Swan, Richard

Richard SWAN (1595 - 1678) and Ann SPOFFORD (1603 - 1658)

my 9g-grandparents

8g – Sarah SWAN (1644 – 1718)
7g – Hilkiah BOYNTON (1687 – 1745)
6g – Joanna BOYNTON (1712 – 1806)
5g – Patience GROUT (1740 – 1810)
4g – Patience JUDEVINE (1771 – 1855)
3g – Horace BARTLETT (1795 – 1888)
2g – Cynthia BARTLETT (1824 – 1909)
1g – Adelbert C HUNTLEY (1847 – 1923)
Isel HUNTLEY (1897 – 1966)
Private
Gary Lee GAPINSKI (1956 – )

Richard SWAN was born 15 Sep 1595 in Rowland, Derbyshire, England, and died 14 May 1678 in Rowley, Essex, MA, age 82. He married (1) on 24 Feb 1622 in Kirk Ella or South Cave, Yorkshire, England, to Anna SPOFFORD, born 15 Jan 1603, died 4 Apr 1658 in Rowley. So he was 26 and she was 18 when they married. They had 5 children in England, and 4 more in New England.

The SWANs appeared in Boston by 6 Jan 1638/39, when Richard was admitted to the First Church in Boston. They soon removed to the newly formed village of Rowley, as Richard was dismissed by by the Boston church to the Rowley church on 9 Nov 1639, and made a freeman there on 13 May 1640. [GBB, p. 371]

The family, and their approximate ages in 1638, when they immigrated: Richard (43), Anna (35), Robert (12), Frances (10), Jane (10), Julian (5), Dorothy (2).

Richard became a leading citizen, and represented Rowley in the Massachusetts General Assembly in 1666. He served in King Philip's War, 1675-6, and in an expedition to Canada, although he must have been quite old for a soldier.

In 1648 Richard SWAN was chosen overseer of highways, gates, and fences. On 10 Oct 1650 at Ipswich Court, he 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. Richard was selectman for Rowley in 1652, 1656, 1662, and 1664. He was the constable in 1665, and deputy to the General Court in 1666 and 1667. He was often selected to lay out highways, determine bounds between Rowley and neighboring towns, and to sell or grant town lands. [CRSF]

After Anna died in 1658, Richard married (2) on 1 Mar 1658/59 in Rowley, to Ann, born about 1615 in England, died 23 Jul 1678 in Rowley, age 63. Richard was Ann's 3rd husband. She was the widow of John TRUMBULL, and had 2 children by him. Before that she was the widow of Mighill HOPKINSON, and had 5 children by him, of which the 1st died in infancy. So she brought 6 children to join Richard's 9, although most of his were already grown. Ann's maiden name may have been GOTT. Richard was 64 and Ann was about 44 when they married, and they had no children together.

There was a Richard SWAIN/SWAINE/SWAYNE in Nantucket, also born about 1595 in England, who is often conflated with our Richard.

Richard was a son of Robert and Juliana SWAN. They lived in Rowland, Derbyshire, England in 1595. This is near the larger village of Great Longstone, in central England.

Anna was a daughter of John SPOFFORD, who lived in Kirk Ella, East Riding of Yorkshire, England in 1603. This is on the north bank of the mouth of the Humber River. Rowland and Kirk Ella are about 50 miles apart.

Richard SWAN was issued one of the initial house lots in Rowley, in 1643. His 2-acre lot was on the north side, near John PEARSON and John TRUMBLE.

Richard's 1st wife, Ann SPOFFORD, was buried 4 Apr 1658 in Rowley, so she probably died a few days earlier. Richard married (2) on 1 Mar 1658/59 in Rowley, to Ann, widow of John TRUMBLE and Mighill HOPKINSON. So both of Richard's wives were named Ann/Anne/Anna. I will refer to them as Ann 1 and Ann 2.

Ann 2 was born about 1615 in England, and there is some evidence that her maiden name may have been GOTT. Also, Ann1 may be Anna SPOFFORD (above).

Ann 2 had married (1) Mighill "Michael" HOPKINSON, probably before 1641. They had 5 children, in Rowley, and Mighill died in 1649, just 7 days after the birth of his youngest child, leaving Ann with 4 small children.

