John Swift
Events
Date of Birth: unknown.
Place of Birth: unknown.
Date of Burial: 26 August 1638.
Place of Burial: Ormskirk, Lancashire.
The burial is recorded in parish register.
Relationships
Father: unknown.
Mother: unknown.
Spouse: Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is named in John’s will. She was probably buried 25 January 1639/40 in Ormskirk.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Margaret Swift (baptized 12 August 1591 in Ormskirk)
Elizabeth Swift (baptized 25 February 1592/3 in Ormskirk)
Evan Swift (baptized 29 January 1595/6 in Ormskirk - died about 1654).
Richard Swift (baptized 20 March 1598/9 in Ormskirk)
Hugh Swift (baptized 16 December 1601 in Ormskirk)
John Swift (baptized 11 May 1604 in Ormskirk)
Katherine Swift (baptized 4 June 1609 in Ormskirk)
Evidence
from the National Archives catalogue:
Deed of Bargain and Sale:
Richard Jollybrand of Lathome, gent., and Ewen Swifte of Skelmersdale, yeoman, to Thomas Swifte of Lathom, gent., and Thomas Ashton of Skelmersdale, husbandman -- Skelmersdale 24 February 1618/19
Deeds:
Thomas Swyfte of Lathom, gent., and Thomas Assheton of Skelmersdale, husbandman, to Ewen Swyfte of Skelmersdale, husbandman. -- Skelmersdale 18 April 1619
The same to John Swift of Skelmersdale, husbandman. -- Skelmersdale 18 April 1619
The same to James Swyfte of Skelmersdale, shoemaker. -- Skelmersdale 18 April 1619
John’s will:
In the name of God Amen the vjth Daie of August in the yere of our Lord god 1638 / and in the Fourteenth yere of the Raigne of our sou[er]aigne Lord Charles by the grace of god kinge of England Scotland France and Ireland Defender of the Fayth &c I John Swift of Skelm[er]sdale in the Countie of Lancaster yeoman beinge att this present tyme sicke and weake in bodie yett of p[er]fect mynd and understandinge I praise god for the same, doe frustrate and make void all Former wills by me made, and doe make and publish this to be my last will and testam.t in manner and forme followinge, (that is to saie) First I Commend my soule unto the hands of the Almightie god my maker and redeemer & my bodie to be buried inthe p[ar]ish churchyard of Ormeschurch as shall seeme good to my executors herein hereafter named, And touchinge the disposall of all my worldlie goods Cattalls and Chattalls, wherewith god hath blessed me, my will and mynd is First that all my goods Cattalls and Chattalls shalbe equallie devided into three parts, the First part whreof I giue and bequeath to Elizabeth my wyffe The second part whereof I giue and bequeath to bee equally devyded amongest Richard Swyft my sonne, Margarett Swift and Katherine Swift my daughters And the third and last part of all my said goods Cattalls and Chattalls I reserve to my self, to and for such use and uses, as herein hereafter shalbe expressed, First my will and mynd is that my Funerall expences shalbe paid and discharged out of my owne third part, secondlie my will and mynd is and I doe giue and bequeath unto my sonne Richard the some of sixteene pounds, also I giue and bequeath unto my sonne John Swift three shillings Foure pence in full liewe of his whole Childs part and porcon Alsoe I giue and bequeath unto eu[er]ie child that I am grandfather unto xijd and to eu[er]ie Child that I am godfather unto xijd Alsoe I giue and bequeath unto Anne bastard daughter to my sonne Hughe Swift the some of Fyftie shillings to be bestowed att the discrecion of my executors Alsoe I giue and bequeath unto my eldest sonne Euan Swift my graye mare and to my sonis Richard James, and Hughe and my daughter Katherine eu[er]ie one of them one ewe and one lambe, And after that my prenamed legacies, and Funerall expences and all such debts as I doe trulie owe shalbe paid and discharged, my will and mynd is