William Swift

Biography

From https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Swift-62

William Swift, b. 25 Apr 1627 St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey [TAG 77:166], son of William Swift (1575 - 1644) and Joan Unknown (1576 - 1663).[1][2]

William was at Watertown, Massachusetts in 1634 and later at Sandwich, where he served as Deputy to the Plymouth General Court in 1673, 1674, 1677 and 1678.

He married by 1651 Ruth____ [MD 14:166; Sand VR 1:15]; assumed to be mother of his children (named in his 1705 will). Some say she was a Tobey, Dillingham, Morse or Arnold without source. Published 21st century researchers Robert Charles Anderson and Jane Fletcher Fiske both admit no knowledge of her surname.[3] An unsourced marriage date of 18 Nov 1650 in Sandwich, Massachusetts, has been suggested.

He 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 (Barnstable Probate, 2:217).[4][5]

Children

1. Hannah b 11 Mar 1651[6] prob. 1651/2); m. (1) Ambrose Fish; m. (2) Thomas Tobey.
2. Ruth (1652),
3. William, b 28 Aug 1654; d. before his father; m. Elizabeth ____, parentage unknown; she was not the daughter of John Thomson as often stated.
4. Ephraim, b 7 Jun 1656; m. Sarah Perry, dau of Ezra.
5. Mary or Maria, b 7 Apr 1659; d 1 Mar 1682; m 6 Feb 1677 Shubel Smith.
6. Samuel, b 10 Aug 1662; m. Mary ___.
7. Jireh, b 1665; m 26 Nov 1697 Abigail Gibbs
8. Temperance, b 1666; m. Timothy Bourne[7]
9. Esther or Hester, b 1668; m about 1689-90 John Gibbs Jr
10. Josiah, b 1670
11. Dinah, b abt 1672; m. Benjamin Perry

Notes

More info is needed, but it looks like this is the guy that made the trip from England to the Colonies. He's referred to as William the 2nd, though it looks like he is more like the 4th or 5th in a line of William Swift or Swyft. William IV (1619 --1705) married Ruth Allen Tobey in 1649. Some say she was a Morse or Arnold, so we are only sure of the first name.

They had eleven offspring, Hannah, Ruth, William III, Ephraim, Mary, Samuel, Jireh, Josiah, Temperance, Ester, and Dinah. Dinah married a Benjamin Perry. William II served many years in the Massachusetts General Court. Our line of Swifts descends through Samuel 10 August 1662 B. 25 May 1730)..

Interestingly, his younger brother Jireh was born in Suffolk County, England. Older brother Ephraim was born 6 June 1656. Samuel had a son Ephraim, another of our distant grandfathers. Jireh and Samuel both married Gibbs girls, Abigail and Mary.

We are connected to William I and William II through Samuel. William II represented Sandwich in the General Court (legislature) four times, was surveyor of local highways, served as constable, and was a selectman for 15 years. He married a second wife, Mary Lynde Butler, born 1658.