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Swift (Lynn)
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The Rev Thomas Swift of Herefordshire had a number of sons by his wife Elizabeth Dryden and died in 1658. His fifth son Jonathan, a Dublin solicitor, was the father of the Very Rev Jonathan Swift, Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin. From the Rev Thomas’ eldest son Godwin descend the Swifts of Lynn, county Westmeath. Godwin’s son Meade Swift of Lynn, born 1682 married Mary daughter of John L’Estrange of Keoltown, county Westmeath. From this marriage descend the Swifts of Lynn and Keoltown. The town and lands of Lynn amounting to about 700 acres were bought by Robert Edgeworth of Longwood, county Meath for £200, from the Trustees for forfeited estates in 1703. As well as owning land, members of the Swift family found employment as barristers and doctors. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) the Swifts held land in the parishes of Lynn and Mullingar. Ninety eight acres of the townland of Lynn and the house known as Lynn Lodge were put up for sale in the Encumbered Estates Court in July 1850 by James Scott Molloy, assignee of Richard Swift, the owner. In the mid-1870s John Swift of Keoltown owned 454 acres while the representatives of Richard Swift owned 480 acres in county Westmeath.
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Dennis (Westmeath)
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Thomas Swift of Lynnbury, county Westmeath, born 1711, second son of Meade Swift of Lynn, married Frances only daughter of John Dennis of Kinsale, county Cork by Anne Bullen his wife, sister of Rt Hon John Dennis, created Lord Tracton in 1780. They had two sons the Rev Meade and John, a barrister. When Lord Tracton died without heirs in 1780 he left his estates in counties Kerry and Cork to his two Swift nephews, who both assumed the name Dennis. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation (publ. 1854) children of the Rev Meade, including the Rev George Meade Dennis, rector of Enniscoffey and Kilbride, held lands in the parishes of Lynn and Mullingar. In the mid-1870s the Rev George M Dennis owned 211 acres in county Westmeath while other family members owned smaller acreages.
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