William Swift Jr ²

  General Notes:

From a Caswell County history article, published in an unknown newspaper:

"Planter, Judge, Revolutionary War Patriot, High Sheriff of Caswell County, NC"

"... at the age of five was brought by his parents to Hanover County, Virginia."

"After his mother's death, and the children had become of age, William Swift purchased their interest in the 400-acre tract left them by their father, which he sold in 1770, and removed to Orange County, N.C., where he acquired land on the headwaters of Country Line and Stoney Creeks in what now is Caswell County."

"In Orange County, (he) served in various official capacities. He was serving as justice of the court from St. David's District when Caswell was erected from Orange in 1777, and he continued to represent that District as justice of the newly erected County of Caswell. The manual signature of William Swift appears on the original inscribed minutes of the first meeting of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions for Caswell County, held on the first Tuesday, the 10th day of June, 1777, ah the house of Thomas Douglas. He continued to serve as justice of the court, and as tax collector, and as tax appraiser, until he was appointed by Governor Alexander Martin as High Sheriff of Caswell when Person County was cut off from Caswell."

"Grants and other land entries disclose that William Swift entered some 2500 acres of land for registration in Orange and Caswell Counties. In 1789 he purchased the Sheriff harris homeplace from Tyree harris, Jr., William's son-in-law, who had inherited it from his father, Sheriff Tyree Harris."

"William Swift retired from public life after serving one term as High Sheriff of Caswell County. He died in 1808, and was buried in the old Harris-Swift family cemetery that had been established on the plantation as required of plantation owners by Colonial law."
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Caswell Co., NC Deed Book E, page 429 - 1808

The Will of William Swift, Jr.

In the name of God Amen, I William Swift of the County of Caswell and State
of North Carolina being in perfect health of body and mind but calling to
mind the mortality of my body and that it is appointed for all men once to
die do make constitute and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner
an form following that is to say and principally I commend my Soul into the
hands of Almighty God who gave it and my body. I commit to the Earth to be
buried in decent Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executors whom
I shall hereafter nominate and appoint as to such worldly goods as it hath
pleased God to Bless me with in this World.

I give devise and bequeath the same in manner and form following that is to say my desire first and last is that all my lawful Debts be paid-- Imprimis: I give and bequeath to my son, John Swift, one Negro boy named Martin to him his Heirs or assigns forever--

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, Thomas Swift, one Negro man named Martin
[?] to him his Heirs and assigns forever--

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, Anthony Swift, one Negroe man named
Mintus to him his Heirs or assigns forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, Richard Swift, one Negroe man named
Charles to him his Heirs or assigns forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, William Park Swift, one Negro man named
Peter to his his Heirs or assigns forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my son, George Alexander Swift, two Negroe boys
named Rogers and Abel also one negroe Girl named Amy and Negroe Boy named James also the house and land whereon I now live and one tract of land being on the Waters of County Line Creek Containing two hundred and fifty acres of land, number of the Deed 1062 also two feather Beds and furniture and one Desk, one looking glass and half Dozen Winsor Chears and Half Dozen flag
bottom Chears, one shot Gun, one Dictionary and all the Coopers and
Carpenters tools, one folding table and four Cows and Calfs to him his Heirs
or assigns forever, also Talton is to serve his time with Geo A. Swift.

Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter Sarah Williamson, one Shilling
Sterling two Negroe men named Patrick and Isaac to her her Heirs forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my daughter, Mary George, one shilling sterling
to her her Heirs or assigns forever.

Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter, Frances Swift, one Negroe Woman
named Doll and boy named Lils and one girl named Janey and two feather Beds
of feather, one Square Table, one looking Glass, flowered frame, one riding
Horse and Saddle, two Cows and Chest of drawers to her her Heirs or Assigns
forever--

Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter Susanna Harris one Negroe Woman
named Phillis to her her Heirs or Assigns forever--

Item: I give and bequeath to my Daughter, Margret Williamson, Decesd. one
Hundred Pounds to be divided among her Children as follows to wit: Nancy Cobb
is to have twenty-five pounds and Archibald Coleman is to have one Shilling
Sterling and Williams Williamson is to have twenty-five pounds and Peggy
Russel is to have twenty-five pounds and Park Williamson is to have
twenty-five pounds.

Item: I hand to my well beloved Wife, Frances Swift, during her natural life
all the balance of my estate and after her decease to be equally divided
among her Children as follows to wit: my sons, John Swift, Thomas Swift,
Anthony Swift, Richard Swift, William Park Swift, George Alexander Swift, my
Daughters, Susanna Harris and Frances Swift to their Heirs or Assigns forever.

Lastly I institute and ordain my well beloved Wife Frances Swift, my
Executrix and my sons Thomas Swift, George Alexander Swift my Executors of
this my last Will and Testament revoking and diannuling all and every other
Will by me heretofore made declaring this and no other to be my last Will and
Testament in Witness whereof I do hereunto set my hand and affix my seal this
fifth day of May one Thousand eight hundred and four.

/S/ William Swift

Executed in presence of State of North Carolina
John Pennix Caswell County
September Court 1808
George Barker
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From: http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=johnfox38&id=I6937

From the above will it appears that William Swift, Jr. may have been married prior to his marriage to Frances Waddy, as he does not name as daughters of his wife, Frances - Sarah (Swift) Williamson, Margaret (Swift) Williamson and Mary (Swift) George.
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A Power of Attorney was registered in Goochland County as below:

"Know all men by these present that I William Swift of the county of Caswell & State of North Carolina have for a number of years past had the care & maintenance of Molly George, widow _____ of James George, Dec'd of Goochland & State of Virginia do hereby nominate, constitute & appoint Robert George, son of the said Dec'd my true & lawfull attorney for me & the said Molly George in our names & for our use to settle with the ____ & legatees of the said Dec'd as to her rights of dower & whatever the said attorney does in the name of either of us respecting the estate of the aforesaid James George, Dec'dd. I oblige myselft to ___ to & abide by, in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seat this 30th day of Sept 1805. William Swift (seal)
Attest
Harvey Swift
Thomas Williamson
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William married Frances Waddy, daughter of Anthony Waddy II and Sarah Parke, on 30 Dec 1756. (Frances Waddy was born on 19 Jun 1729 in Saint Peter's Parish, New Kent, Virginia, christened on 27 Jul 1729 in Saint Peter's Hill, Saint Mary's County, Maryland and died in 1821 in Caswell County, North Carolina.)