John Swezey

Early Long Island wills of Suffolk county, 1691-1703. an unabridged copy of the manuscript volume known as "The Lester Will Book;" being the record of the Prerogative Court of the County of Suffolk, New York, with genealogical and historical notes - William S. Pelletreau, editor, 1897 - pages 68-71

Will of John Swazey 1620-1706 dated 20 May 1692

In ye name of God Amen, I John Swazey of Soiithholdi on Long Island in ye County of Suffolke of ye Province of N. York being of good & sound memory & calling to mind ye uncertainty of this life & that I must yield to death when it shall please God, do make constitute & ordain this my last Will & testament hereby revoking & annulling any other
or former will by me made either by word or writing—
Impmis—I give my soul unto God who gave it & my body being dead to be buried & my worldly estate (my just debts being paid)—first—I give & bestow in manner and form following—
Item—I give & bequeath unto my son John Swazey my dwelling house orchard together with ye buildings fencings & other ye improvements on my home stall & all ye land by me improved southward of ye land which my said son John hath fenced in containing ye whole breadth of ye land as far as ye Southbay & half ye other lot Westward of it being a
second lot with half ye share of Meadow commonly called Horton's Meadow & half another share of Meadow at a place called ye great Meadow and also all my implements of husbandry & other tools—
Item—I give & bequeath to my son Joseph Swazey one hundred acres of land upon which he is settled lying Westward of my son John's land & northward of my sd son Joseph's home lot & half ye share of ye great meadow whereof I gave my son John ye other half and two lots of meadow lying on ye other side of ye river which was formerly John Vonngs and also ye other half of ye lot Westward of it (whereof ye other half I have given to my son John) & my horses in ye woods to be equally' divided between my three
sons—
Item—I give & bequeath to my son Samuel Swazey ye land now in ye occupation of my son John lying between my son Joseph's & the home stall which by these presents I have given to my son John & ye other half of ye share of meadow called Horton's Meadow with this condition or limitation that my said son Samuel shall not have power to sell
alien or dispose of any part or parcel of ye said land hereby granted to him so that if he shall decease without issue ye right of inheritance of ye said land shall be to ye next proper heir also I give to him half my cattle & ye bed & furniture which he lyeth on—
Item—I give to my daughter Mehetabell Aldridge & to ye heirs of Peter Aldridge deceased one hundred acres of land lying on ye northside of ye land given to my son Joseph if there be so much land there be it more or less—
Item—I give to my two younger daughters Sarah & Mary Swazy ye other half of my cattle to be equally di\-ided [between] them.
Item—I give & bequeath to my four daughters namely, Abigail Mehetable Sarah & Mary all my household goods to be equally divided between them.
Item—My will is that in consideration of ye land given to my sons John & Joseph they shall pay to my two younger daughters Sarah & Ulary ye sum of twenty pounds current pay of ye County that is to say ten pounds a piece to each of my younger daughters within two years after my decease—
Item—My Will is that Besse my servant shall be free & set at liberty at my decease & she shall have the bed she lyeth on—
Lastly—I do hereby nominate & appoint John Tuthill of Southhold and John Hallet to be the Executors of this my Will & testamt.
In Witness hereof I do hereunto set my hand & seal ye 20th of May 1692. John Swazy (Seal)
Witnessed by us
Thos Helme
Joseph Tooker

(Pamela Ash) Give same date of death as for his wife.    Names him as John Swasey II.  Gives all genealogical data except place of death.   Says he came to Salem, Mass., in 1629, was living in Southold, LI, in 1652.

(Aldrich gen.) Says he lived in Mattituck, LI.
(Harriet Eagle) Gives date of marriage as 12 Mar 1649 in Salem, Mass. She also gives his place of death.
(GRS 3.04, Banner Blue Software, 1995) John Swazey (Swayze) of Salem. Born in England, he died at Southold, LI, 10 June 1692. All his seven children are named in his will; by sex they are John, Joseph, Samuel, Abigail (married to John Hallock), Mehitable (married to Peter Aldrich), Sarah and Mary.
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 John SWAYZE, probably born in England about 1640; emigrated with his father and his brother, Joseph, to Salem, MA.  He died in Aquebogue, Suffolk County, Long Island, NY  1706.  Married before 1650 in Salem, to Katherine King, born in England, 1625, the daughter of  William King and Dorothy of Salem.  Katherine died in Aquebogue about 1691.  Their children were John, Joseph, Samuel and Abagail.

