According to a letter my grandmother had recieved from an Edward R. Swezey of Sherman NY dated May 10, 1943, Swezeytown was founded in 1745 by Stephen Swezey who was born in Southold in 1694. He had six sons, Stephen, Christopher, James, Nethaniel, Daniel and Abel (another source adds four daughters whose names have not survived). The letter seems to imply that Stephen was the son of Joseph Swezey, born at Southold who died before 1717 and had children Joanna, Mary, Bethia, Joseph, Samuel, Richard and Stephen. Joseph was the son of our key ancestor, the John Swezey who came over in 1629.
Was Swezys Landing the same as Swezeytown?
My father had told me a long time ago that it was near Queens, NY and was overrun by New York City and absorbed by it in the early 1800's. I think he was mistaken. A book in the Albany NY State Library entitled "Gazetteer of the State of New York" by John Homer French, 1860, A 917.47 F87a Page 633-634 talking about Brookhaven township states: "Millers Place, Rocky Point and Swezys Landing are hamlets on the coast of Long Island Sound. Patchogue is situated on Patchogue Bay, in the s.w. part of the town." a footnote explains that Patchchogue was "Named from the 'Po-chough' Indians, who inhabited this region."
Millers Place and Rocky Point are on the North side of Long Island, I have heard from another Swezey that Swezeytown was right by Patchogue which is on the south side of Long Island.
Additional Information about Stephen Swezey
"Stephen Swezey(86) was born in 1694 in Southold, Suffolk Co., Long
Island, NY. He appeared on the census in 1737 in Southold, Suffolk Co.,
Long Island, NY. He moved in
1745 to Brookhaven, Long Island, NY. He was a Farmer. He died in Swezeytown,
Brookhaven, Long Island, NY. He was on the list of Freeholders in 1737.
He moved with a part of his
family to Brookhaven in 1745, where he founded the town named from
his "Swezeytown," some of his descendants now residing there.
The descendants of this line invariably spell their name as above This
method we shall follow in its development.
Stephen Swezey bonght his estate in Brookhaven of Rev John Younge.
It descended in a direct line to Stephen Jr., (one brother Daniel locating
on the lots two miles distant) to Stephen. who m Sophia Jaynes of Setauket,
to Jotham who m Elisabeth Gillette to
Elbert who m Martha Randall It is now occupied by some of the latter's
children: John who m a Brundage of Catchogue, Ada who m . Rev H.E. Allen
of Griswold. Conn., and pastor there;
Amelia, Sabra, Nellie, Gertrude, LeRoy."
Finally there is a town on Long Island named "Sweyze", was this Swezeytown?