RICHARD SWAN [#986], bap. Gilberdyke, Eastrington, East Yorshire, Eng. 23 Dec 1607,[8] bur. Rowley, MA 14 May 1678,[7] m(1) ANN ____ (possibly SPOFFORD), bur. Rowley, MA 4 Apr 1658,[7] m(2) Rowley 1 Mar 1658-9[7] Ann Trumble, widow of John Trumble. She was bur. Rowley 23 Jul 1678.[7]
Richard Swan, "husbandman", was admitted to the First Church of Boston January 11, 1638-9 and dismissed to "ye gathering of a church at Rowley Nov. 24, 1639". He was admitted freeman May 13, 1640.[1] In the inventory of Rowley lands of 1643 or 1644 Richard had, on Wethersfield Street "one Lott Containinge two Acres bounded on the south side by Robert Haseltines house Lott, and the East end by the streete". To the north was the lot of Thomas Lilforth.[6/5] At this same time he had 33.5 more acres in 13 other lots about the town.[6/1048] Richard Swan often served as a juryman at the Essex County Court.[4] In 1648 he was chosen overseer of highways, gates, and fences.[5/119] On October 10, 1650 at Ipswich Court Richard Swan was brought up for breach of the peace in striking Ezekiell Northen in the face with a staff or goad and was fined three shillings. Deacon Mighill and Goodman Acey (no doubt William) were witnesses.[4/1:219]
Richard was selectman for Rowley in 1652,[6/80] 1656,[6/95] 1662,[6/117] and 1664.[6/146] He was the constable in 1665[6/155] and deputy to the General Court in 1666[6/166] and 1667.[6/185] He was also often selected to lay out highways, determine bounds between Rowley and neighboring towns, and to sell or grant town lands.[6] Richard's first wife's name was Ann, parentage unknown. She was the mother of all his children and was buried April 4, 1658.[1/371] See below for Richard's English ancestry and the possible surname of Ann.
In his will, dated April 25, 1678, he mentions wife Ann, son Robert, son-in-law Joseph Boynton and his wife Sarah, daughter Stickney, grandchild Richard Sutton, grandchild Richard Swan (son of Robert), and four daughters (Jane Wilson, Frances Quilter, Dorothy Chapman, and Mercy Warner). The will was probated May 23, 1678.[3]
Richard Swan came from Gilberdike of the Eastrington parish, East Yorkshire, Eng. as evidenced by the baptisms of his children. From Richard's age in depositions in Rowley and the rarity of the Swan surname in the Eastrington records, there should be little doubt that Richard was baptized 23 Dec 1607, the son of Robert. Robert was baptized 19 Nov 1564, the son of Christopher of Owstroppe. Other Swan records of Gilberdike indicate Christopher's daughter Juliana was buried 5 Jul 1566; Robert had children Isabella, bap. 14 Jul 1593, Judith bap. Nov 1594, Elizabeth bur. 20 Feb 1596-7, and Beatrice married 4 June 1609 to Jacob Regi. Two other Swan marriages appear in Gilberdike. Judith, probably the daughter of Robert, married 22 Aug 1613 to Robert Ellerton. Joanna married on 6 July 1606 to Robert Hessletine of Knedlington. This couple were the parents of Robert and John Haseltine who were early settlers of Rowley and neighbors of Richard Sawn. Joanna was most probably a sister or aunt of Richard. Final Swan records in Gilberdike suggest that Richard's father Robert was buried 22 June 1613 and that the Juliana Swan, widow of Gilberdike, who was buried 22 Feb 1623-24 may have been his mother. There is also the possibilty that Richard married Ann Spofford 24 Feb 1622 in South Cave, the parish next to Eastrington in 1622.[8] The geographic proximity, the fact that Richard's first wife's name was known to be Ann, and the fact that the marriage took place a few years before the birth of Richard's first child looks like a natural fit for Richard's marriage, not to mention the dearth of the Swan name in the records. However it does seem questionable that a boy of 16 or so would be marrying, especially without some note in the records of parental consent.