http://www.hlol.com/Swayze.htm#LINE OF CASHADAY SWAYZE

have recently been corresponding with Clyde W. Downing, one of the oldest and most distinguished Sweezey researchers. His research also concludes that John Sr. (1584-1675) did not come to Long Island. Furthermore, his research shows that there never was a John Sr., and that the brothers John and Joseph came to America at different times. First John, in 1633 and later Joseph around 1637.

And later, after further review of the records, the earliest records that can be found go back only as far as 1650 when John purchased land in Salem, Mass. The best we can say at this point, is that John Swasie came to America from England sometime between 1633 and 1650.

Based upon research by Clyde W. Downing of Washington (state), I have completely revised the original history of the Swasey/Sweezey family tree. Clyde's work convinces me that there was no John Swasey who came to America in 1630 with his two sons John and Joseph. His research shows that brothers John and Joseph are the sons of Robert Swasie of England, and that John and Joseph came to America at different times. I am going to change my records to show this new history.

1621 - Christened - John, son of Robert Swasie - listed in "Parish Registers of St. Mary's, Bridport, Dorset, England. I believe this listing pertains to this John Swasie.

1633 - It is speculated that John arrives in America on the ship "Recovery", from London with his Aunt and Uncle - Elizabeth Swasie and her husband John Hardy. Elizabeth Swasie and John Hardy were married in St. Mary's, Bridgeport, Dorset, England on 11 Jan 1612/13. I cannot find any records for this ship in 1633.

1640 - John settled in Salem, Essex Co., Mass., where in 1640, John had four acres of land allotted to him on "ye Mayne road", what is now Essex Street. This is stated in B. F. Swaseys "Genealogy of the Swasey Family", but after much research, I have not been able to find any documents relating to this claim.

1651 - Feb 13, 1651/2 The Selectmen of Salem "Granted to John Swasey 40 acres of land to be laid out near Henrie Bartholmew his farme".

1651 - 14 April 1651, Robert Gutch assigns the apprentice contract of John Woolly to John Swasey of Salem. (from the Southold Records)

1652 - 14 January - Sells to his mother-in-law, Dorothy King (a Widow) his land and house. It would appear that John and his family moved soon after to Long Island.

1653 - 30 June 1653, sells lot to Jeffrie Massey of Salem.

1654 - Purchased Land from the Rev. John Youngs in Southold, Long Island. I have not found this document, only references regarding the purchase.

1655 - John was appointed one of the commissioners to fix the boundary line between Southold and Smithtown, Long Island, NY. On 14 April 1655, along with five others he was employed by the Assembly of the New Haven Colony, of which he was a member, to purchase of the Indian Sachem Warawacmy, the town of Brookhaven, Long Island. He acquired large tracts and water privileges of this new territory. At this time, Long Island is still under the jurisdiction of The New Haven Colony.

1658 - A John Swasey is listed in "List of Heads of Families in Southold, 1658", from the Town Records.

1659 - John Swasey refuses to take "The New Haven Colony Oath of Fidelity". Around 1658, the new "religion" known as "The Quaker Movement", arrived in America from England. In response to this new 'movement', the New Haven Colony officials instituted the Oath. It is quite possible that John was either a member, or sympathetic to this new 'movement', which is why he first refused to sign the Fidelity Oath. After numerous threats, John signed the Oath in 1660. I have found no documentation to show that John was ever a Quaker. This information comes from B.F. Swasey's book, "Genealogy of the Swasey Family".

From a book titled "Records of the Colony or Jurisdiction of New Haven, from May 1653 to the Union. Together with the New Haven Code if 1656" by Charles J. Hoadly. Hartford, Case, Lockwood & Company, 1858. pg 302.
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Information being given that John Corey, John Swasey, Mr. Jon Booth, Joseph Younges senior, Tho: Ridar, Edward Petty, Tho: More junior, refused to take the oath of fidelity, it is ordered, that they shall appeare at the court of magistrates, the 19th of October, next, to answere it, if in the meane time they take not the said oath & certify it unto the court.
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1661 - On Nov 20, 1661, a John Swasey is allotted 4 lots of land in the Occabauck (Aquebogue) Dividend. Each lot consisted of approximately 250 acres. Only one other person (John Budd) received 4 lots, out of a total of 38 lots. The 4 lots were not contiguous, but was 2 separate double lots. I am not positive what the criteria was for allotting 'Lots', but I was under the impression it had to do with the size of a persons family, particularly the number of males in the family.

