Early life at Hardington
John was born at Hardington on 17 May 1803, the only son of John Swaffield and his wife, Anne. His father, a native of Haselbury, had settled in Hardington following his marriage in 1792.
The early deaths of both parents during John’s youth—his mother on 6 May 1823 and his father in July of the same year—forced John to mature quickly. He was an overseer in 1825 and 1832 and a churchwarden in 1827, 1828 and 1830.[1] In July 1830, an auctioneer recognised his talents and engaged him to show prospective buyers around five fields and a house offered for sale at West Coker.[2]
In 1830, an inheritance from his grandfather, amounting to £100 alongside the right to rent properties, including Cary’s, for a period of 89 years at an annual fee of £40, provided John with a financial foundation.[3] This inheritance led to John being included on the voters’ lists for Hardington from 1832 to 1860.
On 5 April 1832, John married Harriet Brake at Closworth. The Brakes were a well-known farming family, and Harriet’s father, Henry, occupied 313 acres at Cowcroft Farm, Hardington.
Yetminster
In about 1835, John and his family moved to Yetminster, a parish closely associated with the Brake family, where John worked as a baker and miller.[4] Tragically, on 7 September 1838, Harriet died in childbirth, aged only 26.
Return to Hardington
Following the loss of his wife, John returned to Hardington, where he resumed his trade as a baker. On 31 October 1840, after two years of widowhood, he married Jane Rugg at East Coker. Jane, the daughter of the recently deceased local farmer Charles Rugg, assumed the role of stepmother to John’s three daughters. However, the records suggest a distant relationship, as the children were largely cared for by the Brake family.[5] Notably, John and Jane had a daughter named Susan Rugg two years into their marriage.
In December 1841, John encountered a troubling incident that strained his relations with certain neighbours. After discovering that a hatchet and some coals were missing from his garden linhay, he contacted the village constable. The investigation implicated two local men: one whose shoes matched a distinctive footprint at the scene, and another who had the missing hatchet in his possession. The subsequent trial at the Wells Assizes resulted in a guilty verdict and a sentence of six weeks’ imprisonment for both men.[6]
Moreton
In about 1843, John, Jane and Susan moved to Moreton in Dorset, where John worked as a bailiff for Lord Ilchester.
Abbotsbury
By 1854, Lord Ilchester had relocated John to Abbotsbury where John’s duties included looking after the swan population.[7] In June 1857, John appeared at Weymouth Petty Sessions to provide testimony against two individuals accused of poaching a swan.[8]
Wyke Regis
After leaving Abbotsbury in 1860 or early 1861, John and his family settled at 5 Bloomfield Terrace Wyke Regis, where John had his own corn factor business with a store at 6 Bellevue. A court case of May 1861 provides a glimpse of his business activities, including using the railway to transport grain and visits to Yeovil market. The case report indicates that on Thursday, 25 April 1861, he engaged a man to carry 20 quarters of oats from Weymouth Station to Bellevue, after which he went to Yeovil market the next day.[9]
While at Wyke Regis, John experienced yet another instance of theft. On 10 February 1863, he discovered that a copper boiler and kettle were missing from his outhouse, only to later find them at a local marine store, where the thief had sold them on. [10]
In 1869, John’s daughter Susan married George Peach, who was connected to the Swaffield family through marriage.[11] Following Susan’s marriage, her half-sister Mary Elizabeth took her place in the household.
Maiden Newton
By September 1871, John had become the local manager for the Weymouth Sack Company at Maiden Newton.[12]
John died at Maiden Newton on 22 January 1872 and was buried in the village churchyard. His estate, valued at “under £200,” was administered by his daughter, Mary Elizabeth, as he left no will.[13]
Widow’s later life
John’s widow, Jane, moved to Montacute, the place of her baptism in 1802, where she died early in 1873, aged 70.
References
[1] Hardington jury lists.
[2] Sherborne Mercury, 5 July 1830, p.4.
[3] The will of John Swaffield, dated 28 August 1827, proved at Wells on 28 May 1830.
[4] Harriet’s grandparents, John Brake and Elizabeth Jesty, were married at Yetminster in 1776.
[5] Sherborne Mercury, 17 February 1840, p.3.
[6] Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, 6 January 1842, p.3.
[7] Voters’ lists for Hardington and Haselbury.
[8] Dorset County Chronicle, 11 June 1857, p.5.
[9] Weymouth Telegram, 9 May 1861, p.4.
[10] Sherborne Mercury, 12 May 1863, p.2.
[11] George Peach was the son of John Peach, a Cattistock farmer. George’s mother, Elizabeth, was the sister of Richard Read, who married John Swaffield’s sister, Ann, in 1839.
[12] Weymouth Telegram, 22 September 1871, p.4.
[13] Probate calendar.
