[The original authorities for Swift's life are chiefly Lord Orrery's Remarks on the Life and Writings of Jonathan Swift, 1751; Dr. Delany's (anonymous) Observations upon Lord Orrery's Remarks, 1754; Deane Swift's Essay upon the Life … of Swift, 1755, and Thomas Sheridan's Life, 1785. Delany, who knew Swift from about 1718, is the most trustworthy and judicious. Orrery, born in 1707, knew Swift from only about 1731, and is pompous and weak. Deane Swift [see under Swift, Theophilus] had access to some sources of information, though, as he was born in 1707 and did not live in Ireland till 1738, he knew little of Swift personally. Sheridan also settled in Ireland in 1738 only, but had information from his father, Swift's intimate friend, and from others of the circle. Swift's own writings, however, give the fullest information. His fragment of autobiography, first published by Deane Swift, is now in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, and is published in Forster's life, with corrections from another copy. The later letters, forming the Journal to Stella, first appeared in the three volumes of correspondence edited by Hawkesworth; the originals of this part are in the British Museum; the earlier letters first appeared in the three volumes of correspondence edited by Deane Swift. Only the first of these letters is preserved. Forster gives a collation of the letters preserved, from which it appears that both editors took considerable liberty with the text (Forster, Life of Swift, pp. 405–59). Hawkesworth's life (1755) followed the authorities noticed above. A copy in Forster Library has manuscript annotations by Dr. John Lyon (1702–1790) [q. v.] of some importance. In the same library are other manuscripts collected by Forster, including a series of letters from Swift to Knightley Chetwode, published by Dr. Birkbeck Hill in the Atlantic Monthly in 1896. Dr. Johnson's life in the Lives of the Poets refers his readers to Hawkesworth, and is both perfunctory and prejudiced. An Inquiry into the Life of Dean Swift, prefixed to the Literary Relics of G. Monck Berkeley [q. v.], is only important for the marriage story. An Essay on the earlier part of Swift's life, 1808, by Dr. Barrett, collects some facts from the Trinity College records, and prints some rubbish attributed to Swift. The life by Scott in 1814, though otherwise agreeable and judicious, is not very critical. Scott received some fresh anecdotes from Theophilus, the son of Deane Swift, and a few others. The correspondence with Vanessa, already used by Sheridan, was first fully published in Scott's edition. The ponderous History of St. Patrick's (1819), by William Monck Mason, contains a very elaborate life of Swift, with many documents and bibliographical references. In 1875 John Forster published the first volume of a Life of Swift (1667–1711), but his death prevented its continuation. The life by Mr. (now Sir) Henry Craik (1 vol. 8vo, 1885) is the fullest and most careful. Anecdotes of Swift are given in many books, and generally become more detailed and circumstantial as they are further from their source. Among them may be mentioned Spence's Anecdotes; the Memoirs of Lætitia Pilkington [q. v.]; Swiftiana, a worthless collection by C. H. Wilson, 2 vols. 12mo, 1804; and Mrs. Delany's Autobiography and Correspondence, ed. Lady Llanover, 1st and 2nd ser. 1861–2, passim. See also The Closing Years of Dean Swift's Life, by W. R. Wilde, 1849, 8vo; Lecky's Leaders of Public Opinion (revised for the edition of Swift's Works, 12 vols. 1897–1908); Mr. Churton Collins's Jonathan Swift, a Biographical and Critical Study, 1893.]
SWIFT, ROBERT (1534?–1599), chancellor of Durham, born at Rotherham about 1534, belonged to a Yorkshire family settled there (Testamenta Eboracensia, v. 196–7). A member of it, Robert Swift, was steward to Francis Talbot, fifth earl of Shrewsbury [q. v.] (Lodge, Illustrations, i. 233–9), and another Robert (1568–1625), high sheriff of Yorkshire, was father of Barnham Swift (d. 1634), who in 1627 was created Viscount Carlingford, an Irish peerage which became extinct on his death. His daughter Mary became the wife of Robert Feilding, ‘Beau Feilding’ [q. v.] Dean Swift was said to be descended from the same family (Hunter, Hallamshire, ed. Gatty, pp. 363–6; Hunter, South Yorkshire, i. 204–5; G. E. C[okayne]'s Complete Peerage, ii. 148).
Swift was, by command of the royal visitors, admitted on 4 July 1549 a scholar of St. John's College, Cambridge, on Riplingham's foundation. He proceeded B.A. in 1552–3, and on 25 March following was admitted a fellow on the Lady Margaret's foundation. On Mary's accession he left England, and while abroad is said to have graduated LL.B. at Louvain, the expense being paid by some English merchants resident at Antwerp (memorial inscription). He returned after Mary's death, and in 1561 became spiritual chancellor of Durham. On 28 March 1562 he was collated to the first stall in Durham Cathedral (Le Neve, iii. 308), and in the following year was appointed rector of Sedgefield, though he was not ordained deacon until 5 Oct. 1563. He resigned the chancellorship in 1577. On 12 May 1596 he endowed the school at Sedgefield founded by Tobie or Tobias Matthew [q. v.], bishop of Durham, with a cotehouse for the benefit of such children as were unable ‘to pay for their school hire’ (Surtees, Durham, iii. 419). In 1599 he was placed on a commission for the suppression of heresy (Rymer, xvi. 386). He died in that year, and was buried in Durham Cathedral, an inscription to his memory being placed on his tomb.
