Events
Date of Baptism: 16 July 1710
Place of Baptism: Ormskirk, Lancashire.
The baptism is recorded in the parish register.
Date of Burial: 7 May 1788.
Place of Burial: St Mary the Virgin, Prescot, Lancashire.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: Peter Swift.
Mother: Margaret Clitherall.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Alice Hewgrave. Married May 1735 in Warrington, Lancashire.
The marriage is recorded in the bishop’s transcripts to the parish register.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Ann Swift (buried 18 March 1735/6.
Peter Swift (born 29 January 1736/7) married Ellen Files 10 October 1762 in Ormskirk.
William Swift (born 13 March 1737/8).
Mary Swift (born 12 May 1739 - buried 9 September 1740).
Edward Swift (born 30 November 1740).
Mary Swift (born 27 March 1742).
Margaret Swift (born 23 September 1743).
Lionel Swift (born 8 March 1744/5) married (1) Ellen Crumpton 25 November 1771 in Rainford; married (2) Elizabeth Lyon 30 January 1785 in Prescot.
Henry Swift (born 13 August 1746).
Katherine Swift (born 25 April 1748).
Alice Swift (born 9 February 1749/50).
Betty Swift (born 27 August 1751).
John Swift (born 24 June 1753).
Thomas Swift (born 23 December 1755) married Martha Bryers 2 January 1785 in St Helens.
Ann Swift (born 30 January 1757).
Ellen Swift (born 3 February 1759) married Adam Lyon 3 April 1786 in Prescot.
James Swift (born 17 June 1762).
Evidence
Baptism (Ormskirk parish register):
July 1710
16 Lyonell s of Peter Swift of Bicke'.
Information from Marriage bond (3 May 1735):
Know all Men by these Presents That we Lionel Swift of Sutton in the County of Lancaster Husbandman and Turton of Ashton in the County of Lancaster Husbandman are holden and firmly bound…
...or other lawful Cause to hinder the Marriage of the abovebounden Lionel Swift a Bachellor of the age of 21 years and Alice Hewgrave a Spinster both of the Parish of Prescotte…
...shall celebrate the said Marriage in the Parish Church of Warrington Prescotte or in Trinity Chapel in Warrington…
Lionel [his L mark] Swift
John Torton
Marriage (Warrington Bishop’s Transcripts, May 1735):
Lionel Swift of Sutton husbandman and Alice Hewgrave spinster [illegible]
Baptisms of children
(Prescot, St Mary parish registers):
February 1736/7
Eccleston Peter son of Lynyl Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 29 of January & Christened -- 24
March 1738
Eccleston William son of Linall Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 13 of March & Christened 26
May 1739
Rainhill Mary daughter of Linall Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 12 of May & Christened 30
December 1740
Rainhill Edward son of Linoall Swift farmer Alice his wife was born the 30th of November & Christened 26.
April 1742
Rainhill Mary daugr of Linoal Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 27 of March & Christened 19
October 1743
Rainhill Margritt daughter of Linnall Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 23 of Sept & Christened 16
(Prescot, St Helens parish registers):
1744/5
Rainhill Lyonell son of Lyonell Swift farmer & Alice his wife was born the 8 of March & Christened --7 [April]
1746
Henry son of Lionel Swift of Sutton born Aug. 13th & baptiz’d Augt 27th
1748
Katherine daughter of Lionel Swift of [illegible] born April [17] baptiz’d May 22d
1749/50
Allice daughter of Lionel Swift of Sutton born Feb: 9th baptiz’d March 4th
1751
Betty daughter of Lionel Swift of Sutton husbandman born Aug.t 27 bapt: Sept. 23
1753
John son of Lionel Swift of Sutton born June 24 bapt July 22
1755/6
Thomas Son of Lionel Swift of Sutton born Dec 23 bapt. Jan: 3
1757/8
Anne daughter of Lionel Swift born Jan: 30 bapt: Feb: 20
1759
Ellen daughtr of Linall Swift Labour of Sutton Born Feb: 3 Bap Mar 4.
1762
James son of Linel Swift Labour of Sutton Born June 17 Bap July 12
Burials of children
(Prescot, St Mary parish register):
March 1735/6
Eccleston Ann daughter of Lionell Swift Laborer was buried -- 18
September 1740
Rainhill Mary daughter of Linall Swift farmer was buryed -- 9
Burial (Prescot, St Mary parish register, 1788 May):
Prescot, Lionell Swift, Husbandman, buried [May] 7
Commentary
Lionel’s parentage
Lionel was married in 1735 and had seventeen children between 1735/6 and 1762. This suggests he was born between about 1700 and 1715. I have located only one plausible baptism: in 1710 in Ormskirk, father Peter Swift of Bickerstaffe. Naming patterns suggest that this baptism is correct: Lionel named his eldest son “Peter”.
Peter had seven children baptized in Ormskirk starting in 1706. The bishop’s transcripts for Rainford record that “Peter Swift of the p[ar]ish of Ormskirk & Margaret Clitherall of Rainford in the Parish of Prescott were married at Rainford Aprill 17.o 1705”. The Ormskirk parish registers record the burial in 1720 of “Margaret wife of Peter Swift of Skelmersdale.” Skelmersdale is the residence recorded for Peter in the baptism entries of his younger children.
There is some (slight) DNA evidence that Lionel was a son of Peter Swift. I am a paper-trail descendant of Lionel and I share some DNA (13 cM across 2 segments) with a descendant of Lionel’s brother Henry. (It is quite possible that the DNA comes from some other common ancestor than Peter Swift.)
References
Parish Registers, Prescot, St Mary. Digital images on Ancestry.com [accessed 24 September 2016].
Parish Registers, Prescot, St Helens. Digital images on Ancestry.com [accessed 24 September 2016].
Warrington Bishop’s Transcripts. Digital images on Ancestry.com [accessed 24 September 2016].
Cheshire Marriage licence bonds and allegations 1606 - 1905. Digital image on Findmypast.uk [accessed 24 September 2016].