WILLIAM SWYFT OF SANDWITCH AND SOME OF HIS DESCENDANTS. 1637-1899. COMPILED BY GEORGE H. SWIFT, AMENIA, N. Y. PUBLISHED BY ROUND TABLE PRESS, MILLBROOK, N. Y. 1900. COAT OF ARMS GRANTED TO ROBERT SWYFT, OF ROTHERHAM, MAY 10, 1561. Thus described: "Or, a chevron vair, between three bucks in full course ppr. Crest, a demi-buck rampant ppr, in the mouth a honeysuckle of the first, stalked and leaved, vcrt." Motto, "Festina lente." Also "Cum magnis vixisse" adopt­ ed by the Dean of St. Patrick, who was descended from a branch of the Rotherham Swifts. DESCRIPTION ')F COAT OF ARMS OF GODWIN SWIFT. Coat of Anns granted to Godwin Swift, of Godrcdgc, in the County of Hereford, Esquire, one of the Society of Gray's Inn, and descended from the Swifts of Yorkshire (Rotherham). "He beareth Or, a chevron nebula:: argent an:i azure be­ tween three bucks in full course vert." Motto "By the name of Swift." Cushion, green and yellow; Helmet, blue and yellow; Mantle, scarlet and white. llnttobucto~. THE records of the descendants of William Swyft, which follow, have been compiled with great care, from all the available sources, by George H. Swift, Esq., President of the Bank of Amenia, N. Y. He has written and received a great many letters, and has endeavored, so far as possible, to have the lineage complete and accurate up to this date. It is unavoidable, that there will be errors found, and when such are discovered, it is re­ quested that the finders will send their corrections, as well as any further information of interest to the family at large, to him, or to the publisher of this book, that they may be in­ serted correctly in any further issue of the "family tree." Notices of births, marri~ges, and deaths of members of the family, should also be promptly forwarded to the same parties, with dates and full names. Blank pages are provided, among the records of the present generation, that later items may be writtCii upon them, as they transpire. The portrait of Mr. George Swift is among our illustra­ tions. He has not been able directly to connect our ancestor with the Rotherham family, owing to lack, and destruction of records by fire, but tradition, and the uniformity of names; Robert and William, being frequently repeated, make it probable that we are descended from the same family. It is hoped that further investigation may complete the chain. H. H. S. FROM ROTHERHAM ADVERTISER, ROTHERHAM, ENGLAND. One of the most interesting monuments in Rotherham Parish Church is undoubtedly that of the first of the Swyfts, who was a mercer in the town. This altar tomb, which is in the north chancel in an arched recess, is orna­ mented with quartrefoils, within which is a square plate of brass, and engraven thereon are the effigies of Robert Swyft, Ann, his wife, and his four children, Robert, William, Ann, and Margaret. The father is represented in a furred gown, his hair formally cut, and his hands joined as in prayer. The lady has a square head-dress, her hands uplifted, but not joined. From the mouth of Swyft proceeds a scroll. with these words inscnoed on it: "Christ is ouer Iyfe, And death is o'r advantage." Three shields have been removed from the front of the tomb, but two remain within the recess, bearing the anns of Swyft. Large numbers of rubbings of this beautiful brass have been made, and have been taken by visitors from far and near. The inscription on the tomb is well worth reproducing in its en­ tirety, if only to illustrate some curious differences in the spelling between now and three hundred or more years ago. The inscription reads as follows:-«Here under this tombe are placyd and buried the bodyes of Robarte Swifte, esquire, and Anne his fyrste wyfe, who lyvyde manye yeares in this towne of Rotherh'm in vertuous fame, grett wellthe and good woorship. They were pytyfulI to the poore and relevyd them lyberally, and to their friends no fess faythfulle than bountyfulle. Trulye they fearyd God, who plentiuslye powryed His blessings uppon them. The sayd Ann dyed in the moneth of June, in the yere of o'r Lorde 1539, in the 67th year of her age; and the sayd Roberte dep'tyd ye viii. day August in the yere of our Lorde God 1,61 in the 84th yeareofhisage. Onwhosesowlles, with all Chrystan sowlls, th' omnipotent Lorde have mercey. Amen." "UUlilliam SW\?ft of San~witcb" an~ some ©f His IDescen~ants. 1637---1887. jT SEEMS quiJe .certain that "William Swyft, of Sandwitch," with his family, came.from England to America in the great "Boston Immiv,t­ tion" of 16.30-1. Savage savs that he, "probably