The first Yardley Gobion Swain I met was Eric, who at 11 years old, with 60 others, including myself, started at Towcester Grammar school. I had never heard of the village where he came from and had no idea that I was to spend most of my adult life there let alone take an interest in the Swains of Yardley Gobion. It was their strange nicknames that sparked my interest - Quacky, Joyful and Baker Bill. Why nicknames? Well there were so many Swain children in the village in the period 1915-1925 that people would say they are Quacky’s or Joyful’s to define which family they belonged to, as both Quacky and Joyful were called Fred. These were just two of the many families of the early 20th century.

So I set out to find how all these Swains were related, bound to be, I said to myself, not knowing that I would find two sets of cousins marrying within the village. The result makes a wonderful large tree, all of these Swains going back to one couple, John Swain and Ann Holman born about 1791 and married in 1810. I believe, but have not yet proved that John had a brother Richard born 1775 as he was living as a lodger with John’s widow in 1851. The name Richard appears in following generations.

Below is the genealogy report from this tree which is the easiest way to present it, as the tree is too large to reproduce here. I cannot guarantee every fact is correct but it is to the best of my knowledge. If you know I have made mistakes please contact me with details. If you have details of marriages of those in the report that I have not been able to confirm please let me know. ( Click on my name at the top to email or phone on my telephone number in About us.)

I would like to thank all those people related to the Swains of Yardley Gobion for their help and photographs. Being able to talk or correspond with relatives and look at old photographs has been a great help. If you would like one of your ancestor Swain's pictures to be added here then email me with your picture, address for Brenda at the top of this writing.

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN1 SWAIN was born Abt. 1791. He married ANN HOLMAN 1810. She was born Abt. 1791.

Notes for JOHN SWAIN:
I believe he had an older brother Richard born 1775 who was living with John's widow at the time of the 1851 census.

Children of JOHN SWAIN and ANN HOLMAN are:

2. i. JOHN2 SWAIN, b. 1829, Yardley Gobion.

ii. MARY SWAIN, b. 1811.

3. iii. WILLIAM SWAIN, b. 1813.

iv. ANN SWAIN, b. 1820.

Generation No. 2

2. JOHN2 SWAIN (JOHN1) was born 1829 in Yardley Gobion. He married (1) RACHEL. She was born 1831, and died 1897. He married (2) ESTHER / HESTER 1898.

Child of JOHN SWAIN and RACHEL is:

4. i. WILLIAM3 SWAIN, b. December 9, 1849, Yardley Gobion; d. 1899, Yardley Gobion.

3. WILLIAM2 SWAIN (JOHN1) was born 1813. He married HANNAH BLAND 1834. She was born 1817.

Children of WILLIAM SWAIN and HANNAH BLAND are:

5. i. THOMAS3 SWAIN, b. 1835, Yardley Gobion.

ii. HENRY SWAIN, b. 1837.

6. iii. RICHARD SWAIN, b. Abt. 1839.

iv. ELIZABETH SWAIN, b. 1842.

v. FRANCES SWAIN, b. 1844; m. (1) THOMAS HORNER; m. (2) JOHN WATTS, 1888, Yardley Gobion; b. Abt. 1834.

vii. MARTHA SWAIN, b. 1850; m. GEORGE DEWICK, 1882.

7. viii. WILLIAM JOHN SWAIN, b. 1852, Yardley Gobion.

ix. ANN SWAIN, b. 1856.

x. SARAH SWAIN, b. 1858.

Generation No. 3

4. WILLIAM3 SWAIN (JOHN2, JOHN1) was born December 9, 1849 in Yardley Gobion, and died 1899 in Yardley Gobion. He married ELIZA ROCKINGHAM November 21, 1873 in Potterspury ?. She was born December 1850.

Notes for WILLIAM SWAIN:
1881 a carpenter, 1891 pauper, blind.

Notes for ELIZA ROCKINGHAM:
Was a lacemaker

Children of WILLIAM SWAIN and ELIZA ROCKINGHAM are:

8. i. ANN4 SWAIN, b. Abt. 1871.

ii. ELLEN SWAIN, b. 1875. m George Garner 1910 Yardley Gobion

9. iii. EMMA JANE SWAIN, b. 1877.

10. iv. JOSEPH HENRY SWAIN, b. 1879.

11. v. JOHN WILLIAM SWAIN, b. 1884.

