.
7. Josiah, b. 18 October 1709.
8. Nathaniel, b. 2 July 1713.
9. Eliakim, b. 8 May 1716.
Sources
The information here comes largely from the excellent and extensive Gendex file of Harry Hadaway of Bow, NH (1). Unless otherwise stated above, this is my source. He documents well his sources and for completeness I repeat here the source information, noting always that it is as cited by him unless I have consulted the reference myself.
The useful source (17) has also been consulted. Presumably much of his information comes from the followng sources which he notes: "His genealogy is in "William Swyft of Sandwitch and some of his descendants, 1637-1899," George H. Swift (Millbrook, NY: Round Table Press, 1900) and "William Swift, Senior and Junior, of Sandwich, MA," F. Allaben (Journal of American Genealogy 2 [1]:19-29)." I have not consulted these myself.
Footnotes
(1) Web site of Harry Hadaway of Bow, NH: "My Family Tree: Plymouth and Cape Cod MA Genealogy". This is an extensive Gendex site with 16,000 (August 1999) individuals, mostly from Massachusetts.
(2) "Richard Hart 51 Christian Hill Rd. Amherst NH (ultranet.com/~harts/harts)", source cited in (1).
(3) "Records of William Spooner of Plymouth, MA & his descendants Thomas Spooner, 1883", source cited in (1)
(4) "Lynn's GEDCOM http://www2.netquest.com/lgipson/tiny.htm#1771", source cited in (1).
(5) "LDS Family Group Records Archive Collection; 1941-1969; Submitted by Ethel C Butt Provo Utah; ; SLC UT FHC, Dec 1988; Family of William Swift and Joan Sisson", source cited in (1).
(6) "Ancestors of Thomas Gibbs of Sandwich, Mass. (1615-1693) CD #171", source cited in (1).
(7) "Torrey, Clarence Almon, New England Marriages Prior to 1700; 1600-1700; (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1985)", source cited in (1).
(8) "Will of William Swift", source cited in (1).
(9) "Sandwich, MA Vital Records", source cited in (1).
(10) "Aldrich, Robert G., "In pursuit of the Elusive Miller Fish"; 1584-1800;The Conneticutt Nutmegger Vol 22, #2, Sep 1984; pp 195-209", source cited in (1).
(11) "Barclay, Mrs. John E, 'Hannah (Swift) Tobey, Daughter of William(2) Swift and the family of Ambrose (2) Fish of Sandwich Mass'; 1650-1705; The American Genealogist. Vol 35 #1, Jan 1959; p 40-43", source cited in (1).
(12) "Mayflower Births & Deaths by Susan E. Roser", source cited in (1).
(13) "Mayflower Marriages from the files of George Ernest Boman at the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants by Susan E. Roser: 1990", source cited in (1).
(14) "Ezra Perry of Sandwich, MA (1625-1689) by Linda B. ( Phinney) Brownson", source cited in (1).
(15) "Kathryn Graham: Wing.txt", source cited in (1).
(16) "Genealogical Register of Plymouth Families by William T. Davis 1895", source cited in (1).
(17) Web site of Al Myers of Lower Paxton, PA. In some cases he indicates his sources; in other cases it is presumably his own research that is the source.
(18) "American Genealogist" 35:40 (January 1959)", source cited in (17).
