| Notes |
- Robert Sweezey Comments:
This is the original Immigrant, and appears to be the original ancestor to all the Swasey, Swezey, Swayze, etc. that currently live in the United States and Canada. This is a debatable subject, but from my research, all persons with a variation of this surname who were living in the US prior to 1860 (before the large Eastern European immigration), are an ancestor to John Swasie/Swasey (which is how the earliest records list the spelling).
One source says date of death is 1675. According to Chamber's book "Families of the German Valley, New Jersey", this person was born in Germany and moved to Massachusetts in 1629. This is the only source that I know of that says this person was NOT born in England.
Here are a couple 'biographies' that I found on John:
"Little is known of his early life, but the indications are that his ancestors crossed the English Channel from France or Germany. John came to America with two of his sons, Joseph and John Jr., as early as 1632, when Joseph took the Freemans Oath in Boston. They settled in Salem, Essex Co., Mass., where in 1640, John Sr., had four acres of land allotted to him on what is now Essex Street. As a strict Puritan in a Puritan Colony, Govenor Endicott expelled all Baptists, Episcopalians and Quakers. Being of the Quaker faith, John Sr. left Salem. He ended up in Southold on the extreme end of Long Island, where he bought land. He was later joined by his son John Jr. "
"John SWASEY, planter, probably born in England before 1600, died Southold, Long Island, about 1686. He wrote and spoke the English language. He was a Quaker who settled in Salem, Essex Co., MA, with two sons, John and Joseph. In 1640, he was allotted 4 acres of land. When banished from Salem due to religious beliefs, he sought refuge in New York. He settled first in Setauket, Long Island, Suffolk Co., and moved to Southold where he resided until his death. His son, John, joined him in Long Island. Joseph remained in Massachusetts and inherited his Salem estate."
According to one source, John sailed in the summer of 1629 to Salem, Essex Co., Mass on the "Talbot", with his sons Joseph and John Jr. And arrived on 29 June 1629. I have not been able to find an documentation that shows a John Swasey on this ship.
I have seen sources that lists John's father as Christopher and also some that list a William Swasey as his father. Usually the William Swasey that is mentioned is the William from Dorsetshire, England, but he was born in 1496, much too early to be the father of John. I have not seen any "solid" evidence of John's parents.
I found a "Swayze Crest" on the Internet at the "Descendants of the Jersey Settlers of Adams Co., Mississippi". I have attached it as a photo, but I have no information on the authenticity of this "Coat of Arms".
The following is an excerpt of an article by Donald Bayles regarding the Swezey/Swazey family genealogy. It is the first that I have seen which mentions an Israel Swazey from Wales. Many other sources claim William from Normandy as an ancestor, but usually as a great-grandfather of John.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- -------------
"The Swezey (swazey) family is descended from John Swesye who was born in France in 1474 in France where a son William was born in 1496. They left Normandy in 1524 and settled in Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England. John Swezey of Southhold was born in England in 1600, the son of Israel Swazey of Wales. John emigrated to Salem Mass. In 1629 with two sons Joseph and John. In 1652 John moved to Southhold and in 1661 received an allotment of land in Aquebogue where he settled."
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- -------------
One of the biggest mysteries of this John Swasey, is if he ever came to Long Island, as so many biographers claim. Almost all biographies on John Swasey The Immigrant (1584 - c.1675), say that John came to America with his two sons John and Joseph. For religious reasons, John and his son moved to Long Island sometime in the 1650's, and acquired land in Southold and Aquebogue. But once John and John Jr. are on Long Island, and the biographers are talking about land deeds and census listings, all of them seamlessly change John Sr.(1584-1675) and John Jr. (1619-1692) into John Jr. and his son John3 (1651-1706), without so much as an explanation. All of a sudden, John Jr. becomes John Sr. and everyone who reads the biographies is confused. In 1658, the approximate year that John and his son John came to Long Island, there were in reality 3 John Swaseys, because John Jr.'s son John (1651-1706) was already alive in 1658. The main question is - who are the John Swasey and son who came to Long Island in 1658???
The 1675 census for Southold lists a John Swasey, Sr. a John Swasey, Jr., and a Joseph Swasey. The confusion is that I believe this is really John Jr, and John III. John Jr. becomes John Sr. when he arrives on Long Island, and it can be very confusing to even experienced genealogists. And the question remains, did John the First ever really come to Long Island? And if so, when and where did he die?