12. vi. WALTER GEORGE SWAIN, b. Abt. 1886, Yardley Gobion.

.

5. THOMAS3 SWAIN (WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1835 in Yardley Gobion. He married SARAH ANN 1859 in Potterspury. She was born 1840 in Yardley Gobion.

Notes for THOMAS SWAIN:
In the 1881 census we find Thomas formerly Ag Labourer living with his parents - William & Hannah. His wife living with eldest son John 21 head of houshold with siblings George H 13 and Ellen 6. The other three childre Frederick 8 Eliza 15 and Mary 11 were living in the workhouse. Was it possible that Thomas had had an accident or was ill and couldn't work and Sarah A couldn't afford to feed all the children? Strange that he wasn't living with her. A death of a Thomas Swain is recorded in the latter half of 1887.

Children of THOMAS SWAIN and SARAH ANN are:

13. i. JOHN4 SWAIN, b. 1860.

ii. ELIZABETH WATTS SWAIN, b. 1867.

14. iii. GEORGE HENRY SWAIN, b. 1868.

15. iv. MARY / MAY SWAIN, b. 1871.

16. v. FREDERICK J SWAIN, b. 1873.

vi. ELLEN SWAIN, b. 1874.

6. RICHARD3 SWAIN (WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1839. He married ANN / ANNIE SEPHTON 1865. She was born Abt. 1842.

Children of RICHARD SWAIN and ANN SEPHTON are:

17. i. HARRY4 SWAIN, b. 1865; m. ELLENOR SWAIN BLAND, 1886, Yardley Gobion; b. 1865.

ii. MARY ANN SWAIN, b. 1868.

18. iii. JOHN EDWARD SWAIN, b. 1869.

19. iv. SARAH ELIZABETH SWAIN, b. 1870.

20 v. ANN PRISCILLA SWAIN, b. 1873.

vi. MARTHA ELLEN SWAIN, b. 1877.

21. vii. FREDERICK THOMAS SWAIN, b. 1879.

viii. FLORENCE EMILY SWAIN, b. 1880.

ix. FANNY SWAIN, b. 1883.

7. WILLIAM JOHN3 SWAIN (WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1852 in Yardley Gobion. He married ELIZABETH REBECCA SWAN 1879. She was born 1861 in Yardley Gobion.

Children of WILLIAM SWAIN and ELIZABETH SWAN are:

i. BEATRICE EMILY4 SWAIN, b. 1881.

ii. CHARLES HERBERT SWAIN, b. 1884.

Generation No. 4

8. ANN/ANNIE SWAIN (WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1)was born Abt. 1873 at Yardley Gobion Wharf.

9. EMMA JANE4 SWAIN (WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1877. She married HUGH HOLMES 1903 in Southampton


Children of EMMA SWAIN and HUGH HOLMES are:

i EMMA HOLMES, b. Abt 1903

ii WILLIAM HOLMES, b. 1905

iii EDTH H HOLMES, B. 1909

10. JOSEPH HENRY4 SWAIN (WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1879. He married LILIAN MARY SMITH June 4, 1900 in Yardley Gobion ?. She was born in Yardley Gobion.

Children of JOSEPH SWAIN and LILIAN SMITH are:

i. FLORENCE ELIZA5 SWAIN, b. 1902.

ii. JOSEPH WILLIAM SWAIN, b. 1903.

iii. HAROLD JOHN SWAIN, b. October 4, 1918; d. July 20, 1988; m. ROSE VIOLET CRISP, 1954; b. December 27, 1926.

iv. ALBERT HENRY SWAIN, b. 1906.

v. MARGARET IRENE SWAIN, b. 1907.

vi. DOROTHY MAY SWAIN, b. 1908.

vii. REGINALD HUBERT SWAIN, b. 1910.

viii. ALICE MAUD SWAIN, b. 1911.

ix. FREDERICK JAMES SWAIN, b. 1913.

x. GLADYS LOUISE SWAIN, b. 1914.

xi. EDITH MARY SWAIN, b. 1915.

xii. NANCY GERTRUDE SWAIN, b. 1924.

11. JOHN WILLIAM4 SWAIN (WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born 1884. He married KATE NOBLE 1905 in Newport Pagnell. She was born in Cosgrove.

Notes for JOHN WILLIAM SWAIN:
Believed they first lived in Cosgove. Lived in the Old Bakehouse in Moorend road, Yardley Gobion later.