Mighill HOPKINSON came to Boston in 1631 on the ship Lyon. He was a servant of Jacob ELIOT/ELYOTT. On 6 Jan 1638/39 he was admitted to the First Church in Boston, the same date as Richard SWAN. Mighill was dismissed to the newly gathered Church at Rowley on 24 Nov 1639, just 15 days after Richard. Mighill and Richard became Freemen in Rowley on 13 May 1640, and both were granted home-lots in Rowley in 1643. [CW, p. 7]

Ann 2 married (2) in Aug 1650 to John TRUMBULL/TRUMBLE. He had 5 young children by his 1st wife, Elinor, who died in 1648 or 9. Ann and John had 2 more children, and he died in 1657, buried on 18 Jul 1657. Ann then had 6 children of her own, plus 5 step-children of John's, when she married (3) on 1 Mar 1658/59 to Richard SWAN, who had 9 children from his 1st wife. They had no more children!

John TRUMBULL came from New-Castle-on-Tyne in Staffordshire, England, in 1639, stayed for one year at Roxbury, and then settled at Rowley in 1640. [HF, p. 31] He became Freeman on 13 May 1640, the same day as Mighill HOPKINSON and Richard SWAN, and like them, he was issued a house lot in 1643. John was Town Clerk in Rowley from 1655 until his death in 1657. [GBB, p. 398]

Richard was buried 14 May 1678, and Ann, his 2nd wife, was buried 23 Jul 1678. So they died about 2 months apart.

Descendants

Richard SWAN had 9 children from his 1st wife, Ann SPOFFORD. Their daughter Sarah (SWAN) BOYNTON was my 8g-grandmother. Richard had no children from his 2nd wife, Ann 2 (possibly GOTT), but she had several children and step-children from her previous marriages.

For brevity: "Rowley, Ipswich, Hertfordshire, Haverhill, Newbury and Bradford" refer to towns in Essex County, MA. Some of the data below need further verification, as mentioned above, only accepted tentatively. Some of the birthdates are unknown or uncertain, so I will list them in the same order as [GBB, p. 371].

Richard SWAN b: 15 Sep 1595 in Rowland, Derbyshire, England, d: 14 May 1678 in Rowley, age 82

+ Ann SPOFFORD b: 15 Jan 1603 in Kirk Ella, Yorkshire, England, m: 24 Feb 1622 in South Cave, Yorkshire, England, d: 04 Apr 1658 in Rowley, age 55
...... 1. Robert SWAN b: 1626 in England, d: 11 Feb 1697/98 in Haverhill, age 71
...... + Elizabeth ACY b: 24 Oct 1632 in Kirk Ella, Yorkshire, England, m: 1650 in Haverhill, d: 11 Aug 1689 in Haverhill, age 56
...... + Hannah m: 01 Apr 1690 in Haverhill
...... 2. Jane SWAN b: 1628 in England, d: 1709 in Ipswich, age 81
...... + Thomas WILSON b: 1634 in England, m: 1656, d: 1703 in Ipswich, age 69
...... 3. Julian SWAN b: 15 Feb 1633 in Gilberdyke, East Riding of Yorkshire, d: 1673 in Bradford, age 40
...... + Lieut. Samuel STICKNEY b: 6 Mar 1630 in England, m: 18 Apr 1653 in Rowley, d: 13 Feb 1709 in Bradford, age 76
...... 4. Frances SWAN b: 1628 in England, d: 1694, age 66
...... + Mark QUILTER b: 1630 in England, m: 1653, d: 1678 in Ipswich, age 48
...... 5. Dorothy SWAN b: abt. 1636 in England, d: 21 Oct 1710 in Rowley, age 74
...... + Thomas ABBOTT b: abt. 1628 in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, m: 12 May 1655 in MA, d: 5 Sep 1659 Rowley, age 30 or 31
...... + Edward CHAPMAN b: abt. 1617 in Yorkshire, m: 10 Jun 1858 d: 18 Apr 1678 in Ipswich, Essex, MA, age 60
...... + Archelaus Hercules WOODMAN b: 23 Jan 1613 in Corsham, Wiltshire, England, m: 13 Nov 1678 in Newbury, d: 7 Oct 1702 in Newbury, age 89
...... 6. John SWAN b: 1639 in Boston, MA
...... 7. Mercy SWAN b: 04 Jul 1640 in Rowley, d: 03 Apr 1683 in Dunstable, NH (now MA), age 42
...... + Samuel WARNER b: abt. 1640 in Ipswich, m: 21 Oct 1662 in Ipswich
...... 8. Faith SWAN b: 30 Mar 1644 in Rowley
...... + Richard SUTTON b: 1621, m: 1673
...... 9. Sarah SWAN b: 30 Mar 1644 in Rowley, d: 27 Feb 1717/18 in Rowley, age 73
...... + Capt. Joseph BOYNTON b: 13 May 1644 in Rowley, m: 13 May 1669 in Rowley, d: 16 Dec 1730 in Rowley, age 86

+ Ann 2 ?GOTT b: abt. 1615 in England, m: 01 Mar 1658/59 in Rowley, d: 23 Jul 1678 in Rowley, age 63

Listed below are the 3 spouses and 7 known children of Richard's 2nd wife, Ann 2 (possibly GOTT).