Richard's second wife made her will on 4 July 1678 (proved 24 September 1678). She mentioned children Abigail Bayley, Mary Kilbourne, Caleb, John, and Jonathan Hopkinson and John Trumble and "to Caleb Hopkinson a chest that father Gott made". It would thus seem she had been married to a Hopkinson before her marriage to John Trumble, and her maiden name may have been Gott.[8]
REF: [1] Early Settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts - Amos Everett
Jewett, 1933 (pg.371)
[2] Richard Swan and Some of His Descendants - Frank H. Swan,
1927 (pgs.2-5)
[3] Essex County Probate Records (3:225-230)
[4] Records and Files of the Quarterly Court of Essex County,
1911
[5] Rowley, Massachusetts Mr. Ezechi Rogers Plantation - Amos
Everett Jewett, 1946
[6] The Early Records of the Town of Rowley, Massachusetts -
Benjamin Mighill and George Blodgette, 1894
[7] Rowley Vital Records (Swan births pg.212; marriages pg.409;
deaths pg.526)
[8] Extraction of records in the Record Office in Beverley,
Humberside, England by Mrs. J.P. Morris, 11 Eppleworth Road,
Cottingham, East Yorkshire, HU16 5YE, England commissioned by Mary
Cole
[9] The Pillsbury Ancestry
Children:
1. Robert, bap. Gilberdike, East Yorkshire, Eng. 22 Feb 1625-6,[8] age 36 in 1662, d. Haverhill, MA 11 Feb 1697-8,[2/47] m(1) Elizabeth Acy, d. Haverhill 11 Aug 1689, m(2) Haverhill 1 Apr 1690 widow Hannah Russ Chil.[2/48]: 1) Elizabeth, b. 30 Sep 1653; 2) Sarah, b. 10 Aug 1655; 3) Robert, b. Haverhill, MA 30 May 1657, m. 20 Jul 1685 Elizabeth Stone; 4) Ann, b. 3 Mar 1658; 5) Richard, b. 24 Feb 1660; 6) Timothy, b. 12 Mar 1662-3; 7) Dorothy, b. 8 Nov 1666; 8) John, b. Haverhill 1 Aug 1668, d. (Stonington, CT?) 1 May 1743, m. 1 Aug 1699 Susannah Wood (dau. of Philip Eastman and widow of Thomas Wood), d. 20 Dec 1772; 9) Samuel, b. 11 Apr 1670, d. young; 10) Samuel, b. 24 Oct 1672, d. 1751; 11) Joshua, b. 13 Sep 1674; 12) Caleb, b. 18 Jun 1676, d. young 2. William, bap. Gilberdike 25 Nov 1627,[8] bur. 8 Dec 1627[8] 3. Jane, bap. Gilberdike 16 Nov 1628,[8] m. abt. 1655 Thomas Wilson[9] 4. Frances, bap. Gilberdike 7 Nov 1630,[8] possibly d. 10 Aug 1700 widow "Davis alias Quilter",[9] m. Mark Quilter of Ipswich 5. Julianna, bap. Gilberdike 26 Nov 1632,[8] d. abt. 1674, m. Rowley, MA 18 Apr 1653 Lt. Samuel Stickney, b. Cottingham, Yorkshire, Eng. 6 Mar 1631, d. abt. 1709 6. Dorothy, bap. Gilberdike 23 Oct 1634,[8] d. 21 Oct 1710, m(1) Rowley 13 Jul 1655[7] Thomas Abbot, bur. Rowley 7 Sep 1659,[7/437] m(2) after 1659 Edward Chapman, m(3) 13 Nov 1678 Archelaus Woodman 7. Anna, bap. Gilberdike 4 Sep 1636,[8] d. before 1678 8. John, bap. Boston, MA the Sunday following 6 Jan 1638-9 9. Mercy, b. Rowley 4 Jul 1640,[7] d. 3 Apr 1683, m. 21 Oct 1662 Samuel Warner of Ipswich 10. Faith, b. Rowley 30 Mar 1644,[7] d. before 1678, m. Richard Sutton 11. Sarah, b. Rowley, MA abt. 1646, d. Groton, MA 27 Feb 1717-8, m. Rowley 13 May 1669[7] Joseph Boynton, b. Rowley 1644, d. Rowley 16 Dec 1730
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