1665 - A meeting on 19 Mar 1665/66 in Southold agreed to divide Plum Island into shares for every man in Southold. A document dated 22 May 1666 lists a John Swazye, who is given 4 shares.

1667 - Supposedly moved to Aquebogue, on a lot later owned by descendant Rev. Moses Sweezey.

1675 - On the 16 Sept 1675 List of Taxpayers in Southold, we see a John Swasie Senior (2 heads), a John Swasie Jr., and a Joseph Swasie. This would be John Sr., with his two sons John Jr. and Joseph. The second "head" living with John Sr. would be his son Samuel. In 1675 he is taxed for 1 head, 10 acres, 28 pounds; 2 oxen, 2 cows, 22 pounds; 1 2-year-old, 1 yearling, 8 pounds 10 shillings. Amount, 58 pounds 10 shillings. Another list I found says John was taxed for 200 shillings for 1675.

Between 1676 and 1679, there is a 2nd and 3rd Aquebogue Land Division. There is a John Swazy listed who is given 4 more lots of land in the 3rd Division. I believe these documents pertain to John Sr. But, why are his two sons not mentioned? They are both of age, and Joseph was married by 1677.

1683 - A John Swazey and a Joseph Swazey appear on a "Rate Lists of Long Island" for Southold, with estimated value of property. John is 202 pounds, and Joseph is 99. I am not sure how to interpret this information. We know that son Joseph is married to Mary Betts at this time, and since he appeared to be living on his own in the 1675 tax list, this must be the same Joseph. But there should be two John Swazeys at this time - John Sr., who appears in the 1675 tax list, and his son John Jr. who was also listed in 1675 as a separate Tax Payer, and is 32 years old. This Tax Listing does not mention the number of heads in the household, so I guess it is possible that John Jr. has now moved into the house with his father. This is very hard to interpret. And, where is son Samuel? He is 30 years old at this time, and should be listed also. Maybe Samuel is also living with his father and brother John.

1686 Census - There is a listing for a John Sr. (3 males, 4 females), a John Jr. (2 males, 1 female), and a Joseph (1 male, 4 females). This appears correct. Two of the males in John Senior's household are John and son Samuel. Three of the females are his wife, and daughters Mary and Sarah.

I found a couple deeds in the Riverhead Town Records for a John Swazy Sr. One is dated 1686 giving land to his daughter Abigail, and another dated 6 Apr 1688 giving land (from the 4 lots he received in the 3rd division) to son-in-law John Hallock. In both cases he is listed as "John Sr." I am sure that these pertain to this John Sweezey.

John's Last Will and Testament mentions all 4 daughters, and sons Samuel, John and Joseph, which means they were all alive in 1692. The 1686 census shows John with 3 males and 4 females in the house. There are separate listings for his sons John and Joseph. So who are the people in the house? If my records are correct, in the house would be John himself & son Samuel (I do not know who the other male is, possibly another son I am not aware of) as for the 4 females - his wife Mary, and daughters Mary and Sarah (Abigail and Mehitabel were married prior to 1686). Who is the other female?

Some sources lists a son Richard, and others list a son Moses. I find no evidence that either of these persons existed. I also believe that the source of these two 'sons' comes from Mathers "Refugees of 1776 from Long Island to Connecticut".

