Swinbourne

This interesting surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and is a locational name from Swinburn in Northumberland. The placename, recorded as "Swineburn" in the 1236 Book of Fees, derives from the Olde English pre 7th Century "swin", pig, wild boar, with "burna", spring, brook, stream; hence "pig stream". During the Middle Ages when migration for the purpose of job-seeking was becoming more common, people often took their former village name as a means of identification, thus resulting in a wide dispersal of the name. The surname is first recorded in the mid 13th Century (see below), and can also be found as Swinburn, Swinbourn and Swinbourne. Robert de Swynebourne is listed in the 1325 "Calendar of Inquisitiones post mortem" of Gloucestershire, and Robert Swynbourn is noted in the Essex Feet of Fines (1382). John Swinburne married Cecily Dodsworth on May 18th 1568 at Settrington, Yorkshire, and George Swinburne married Margerie Anderson on October 15th 1587 at St. Nicholas', Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. A Coat of Arms granted to the family is a shield divided per fess red and silver with three cinquefoils counterchanged, the Crest being out of a gold ducal coronet a silver boar rampant, crined gold and langued gold. The Motto "Semel et semper" translates as "Once and always". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Swynburn, which was dated 1256, witness in the "Assize Court Rolls of Northumberland", during the reign of King Henry 111, known as "The Frenchman", 1216 - 1272. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.


Swinbourne of Collon, Co. Louth, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia
This branch is possibly descended from the Swinburne's of Hewthwaite Hall, Cumberland, some of whom went to live in Ireland

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RICHARD SWINBOURNE, born 1789, joined the Louth Regiment of Militia at Collon on 18 November 1806 aged 17, he held the rank of Corporal in the Louth Militia for 18 years and was discharged 24 May 1829 aged 39, he died 3 May 1866 Peterborough (Christchurch), New Zealanad, his occupation at his death was given as 'shoemaker', buried 5 May 1866 Plot 69 Barbadoes Street Cemetery, Christchurch, married c.1810-20 (probably 26 July 1811) Collon Church, Co. Louth, Ireland ANN McGRATH, they followed their son John in emigrating to New Zealand in 1851 aboard the Duke of Portsmouth (account of voyage), departing from Gravesend with their children Christopher and Elizabeth on 20 June 1852 and arriving at Port Lyttleton on 21 October. (Richard was said to have been given a prize by the New Zealand government for the family of six promising sons he brought out with him from Ireland, one source said that they were all over 6 ft 6in tall)


(The picture to the right is of Lyttelton Immigration Barracks [by Sir Wm Fox]. The building was long and single storeyed and the first settlers, among them Richard Swinbourne and his family, stayed here before moving out to their new homes)




Richard and Ann were parents of:

SAMUEL SWINBOURNE, eldest son, born 1812/13, confirmed Collon 7(?) March 1828 aged 15, went to U.S.A.

CHARLES SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 25 August 1816, went to U.S.A., died before 1903
RICHARD SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 25 November 1818, confirmed Collon 9 October 1833, died before 1834

JAMES SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 23 September 1821, confirmed Collon 20 September 1837 aged 16, went to New Zealand, married JANE RODDY but no issue, he and his wife both died before 1904

THOMAS SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 24 May 1824, went to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, married CATHERINE WALSH, they had a daughter MARY ANNE SWINBOURNE who died in Waterloo, New South Wales in 1875. They lived at Moreton Bay and had both died by 1904

JOHN FOSTER SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 15 (or 16) October 1826, (his second christian name was probably given as a mark of respect to the landlord of the Irish estates on which the Swinbourne's lived - the Rt. Hon. John Foster, last speaker of the Irish House of Commons and owner of a large estate in Collon), confirmed Collon 12 August 1840, married 4 February 1849 Dublin, Ireland ELEANOR SAUNDERS, they emigrated to the southern hemisphere and arrived at Sydney, Australia aboard the Lady Peel on 3 July 1849, John gave his profession as 'gardener', they left for New Zealand aboard the schooner Minerva on 16 November 1849 and arrive in Port Nicholson (Wellington) on Saturday 8 December(1), a Mr. Swinbourne sailed from Port Nicholson to Point Cooper (Lyttelton) in the schooner Twins arriving 8 November 1850(1), about 1863 they returned to Australia and in 1904 were living at Ashfield, near Sydney, Australia.
ROSEANNA (ROSE) SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 25 May 1829, went to U.S.A.

ELIZABETH 'ELIZA' SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 29 July 1832, confirmed Collon 13 September 1849, went to New Zealand with parents, married Mr. PURVES, Surveyor at Christchurch, New Zealand 


RICHARD SWINBOURNE, baptised Collon 14 December(?) 1834, married with family, went to U.S.A., died before 1903

CHRISTOPHER SWINBOURNE, pioneer Photographer, born 1834, went with parents to New Zealand aboard the Duke of Portland 1852 aged 18, died at his home in Kilmore Steet, Christchurch on 15 December 1869 aged 35, he was buried at the family plot in the Barbadoes Street Cemetery, married MARGARET PLUNKETT

MARY SWINBOURNE, born in a garrison at Worcester, England 1836, died 18 March 1882 aged about 45, married Co. Louth, Ireland MICHAEL FAULKNER, they kept a Nursery at Collon, Co. Louth. Mary was the only child of Richard and Ann to remain in Ireland. They had a daughter ELLEN FAULKNER, of The Nursery, Collon, Spinster, who died on 7 February 1877, she left a will and her mother Mary was the sole executrix. Mary also left a will, proved 21 April 1882, and her effects were £263 1s 10d, her sole executor was her son-in-law PATRICK COMMONS.