The early history of West Swinburn in Northumberland is hard to decipher as the land passed through many hands.
A WILLIAM DE WYRCESTRE, son of PAGAN DE WIRECESTER, Lord of West Swinburn, 1168, gave some land at Swinburn to
GODFREY DE SWINBURNE,
for whose house at West Swinburn Ralph de Gunnerton granted 'all his land in Swinburn and common of pasture and fuel on Gunnerton Moor'.
Godfrey was father of:
ALAN DE WEST SWYNEBURNE
Alan was father of:
ALAN DE WEST SWYNEBURNE, mentioned in an assize roll 1274; married HODIERNA, she was a widow in 1284
They were parents of:
RICHARD son of Alan of West Swinburn, and great grandson of Godfrey de Swinburne, living 1306 (mentioned in Assize Roll)
By this time the Swinburn land was in the hands of
JOHN DE SWYNEBURN, Lord of West Swinburn, 1257. It is possible that this John was the same person as John de Wircester, who held Swinburn land in 1240 and who was probably a descendant of Pagan de Wircester who had held Swinburn land in 1168. From John the family line continues unbroken.
John was father of:
SIR WILLIAM DE SWINBURNE, a parson at Fordun, Kincardineshire, Scotland before he resigned the church and married. He was Treasurer to Queen Margaret of Scotland and died in 1289. He married MARGARET or MARGERY, (issue - see below) when widowed she married THOMAS DE LUCY
ROBERT DE SWINBURNE, Parson in Scotland, died before 1278
NICHOLAS DE SWINBURNE, founded a chantry at West Swinburne in 1278, died before 1279, married ALICIA, living in 1279 (the IGI lists a Nicholas de Swinburne, born c.1242 Swinburn, son of John and Anicia) (issue - see below)
ALAN DE SWINBURNE, Rector of Whitfield since 1264, bought the manor of Great Heton (Capheaton) from Thomas de Fenwick in 1274 which he settled on his brother William
Nicholas and Alicia were parents of:
CHRISTIANA DE SWINBURNE, married before 1279 THOMAS FISSEBURNE, they had children, some of whom held Swinburne lands.
JULIANA DE SWINBURNE, married 1stly before 1279 GILBERT DE MIDDLETON, she married 2ndly before 1306 AYMER DE ROTHERFORD and was a widow again by 1310
AVICIA DE SWINBURNE, married after 1279 JOHN SWAYN
Sir William and Margaret were parents of:
ALEXANDER DE SWINBURNE, born 1260, of Capheaton, living 26 May 1309; he granted Capheaton, which was at the time held by his uncle Alan, to his son William; he married 1284 or 1290 AGNES THORNHILL (issue - see below)
NICHOLAS DE SWINBURNE
Alexander and Agnes (Thornhill) were parents of:
SIR WILLIAM DE SWINBURNE II, born about 1285 Capheaton, died 1354, married before 10 May 1306 ALICIA DE VAUX (daughter of SIR JOHN DE VAUX), issue-see below
SIR HUGH DE SWINBURNE, born 1287 Capheaton, chaplain, given lands 12 August 1329 by Thomas Fissburne for a chantry in the Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary in West Swinburn (see photographs to left and at head of page).
BEATRIX DE SWINBURNE, born 1289 Capheaton, married WILLIAM DE KERGIL
MARGARET DE SWINBURNE, born about 1291 Capheaton, married JOHN PRATH
KATHERINE DE SWINBURNE, married JOHN DE HAUTWISILL
Sir William and Alicia (de Vaux) were parents of:
ALEXANDER DE SWINBURNE, born 1307 Capheaton, died before 7 June 1349, married 1stly (marriage settlement 14 August 1319, she under 14) 1319 Capheaton ELIZABETH HORSLEY (daughter of ROGER HORSLEY)(issue - see below), Alexander married 2ndly AUVAYS (she married 2ndly WILLIAM DE KYRGILLE).
