Person Sheet


Name *Richard SWAIN, 10G Grandfather
Birth 21 Sep 1593, Binfield Pareish, Berkshire Co., Eng.
Death 14 Apr 1682, Nantucket Island, MA USA
Occupation CLICK NAME FOR NOTES - Selectman & Commissioner for Small Causes in Hampton
Father *William? SWAIN Swayne? (~1560-)
Spouses:
1 *Elizabeth BASSELLE, 10G Grandmother
Birth abt 1605, England
Death 15 Jul 1657, Newbury, Middlesex Co., MA USA87
Burial 17 Jul 1657, Hampton, Rockingham Co, NH88
Occupation CLICK NAME FOR NOTES
Children: *William (1618-1657)
Francis (1621-1665)
Nicholas (1622-1650)
Grace (1627-1693)
Richard (1630-1635)
John (1633-1717)
Dorothy (1635-1707)
Elizabeth (1638-1711)
2 Jane Godfrey BUNKER (1ST MARR. SURNAME)
Death 31 Oct 1662, Earliest recorded death on Nantucket according to Savage87
Occupation CLICK NAME FOR NOTES
Father Father of Jane GODFREY
Marriage 15 Sep 1658, Hampton, MA.87
Children: Richard S. (1660-?)
Notes for *Richard SWAIN
He left England on the Ship "Truelove" on 17 Sep 1635 and settled in Rowley, MA. He moved to Hampton, NH. While living there, he was "Selectman and Commissioner for Small Causes". In 1939 he had liberty to "settle small claims".
87,89 6 Sep 1638 "The Court grants that the petitioners, Mr. Stephen Bachiler, ... Richrd Swayne...wth divers others, shall have liberty to begin a plantation at Winnacunnet.", later called Hampton, Mass.
8113 Mar 1639 he was a Freeman.
82[chap.2, part 6] At a town meeting on 6 Nov 1640, a vote was taken and passed to lay out a road four rods in width, from the Meeting-house Green to the Falls, to pass through Richard Swaine's home lot. ... The next spring, Richard Swaine and Wm. Wakefield were directed by the town, to join with Salisbury in the laying out the highway to that town. It seems from the writings that the most direct way to Salisbury was through a marsh which Richard lived close to. On 15 May, 1650 it was decided by a vote of the town that he and Thomas Ward were to keep an eye on the road and report those that were not keeping their portion of the road in good condition. The fine for failing to do so was 10 shillings for each rod of road not properly repaired.
87He became a Quaker and therefore was fined and disfranchised in 1659. With his new wife, Jane Godfrey Bunker (widow of George Bunker who drowned at Topsfield), step-children, and two of his own children, John and Richard, he moved to Nantucket in 1660.
83In 1659 he was one of nine men who purchased the island of Nantucket from Thos Mayhew, with Mayhew retaining a share as the tenth man. It was later decided that each man could in (See quote from purchase agreement below)
---------------------------------------------------
79In 1661 he was on a Committee to lay out lands on Nantucket. In 1667 he deeded land to Thomas Macy and Edw. Starbuck, guardians of George Bunker's minor children; he himself being their step-father, as he had marrked George Bunker's widow.
---------------------------------------------------
The original document of Purchase of Nantucket read as follows: "Be it
known all men by these Presents that I Thomas Mayhew of Martin's vineyard,
Merchant do hereby acknowledge that I have sold unto Tristram Coffin, Thomas
Macy, Christopher Hussey, Richard Swain, Thomas Barnard, Peter Coffin,
Stephen Greenleaf, John Swain & William Pile all that Right and Interest
that I have in the Island of Nantucket by pattent the which right I bought
of James Forret Gentleman, Steward unto the Lord Sterling and of Richard
Vines sometime of Sacho, Gent, Steward General unto Sr. Ferdinando Georges
Knight as by Conveyance under their hands and seals appeareth for them the
aforesaid to Injoy their heirs and assigns for Ever with all the privilidges
thereunto belonging and in Consideration of the sum of Thirty pounds of
Currant pay unto whomsoever I the sd Thomas Mayhew mine heirs or assigns
shall appoint and also two bever hats one for my self and one for my wife
and further this is to Declare that I the sd Thomas Mayhew have Reserved to
myself that Neck upon Nantucket Called Masquetuck or that Neck of land
called Nashayte the neck but one northerly of Masquetauck the afores'd sale
in any wise notwithstanding and further I the sd Thomas Mayhew am to bear my
part of the Charge of the sd purchase aboue named and to hold one Twentyeth
part of all land purchased already or shall be hereafter purchased upon the
sd Island by the purchasers aforesd or their heirs and assigns for Ever
briefly it is thus that I really sold all my pattent to the aforsd nine men
& they are to pay me or whom I shall appoint the sum of thirty pounds in
good merchantable pay in the Massachusetts under which Government they now
Inhabit and two bever hats and I am to bear a twentyeth part of all lands
and priviledges and to have which of the Necks aboue sd that I willl myself
pay for it; only the purchasers are to pay what the Sachem is to have for
Masquetuck though I take the other Neck and in witness hereof I have
hereunto set my hand and seal this second day of July 1659. per me THOMAS
MAYHEW Witnesses: John Smith, Edward Scale "

In February 1659 at Salisbury, the above named purchasers met and chose ten
more partners as follows: Robert Pike was chosen by Christopher Hussey,
Robert Barnard was chosen with Thomas Barnard, Edwd. Starbuck was chosen by
Thomas Macy and Tristram Coffin, Jnr, was chosen by Stephen Greenleaf, James
Coffin with Peter Coffin, John Smith was chosen with Thomas Mayhew,
Nathaniel Starbuck with Tristram Coffin, Sr., Thomas Look with Richard
Swain, Thomas Coleman with John Swain, and Thomas Mayhew, Jr. with his
father Thomas Mayhew, Senr.

Many thanks to Carl Swain for providing the above info. He adds that many forget to add Thos Mayhew to the total men who held shares in Nantucket Island.
--------------------------------------------------
83In May of 1661 he was on a Committee to lay out lands.
1 Aug 1682, administration on his estate was granted to Richard Swain, Jr. with James Coffin.

Last Modified 27 Jul 2002 Created 23 Feb 2017 by EasyTree for Windows95

Contents * Index * Surnames * Contact