Under Construction
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English Swiggetts I have found very few Swiggetts in the parish records of Mother England. However there was a John Swiggett living in the Parish of Horbling, Lincoln in the north east of England as early as 1595. His surname is recorded as Swiget, Swiggott, Swygett and Swygitt. John was the father of the following children, all christened at Horbling; John 5 May 1595, Richard 14 October 1599, Marie 30 November 1600 and William 10 August 1606. 1
Henry Swiggett #1 There is some evidence that the Swiggett family arrived in Maryland much earlier then previously thought or I should say earlier than most records would seem to indicate. During the latter part of the 1670s there occurred a great unrest among the population in Dorchester county. There was much speculation concerning the movements of the indigenous peoples and their possible plans for the white inhabitants. The following was sent to me by Michael Hofemann a fellow Swiggett researcher.Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1678- |
1679 Lib. R,
p. 184, May 28th 1681 “Edward Hide was at the house of Henry Swigget and saw eight Indians goe into the house when they were a planting, and one of them came and presented a gunn at them, and I chanced to hold up my head from planting and see him, and he slided Downe his gunn again, and I with the rest went up to them and asked what Indians they were and they said they were Chicacone Indians and went away. Signed Henry E Hide” This shows that not only was there a Henry Swiggett in Maryland by 1678/79 but more precisely that he was living in Dorchester county at that time. There are no land records or patents for this Henry Swiggett so we must assume that he was a tenant farmer for one of the more well-to-do families in the area. Henry Swigett received payment from the estate of John Hodson, dec’d, of Dorchester county in an account dated 2 September 1679. (Maryland Inventories and Accounts Lib. 6 fol. 358) 2The next mention of this Henry Swigget was recorded in November 1690 when he was listed as having received a bounty for a wolves head. 3 This is the last notation of this early Henry Swiggett that I have been able to find. There are no probate records for this gentleman in Maryland. If anyone out there knows anything about him please contact me, thanks!Henry Swiggett #2 This Henry Swiggott has left us only two documents so far discovered. The first was an inventory of his estate dated 15 May 1733 and recorded in Dorchester county on 16 May 1733. The estate was a small one valued at £78.13.0, the appraisers were J. Eccleston and William Stanford, the greatest creditors were listed as Charles Stanford and George Griffith, next of-kin were recorded as William Lester (Lister) and Henry
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