CHRISTIANA DE SWINBURNE, born 1312 Capheaton, married JOHN DE THIRLWALL
PHILLIPPA DE SWINBURNE, born 1320 Capheaton
SIR WILLIAM DE SWINBURNE IV, born about 1327 Capheaton, died before 15 March 1363, married (marriage settlement 10 January 1353) JOAN OGLE (daughter of SIR ROBERT OGLE and JOAN HEPPHALE), born c.1332; she is recorded as being a widow on 15 March 1363; she died c.1364(1) (issue - see below)
ALAN DE SWINBURNE, born about 1329 Capheaton, living 31 May 1349 (he had a son RICHARD DE SWINBURNE); he may be Alan Swinburne of Huthwaite who went to Cumberland in the train of the Percy's and married the heir or co-heir of the Huthwaites. In 1398 he held half Huthwaite and Brigham and lands in Dunthwaite and Branthwaite of Matilda, Countess of Northumberland. (See Swinburne of Hewthwaite, Cumberland)(2)
ROGER DE SWINBURNE, born 1331 Capheaton, living 9 May 1342
MARGARET DE SWINBURNE
Alexander and Elizabeth (Horsley) were parents of:
SIR WILLIAM DE SWINBURNE III, born about 1325 Capheaton, died without issue before 10 January 1353, married before 27 October 1348 JOAN DE RAYMES (daughter of ROBERT DE RAYMES of Shortflat)
Sir William IV and Joan (Ogle) were parents of:
SIR WILLIAM SWINBURNE V, born about 1353 Capheaton, Constable of Berwick on Tweed 1374-86, stood for Parliament for Northumberland, Constable of Beaumarris Castle in Anglesey in 1400, died 1402, married MARY DE HETON (daughter and co-heir of SIR ALAN DE HETON of Chillingham) she married 2ndly JOHN DEL STROTHER
MARY SWINBURNE
ROBERT SWINBURNE, still living 26 May 1378
Sir William and Mary (de Heton) were parents of:
SIR WILLIAM SWINBURNE VI, living 1 February 1443, married ELIZABETH WIDDRINGTON (daughter of SIR JOHN WIDDRINGTON of Widdrington) issue - see below
ELIZABETH SWINBURNE, married ROBERT HORSLEY
JOAN SWINBURNE, married JOHN DE LISLE
EDGAR SWINBURNE, born about 1383 Capheaton
MARGARET SWINBURNE, born 1385 Capheaton
Sir William and Elizabeth (Widdrington) were parents of:
SIR WILLIAM SWINBURNE VII, born about 1415 Capheaton, Keeper of Berwick Castle in 1426, died after 1443 and before 1463, married ELIZABETH COLLINGWOOD (daughter of JOHN COLLINGWOOD of Etal)
Sir William and Elizabeth (Collingwood) were parents of:
JOHN SWINBURNE, born about 1443 Capheaton, married 1stly JOAN MUSGRAVE (daughter and co-heir of THOMAS MUSGRAVE of Heaton) widow of William FENWICK of Gunnerton (issue - see below). John married 2ndly ISABELLA LAWSON, she married 2ndly John MIDDLETON of Belsay.
ROGER SWINBURNE, born 1447 Capheaton, living 4 July 1498
CONSTANCE SWINBURNE, married JOHN HERON of Chollerton
ELIZABETH SWINBURNE
Sir William was father of an illegitimate son:
JOHN SWINBURNE, inherited lands at Nafferton, living 1443 to 1451, married three times producing three children by 1st marriage and four by 2nd. His third son GILBERT SWINBURNE, was standard bearer to King Richard III and was killed at Bosworth Field on 2 August 1485.(See Swinburne of Edlingham Castle and Nafferton).
John and Joan (Musgrave) were parents of:
WILLIAM SWINBURNE VIII, of Capheaton, living 1532, married JOAN BERTRAM (daughter and co-heir of ROGER BERTRAM of Brenkley). He may be the William Swinburne who purchased land at Chollerton from his kinsman John Swinburne of Hewthwaite, Cumberland in 1544.
William and Joan (Bertram) were parents of:
WILLIAM SWINBURNE IX, of Capheaton, died 7 April 1550, married CLARE CARNABY (daughter of WILLIAM CARNABY of Halton), she married 2ndly RANOLD FORSTER, will dated 21 July 1579 (issue - see below)
ANTHONY SWINBURNE, (mentioned in documents in 1526 and 1532), see Swinburne of Westgate; (the IGI lists him as born c.1524 Capheaton son of William Swinburne and Isabella Bertram)
AMBROSE SWINBURNE, mentioned in 1528 and 1551; (the IGI lists him as born c.1526 Capheaton son of William Swinburne and Isabella Bertram)
LANCELOT SWINBURNE, mentioned 1528 and 1551; (the IGI lists him as born c.1528 Capheaton son of William Swinburne and Isabella Bertram)
TRISTRAM SWINBURNE, mentioned in 1544
William and Clare (Carnaby) were parents of:
THOMAS SWINBURNE, born c.1546; of Capheaton, aged 6 in 1551; died 21 February 1611; married 1572 MARGARET LAWSON (daughter of THOMAS LAWSON of Usworth, co. Durham) marriage settlement December 1571, will dated 10 November 1621 (issue - see below)
