SWIFT
William Swift, immigrant ancestor, came probably from Bocking, county Suffolk, England, to New England, in 1630. He settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he was a proprietor in 1636. In 1637 he sold his estate there and removed to Sudbury. On June 28, 1641, he sold his house and land in Sudbury and removed to Sandwich, where he died in January, 1643-44.
He married Joan _____, whose will was proved Oct. 12, 1662; she died before that date. She bequeathed to Daniel Wing's two sons Samuel and John; grandchldren, Hannah Swift and Experience Allen; to Mary Darby; to Hannah Wing the elder and her daughters; to Zebediah Allen. Her son William was executor of her will, and made distribution of her estate.
Children:
William, mentioned below.
Hanna, Esther.
(II) William (2) son of William (1) Swift, was born in England about 1627, died at Sandwich, Jan. 1705-06. He was deputy to the general court in 1673-74-77-78. He married Ruth _____.
Children, born at Sandwich:
1. Hannah, March 11, 1651.
2. William, Aug. 28, 1654, mentioned below.
3. Ephraim, June 6, 1656.
4. Mary, April 7, 1659.
5. Samuel, Aug. 10, 1662.
6. Josiah.
7. Jireh.
8. Temperance.
9. Esther.
10. Dinah.
(III) William (3) son of William (2) Swift, was born Aug. 28, 1654. He was a carpenter by trade. His will was dated June 17, 1700, and presented at court, May 12, 1701, thus fixing the year of his death. He lived at Sandwich.
He married Elizabeth _____.
Children:
1. William, born Jan. 24, 1679.
2. Benjamin, 1682.
3. Joseph, Nov., 1687.
4. Samuel, Dec., 1690.
5. Joanna, March 9, 1692.
6. Thomas, mentioned below.
7. Elizabeth (twin), Jan. 11, 1696.
8. Thankful (twin), Jan. 11, 1696.
9. Josiah.
10. Ebenezer.
(IV) Thomas, son of William (3) Swift, was born in Dec. 169 _., and settled in Plymouth. He married, Jan. 23, 1718-19, Thankful Morey, of Plymouth.
Children:
1. Lydia, born Sept. 1, 1720.
2. Deborah, May 28, 1723.
3. Elizabeth, Jan. 11, 1724-25.
4. Thomas, May 11, 1727.
5. Jerusha, Feb. 25, 1731-32.
6. Phineas, March 10, 1733-34.
7. Rhoda, 1735.
8. Thankful (twin) Feb. 26, 1737-38.
9. Lemuel (twin), mentioned below.
(V) Lemuel, son of Thomas Swift, was born Feb. 26, 1737-38, in Plymouth, Mass. He married, Dec. 8, 1756, Rebecca Whitfield, of Rochester, Mass. He was a soldier in the revolution in Captain Nye's company, Fourth Plymouth county regiment in 1776 at the defence of Elizabeth Islands. He was corporal in the service in the Rhode Island campaign in 1780. At the close of the war he went to New Hampshire (probably) from Wareham, and thence to Barnard, Vermont. His brother Thomas appears to have settled there also. In 1790 Thomas had two males over sixteen and two under that age, and five females in his famikly in Barnard. Lemuel does not appear in this census, though he did not permanently remove to New York until 1804. Heman Swift, Joseph Swift and Levi Swift had young families at Barnard and were sons of Thomas or Lemuel. Lemuel was one of the pioneers at Potsdam, N.Y., and he is buried in the old Garfield burying-ground there, two miles from the village of Potsdam.
(VI) Levi, son of Lemuel Swift, was born in Sandwich or Wareham, probably about 1775. He was with his father at Barnard and Potsdam and he cleared a farm at Potsdam, now [1910] occupied by Judge Theodore H. Swift.
He married, _____ Boyden.
Children:
Harvey, Foster, Hiram, killed when four years old, accidentally, Wilbur or Willard.
(VII) Harvey, son of Levi Swift, was born in Barnard, Vermont, 1799, died at Potsdam, New York, Nov. 8, 1862. He was educated in the public schools, and followed farming on the homestead, to the ownership of which in due time he succeeded. He was a useful and honored citizen of the town.
He married Hannah Avery, who died Dec. 12, 1863, aged sixty-eight years.
Children:
Hiram, Julia and Betsey.
(VIII) Hiram, son of Harvey Swift, was born in Potsdam, N.Y., Sept. 11, 1820, on the homestead where his father and grandfather had lived, and he died there in 1861. He attended the public schools and St. Lawrence Academy. He inherited the homestead on which he lived all his life. He built the present [1910] brick dwelling house on the property. He was a well-to-do and influential citizen.
He married, in March, 1849, Lucy A., born in Massena, N.Y., April 18, 1829, daughter of Shadrach and Lucy (Gamble) Foster. She is now living on the homestead in her son's family. Her father was a native of Vermont.
Children, born at Potsdam:
1. Theodore Hiram, mentioned below.
2. Francene, born April 15, 1852; married Alvedo S. Barber, a merchant at Ithaco, Michigan, daughter: Anna E., born March 5, 1880.
3. Charlotte, born Oct. 2, 1853; died Jan. 20, 1902; married James L. Powers, a farmer at Lowville, N.Y. children: James Harold Powers, Feb. 14, 1882; Hiram H. Powers, Sept. 20, 1883; Mary F. Powers, May 7, 1884.
(IX) Hon. Theodore Hiram, son of Hiram Swift, was born at Potsdam, June 14, 1850. He attended the public schools and St. Lawrence Academy, and in 1868, at the age of eighteen, began to read law in the office of Dart & Tappan. He entered the law school of St. Lawrence University, from which he graduated in 1871. In the same year he was admitted to the bar. He was associated with the firm of Tappan & Irwin for two years, and in 1873 opened an office in Potsdam. After practicing two years, he formed a partnership with C. E. Sanford. The firm was dissolved at the end of three years, and Mr. Swift continued in his profession in Potsdam until June, 1880, when he removed to New York City. For the next eight years he enjoyed there an excellent practice and an honorable rank in his profession. One of the notable cases in which he was an attorney was in the contest of the will of James H. Paine in the surrogate's court of New York county. Mr. Swift represented the administrators and won his case, the deicison being given by Surrogate Daniel G. Rollins on the last day of his term, Dec. 31, 1887.
From May, 1888, to May, 1892, Mr. Swift was again in partnership with Mr. Sanford, practicing in his native town of Potsdam. In Dec., 1892, he admitted to partnership Frank L. Bell. He is a Republican. In 1893 Mr. Swift was elected county judge of St. Lawrence county and re-elected for a second term of six years in 1900. In 1902 he resigned to accept the appointment of judge of the court of claims of New York, and since 1906 he has been presiding judge of that court. As a public speaker Judge Swift has been in great demand, especially during political campaigns before he was called to the bench. He has always retained in his possession the old Swift homestead where he was born and on which he now [1910] lives. The farm comprises one hundred and twenty-five acres and he has a model stock farm with a herd of fine Holsteins. He is a memer of the Raquette River Lodge, Free Masons, Potsdam.
He married, July 5, 1871, Mary A., daughter of John L. and Clarissa Brown Perkins, of Parishville, N.Y.
Children:
1. John H., died at the age of nine years.
2. Hiram H., born June 25, 1875; lives on the homestead; married (first), Tacy Wood, of Massena, N.Y.; (second) Blanche Aldous; children: Pauline Wood and Theodore H.
3. Leon T., born in July, 1878, died aged three months.