Jasper Swift

Jasper Swift (died 20 January 1620) was an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Cornwall and Archdeacon of Totnes. ^[1]

Early life and education

Jasper Swift matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1590/91 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1594. ^[2] He later obtained a Master of Arts in 1599/1600, followed by a Bachelor of Divinity and a Doctor of Divinity in 1615/16. ^[3]

Ecclesiastical Career

Swift was ordained in the late 16th century and held multiple ecclesiastical positions throughout his career. He was appointed as:

• Rector of St. Erme, Cornwall in 1603, ^[4]
• Rector of Powderham, Devon in 1612, ^[5]
• Prebendary of Exeter Cathedral in 1613, ^[6]
• Archdeacon of Cornwall from July to October 1616, ^[7]
• Archdeacon of Totnes from October 1616 until his death in 1620. ^[8]

Death

Jasper Swift passed away on 20 January 1620. Some sources record his death as occurring in 1619/20 due to the transition from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. ^[9]

References

1. Bridges, W.B.; Wright, W.H.K.; Rattenbury, J.; Shebbeare, R.; Thomas, C.; Fothergill, H.G. (1889). Some Account of the Barony and Town of Okehampton: Its Antiquities and Institutions. Tiverton: W. Masland.
2. Foster, Joseph (1891). Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Surnames S-Z. Oxford University Press. p. 1468. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
3. "Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714". British History Online. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
4. Oliver, George (1846). Monasticon Dioecesis Exoniensis. Plymouth: W. C. Featherstone. p. 101.
5. Prince, John (1810). The Worthies of Devon. Rees and Curtis. p. 397.
6. "Exeter Cathedral: Prebendaries". British History Online. Retrieved 11 March 2025.
7. Le Neve, John (1969). Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541-1857, Volume 1. University of London, Institute of Historical Research. p. 23.
8. Hoskins, W.G. (1954). Devon. David & Charles. p. 318.
9. Fryde, E.B. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology. Cambridge University Press. p. 258.