Children of JOHN SWAIN and KATE NOBLE are:

i. WILLIAM STANLEY5 SWAIN, b. 1906.

ii. FREDERICK CHARLES SWAIN, b. 1908; d. 1932, Yardley Gobion.

Notes for FREDERICK CHARLES SWAIN:
Nicknamed Shrimp.

iii. CELIA ELIZABETH SWAIN, b. 1909; m. HENRY VICTOR FIELDING ETTRIDGE, 1929, Yardley Gobion.

iv. DORIS ELIZA SWAIN, b. 1910.

v. HILDA SWAIN, b. 1912.

vi. IRIS MARY SWAIN, b. 1914; d. 1925.

Notes for IRIS SWAIN
She died in 1925 of jaundice during an epidemic.

vii. GLADYS GERTRUDE SWAIN, b. 1916.

viii. MAUD PHYLLIS SWAIN, b. 1917.

ix. JOHN WILLIAM SWAIN, b. 1918.

x. EDITH NELLIE SWAIN, b. 1919.

xi. JOAN WINIFRED SWAIN, b. 1922.

xii. FRANCES JEAN SWAIN, b. 1923.

xiii. WILLIAM SWAIN.

xiv. FRED SWAIN.

12. WALTER GEORGE4 SWAIN (WILLIAM3, JOHN2, JOHN1) was born Abt. 1886 in Yardley Gobion. He married ELIZABETH SEWELL. She was born Abt. 1887 in Silverstone.

Children of WALTER SWAIN and ELIZABETH SEWELL are:

i. BEATRICE5 SWAIN, b. 1908.

ii. EMMA LOUISE SWAIN, b. 1910.

iii. JAMES WALTER SWAIN, b. 1912.

iv. WILLIAM JOHN SWAIN, b. 1914; m. GLADYS AMY WHEATCROFT.

Notes for WILLIAM JOHN SWAIN:
Nicknamed Baker Bill, he worked at Berrills the baker in the village.

v. JOSEPH HENRY SWAIN, b. 1916.

vi. SYDNEY CHARLES SWAIN, b. 1918.

vii. PHYLLIS MAY SWAIN, b. 1921.

viii. WALTER GEORGE SWAIN, b. 1924.

ix. JOYCE SWAIN, b. 1928; m. (1) FRED JOHNSON; m. (2) WESLEY.

13. JOHN4 SWAIN (THOMAS3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1860. He married SARAH ELIZABETH SWAIN 1891, daughter of RICHARD SWAIN and ANN SEPHTON. She was born 1870.

Notes for JOHN SWAIN:
He married his cousin Sarah Elizabeth daughter of his uncle Richard.
Children are also listed below (16) under Sarah Elizabeth Swain.

Children of JOHN SWAIN and SARAH SWAIN are:

i. ALBERT OR HORACE5 SWAIN, b. 1890.

Notes for ALBERT OR HORACE SWAIN:

Horace appears in the census of 1891 as 6 months old but I was unable to find registration of birth or death under the name Horace. He appears as the son of John and Sarah. Was Horace a pet name for Albert who appears on the Yardley Gobion school admission register in 1900 as born September 1890, along with sister Elsie and brother Dennis having moved from Old Woverton school, he left the next year he was then 11 years old? Elsie and Dennis left in 1903 as did Hilda who, although she had also attended Old Wolverton school started at Yardley 3 months later than the others, it is likely that they moved away from the village again. At the time of the 1901 census Albert appears with his grandparents Richard and Annie a few doors away from his parents' home, at this time he was recorded as Albert H. so he may have been Albert Horace.

ii. ELSIE M SWAIN, b. 1893.

iii. HILDA EVA SWAIN, b. 1895.

iv. DENNIS RICHARD SWAIN, b. 1897.

v. DOROTHY ANNA SWAIN, b. 1900; d. 1980; m. WILLIAM JONES, 1919.

vi. MINNIE PHYLLIS SWAIN, b. 1908; d. 1971.

14. GEORGE HENRY4 SWAIN (THOMAS3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1868. He married ANNIE OSBORNE 1889 in Towcester.

Children of GEORGE SWAIN and ANNIE OSBORNE are:

i. GEORGE5 SWAIN, b. 1890.

ii. ALFRED SWAIN, b. 1892.

iii. BERT SWAIN, b. 1894.

iv. WILLIAM SWAIN, b. 1898.

v. AGNES SWAIN, b. 1900.

vi. GERTRUDE SWAIN, b. 1902.

vii. JOSEPH SWAIN, b. 1903.

viii. CLARICE SWAIN, b. 1906.

ix. JESSIE SWAIN, b. 1908.

x. PERCY S SWAIN, b. 1911.

