Rebecca (Swayne) Symonds (bef. 1617 - abt. 1695)

Born before 25 Jun 1617 in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England

Wife of Henry Byley — married 2 Jan 1632 in Salisbury, St Edmund, Wiltshire, England

Wife of William Worcester — married 23 Jul 1650 (to before 28 Oct 1662) in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died about 21 Feb 1695 after about age 77 in Ipswich, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Rebecca (Swayne) Symonds migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

Name

Rebecka /Rebecca Swayne / Swaine, was wife of Henry Biely or Byley, John Hall, William Worcester and Samuel Symonds, the daughter of Bennett Swayne of Sarum (Salisbury, Wiltshire, England). ^[1]

Rebecca was baptised 25 June 1617 at St Edmunds, Salisbury, Wiltshire, a daughter of Bennett Swaine. ^[2]

Rebecca Swayne married 2 January 1632 in Salisbury St Edmund, Wiltshire to Henry Byley. ^[3]

Rebecca held land of about 76 acres in Salisbury (Amesbury) MA, which was in tenure of Henry Browne St., when Samuel Symonds wrote his will. Upon his death she could have remained on the farm called Argilla but he had willed it to various children. if and when wife Rebecca Swayne chose to leave it. Will contained within "Ancestry of Priscilla Baker, who lived 1674-1731, and was wife of Issac Appleton, of Ipswich."^[4]

Page 133 of the above "Ancestry of ..." gives Rebecca Swayne born 1616-7 in Sarum, Wiltshire, England, married about 1636 Henry Byley and he came to New England about 1638, she came soon thereafter, he died about 1640 leaving Rebecca with children Henry and Rebecca. She re-married to John Hall and had sons John born 18 March 1642 and Samuel born 1644-1648. She re-married William Worcester of Salisbury 22 July 1650, Her son Henry Byley died unmarried, her daughter Rebecca Byley married 15 Dec 1664 Rev. John Hale of Beverly, MA.

Her will is dated 15 July 1695 in Ipswich, MA. She names kinsmen Bennett Swaine, granddaughter Eliz Rogers, son John Hale to have her horse, son John Emerson her French History, son Hierinlackdine Symonds, daughter Baker, daughter Emerson, grandson Daniel Epps, grandson Symonds Epps, cousin Martha Harris, cousin John Stamiford, daughter Eliza Symonds, her maid Eliza Ross, granddaughter Sarah Lowe, daughter Hale, grandson Robert Hale. Overseers Mr. John Hale and Thomas Baker and her cousin John Staniford. She names sole executor her grandson Hale. A note says John Stamiford married Margaret daughter of Thomas and Martha Harris; and that Sarah Lowe was the daughter of Harlackden Symonds, also claims that daughter Hale was already deceased so it is unclear who she was.

Marriages

Henry Byley abt. 1640

John Hall 3 Apr 1641, Salisbury, Massachusetts^[5]

William Worcester 23 July 1650 Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts

Samuel Symonds 1662

Baptism of children:

1. 18 Dec 1636 Rebecca Byly, daughter of Henry Byly at Salisbury, St Edmunds, Wiltshire. ^[6]
2. 26 Aug 1638 Henry Bylie, son of Henry Bylie at Salisbury, St Edmunds, Wilsthire. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: American Ancestors #4 on her 4th husband Samuel Symonds' profile.
2. ↑ St Edmund Salisbury Parish Register Image 92 by subscription at Ancestry.com Image or Ancestry Sharing Link. Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Wiltshire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: 1901/1
3. ↑ Wiltshire and Swindon History Centry; Chippenham, Wiltshire; Wiltshire Church of England Bishop's Transcripts; Reference Number: BT/SlSE/Bdl. 1/OS. Image 33 by subscription at Ancestry.com Image or Ancestry Sharing Link
4. ↑ "Ancestry of Priscilla Baker, who lived 1674-1731, and was wife of Issac Appleton, of Ipswich." available on ancestry.com by subscription.
5. ↑ Marriage: Citing Essex County Court Records, Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts: To the End of the Year 1849 (Topsfield Historical Society, 1915), Page 295. Archive.org
6. ↑ Salisbury St Edmund Parish Register Image 114 and 118 by subscription at Ancestry.com: Image, or Ancestry Sharing Link Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Wiltshire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: 1901/1.
7. ↑ Salisbury St Edmund Parish Register Image 118 by subscription at Ancestry.com: Image, Ancestry Record 61187 #2394519, Ancestry Sharing Link - Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre; Chippenham, Wiltshire, England; Wiltshire Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: 1901/1.

• Worcester, Jonathan Fox. The Descendants of Rev. William Worcester (E.F. Worcester, Boston, 1914) Page 2
• Perley, Sidney, "Old Norfolk County Records," The Essex Antiquarian, 1897, Vol. 1, No. 2, p. 20.