One other item I must point out regarding all the 'original' biographies of John Swasey Sr. Almost every biography claims that John was a Quaker, and this is why he was forced to leave Massachusetts and come to Long Island. The truth is, the Quaker Movement did not start until after 1650 in England, and did not 'arrive' here until the earliest in 1658. If John Swasey Sr. was a 'Quaker', he must have been one of the first adherents to this cause in America, and he was definitely not a Quaker when he arrived here around 1630.
My feeling is that if John was a Quaker, he 'converted' years after he coming to Long Island with his son John. Even on Long Island, in 1860, this new 'movement' was considered a 'fanatical' religion and if John was a Quaker, his reception on Long Island would not be much better than in Massachusetts. Supposedly, the only area on Long Island that was initially tolerant of Quakers was Shelter Island, and there are no records that John or his son ever lived there.
There is a John Swasey listed in "List of Heads of Families in Southold, 1658", from the Town Records. This must be John Sr. I must assume than that John Jr. (1619-1692), and John III (1641-1706) are all living together in 1658. John Sr. would have been 74 years old at this time, and John Jr. would have been 39. If this document pertains to John Jr., then where is John Sr.?? I have not seen any biography that claims John Sr. died before 1658. And, if John Sr. is alive at this time, why isn't John referred to as a Junior in the document??
On Nov 20, 1661, a John Swasey is alloted 4 lots of land in the Occabauck (Aquebogue) Dividend. Getting 4 lots of land would indicate that there could be 4 adult males in the family. I cannot tell from this document, whether they are talking about John Sr., or John Jr. My feeling is that since he is not referred to as a Junior, this document refers to John Sr. Unless, of course, John Sr. has already died. At this point in time, John Jr. has three sons, all under the age of 11. It is possible that the 4 lots of land are for John Jr. and his three sons, but they seem kind of young at the time to be considered as adults. Most biographies that I have seen claim that the 1661 document refers to John Jr., but I am not so sure. If this 'allotment' is for John Jr., as some biographies claim, then the question is - why was John Sr. not given an allotment also?
Now, a meeting on 19 Mar 1665/66 in Southold agreed to divide Plum Island into shares for every man in Southold. A document dated 22 May 1666 lists a John Swazye, who is given 4 shares. Again, I cannot tell which John this document refers to. John Sr. would have been 82 years old at this time, and John Jr. would have been 47. I am not an Historian, and I could be completely wrong, but it seems that John Sr., at 82 years of age, is too old for the Town of Southold to be given him 4 lots of land. But, on the other hand, the meeting did say it was giving every 'man in Southold' a share. Has John Sr., already died by this time?
In the 16 Sept 1675 List of Taxpayers in Southold, we see a John Swasie Senior (2 heads), a John Swasie Jr., and a Joseph Swasie. This is the first reference to a Senior and Junior in any Southold Records I have seen. And, by 1675, John Jr. would have been 54 years old, and John III would have been 24, and brother Joseph 23. This 'census' is very confusing. My current information shows that none of John Jr.'s children are married by 1675, yet it appears that two of his sons are living in their own homes in 1675. I had originally interpreted this census be for John Jr. and his two sons John III and Joseph. And I assume that the second 'head' in John's home was either his aged father John Sr. (now about 91 years old), or his son Samuel, who is 22 years old.
Any documents after 1675 must surely pertain to John Jr. or his son, since it is not likely that even if John Sr. lived past this date, he would probably not be signing any documents.
Between 1676 and 1679, there is a 2nd and 3rd Aquebogue Land Dividend. There is a John Swazy listed who is given 4 more lots of land. These documents must surely pertain to John Jr.
After reviewing all the available information, I can see why everyone is so confused. It is very conceivable that our 'Original Ancestor' did not come to Long Island, or if he did, he died very soon after. It looks to me as if it is John Jr. who in 1655 helped survey Long Island for the New Haven Colony and was awarded property in Southold. Then around 1657, he came to Southold with his son John III, and was given more land in Aquebogue in 1658.
|
![John Swasie\Swasey, [I] >](img/male.jpg)
1584 - Abt 1675 (91 years)
[1] 