+ Mighill or Michael HOPKINSON b: 1610 in England, m:1641 in Rowley, d: 28 Feb 1648/49 in Rowley, age 38
......1. Jonathan HOPKINSON b: 12 Jan 1641/42 in Rowley, bur: 20 Jan 1641/42, age 8 days or less
......2. Jonathan HOPKINSON b: 09 Apr 1643 in Rowley
...... + Hester CLARKE
......3. Jeremiah HOPKINSON b: 26 Mar 1645 in Rowley, bur: 22 Feb 1665/66 in Rowley, age 20
......4. John HOPKINSON b: 07 Jan 1646/47 in Rowley, d: 29 May 1704, age 57
...... + Elizabeth PEARSON b: 17 Oct 1646 in Rowley, m: 08 Jun 1670 in Rowley
......5. Caleb HOPKINSON b: 19 Feb 1648/49 in Rowley
...... + Sarah WALLINGFORD

+ John TRUMBULL/TRUMBLE b: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Staffordshire, England, m: Aug 1650 in Rowley, d: 17 Jul 1657 in Rowley
......1. Mary TRUMBULL b: 17 Jun 1654 in Rowley, d: 09 Feb 1715/16, age 61
...... + Joseph KILBOURN b: 05 Apr 1652 in Rowley, m: 30 May 1678, d: 10 Jul 1706 in Dunstable, NH (now MA), age 54
......2. Abigail TRUMBULL b: 10 Dec 1651 in Rowley
...... + Dea. Joseph BAILEY

+ Richard SWAN b: 15 Sep 1595 in Rowland, Derbyshire, England, m: 1 Mar 1658/59 in Rowley, d: 14 May 1678 in Rowley, age 82

John HOPKINSON married Elizabeth PEARSON, daughter of Deacon John PEARSON and Dorcas PICKARD, my 8g-grandparents.

Mary TRUMBULL married Joseph KILBOURN, daughter of George KILBOURN, who was possibly a son of Thomas KILBOURN and Frances MOODY, my 10-grandparents.

The sections below will cover each of the 9 children of Richard SWAN and his 1st wife, Ann SPOFFORD.

1. Robert SWAN was born about 1626 in England, and died 11 Feb 1697/98 in Haverhill, age 71. He married (1) about 1650 in Haverhill, to Elizabeth ACY, born 24 Oct 1632 in Kirk Ella, Yorkshire, England, died 11 Aug 1689 in Haverhill, age 56. He married (2) on 1 Apr 1690 in Haverhill, to Hannah, last name unknown.

Robert gave a deposition in an Essex County court case dated 1662, giving his age as 36, implying a birth date of about 1626. His marriage record also gives his birth year as 1626. If it's true that his family was from Yorkshire, England, then he was probably born there, and probably immigrated with his parents before 1639.

2. Jane SWAN was born about 1628 in Eastrington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and died about 1709 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. She married about 1656 to Thomas WILSON, born 1634 in England, died 1703 in Ipswich.

3. Julian SWAN (sometimes called Juliana, Julia or Julia N) was born 15 Feb 1633 in Gilberdyke, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and died 18 Apr 1653 in Bradford, Essex, MA. She married on 18 Apr 1653 to Lieut. Samuel STICKNEY, born 6 Mar 1630 in England, died 13 Feb 1709 in Bradford, age 76. They lived in Bradford (formerly part of Rowley), and she died about 1673, leaving 4 or 5 children. [SF, pp. 3-4]

After Julian died, Samuel married on 6 Apr 1674 to Prudence LEVAR, born 11 Jun 1644 in Rowley, died 26 Oct 1716 in Bradford. They lived in Bradford, and had 3 more children.

