# Samuel Swift

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{{Short description|English Tory politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Samuel Swift''' ({{circa|1659}} – 8 February 1718) was an English [Tory](/source/Tories_(British_political_party)) politician, MP for [Worcester](/source/Worcester_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) 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](/source/High_Sheriff_of_Worcestershire) in 1692–93.<ref name="hist-parl"/>

In 1693, [Sir John Somers](/source/John_Somers%2C_1st_Baron_Somers), having been appointed [Lord Keeper of the Great Seal](/source/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](/source/Charles_Cocks_(1646%E2%80%931727)), 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](/source/1695_English_general_election) 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](/source/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](/source/William_Bromley_(of_Holt_Castle))
       |before2=[Sir John Somers](/source/John_Somers%2C_1st_Baron_Somers)}}
{{s-ttl|title  =[Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Worcester](/source/Worcester_(UK_Parliament_constituency))
       |with   =[William Bromley](/source/William_Bromley_(of_Holt_Castle))
       |years  =1693–1694}}
{{s-aft|after  =[William Bromley](/source/William_Bromley_(of_Holt_Castle))
       |after2 =[Charles Cocks](/source/Charles_Cocks_(1646%E2%80%931727))}}
{{s-bef|before =[William Bromley](/source/William_Bromley_(of_Holt_Castle))
       |before2=[Charles Cocks](/source/Charles_Cocks_(1646%E2%80%931727))}}
{{s-ttl|title  =[Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Worcester](/source/Worcester_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) 
       |with   =[William Bromley](/source/William_Bromley_(of_Holt_Castle))
       |with2  =[Thomas Wylde](/source/Thomas_Wylde)
       |years  =1695–1718}}
{{s-aft|after  =[Thomas Wylde](/source/Thomas_Wylde)
       |after2 =[Samuel Sandys](/source/Samuel_Sandys%2C_1st_Baron_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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Samuel Swift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Swift) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Swift?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.