William Swift, Mary Fogg (Baker or Thursby) and Maria Taylor

Sewer Lane, Kingston upon Hull
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Bernard Sharp - geograph.org.uk/p/3344828

William Swift (b. 1824 in Leeds), son of William Swift and Mary Ann Lister married Mary Fogg, on 20 Nov 1847, at St. Paul's Church, Hull. This church was newly consecrated that year, built to serve a district of Sculcoates parish in 1844. On the record of their marriage, William Swift, Engineer, and the widowed Mary Fogg, were both listed as resident at the Old Foundry [1]. Witnesses to the marriage were William's younger brother, Zachariah Swift and Charlotte Baker. [2]

Apparently born Mary Baker, it seems she was baptised on 10 Mar 1823 at All Saints Church, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, the daughter of John and Anne Baker. Mary was 17 when she married the 45 year old, John Fogg as Mary Thursby, on 1 Jan 1841, in Tuxford, Nottinghamshire. How Mary Baker became Mary Thursby I cannot yet explain, but this sequence does show that this is the same person. (One theory I have yet to research / test is - perhaps - if Mary's father died and her mother had remarried a Thursby, whose surname she used growing up.)

In 1841, John Fog (sic) (45) Pensioner and Mary Fog (15) - due to rounding down - were lodging in a large household in Lincoln Street, Tuxford. 

At this date, Pensioner, can only mean military and I've found a John Fogg, born 1796 in Weston, Nottinghamshire (only 3 miles from Tuxford), who joined the 19th Foot (Yorkshire Regiment / Green Howards), at 17, on 2 Apr 1813, at Hull. He was discharged from the 41st Regt Of Foot and granted a pension due to disability with varicose veins, chronic rheumatic pains and shortness of breath on exertion, which were attributed to climate and the performance of his military duties. He appears to have been in the East Indies from 1815 to 1836. On discharge in 1840, at 44, he was 5' 4½", with brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. 

John and Mary Fogg had one child:

1. Joseph Fogg b. 1844 D Quarter in SCULCOATES Volume 22 Page 523, Mother's maiden name listed as BAKER, bap. 8 Dec 1844 at St. Mark's Church, Hull. Died, aged 15, in 1860 M Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 148 and was buried on 8 Feb 1860 in Holy Trinity Parish.

John Fogg died, at 52, and was buried on 14 Feb 1847 in the parish of Hull Holy Trinity. On the burial record, his abode was given as 'Foundry' [Old Foundry].

William and Mary Swift then added eight children:

1. Zachariah Swift bap. 10 Dec 1848 at St. Paul's, Sculcoates
2. Denzil Swift bap. 22 Sep 1850 at St. James's Church, Hull
3. Georgiana Swift bap. 30 Jan 1853 at St. James's Church, Hull
4. Herbert Swift b. 1855 M Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 198, mother's maiden name listed as FOGG, bap. 26 Mar 1855 at Holy Trinity Hull
5. Estelle Swift b. 1857 S Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 210, mother's maiden name listed as HUNSBY, bap. 14 Sep 1857 at Holy Trinity Hull
6. Josephine Swift b. 1860 S Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 188, mother's maiden name listed as THURSBY, bap. 30 Jul 1860 at Holy Trinity Hull
7. Verona Swift b. 1860 S Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 188, mother's maiden name listed as THURSBY, bap. 30 Jul 1860 at Holy Trinity Hull
8. Victor Swift b. 1864 M Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 233, mother's maiden name listed as THIRSBY, bap. 25 Apr 1864 at Holy Trinity Hull

Despite all being born after 1837, I was unable to find civil registrations for Zachariah, Denzil or Georgiana. On Herbert's registration, they clearly confused former name and maiden name, but it's useful that Fogg is mentioned; I'm sure Hunsby is an error and meant to be Thursby and that the last is merely a spelling, or transcription error. The sequence of these does show that, however her name came to change, it was the same person. Josephine and Verona, clearly, were twins.

At the time of Zachariah's baptism in 1848, William and Mary were living the exotic, Sewer Lane, Hull (which, to be fair, looks a lot nicer than it sounds).

In 1851, William Swift (27) Engineer, from Leeds, Yorkshire, was living at Mill Yard, Anlaby Road, Holy Trinity, Hull with wife Mary Swift (28) from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire and Joseph Swift (6) [Joseph Fogg]; Zachariah Swift (2) and Denxill Swift (0). (Convent Lane, originally Mill Lane, and later Oil Mill Lane, was named as such because it led to Mill Yard and a large windmill situated on its west side.)

In 1861, William Swift (37) Engineer from Leeds, was living, undoubtedly in the same place at Oilmill Yard, 8, Anlaby Road, Holy Trinity, Hull with Mary Swift (36), Zachariah Swift (12), Denzil Swift (10), Georgiana Swift (8) - those three at school - Herbert Swift (6), Estelle Swift (3), Josephine Swift and Verona Swift both (0).

In 1871, at 7 Mill Yard, South Parade, Holy Trinity, Hull, were William Swift (47) Oil Mill Engine Driver, from Leeds; Mary Swift (47) from Gainsborough, Lincs; Zachariah Swift (22) Oil Miller; Denzil Swift (20) Oil Miller; Georgiana Swift (18) Dressmaker; Herbert Swift (16) Penitentiary Porter (Hull Prison opened in 1870); Estelle Swift (13), Josephine Swift (11), Verona Swift (11) and Victor Swift (7).

An Oil Miller is someone who extracted oil from seeds, particularly linseed and rapeseed grown in England. There has been a long history of oil milling in Hull, one of two industries that dominated the town's industrial history. See links here.

Mary Swift (formerly Fogg, née Baker and sometimes, as yet inexplicably, Thursby) died, age estimated as 47, in 1872 J Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 149. She was buried, on 22 May 1872, in Hull Holy Trinity parish.

In the 4th quarter of 1873, William Swift remarried Maria Taylor, eldest daughter of William Voss Taylor and Eliza Levitt. William, then 49 and Maria 40, did not have further children together, however, Maria brought with her an illegitimate daughter, Edith Maria Taylor, born 1864 S Quarter in HULL Volume 09D Page 232. Son Zachariah had married Maria's younger sister, Ann, the previous year, 1872.

In 1881, William Swift (57) Oil Mill Engine Driver was living at 6, Simons Terrace, Sutton and Stoneferry, Sculcoates with second wife Maria Swift (47), son Victor Swift (17) and Stepdaughter, Edith Taylor (16) Dressmaker (unemployed).

In 1891, still at Simons Terrace, Sutton and Stoneferry, Sculcoates, were William Swift (67) Engine Driver; Maria Swift (58) and Harry Taylor (8) Grandson - undoubtedly the 'natural' son of Maria's daughter, Edith.

Maria Swift died, aged 59, in 1895, in Hull.

William Swift died, at 73, in Hull in 1897.

[1] Rose, Downs and Thomson were much better known as world leaders in seed crushing machinery. The started out in business in 1777 at the Old Foundry and made cannons and windmill parts. As the Port of Hull the city became a centre for oil seed production and Rose, Downs and Thomson started making presses for the factories. In 1820 they had the first hydraulic press to extract oil from linseed. A Mrs C. Rose inherited the business in 1833 and took on a Mr Downs as Partner. Her grandson a Mr Thomson later joined the business and the name continued for over 100 years. Source (There are numerous images in the more recent, Allam family want to transform disused historic Hull factory into apartments.)

[2] There was a Charlotte Baker baptised also at All Saints Church, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, on 21 Aug 1824, the daughter of Isaac and Mary Baker, who this may be and, who it may speculated, could perhaps be Mary's cousin.