He signed a will on 20 May 1692 in Riverhead, Long Island, NY. In the name of God, Amen I, John Swayze, of Southold, in Long Island, in County of Suffolk and in the Province of New York, being of good and sound memory and calling to mind ye uncertainty of this life, and that I must yield to death when it shall please God, do make, constitute and ordain this my last Will and Testament, hereby revoking and annulling any other or forms of wills by me made either by word or writing. Imprimis: I give my soul unto God who gave it and my body being dead to be buried, and my worldly estate (my just debts being paid) - first I give and bestow in name and form following:

Item: I give and bequeath unto my son John my dwelling house orchard together with the buildings, fencing and other improvements on my home stall and all ye land by me improved southward of ye land which my son John Swasey hath fencedin containing ye whole breadth of ye land far as the South Bay - ye other lot westward of it being a second lot with half ye share of ye meadow commonly called "Horton's Meadow" and being another share of meadow at a place called ye "Great Meadow," and also all my implements of husbandry and other tools.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Swasey one hundred acres of land upon which he is settled lying westward of my son John's land and northward of my son Joseph's home lot, and half of ye above of the great meadow lying on the other side of the river which was formerly John Younge's and also ye other half of ye lot westward of it (whereof the other half I have given to my son John) and my horses. in ye woods to be equally divided between my three sons.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son Samuel ye land now in the occupation of my son John lying between my son Joseph's and the house or (home) stall, which by these presents I have given to my son John; and ye other half of ye above of ye meadow called "Horton's Meadow," with this condition or limitation that my sd son Samuel shall not have power to sell or dispose of any part or parcel of ye sd land hereby granted to him so that if he shall decease without issue ye right of inheritance of ye sd land shall be to the next proper heir. Also I give to him half of my cattle and the bed and furniture which he lyeth on. Item : I give to my daughter Aldridge and to the heirs of Peter Aldridge deceased one hundred acres of land lying on the north side of the land given to my son Joseph (if there he so much land there) be it more or less. Item : I give to my youngest daughters Sarah and Mary Swasey ye other half of my cattle to be equally divided (between) them. Item : I give and bequeath to my four daughters, Abagail, Mehitabel, Sarah and Mary, all my household goods to be equally divided between them. Item : My will is that in consideration of ye lands given to my sons John and Joseph they shall pay to my two youngest daughters Sarah and Mary ye sum of 20 pounds current pay of the country; that is to say, 10 pounds apiece to each of my youngest daughters within two years after my decease. Item : My will is that Bessie my servant shall be free and set at liberty at my decease and she shall have the bed she lyeth upon. Lastly: I do hereby nominate and appoint John Tuthill of Southold and John Hallett to be the Executors of this Will and Testament. In witness whereof I do hereunto set my hand and seal ye 20 of May, 1692. John Swayze (Seal) Witnessed by us Tho. Hulse., Joseph Tooker.

He died on 10 Jun 1692 in Suffolk County, Aquebogue, Long Island, N.Y.

Some sources show that John died in 1706, but I believe that is an error, and the 1706 date is for his son John. I believe John died 10 June 1692, soon after his Will was signed.

The following are excerpts from some previous historical and genealogical sources. All of whom assume that the Original Immigrant was a John Swasey born around 1584. You can also see the confusion caused by trying to distinguish between the John born in 1620 (the one I believe is the original immigrant), and the 'imaginary' father of this person, called John Sr.:

From Genealogy of the Swasey Family by B. F. Swasey:

"John Swayze, his wife and his father moved from Salem to Southold, Long Island, as early as 1658 - having previously sold his holdings in Salem to his wife's mother per the following record: Jan. 14, 1652, John Swasey of Salem hath sold unto Dorothy King, a widow, his dwelling house with the lands belonging to it lying on the South river in S., and five or six acres of land in South Field lying between Richard Hyde's and Daniell Kimball's land as by writing dated the 15th of the first month 1652, as apeth. John Swayze and his wife became members of the first church founded in Southold in 1650 by Rev. John Younge. Long Island from its first settlement was under the jurisdiction of the Colony of New Haven, although it was primarily settled by the Dutch from Holland. Southold became strictly a Puritan town. Moral and religious life was tuned to a high pitch and all the details of secular business must harmonize with its high standard. Disorder and evil deeds that would now pass unnoticed were overtaken and punished. John Swayze lived with his father on the farm until 1667, making at this time an exchange of a part of his woodland and meadow with Barnabas Horton for similar land, "Horton to pay as balance six pounds of good sheep's wool at the next shearing time."

The above is quite accurate, if we just assume that all the references to John Swayze are for the John Sweezey born in 1619.

