My wife is called Patricia Swiift. Her great grandfather was John Swift, who married Derinda Nicholson in Sligo Cathedral in 1854. The marriage record shows that John Swift was born in Ballina, Co Mayo probably around 1830. He moved to Sligo around 1850 / 51 - the family story was that he was a carpenter and he was making coffins for peole dying in Sligo during the famine waiting for transport to North America. His father was also shown as John Swift born in Ballina around 1800. He marrried Winifred Cairns in Ballina around mid 1820s. Around that time, the family woud have used Irish names. When the family moved to Sligo, they changed their name. People changed their original Irish names to anglicised versions for various reasons. These included avoiding problems with the British authorities or if they had to do business with Government or local authorities or a bank, etc. There were generally 3 ways to change an Irish name. They could try to translate it into English, change it to an English sounding version or to choose a random English name. The original name of the Swifts was Fodaghan (O’Fuadochain). This was close to the Irish word for rapid or fast. So, some of the family called themselves Swift, some called themselves Speed (or Spud), some called themselves Foody. We know that members of the family who moved to the US and Canada were called Foody, and the use of the name Spud instead of Speed has been found in the records. When John Swift married Derinda Nicholson in Sligo in 1854, the marriage record shows John Spud. My wife's family moved lock, stock and barrel to Glasgow in 1871 as my wife's grandfather, John Franics Swift born in 1857, was in trouble with the British authorities.