came from Bocking, County Essex, or its vicinity; was in Watertown, Mass., in 16.34; had been there some time. Sold his property in Watertown in 16.37, and probably moved to Sandwitch, where he died in January, 1644." Rev. F. Freeman says that he died in 1642. But the Plymou~ Colony Record says: · "In Probate office, Plymouth," _ "William S'Y_Yft, Saridwitch." "1.64-J,-Administration by Joane, his wife." "January, 164-.3, thelnventorywasshownat Court. Amount£7211 shillings." (The year then began in March, and January was the 11th month of the year.) Search in Bocking for traces of the first William bas proved fruitless, as the Parish Records were burned about the time of the Restoration. Dr. Henry Bond in his History of Watertown and its early settlers, says: "William Swytt, proprietor, 16.36,-7, sold his house and land in Watertown to Thomas White, of Sudbury, who sold it March .31st, 1640, to Jolin Knight In 16.36, Wm. Swift mortgaged his house and lands in Watertown to John Haines, Attorney of Andrew Coleman, in England, to whom Swift had given his name as joint security in a matter where Roger Spring was the principal debtor. Col. Rec. Sepl 1, 1640." He also says, that in the third Great Dividends of Town Lands owned by the proprietors, made July 25th, 16.36, William Swift drew number 14, be­ ing a 40 acre lot, and Febn1ary 28th, 16.36,-7 he also drew a five acre lot in "Beaver Brook Plowlands." At another division of proprietors' lands in June, 16.37, his grantee Thomas White, received a lot, proving that William sold out in Watertown and removed to Sandwich in the spring of that year. The farm which he then bought in Sandwich, the largest in the town, is to­ day (Jan. 1st, 18S7) owned and occupied by his lineal descendant, Shtdrach Freeman Swift, Esq. His widow Joan survived him 201,ears. Jedediah Allen, son of Ralph and Easter (or Esther) writes in the family Bible as follows: "Jone Swift, my grandmother, deceased y_e 26 day,--" the rest is tom off with the leaf. As her will bears date October 12th, 1662, and the Inventory of her estate was taken December 25th 166.3, she probably died November 26th, 166.3. The following is a copy of her will from the Plymouth Colony Records. The amount of the Inventory is £105 6 shillings. "The 12th day of the 8th month, 1662. 2 SWIFT GENEALOGY. "I Jone Swift of Sandwich, being sicke of body, but of perfect memory, do make my last Will. "I do give unto Daniel Winges, his sons Samuel and John, a mare foal of a year old. Item, I give unto my grandchild Hannah Swift, the old mare, if she be aiive, if not, the next to her. Item, I give unto my grandchild E>.-per­ ience Allen, a chest with drawers :md my Bible. Item, I give unto my two grandchildren H:um:ih Swift and Experien~ e Allen, all my linen and my pew­ ter, to be equally divided between them. Item, 1 iive unto Mary Darbey my wearing clothes. Item, I give unto Hannah Wmge the Eder my best hat and forty shillings to her daughters, to be divided amongst them. Item, I ~ve unto Jedediah Allen and Experience Allen the third part cf my Estate, th!S house and garden being part of the third; I pve unto my son William's children, each of them a mare foal; my debts being dischar~ed, and my fun­ eral being paid, I give the rest of my Est:ite to my son William, whom I make my Executor. I make John Dincent and Benjamin Hammond my overseers of this my will and give to them twenty shillings apiece. · WITNESS. JOHN DINCENT. The • mark of BENJAMIN HAMMOND. JONE 1. SWIFT; "Benjamin Hammond gave oath to this will the third of March, 1663, be­ fore the General Court, then held at Plymouth. "Mr. John Dincent was deposed to this will of Jone Swift above said this seventh of April, 1664, before me, Thomas Hickley, Assistant, by order from the Court." Rev. F. Freeman in his "History of Cape Cod" writing of the inhabi­ tants of Sandwich, and the Rev. C. P. Wing in his "Register of John Wing, of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and his descendants," speak of this wm as the will of "John Swift" evidently having been misled by the peculiar spelling of the name; and yet, the :nerest reference to the heading of the Inventory of her estate recorded with her will (a copy of which headfug is given below), would have dispelled the erroneous idea. "An Inventory of the Estate of Mistriss Joane Swift decea~~d taken by us, whose names are unc'.·rwritten being this 25 of the 10 month, 1663, ancf ex­ hibited to th~ Court ~1eld at Plymouth, the 3d of March, 1663, on the oath of William Swift.