that the rest and residue of that third part ([...] be left and remayne) I doe giue and bequeath the half thereof to my daughter Katherine & the other half to be equallie devyded betwixt Richard & Margaret my twoe Children, / Nowe as touchinge the twentie and Give pounds which my sonne Evan Swift is bounde to paye within twelve monthes after my natural death and decease it is my will and mynd that it be devyded as followeth/ that is to saie to my sonne Hughe Swift Tenn pounds, to my sonne James Swift Fourtie shillings in liewe of their whole childs p[ar]ts and porcons Alsoe to my sonne James wyffe and Children the some of Tenn pounds. to be bestowed att the discretion of my twoe sonnes, Evan and Richard, for the use of the said wyffe & children, Alsoe I giue & bequeath to Evan Swift base sonne to my sonne Hughe xxs, and the residue of the said xxvli I give and bequeath my sonne Richard Swift, And I doe ordaine and constitute and make Elizabeth my wyffe and Richard my sonne executors of this my last will and testament to execute and p[er]forme the same accordinge to the true intent and meaneinge thereof And I doe intreate Lyonell Swift & John Swift my faythfull and trustie neighbours to be ou[er]seers of this my last will and testament that it maye be executed accordinge to my mind herein / In witness whereof I the said John Swift to this my last will and testament haue putt my hand & seale the daie & yere first aboue written/
John Swife his m[ar]ke
Sealed and deliv[er]ed in the presence of John Swifte Evan Swift his m[ar]ke Lyonell Swift his m[ar]ke Henry Mosse
debts oweinge unto me as followeth/
Imp[ri]mis Fardinando Hodyson xs more oweinge by the said Fardinando which his wyf had of me xs
George woods xs
A true Inventorie of all the goods and cattells of John Swift late of Skelm[er]sdale deceased, praysed the xxith daie of September Anno Dni 1638 By Evan Swyfte, Henry Swift, Hughe Holme, and Henry Mosse vizt./
Imp[ri]mis Fyve kyne —- xvj li
Item Five stirks and one calf —xij li
Item three mares — x li x s
Item nynteene sheepe —- iiij li
Item in corne —- xv li
Item in haye —- vj li xiij s iiij d
Item one Ponie [?] —- xv s
Item in beddinge —- iiij li xiij s
Item in bedstocks —- vij s iiij d
Item in bolsters —-- xij s
Item in thrashed corne —- iiij s vj d
Item in Butter —- xij s
Item one salting tubb —- v s
Item in malt —- iij s
Item in wooll —- xij s
Item in meale and grotes —- iiij s
Item in brasse and pewter —- xx s
Item in Lynnen —- iij li xviij s
Item one Cubbord —- xiiij s
Item in bordes formes and shoelves —- x s
Item one bord and Frame —- v s
Item in cheres stooles and quishions —- iij s iiij d
Item in earthen vessells and treene vessells —- ix s
Item in spinninge wheeles —- xviij d
Item one Iron grate with other implemts —- iiij s
Item one fryinge pan with other implemts —- iij s
Item in salt flesh —- ij s
Item in salt —- x d
Item in socks pokes and twilsheets —- xvj s
Item in carts and wheeles —- xxxiij s iiij d
Item one ploughe 3 harrowes with trease and other ymplements — xix s iiij d
Item in ladders —- iij s iiij d
Item in hempe and flaxe —- x s
Item in turfe and coles —- xx s
Item in Iron geere and one cart rope —- vj s
Item in syves and wisketts —- xij d
Item in bees and honnye —- xv s
Item one brake with other ymplemts —- ij s
Item in facks[?] of ground —- xvij li
Item in money due by specialties —- Cxij li x s
Item money due without specialties —- xiiij li xv s iiij d
Item in lynnen cloth & yarne —- xxx s
Item one Iron grate —- ij s vj d
Item twoe chickins —- vj d
Item in apparrell —- xxvj s viij d
Item in donge[?] — v s
Item in money —- ix li
Summa total — CCxliij li ix d
References
Parish registers of Ormskirk.
Will of John Swift of Skelmersdale. Proved 1638 in the Consistory Court of Chester.