The life story of John Sweet is not very long and little is known of his origins, except that he was likely from Wales.
John Sweet was born c1603, but there is no information about either his origins or his parents/siblings. He married Mary (MNU), probably in Wales about 1627.
The Sweets were early settlers in Salem, Essex, Massachusetts, as John is documented in town records in 1632. However, John died between 6 June 1637, when he was named in a court record, and 25 December 1637, when the Widow Sweet received acreage for a household of four persons.
Mary (MNU) Sweet married Ezekiel Holliman about 1638.
Children:
- John, born c1628; married Elizabeth (MNU), c1655
- James, born c1630; married Mary Greene, c1654
- Renewed, born c1632; married John Gereardy, c1651
My line of descent:
Mary Greene & James Sweet
Valentine Sweet & Eleanor (MNU)
Mary Sweet & Samuel Boone
Samuel Boone & Mary Wightman
William Boone & Ruth Hill
Mary Boone & Richard Jones
Rebecca Jones & Peter Crouse
Sarah Moriah Crouse & William Coleman
Hartwell Thomas Coleman & Anna Elisabetha Jensen
Hazel Ethel Coleman & Vernon Tarbox Adams
Doris Priscilla Adams & George Michael Sabo
Linda Anne Sabo Stufflebean – me!
| John Sweet appears in The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vols. I-III: 1790 |
Hi Linda: MY name is Sherri Schiebout. You are related to my husband Joel. John Sweet is Joels 10 th GGrandfather. Also through James and Mary Greene. I’ve been doing genealogy for about 12 years now. I actually found out that Joel and I share Grandparents. James and Marys son Sylvester married Sarah Tew from Scituate . Her father Henry Tew and my Grandmother Elnathan Tew were brother and sister. It felt weird knowing that we have shared family 350 yrs ago! We live in Bellevue,Alberta, Canada. In 2017 we went across the U.S.to the eastern coast then up into Canada. We stopped in Salem and went to the library. We were taken to a small room with old books. I made photocopies of anything to do with the sweets but now cant find them, im hoping they are at my inlaws.
Do you have info regarding where John was from in England? Modbury? Which ship they used in migration?
My husband is related to John Sweet. Our research shows they came on the Lyon with Roger Williams in 1630. they settled in the MA Bay Colony and their house was on the site of the present post office. They eventually followed Roger Williams to Providence where they were one of the founding families. The site of the house is the Old State House. Sweet eventually moved to Warwick and to Newport where his will was probated.
John Sweet Sr. Is my 10th GG.. very interesting! Thank you!
Ronnie – Lee- Charlestown Rhode Island
My name is John Sweet as well as my Father is John Sweet our family came here from Ohio in the early 1950’s
I am a direct descendant of Greene and Sweet. My great grandmother was Anna Amelia Sweet (Nickols) who’s family came to Ferndale, CA, from Nova Scotia. How thrilling it is to learn so much about the “bonesetters” I’d heard so much about growing up.
Hi, I’m sure this is a stupid question but are there records of where John and or James Sweet are buried? Can a person visit the places they lived in Salem or Providence?
They are buried in East Greenwich, RI
Where in East Greenwich? I have searched and could not find a location for John’s grave.
See my comment above. My research shows that their Salem property is now the site of the post office. In Providence, it’s the site of the old state house. No records of where they were buried — i have looked and not had luck. There is a Sweet family burial ground in the veterans cemetery in Exeter, RI (the family plot is way back in the woods). No stones are readable but that’s our branch of the family.
Further down the genealogy line, the Sweets who were Massachusetts Minutemen (Gideon, etc) are buried in the Old Kirk Yard (Old Second Parish Church Cemetery) in Attleboro, MA. There are quite a few Sweet graves there, both close to the church and further back. These are my husband’s relations.
Roger Williams was originally buried on his property in Providence in an unmarked grave. He was later exhumed twice and moved. If Williams was buried on his property, then I imagine John Sweet Sr. Was also buried on his property in Providence.
The Widow Mary Sweet and sons John and James and daughter came to Providence RI after leaving Salem. I believe their land ran along Benefit St and Court St where the previous (old) RI State House is now. Check out nearby Roger Williams National Memorial. There’s a map showing all the original properties, including Sweet. Look for Ezekiel Holyman (Mary’s 2nd husband) and Stukeley Wes(t)cott (her brother) there as well. FindAGrave puts Sweets in the Sweet-Tripp cemetery near the RI Veterans Cemetery.
John and James ran a mill near Warwick, RI that was burned during King Phillip’s War. Our line is descended through John the younger.
John Sweet is my 9th great grandfather. I’m from Texas. My side of the Sweet family moved to Texas sometime around 1866.
Hi, cousin! John is my 10th great-grandfather and I, too, am part of the Sweet family that moved to Texas! I was born and raised here and currently live in Fort Worth!