David -- Many, many thanks for this highly informative posting, and especially for the links to the books. My 2nd great grandfather was Joshua Warren Higgins, brother-in-law and erstwhile business partner of Gustavus Franklin Swift. I actually have a photo (very faded and fragile -- needs restoration) of the Swift & Higgins butcher shop in Barnstable. After Swift relocated to Chicago, Joshua Warren Higgins removed to Lawrence, Massachusetts, where he and his sons established a prosperous butcher shop and grocery store. I have photos of that shop as well, and of his spacious and attractive home in Lawrence. The family business connection continued into the next generation -- my great grandfather, Guy Irving Colby (son-in-law of Joshua Warren Higgins) moved from Massachusetts to Chicago in 1887 or 1888 to work for the Swift Meat Packing Co., and he later managed their plant in Springfield. Extensive information on the ancestry of Joshua Warren and Ann Maria(h) Higgins can be found in Katharine Chapin Higgins' monumental 792 page work on the descendants of the immigrant Richard Higgins, who came from England to New Plymouth Colony in 1632 or 1633. The addendum to this book also has a fair amount of data on the children and grandchildren of Gustavus Franklin Swift and Ann Maria(h) Higgins. In addition, I have quite a lot of information on the descendants of Joshua Warren Higgins, including a virtually complete data base on all descendants of his daughter, Lucy Maria(h) Higgins (my great grandmother). Incidentally, all of our family records (and Katharine Chapin Higgins' book) show that family name to be spelled "Maria" (without the "h"), though family tradition has it being pronounced as though the "h" were present. I am copying this posting to my father's cousin, Dell Siscine Colby Souther, who is not a member of the MABARNST list. So far as I know, she is the only living great grandchild of Joshua Warren Higgins. Thanks again for this great posting. Guy I. Colby IV Irving, TX -------------- Original message from "David Kew" <David.Kew@verizon.net>: -------------- > Gustavus Franklin Swift was the founder of the Swift meat-processing > company in Chicago. He was born 24 June 1839 in Sagamore (then part of > Sandwich), and died 29 Mar 1903 in Chicago. GF Swift was selling > livestock even as a child in Sandwich. Around 1860, he apparently saw > opportunity in Eastham, setting up a butcher shop there, and he married > Ann Mariah Higgins there on 3 Jan 1861. They soon moved to Barnstable, > then Clinton MA, Chelsea MA, Albany NY, and finally to Chicago in 1875. > Ann (aka Annie Maria) was b. 13 Aug 1843 in Eastham, and d. 19 May 1922 in > Chicago. Their daughter Helen wrote that she lived in 6 places before she > was 6 years old. > Two of their children wrote books about the family. Louis Franklin Swift > (b. 1861 in West Sandwich, d. 1937 in Chicago) co-wrote, with Arthur Van > Vlissingen, "The Yankee of the Yards. The biography of Gustavus Franklin > Swift," 1927. Chicago & New York: AW Shaw). It's largely an homage to his > father and a description of the business. I've posted 2 chapters which > Cape Codders may be interested in, at > http://capecodhistory.us/books/GFSwift.htm. > Helen (Swift) (Morris) Neilson (b. 1869 in Barnstable, d. 1945 in > Chicago) wrote "My Father and My Mother" (Chicago: privately printed, > 1937.) I found it to be a much more entertaining and informative book than > her brother's, with anecdotes about her siblings, grandmothers and uncles, > as well as her parents. I've posted the whole book, a large file (340 KB) > plus illustrations, at > http://capecodhistory.us/books/Swift-FatherMother.htm. Helen was energetic > and pampered, and this contrasts with her much poorer and thriftier Cape > Cod grandmothers. I particularly appreciate the anecdote about her uncle, > Noble Swift, teasing his