She was the fourth youngest of the thirteen children consisting of eleven girls and two boys. She also had two half-sisters from Jacob’s first marriage.
Childhood sweethearts, Priscillia married James Ryder on November 11th 1858 at the Congregational Church in Georgetown, Ontario. Her brother Hiram Denny Swackhammer and his wife to be Catherine Fisher were the witnesses. Priscilla was just 18, and James 23.
* This is the only picture I have seen of Mary Priscilla Swackhamer. It was given to me by her 2xgreat grandson Steve Punnett. Many thanks Steve.
No. 16 Return of Marriages solemnized by by Joseph Unsworth a minister of the Congregational Church Georgetown James RIDER, 23, Trafalgar, Acton, s/o Henry & Mary RIDER, married Mary P. SWACKHAMER, 18, Esquesing, same, d/o Jacob a& Mary SWACKHAMER, witn; Hiram SWACKHAMER of Esquesing, and Catherine FISHER of Erin, 11 Nov 1858 at Georgetown.
There are many liasons between the Swackhamers and the Ryders in Ontario. Priscilia’s sister’s Phoebe Cordellia married David Ryder and her other sister Caroline Lucinda married John Ryder, both were brothers of James. James sister Mary Jane married Danford Swackhammer, Jacob's brother's son. This again made it more difficult to sort them all out, as again they all seemed to choose similar names. At that time it was common to name a child after a parent creating a lot of cousins with the same name and born at relatively the same time. Name that appear often in both the Ryder lines and the Swackhamer lines are Denny, Chisholm and Murray. As I find others I will try to connect them.
Priscilla and James would have six children through their fourteen year union. Barely over the birth of one and pregnant with the next. Mary Priscilla died January 22nd 1872 in Acton, Ontario.
After her death James would marry her older sister’s (Hannah Elize) daughter, Frances Sophia Martin.
Mary's brothers and sisters were as follows: Elizabeth 1818, Nancy Ann 1819, Susan Margaret 1820, Catherine Jane 1822, Christopher 1824, Sarah Matilda 1826, Hannah Eliza 1829,Emeline Drusilla 1831, Amanda Marilla 1833, Phoebe Cordillia 1835, Hiram Denny 1838, Martha Rosena 1843, and Caroline Lucinda 1845. Mary also had a half-sister from a previous marriage Eleanor 1815. There mother Elizabeth Thompson, Jacob's first wife, died during childbirth.
Children of James Ryder and Mary Pricilla Swackhamer
Click on the red linked names below to find more on Mary P and James' children.
B.1842 Swackhamer Mary P. 1861 Census of Canada Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C-1078-1079 M.1858 Swackhamer Mary P./Ryder James Ontario, Canada, County Marriage Registers, 1858-1869 D.1872 Swackhamer Mary P., Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938, 1943-1944, and Deaths Overseas, 1939-1947 Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Series: MS935; Reel: 3