15. MARY / MAY4 SWAIN (THOMAS3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1871. She married JOHN EDWARD SWAIN, son of RICHARD SWAIN and ANN SEPHTON. He was born 1869.

Notes for MAY or MARY SWAIN
She married her cousin John Edward son of her uncle Richard
Children are also listed below (15) under John Edward Swain.

Children of MARY SWAIN and JOHN SWAIN are:

i. FRANK5 SWAIN, b. 1892.

ii. HENRY SWAIN, b. 1894.

iii. SUSANNAH SWAIN, b. 1896.

iv. WINIFRED ELLEN SWAIN, b. 1899.

v. ARTHUR HARRISON SWAIN, b. 1901; d. 1913.

vi. LILLIAN MARY SWAIN, b. 1903.

16. FREDERICK J4 SWAIN (THOMAS3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1873. He married DAISY LILLIAN CHAMBERS 1915 in Towcester.

Notes for FREDERICK J SWAIN:
Was nicknames Quacky.

Children of FREDERICK SWAIN and DAISY CHAMBERS are:

i. ROBERT HENRY MAURICE5 SWAIN, b. 1916.

ii. ALFRED SWAIN, b. 1918.

iii. MARY OLIVE JOAN SWAIN, b. 1921.

iv. FRANCIS GEORGE FREDERICK SWAIN, b. 1923.

v. ELIZABETH LILLIAN BETTY SWAIN, b. 1927.

17. HARRY EDWARD4 SWAIN (RICHARD3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born March 14, 1865. He married ELLENOR or ELEANOR SWAIN BLAND 1886 in Yardley Gobion, daughter of HENRY BLAND  and CAROLINE?. She was born 1865.

Notes for HARRY SWAIN:

I believe he was registered as Harry Swain but took the name Sephton(his mother's maiden name) later. There was no father named on the birth certificate. Harry was living with his mother's father in Church Street Wolverton in 1881. It is interesting that a family headed by William Swain, Hall keeper in 1871 was living next door to the Sephtons at the Mechanics Institute, he came from Hastings in Sussex. Harry moved to SW London and became a policeman. (This information give by Bob Kent.)

18. JOHN EDWARD4 SWAIN (RICHARD3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1869. He married MARY / MAY SWAIN, daughter of THOMAS SWAIN and SARAH ANN. She was born 1871.

Notes for JOHN EDWARD SWAIN:
He married his cousin Mary or May Swain daughter of his uncle Thomas.
Children are also listed above under (13) Mary / May Swain.

19. SARAH ELIZABETH4 SWAIN (RICHARD3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1870. She married JOHN SWAIN 1891, son of THOMAS SWAIN and SARAH ANN. He was born 1860.

Notes for SARAH ELIZABETH SWAIN:
She married her cousin John Swain son of his uncle Thomas.
Children are also listed above under (11) John Swain.


20 ANN/ANNIE PRISCILLA SWAIN (RICHARD3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) Was born 1873 at Yardley Gobion Wharf. She married JOHN DUNKLEY BOSWELL 1894

Children of ANNIE SWAIN and JOHN BOSWELL are:

i. OLIVER JOHN BOSWELL, b. 1896

ii. EVA DOROTHY BOSWELL, b. 1898

21. FREDERICK THOMAS4 SWAIN (RICHARD3, WILLIAM2, JOHN1) was born 1879. He married KATE MEAKINS 1901.

Notes for FREDERICK THOMAS SWAIN:
Nicknamed Joyful.

Children of FREDERICK SWAIN and KATE MEAKINS are:

i FREDERICK Thomas SWAIN, b. 1901 d 1955

Notes for FREDERICK THOMAS SWAIN:
Was rather a simple fellow, used to whistle the buses.

ii..WILLIAM RICHARD5 SWAIN, b. 1903.

iii. JOHN SPENSER SWAIN, b. 1906. died 1918

Notes for JOHN SPENSER SWAIN:
Believed he drowned in the canal as a lad.

iv. HARROLD AUBREY SWAIN, b. 1910. died 1916

v. VICTOR RAYMOND SWAIN, b. 1915.