"Swezey History" by Richard M. Bayles is very confusing regarding this person. Here is what Richard Bayles has to say about John:

"As far as we know John Swezey 2nd had two sons, Stephen and Joseph (3rd). The latter is said to have been by trade a millwright, and (sic) occupation then common now extinct, by the decadence of the old time gristmills which formerly had a place in almost every country village. This Joseph Swezey resided at Fire Place, now Brookhaven, a short distance east of Snow's Corner on the south road. I do not know what children Joseph Swezey had other then William his son, who in the year 1746 and 1747 was in the army at or near Saratoga, as is shown by letters written by him to his parents, dated Oct. 8, 1746 and Mar. 17, 1747."

The above information would appear to pertain to John's son Joseph (2), who did have sons named Stephen and Joseph (as well as others). And, I know that Joseph's son Joseph (3) did live in Fire Place, and had a son named William.

Here are some other 'biographies' that I found on John: (most of the following 'histories' assume that there was a John Sr. who is the father of the two sons; John Jr. and Joseph. I believe that all the information actually pertains only to the person listed as John Jr.:

"Little is known of his early life, but the indications are that his ancestors crossed the English Channel from France or Germany. John came to America with two of his sons, Joseph and John Jr., as early as 1632, when Joseph took the Freemans Oath in Boston. They settled in Salem, Essex Co., Mass., where in 1640, John Sr., had four acres of land allotted to him on what is now Essex Street. As a strict Puritan in a Puritan Colony, Govenor Endicott expelled all Baptists, Episcopalians and Quakers. Being of the Quaker faith, John Sr. left Salem. He ended up in Southold on the extreme end of Long Island, where he bought land. He was later joined by his son John Jr. "

"John SWASEY, planter, probably born in England before 1600, died Southold, Long Island, about 1686. He wrote and spoke the English language. He was a Quaker who settled in Salem, Essex Co., MA, with two sons, John and Joseph. In 1640, he was allotted 4 acres of land. When banished from Salem due to religious beliefs, he sought refuge in New York. He settled first in Setauket, Long Island, Suffolk County and moved to Southold where he resided until his death. His son, John, joined him in Long Island. Joseph remained in Massachusetts and inherited his Salem estate."

According to one source, John sailed in the summer of 1629 to Salem, Essex Co., Mass on the "Talbot", with his sons Joseph and John Jr. And arrived on 29 June 1629. I have not been able to find any documentation that shows a John Swasey on this ship.

I have seen sources that list John's father as Christopher and also some that list a William Swasey as his father. Usually the William Swasey that is mentioned is the William from Dorsetshire, England, but he was born in 1496, much too early to be the father of John. I have not seen any "solid" evidence for John's parents.

The following is an excerpt of an article by Donald Bayles regarding the Swezey/Swazey family genealogy. It is the first that I have seen which mentions an Israel Swazey from Wales. Many other sources claim William from Normandy as an ancestor, but usually as a great-grandfather of John.
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"The Swezey (swazey) family is descended from John Swesye who was born in France in 1474 in France where a son William was born in 1496. They left Normandy in 1524 and settled in Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England. John Swezey of Southold was born in England in 1600, the son of Israel Swazey of Wales. John emigrated to Salem Mass. in 1629 with two sons Joseph and John. In 1652 John moved to Southold and in 1661 received an allotment of land in Aquebogue where he settled."
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One other item I must point out regarding all the 'original' biographies of John Swasey Sr. Almost every biography claims that John was a Quaker, and this is why he was forced to leave Massachusetts and come to Long Island. The truth is, the Quaker Movement did not start until after 1650 in England, and did not 'arrive' in America until the earliest in 1657. If John Swasey Sr. was a 'Quaker', he must have been one of the first adherents to this cause in America, and he was definitely not a Quaker if he arrived in America around 1630, as so many historians claim.

My feeling is that if John was a Quaker, he 'converted' after coming to Long Island with his son John. Even so, on Long Island, this new 'movement' was also considered a 'fanatical' religion and if John was a Quaker, his reception on Long Island would not have be much better than in Massachusetts. Supposedly, the only area on Long Island that was initially tolerant of Quakers was Setauket, and there are no records that John or his sons ever lived there. There does appear to be evidence that John (or John Jr.), was not of the 'accepted' faith in Salem, Mass., and did not sign the Oath based upon that faith, but he could not be a Quaker until the earliest in 1657 or 1658.