REYNOLD SWINBURNE, of Bothal; mentioned in mothers Will dated 21 July 1579; his Will dated 10 April 1585
JANE SWINBURNE, her brother left her to the guardianship of Lady Ogle with 'one bag of money with £20 in it'; she married GABRIEL OGLE of Bradford
MARGARET SWINBURNE, married THOMAS MUSGRAVE
?URSULA SWINBURNE, married ROWLAND SHAFTO of Strickley
Thomas and Margaret (Lawson) were parents of:
WILLIAM SWINBURNE X, of Capheaton, born about 1575, sheriff of Northumberland 1639, died 6 November 1653, married 1stly MARGARET SWINBURNE (eldest sister and eventually sole heiress of Sir THOMAS SWINBURNE of Edlingham Castle)(See Swinburne of Edlingham Castle and Nafferton), she died before 22 October 1617 (issue - see below). He married 2ndly JANE COLMORE nee BEE (daughter and heiress of MATTHEW BEE of Ninebanks, Northumberland), widow of CLEMENT COLMORE. Marriage settlement 23 April 1625 (issue - see below)
JOHN SWINBURNE, of Blackheddon, born about 1579, Capheaton, will dated 15 July 1628, married MARY COLLINGWOOD, a memorial stone at Stamfordham reads 'John Swinburne and Marie his wife, 2nd son of Thomas Swinburne of Capheaton, Esq. and she the sole daughter of Thomas Collingwood of Eslington Esq. and left issue four drs; Marie, Frances, Dorithe, Elizabeth 1603 (a loving wife and mother 1623)'(3). (issue - see below)
ELIZABETH SWINBURNE, married 1stly WILLIAM AYNSLEY of Shafto, she married 2ndly WILLIAM THIRLWALL
GRACE SWINBURNE, born about 1581 Capheaton, married GAWEN RUTHERFORD of Rudchester
MARGARET SWINBURNE, born about 1583, Capheaton, married CHARLES ROTHERFORTH of Blackhall, co. Durham
URSULA SWINBURNE, married RICHARD ROTHERFORTH of Byker, Northumberland
MARY SWINBURNE, married ROBERT DENT of Byker, Northumberland
ELLINOR SWINBURNE, born about 1588 Capheaton; married THOMAS OGLE of South Dissington
William and his 1st wife Margaret (nee Swinburne) were parents of:
ANNE SWINBURN, born about 1603 Capheaton
MARY SWINBURNE, born about 1605 Capheaton, married JOHN DANBY of Leeke, Yorkshire
WILLIAM SWINBURNE, born 1607, Capheaton, died without issue
JOHN SWINBURNE, of Capheaton, born about 1612, who for his loyalty was promised a Baronetcy by King Charles I but did not receive it, he died 15 February 1652, admon. Durham 8 April 1643 to Henry Brown, his servant. He married 1stly DOROTHY HERON (daughter of CUTHBERT HERON of Chipchase), marriage settlement 3 August 1631. He married 2ndly ISABEL TEMPEST (daughter of Sir THOMAS TEMPEST, 2nd Baronet, of Stella, co. Durham), born 1616 Capheaton, and 3rdly in 1654 ANNE BLOUNT (daughter of Sir CHARLES BLOUNT of Mapledurham, co. Oxford and DOROTHY CLERKE) born 1634 Maple Durham. Anne married 2ndly FRANCIS GODFREY of Norwich. (see Sir John Swinburne of Capheaton, 1st Baronet)
MARGERY SWINBURNE
William and his 2nd wife Jane (Colmore nee Bee) were parents of:
WILLIAM SWINBURNE, of Halliwell House, Brancepeth, co. Durham, born about 1640, Capheaton, adm. 10 May 1698 to brother Matthew
MARGARET SWINBURNE, born about 1642 Capheaton, married NICHOLAS TEMPEST of Stella, co. Durham, married 11 December 1654
THOMAS SWINBURNE, born about 1644 Capheaton, died without issue before 1666
MATTHEW SWINBURNE, of Halliwell House, born about 1646 Capheaton; Will dated 8 April 1700, proved 8 July 1700 by John Witham
FRANCIS SWINBURNE, died young before 1666
JANE SWINBURNE, born about 1648 Capheaton, married WILLIAM CHARLTON of Hesleyside
ALAN SWINBURNE, of Tone, born 1652 Capheaton, buried Ovingham 24 August 1691, adm. 7 September 1691 and 8 July 1708, married FRANCES THORNTON, (daughter of SIR NICHOLAS THORNTON of Netherwitton) bond of marriage 14 July 1669 (issue - see below)
Alan and Frances (Thorton) were parents of:
MARY SWINBURNE, married PHILIP HODSHON
John of Blackheddon and Mary (Collingwood) were parents of:
MARY SWINBURNE, married SIR HENRY WIDDRINGTON of Cheeseburn Grange
FRANCES SWINBURNE, married DANIELL OSBORNE
DOROTHY SWINBURNE, born about 1609 Black Heddon; married about 1630 Black Heddon THOMAS SELBY of Winlaton, co. Durham
ELIZABETH SWINBURNE, married RALPH WIDDRINGTON of Colwell