{{Short description|English Tory politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Samuel Swift''' ({{circa|1659}} – 8 February 1718) was an English Tory politician, MP for Worcester from 1693 to 1694 and 1695 to 1718.
Swift was the son of William Swift, a Worcester merchant, and his wife, Martha Beauchamp.<ref name="hist-parl">{{cite web|website=The History of Parliament|title=SWIFT, Samuel (c.1659-1718), of Claines, Worcester|url=http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1690-1715/member/swift-samuel-1659-1718|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref>
On 25 November 1679, Swift married Sarah Shrewing, daughter of Thomas Shrewing of Worcester.<ref name="hist-parl"/>
He pursued a career in local Worcester politics, serving on the council from 1677, as Chamberlain in 1678–79, Sheriff in 1683–84, Mayor in 1684–85 and October–November 1688, alderman in 1689, and High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1692–93.<ref name="hist-parl"/>
In 1693, Sir John Somers, having been appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, vacated his seat at Worcester. A bitter by-election ensued, contested by the Tory Swift and the Whig Charles Cocks, Somers' brother-in-law. 682 votes elected Swift to 575, but Cocks petitioned the House of Commons to overturn the result on the grounds of illegal voting practices. The petition was upheld on 7 February 1694, and Swift was unseated, prompting outrage among the citizens of Worcester.<ref>{{cite web|website=The History of Parliament|title=Worcester|url=http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1690-1715/constituencies/worcester|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref>
In 1695 Cocks stood at Droitwich, and Swift was re-elected at Worcester. He held the seat until his death.<ref name="hist-parl"/>
In 1696–97, during an enquiry into the Royal Mint, Swift was accused of involvement in coin clipping, a treasonable offence. The House of Commons voted that these allegations were groundless and frivolous on 8 April 1697.<ref name="hist-parl"/>
He died on 8 February 1718.<ref name="hist-parl"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|en}} {{s-bef|before =William Bromley |before2=Sir John Somers}} {{s-ttl|title =Member of Parliament for Worcester |with =William Bromley |years =1693–1694}} {{s-aft|after =William Bromley |after2 =Charles Cocks}} {{s-bef|before =William Bromley |before2=Charles Cocks}} {{s-ttl|title =Member of Parliament for Worcester |with =William Bromley |with2 =Thomas Wylde |years =1695–1718}} {{s-aft|after =Thomas Wylde |after2 =Samuel Sandys}} {{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Samuel}} Category:1650s births Category:1718 deaths Category:Tory MPs (pre-1834) Category:English MPs 1690–1695 Category:English MPs 1695–1698 Category:English MPs 1698–1700 Category:English MPs 1701–1702 Category:English MPs 1705–1707 Category:British MPs 1707–1708 Category:British MPs 1708–1710 Category:British MPs 1710–1713 Category:British MPs 1713–1715 Category:British MPs 1715–1722 Category:High sheriffs of Worcestershire