Samuel Swasey 1682-1739 Salem MA Shipwright

Samuel Swasey was born 14 July 1682!

I first will include information copied from a book about the Swasey family...

Samuel Swasey     Birth 14 July 1682 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States 
    Death 1739 in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, United States  Samuel Swasey, Shipwright, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1682, died in Salem 1739;  Samuel, married Ammi Ayers, daughter of Nathaniel Ayers of Boston, on Jan. 16, 1711.  He is mentioned both in Boston & Salem as shipbuilder.  On Feb. 20, 1709-10, he bought of Mary & Elizabeth Lambert of Boston, heirs of Daniel Lambert of Sallem, their interest in their father's estate including house & lot, building yard, wharf, etc.  In 1710, he bought the interest of  Daniel Lambert Jr. & also of John Lambert Jr. fishermen.  In 1742, his widow the remainder of the Lambert estate.  He also bought extensive tracts of land including salt marshes in the Southfield.

These lots including house, shipyard & wharf, borrowed sererally in Salem on Summer Street, Norman Street, on the Creek, now Creek Street, & included Marstons whart where the present B. & M. Station stands.  At his decease, two of his sons: Nathaniel, a cooper of Salem, & Samuel Of  Ipswich, Mass; divided the house between them; Nathaniel taking the western & Samuel the eastern half.  In 1713, he bought a house & lot in Boston where he lived 3 years & where his first 3 children were born  The same year bought l 3/4 acres on Castle Or Gallows Hill in Salem, a high & extensive mound of land reduced in 1904, to a level of the streets for purposes of the B. & M. Railroad.

As a contribution to the early settlement of Salem we quote his several sales of land in the Southfield.  Dec 9, 1719, he secured by mortgage of 50 pds land of  Benjamin Holmes, known as Holmes Hill.  Dec 3, 1730 he sold to Edward Pickering for 40 pds two acres of land in which his wife joins.  Nov 21. 1734, he sold for 17 pds a small lot of land  to John Leach..  Aug. 12, 1734. for 46 pds he sold to John Gardner, yeoman, l acre of land bounded by Gardner's Marsh & upland & by Brown's marsh & Holmes Hill.  Feb 25, 1734, Samuel Swasey &8 olthers convey land including Holmes Hill to the town of Salem--being that land granted by ye Selectmen of Salem, Feb 28, 1672, to the proprietors of ye Southfield through whose land ye county highway was laid out ( the road to Marblehead).  He also conveyed for 55 pds 2 1/2  acres to Walter Smith on the Andover road, also several acres of salt marsh in ye Southfield.

After his death, his widow, Ammi, lived wht the son, Joseph at Swanses (Somerset, Mass), where she died at nearly 100 years of age.  She made her will Jan. 02, 1783.    Will of Samuel Swasey: Shipwright, made his will Jan. 29, 1738-9; proved Feb. 26. 1738.  Wife: Ammi, to have the house, etc, homestead during her life & to lhave about 11 acres purchased of Joseph Hardy & to be executrix of the will.  Children:  Samuel Swasey & Nathaniel Swasey---They to have hand in Southfield purchased of widow Hannah Pickering; also a piece near Long Wharf, Salem ( about 1/2 acre), & two common rights in great pasture; also they to have the dwelling house, barn, etc.  Joseph & Stephen Swasey, to have a piece of about 2 acres purchased of Susannah Daniels; also salt marsh next to Col. Brown's land;  also two common rights in the great pasture--likewise they to have the dwelling house in Salem bought of Eben Lambert, deceased after the widow deceased.  Ammi & Elidabeth Swasey, to ahve a small piece of land in Salem lying between ye estate of wm. Luscomb, deceased, & eben Glover;   each a common right in great pasture; also they to each a silver tankard, itc, including his house & land in Boston, to be sold to pay his debts.  It had been purchased of Nathaniel Ayers, blacksmith, etc.  Inventory,  Guardian to Stephen, app. June 16, 1749, when upwards of 14 years, was the widow Ammi Swasey. wife of Samuel Swasey

(Source: Geneology of the Swasey Family 1910 by Benjamin Swasey an ebook that is available on line)

Samuel Swasey was a second generation American colonial, his grandfather, Joseph Swasey, Sr.  having immigrated from England in 1632.  His father,  Joseph II, also had been born in Salem Mass.  He had many relatives who were Quakers, most of whom settled in Southold, Long Island, New York, and it is not known if Samuel was a Quaker.

Samuel Swasey married in 1710 to Ammi (Annie) Ayers Swasey (1687-1783) and they had 6 children. Samuel and Ammi are my six times great grandparents.

I had long thought that these 2 houses were homes of Samuel's relatives...but they appear to be in Newburyport, and Samuel lived in Salem, and Boston.  After looking at all the property changing hands in the above quote, I don't find an ounce of evidence that he lived in Newburyport MA.  So now I'll go looking at cousins.