Prudence LEVAR/LEAVER, daughter of Thomas LEVAR and Mary BRADLEY, also early settlers of Rowley, with property on Holme St, near Richard SWAN. Prudence was a widow of Benjamin GAGE, born about 1643 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. Timeline:

1663/64 Feb 16 - Benjamin GAGE married Mary KEYES, in Andover, MA
1666 Sep 26 - John GAGE, son of Benjamin and Mary, born in Georgetown (formerly part of Rowley)
1668 Dec 26 - Mary (KEYES) GAGE, age 23, died in Bradford (formerly part of Rowley)
1671 Feb 25 - John GAGE, age 4, died in Bradford
1671 Oct 11 - Prudence LEVAR married Benjamin GAGE in Bradford
1672 Oct 10 - Benjamin GAGE, age 29, died 10 Oct 1672 in Bradford
1674 Apr 6 - Prudence (LEVAR) GAGE married Samuel STICKNEY in Bradford

Samuel STICKNEY, eldest son of William and Elizabeth STICKNEY, who came to America about 1637, and first settled in Boston. Along with Richard SWAN and Michael HOPKINSON, William STICKNEY was admitted to the First Church of Boston on 6 Jan 1638/39, and released to the church at Rowley on 24 Nov 1639. So Samuel, age 8, was among the earliest settlers of Rowley.

For brevity: MA refers to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Rowley is in Essex County, MA, and Bradford was once a part of Rowley. Billerica (pronounced Bill-Ricka) in in Middlesex County, MA.

Lieut. Samuel STICKNEY (b. 6 Mar 1630-England d. 13 Feb 1709-Bradford)
sp: 3. Julian SWAN (b. 15 Feb 1633-Gilberdyke, East Riding of Yorkshire, England m. 18 Apr 1653 d. 1673-Bradford)

.... i. Elizabeth STICKNEY (b. 9 May 1661-Rowley d. 28 Apr 1694-Rowley)
.... sp: Daniel TENNEY (b. 16 Jul 1653-Rowley m. 21 Jul 1680 d. 1747)
........ a. Thomas TENNEY
........ sp: Sary TAFT (m. 20 May 1720)
........ b. Daniel TENNEY Jr (b. 2 Mar 1689/1690-Rowley d. 21 Mar 1756)
........ sp: Priscilla WOOD (b. 27 Aug 1687-Bradford m. 28 Nov 1711 d. 1721-Rowley)

.... ii. Samuel STICKNEY Jr (b. 5 Feb 1663-Rowley d. 30 Dec 1714-Bradford)
.... sp: Mary HASELTINE (b. 1672-MA m. 1690 d. 1731)
........ a. Richard STICKNEY

.... iii. William STICKNEY (b. 21 Aug 1665, died young)

.... iv. Sarah STICKNEY (b. 20 Oct 1667 d. 15 Apr 1689)

sp: Prudence LEVAR (b. 11 Jun 1644-Rowley m. 6 Apr 1674 d. 26 Oct 1716-Bradford)

.... v. William STICKNEY (b. 27 Jan 1674/1675-Bradford d. 21 Feb 1706-Bradford)
.... sp: Anne HASELTINE (b. 4 Aug 1677-Bradford m. 4 Sep 1701 d. 16 Jul 1754-Bradford)
........ a. Jeremiah STICKNEY (b. 1 Aug 1702-Bradford d. 11 Apr 1763-Rumford, Merrimack, NH)
........ sp: Elizabeth CARLTON (b. 7 Mar 1706-Bradford m. 12 Nov 1724 d. 1 Jan 1773-Concord, Merrimack, NH)
........ b. William STICKNEY (b. 14 Oct 1704-Bradford d. 27 Aug 1781-Billerica)
........ sp: Anne WHITING (b. 15 Apr 1705-Billerica m. 1 Jun 1729 d. 26 Mar 1749-Billerica)
........ sp: Hannah ABBOTT (m. 23 Nov 1749)
........ c. Daniel STICKNEY (b. 6 Feb 1706-Bradford d. 25 Apr 1788-Tewksbury, Middlesex, MA)
........ sp: Mary HILL (b. 15 Jan 1705-Billerica m. 15 Dec 1730 d. 28 Jun 1789-Billerica)
........ d. Amos STICKNEY (b. 24 Sep 1755-Newbury, Essex, MA d. 15 May 1788-Newbury, Essex, MA)
........ sp: Sarah GERRISH (b. 3 Jun 1757-Newbury, Essex, MA m. 11 Mar 1779 d. 14 Aug 1834-Tinahaley, Ireland)

.... vi. Thomas STICKNEY (b. 19 May 1677 d. 12 Jun 1689, drowned in Merrimack River)

.... vii. Jonathan STICKNEY (b. 11 Feb 1679-Bradford d. 5 Oct 1713-Bradford)

4. Frances SWAN was born about 1628, probably in England, baptized 21 Dec 1628 in Marsham, Norfolk, England for Frances, daughter of Richard and Anne SWAN. She and died about 1694.