former church congregation. > The genealogies here are those included in Helen Swifts's book: > SWIFT GENEALOGY > > I. WILLIAM > > Born in England, married Joan ——. Came to America about 1630. Died at > Sandwich about 1643. > > II. WILLIAM > > Born in England, and accompanied his father to America. Married Ruth — > —. Died at Sandwich, January 1705 or 1706. > > III. WILLIAM > > Born August 28, 1654. Married Elizabeth ——. Died at Sandwich, April or > May, 1701. > > IV. JOSEPH > > Born November 1687 at Sandwich. Married, first, to Mercy ——; then Mrs. > Rebecca Morton. > > V. THOMAS > > The son of Joseph and Rebecca. Date of birth unknown. Married Abigail > Phillips, November 15, 1752 at Sandwich. Died at Sandwich, 1803. > > VI. NATHANIEL > > Born December 31, 1764. Married Elizabeth Ellis of Plymouth, November > 24, 1785 at Sandwich. Died at Sandwich March 25, 1843. > > VII. WILLIAM > > Born September 20, 1795. Married Aurelia Parker and, later Sally Sears > Crowell, at Sandwich. Died 1868. > > VIII. GUSTAVUS FRANKLIN > > Son of William and Sally Swift. Born, June 24, 1839, at West Sandwich. > Married Ann Higgins January 3, 1861, at Eastham. Died March 29, 1903, in > Chicago. > 160 > > > HIGGINS GENEALOGY > > I. RICHARD > > Born in England. Married Lydia Chandler after he came to America and, > later, Mrs. Mary Yates. Died 1677 or earlier. > > II. BENJAMIN > > Born in 1640 at Plymouth. Married Lydia Bangs. Died at Eastham, March > 14, 1690 or 1691. Prominent in King Philip's War. > > III. ICHABOD > > Born November 14, 1662 at Eastham. Married Melatiah Hamblin. Died at > Eastham June 1, 1728. > > IV. EBANEZER > > Born April 15, 1701 at Eastham. Married first, Abigail Cole; second, > Content Handing; and, third, Mrs. Phoebe Snow. Died at Eastham, probably > in 1788 or 1789. > > V. ELKENAH > > Born November 12, 1729 at Eastham. Son of Abigail Cole. Married Sarah > Knowles. Died at Eastham November 4, 1815. > > VI. JOSHUA > > Born October 15, 1775 at Eastham. Married Mrs. Mercy (Mayo) Gill. Died > at Eastham, April 25, 1845. > > VII. JOSHUA > > Born February 16, 1812. Married Mariah Holmes Cobb, daughter of Scotto > and Phoebe Cobb. Died November 1, 1852. > > VIII. ANN MARIAH HIGGINS > > Only daughter and second child of Joshua and Mariah (Holmes) Cobb. > Born at Eastham, August 13, 1843. Married Gustavus Franklin Swift January > 3, 1861, at Eastham. Died May 19, 1922, in Chicago. > > THE DESCENT OF GUSTAVUS FRANKLIN SWIFT FROM ELDER WILLIAM BREWSTER > > I. WILLIAM BREWSTER > > Elder William Brewster of the May/lower. > > II. PATIENCE BREWSTER Married Thomas Prence. > > III. MERCY PRENCE > > Born at Plymouth about 1631; married John Freeman, 1649-1650; died at > Eastham 1711. > > IV. THOMAS FREEMAN > > Born at Eastham, 1653; married Rebecca Sparrow, 1673; died at Harwich, > 1715-1716. > > V. MERCY FREEMAN > > Born at Eastham, 1674; married Paul Sears, 1693; died at Harwich, > 1747. > > VI. EDMUND SEARS > > Born at Yarmouth, 1712; married Hannah Crowell, 1743; died at Harwich, > 1796. > > VII. EDMUND SEARS > > Born at Yarmouth, 1743-1744; married Hannah Taylor, 1771; died at > Brewster, 1832 > > VIII. SALLY SEARS > > Born at Yarmouth, 1780; married Paul Crowell, 1797; died at West > Sandwich, 1861. > > IX. SALLY CROWELL > > Born at Dennis, 1804; married Capt. William Swift, 1822; died at West > Sandwich, 1885. > > X. GUSTAVUS FRANKLIN SWIFT > > Born at West Sandwich, 1839; married Ann Mariah Higgins, 1861; died at > Chicago, 1903. > -- > Sincerely, > > David Kew > webmaster@capecodhistory.us > David_Kew@alum.mit.edu > > please visit my web site, http://CapeCodHistory.us/ > > > ==== MABARNST Mailing List ==== > For helpful information on how to use this list more effectively, as well as > links to other helpful related information, click on: > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/usa/MA/barnstable.html >