I believe I may have found a source for the belief that John was a Quaker. According to "Hallock Family", John Hallock (b. 1658) married Abigial Sweezey, daughter of this John Sweezey. The author goes on to state that "The Sweezey's were Friends from Salem, Mass..." He goes on to state how John's father William Hallock disinherited John for either being a Quaker, or for marrying one. This book was published in 1895 and predates B.F. Swasey by 15 years. It could be the source of the belief that John Sweezey was a Quaker. This is the only evidence that I have found that indicates that John Sweezey was a Quaker. I doubt daughter Abigail would be a Quaker if her parents were not of that faith. If John was a Quaker, it does not appear that any of his descendants (other than Abigail) continued with the faith, as I have seen no evidence that any other descendants are referenced to this faith. I also have my doubts that in those days, that a man would change his faith to that of his wife. I would guess that it would be the other way around. They were quite chauvinistic in those days.

This is how it is stated in "Brief Sketch of the Hallock Ancestry in the United States", by Rev. William A. Hallock, in 1866. In reference to the Will of William Hallock, father of the John Hallock who married Abigail Sweezey: "The Will inplies deep sorrow that his son John had married into and joined the then proscribed Society of Friends ...". This book also implies that the Sweezey's, by 1684 were Quakers.

Another Hallock publication, "A Hallock Genealogy", by Rev. William A. Hallock, DDD., Charles Hallock, MA, and Lucius H. Hallock, in 1926 states the following regarding the family of John Hallock and Abigail Sweezey: "The controlling influence in this interesting incident seems to have been that they were all good honest Quakers. John Hallock and his wife, Abigail, were active members of the Society of Friends, much to the displeasure in his will (of father William). They settled at Setauket, L. I., in Brookhaven Town, Their graves are marked by small stones, rising little above the ground in the Friends corner". I believe this to be the more accurate account of this family. I believe that John Hallock and his wife converted to the Quaker religion, with no influence from Abigail's family.

I have just located the Will of William Hallock, and it appears that the Hallock genalogists have done a little creative writting themselves. William's LWT did indeed express his displeasure with son John for not following his father's faith. Son John is said to be an "obstinate apostate", and is given nothing of his father's estate, but there is no mention whatsoever of John's wife's religion or that John had married into this religion. I do not know where the information about Abigail Sweezey's parents were Quakers, but it did not come from the Will of William Hallock, as is stated by some historians. Now, if Abigail Sweezey and her parents were indeed Quakers, then I can see how these historians could claim that John Hallock 'married into' this religion, but absence any documentation that John Sweezey and his children were Quakers, we cannot make that assumption.

One last note on John Sweezey's religion. The Quaker belief is that all people are equal in god's eyes, and do not need any intermediator, such as a minister or church authority. Yet, as soon as John Sweezey arrives in Southold, Long Island, he joins the Presbyterian church of Rev. John Youngs in 1654. This would not be the action of a Quaker, who would be more likely to have 'meetings', instead of a formal church mass.

I just found an interesting entry in the database at Ancestry.com. It is a list of births. I found one for a David Dayton, born 1704 in New York to an Abraham Dayton and a Katherine Swayze. I checked the LDS site to see if I could find this Abraham Dayton, and I did. He was born 1656 in Southampton and married a women named Catherine (no dates or last name), and he did have a son named David born c. 1704. The earliest that this Katherine Swayze could have been born would be about 1663, and the latest about 1686. If the above information is correct, Katherine Swayze could be another child of John and wife Katherine, though it is more likely she is a granddaughter. The latest that Katherine Kinge could have had a child would have been about 1665. I will need to check this further. I found no original source for the above information, other than the names on a list.

According to Chamber's book "Families of the German Valley, New Jersey", this person was born in Germany and moved to Massachusetts in 1629. This is the only source that I know of that says that John was NOT born in England.

Here is an interesting piece I found in "Early Long Island Wills of Suffolk County 1691-1703" by William Smith Pelletreau 1840-1918:

"John Swazey was one of the original settlers of Brookhaven, and one of the six who obtained the first Indian Deed. He refused to take of Oath of Fidelity to the Colony of New Haven in 1659. In 1666 he with others sold Plum Island to John Youngs. He removed to Southold about 1670. His descendants have changed the name to Sweezey".

