Bencher

INTRODUCTION jonathan swift was born in sixteen sixty seven on the thirtieth of november his father was a jonathan swift sixth of the ten sons of rev thomas swift vicar of goodrich near ross in herefordshire who had married elizabeth dryden niece to the poet dryden's grandfather jonathan swift married at leicester abigail herrick who was of the family that had given to england robert herrick the poet As their eldest brother, Godwin, was prospering in Ireland, four other swifts, Dryden, William, Jonathan, and Adam, all in turn found their way to Dublin.

Jonathan was admitted an attorney of the King's Inns, Dublin, and was appointed by the Benchers to the office of steward of the King's Inns in January 1666.

He died in April 1667, leaving his widow with an infant daughter, Jane, an unborn child.

swift was born in dublin seven months after his father's death his mother after a time returned to her own family in leicester and the child was added to the household of his uncle godwin swift who by his four wives became father to ten sons of his own and four daughters godwin swift sent his nephew to kilkenny school where he had william congreve among his schoolfellows in april seventeen eighty two swift had entered at trinity college as pensiner together with his cousin thomas son of his uncle thomas that cousin thomas afterwards became rector of puttenham in surrey jonathan swift graduated as b a at dublin in february sixteen eighty six and remained in trinity college for another three years he was ready to proceed to m a when his uncle godwin became insane the troubles of sixteen eighty nine also caused the closing of the university and jonathan swift went to leicester where mother and son took counsel together as to future possibilities of life The retired statesman, Sir William Temple, at Moor Park near Farnham in Surrey, was in highest esteem with the new king and the leaders of the revolution.