Re: Rev. William Swift - 1696, England
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In reply to:
Re: Rev. William Swift - 1696, England
Grandma Yesiam 1/05/02
Hi Grandma,
If you have found your way back to Henry Swift 1509 you can go further back. His father was Thomas abt 1470 and then Robert Swift abt 1445 (m)1st a daughter of William Hansarde and 2nd Agnes Anne,next Anthony (m) a daughter of Sir Richard Surtees,before that Edmond of Allergill, Co Durham (m) Margaret Trollope, John Swyfte (m) Marie Hedworth, Sir Humphrey Swyfte (m) a daughter of Alexander of Beddick and the earliest recorded was his father Bryan Swyfte who in the early 1300's was given a grant of land in Co Durham by Godfrey Beaumont, Bishop of Durham (d: 1333) (All according to "Burke's Irish Family Records")
It is interesting to note that Robert (abt 1445) by his two marriages, set up two distinctive family lines. His eldest son Thomas ( by wife Hansarde)produced a line that takes us toward the southern part of England, Kent, Bath and thence to Hereford and from there to Ireland.
Robert(1445) then married his second wife Agnes Anne and that set up a line through Robert of Rotherham (1478-1561)(m)
Anne Taylor and from there a lineage that included many descendents married into nobility and carrying their own titles, culminating in Barnham Swift, Viscount Carlingford, elected to the Peerage of Ireland 20 March 1627 the son of Sir Robert Swift and Ursula Barnham. This second line remained mostly in England.
It is from this second line that William Swift of Sandwich, Mass, is said to have been descended, possibly from a brother ,Alexander,of Robert of Rotherham (1478-1561)but I do not think it has ever been proven beyond doubt and remains a work in progress.
From the first and earlier line there is a very positive connection to Rev William Swift(1696) of Hanover,Virginia and my own feeling is that that lineage is not in dispute.
However,one always has to be aware that, lacking documentation, which is not always available, it is wisest to merely consider many of these items as guidelines for deeper research.Most of the stuff that I have quoted comes from sources such as "Burke's"and "Joseph Hunter"and the LDS files
plus the published wills of certain parties, also "Fragment of Autobiography" from the "Prose Works of Jonathan Swift." and various other documents relating to the family.
I have no knowledge regarding your Duke family other than your own notes and cannot comment on that line.Use anything you read from the genealogical correspondence as a possible source of information, but treat it with a certain amount of
suspicion until you satisfy yourself as to its authenticity. Most of us do this thing for fun and with no intention to publish, therefore little harm is done except to our pride when we discover that some of our most cherished ideas simply prove to be litle more than myth or wholly untenable.
Good luck,
Ralph S. Swift
More Replies:
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Re: Rev. William Swift - 1696, England
Grandma Yesiam 1/06/02