The above information does not match exactly with my information, but it is interesting. I have found documents that show John did indeed obtain a deed from the Indians for what is now considered Brookhaven Township in 1655, and the documents claim John received a large lot of land in Brookhaven for his efforts. But, I have seen nothing to indicate that John ever took advantage of the land in Brookhaven. John appears to have spent his life on Long Island in Southold Township. It is close to 100 years later when I see the first Sweezey descendants in Brookhaven (the 1741 tax assessment list). I could be wrong, but the Sweezeys appear to have stayed in Southold until almost the mid 1700's. Also, John did not 'own' Plum Island, as is implied by Pelletreau. John was allotted 4 lots of land on Plum Island that he later sold to John Youngs.

Another interesting aspect to the above document by William Smith Pelletreau: It mentions that John refused to sign an "Oath of Fidelity" to the New Haven Coloney in 1659. The new settlement at Southold needed the protection from other political entities in its early history, and soon came under the 'umbrella' of the New Haven Colony. The New Haven Colony was founded by an extreme religious group of Puritans. This group was very intolerant of any other religious beliefs. My feeling is that John Sweezey could have any number of religious and/or political affiliations that would be in direct conflict with the New Haven authorities. I don't think he had to be a Quaker to refuse to sign their Oath of Fidelity. This is probably the main source for the belief that John Sweezey was a Quaker. Whether he was or not is open for debate. Either way, it definitely appears that John was not "run out" of Salem because of his religious beliefs as is stated in numerous biographies on John Sweezey. Signing the New Haven Oath of Loyalty was a way of saying that the colonies on Long Island were agreeing to belong to and be controlled by the New Haven authorities. At that time, New York was under Dutch control. Many of the people on Long Island did not wish to belong to the Conneticut political/religious authorities, and that is why they did not all sign the oath.

Also, it appears that other prominent Long Island families (Joseph Young, Edward Petty, Thomas Moore, etc.) did not sign the New Haven Oath of Loyalty either in 1659, and yet none of those families were of the Quaker faith. My feeling is that refusing to sign the Loyalty Oath was more of a political statement than a religious one.

I found a copy of the Massachusetts records regarding the above refusal to sign the Oath of Fidelity. John Corey first appears in front of the court and asked why he refuses to sign the Oath. There does appear to be a religious context to his refusal, or at least the court believes there is, but it is not clear if that is why he refuses to sign. There is a continuence, and months later the court issues another more threatening summons to the above men, at which point, the men then sign the Oath.

I have some new information from Clyde W. Downing. Clyde has researched the early Salem, Mass. records quite thoroughly, and he says that he can find no documentation to indicate the any Sweezey was in Salem prior to 1650!!!! This would mean that much of the earliest information found in B. F. Swaseys book is incorrect. The first documentation on John appears to be when he buys land in Salem around 1650 - the same land that he sells to his mother-in-law in 1652 before he moves to Long Island. I will have to do some research in order to verify Clyde's claims.

Now, according to the Kinge genealogy, John and Katherine were married in 1650 in Salem, so we can assume that John was in Salem for a least a year or so prior to 1650.

My research indicates that most of the early histories of the Sweezey family are all taken from B.F. Swasey's book, published in 1910. And, that B. F. Swasey had many discrepancies in the early history of this family. First, there is no evidence for a John Sr. who came to America in 1630 with his sons John and Joseph. It appears more likely that 'brothers' John and Joseph came to America alone, and much later than 1630, more likely they arrived in Salem around 1650. It is also possible that they are not brothers, and may not have arrived in Salem at the same time.

I have just discovered a biography for John's 'brother' Joseph written by William Richard Cutter in 1908, and it claims that 'brother' Joseph (the one who died in 1713) is the 'original immigrant', with no mention of a brother or father named John Swasey. I am feeling more confident about my theory that there was no John Swasey Sr. and his two sons in Salem, Mass. in the 1630's, nor that John came to America in the 1630's. It now appears that John Jr. came to Salem around 1650, with or without a younger brother named Joseph Swasey.