Her marriage record says she was born about 1633. It's possible that the 1628 baptism record is for an earlier child, who died, and they reused the name.

Frances married about 1653 to Mark QUILTER, born about 1630 in England, and died 1678 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. They lived in Ipswich, and had at least 1 daughter, Dorithy QUILTER.

5. Dorothy SWAN was born 16 May 1635 in England, and died 27 Oct 1710 in Rowley, Essex, MA.

She had 3 husbands, and outlived them all. She married (1) on 12 May 1655 in MA, to Thomas ABBOTT, born in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England, died 5 Sep 1859 in Rowley, Essex, MA. She married (2) on 10 Jun 1858 (before Thomas died?) to Edward CHAPMAN, born about 1617 in Yorkshire, England, died 18 Apr 1678 in Ipswich, Essex, MA. She married (3) on 13 Nov 1678 in Newbury, Essex, MA to Archelaus Hercules WOODMAN, born 23 Jan 1613 in Corsham, Wiltshire, England, died 7 Oct 1702 in Newbury, Essex, MA. Despite having 3 husbands, it seems that Dorothy died childless.

Thomas ABBOTT was a son of George ABBOTT, who had brought his family from England about 1639, and settled in Rowley by 1642. [GA]

6. John SWAN's father became a member of the First Church in Boston on 6 Jan 1638/39, and John was baptized the following Sunday. So John was probably born in Boston, about 1638.

He is often conflated with John SWAIN, of Nantucket, who married Mary WYRE/WEARE.

7. Mercy SWAN was born on 4 Jul 1640 in Rowley, and died 3 Apr 1683 in Dunstable, NH (now MA), age 42. She married on 21 Oct 1662 in Ipswich, to Samuel WARNER, born about 1640 in Ipswich.

8. Faith SWAN was born 30 Mar 1644 in Rowley. She married about 1673 to Richard SUTTON, born about 1621.

9. Sarah SWAN was born 30 Mar 1644 in Rowley, and died 27 Feb 1717/18 in Rowley, age 73. She married on 13 May 1669 in Rowley, to Capt. Joseph BOYNTON, born 13 May 1644 in Rowley, died 16 Dec 1730 in Rowley, age 86.

Sarah and Joseph were my 8g-grandparents. See the Joseph BOYNTON page.

Sources

[1830] 1830 Map of Rowley, MA

[BF] The Boynton family. A genealogy of the descendants of William and John Boynton, who emigrated from Yorkshire, England, in 1638, and settled at Rowley, Essex County, Massachusetts (1897) by John Farnham Boynton and Caroline Foster Harriman Boynton

[CHP] The pioneers of Massachusetts, a descriptive list, drawn from records of the colonies, towns and churches and other contemporaneous documents (1900) Charles Henry Pope

[CRSF] Comments on the Richard Swan Family (requires Ancestry license)

[CW] A genealogical history of the Clark and Worth families : and other Puritan settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (1970) by Carol Clark Johnson (pp. 7-9 covers the Hopkinson family)

[DHH] History of Essex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men (1888) by D. Hamilton Hurd Vol. I Vol. II

[GA] Descendants of George Abbott, of Rowley, Mass., of his joint descendants with George Abbott, sr., of Andover, Mass.; of the descendants of Daniel Abbott, of Providence, R. I.; of some of the descendants of Capt. Thomas Abbott, of Andover, Mass.; of George Abbott, of Norwalk Ct.; of Robert Abbott, of Branford Ct.; with brief notes of many others of the name, original settlers in the United States. (1906) By Major Lemuel Abijah Abbott Vol 1 Vol 2

[GBB] Early settlers of Rowley, Massachusetts : a genealogical record of the families who settled in Rowley before 1700, with several generations of their descendants (1933) by George B. Blodgette

[HF] Genealogical descent of the Huxley family in the United States (1901) by Jared Huxley

[SF] The Stickney family : a genealogical memoir of the descendants of William and Elizabeth Stickney, from 1637 to 1869 by Matthew Adams Stickney

Updated 2 Sep 2022 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.