Rowland Swift (Hartford, CT)
Rowland Swift (February 22, 1834 – June 13, 1902)
Biography
- Name: Rowland Swift
- Birth: February 22, 1834, Mansfield, Connecticut
- Death: June 13, 1902, Hartford, Connecticut
Early life and family
Rowland Swift was born in Mansfield, Tolland County, Connecticut, February 22, 1834, on his mother's side tracing his ancestors back to Governor William Bradford, and on his father's side to William Swift, who came from England with the earliest settlers. His father was Dr. Earl Swift, a Yale graduate of the class of 1808. His mother was Laura Ripley, a sister of General James Wolfe Ripley, at one time in charge of the Springfield Arsenal and later a resident of Hartford. He was the youngest of ten Children. Rowland as a boy was ambitious to follow his father to New Haven, but an attack of varioloid, contracted while nursing one of his father's smallpox patients, left his eyes in such condition that, though he repeatedly returned attempted to prepare for higher education, he was finally compelled to abandon his hope of attending college. He came to Hartford as a boy of sixteen and for two years was a clerk in the dry goods store of Joseph Langdon. Shortly after the organization of what was known as the Hartford County Bank, and which in 1865 became the American National Bank, he entered it as clerk and was made cashier in 1854 before he had attained his majority.
Mr. Swift was married in 1855 to Miss Sarah Gillett. Of their three children, one son, Robert, died in infancy, the oldest son, Howard R., died in 1889, and the only daughter, Mary, wife of Professor Arthur L. Gillett, died in January 1901.
Banking career
The Bank of Hartford County was established in 18xx. He entered the bank of Hartford County about 1852 and was made cashier in 1854, succeeding James B. Powell. The bank received a national charter in 1865 and the name was changed to The American National Bank of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. Swift remained cashier until he was elected president of the bank on January 13, 1871, succeeding George M. Bartholomew.
Other career highlights
At the time of his death Mr. Swift was a trustee in the Society for Savings, a director of the Retreat for the Insane and the American School for the Deaf. He was treasurer of the Watkinson Library of Reference and was the senior member on the board of trustees of the Hartford Theological Seminary. He was for many years an active member of the Connecticut Historical Society, and was one of the original members of the Republican Club of Hartford. These with other positions of trust indicate the range of the esteem in which he was held. He was for many years closely identified with the Pratt & Whitney Company as a director.
Mr. Swift was a man of intense patriotism, and the Civil War fired the loyalty of his whole nature, unable to enlist himself he doubled his bank work to keep open the place of one who had gone to the front. He entered with enthusiasm into the politics of the day as president for many years of the Young Men's Club, he was through life a staunch, clean, aggressive republican, and was in frequent demand even in his later years, as a chairman of party caucuses. But the ground tone of his character was religious. There was no touch of cant or sanctimoniousness about him. Soon after coming to Hartford, he joined the South Church and was superintendent of the Sunday school for many years. With the formation of the City Missionary Society he threw himself Into the work of that organization, helping to raise the funds for "The Park Street Sunday school" building, long reverted to business purposes, and acting as its vigorous superintendent.
When he removed to the Center Church in l865, he soon found his way to the Sunday school superintendent's, position, remaining in office until about 1885. He was repeatedly elected deacon of the church and held that office at the time of his death. As a lad he had practiced scales and hymn tunes in the attic, upon a violin, until his skill became such that the embargo was removed from his music and he was permitted to bring it to the living room. This love for music made him especially interested in the development of the musical services in the Center Church. Mr. Swift was not one whose Christian spirit exhausted itself in the administration of ecclesiastical office. It was of his very nature. There was about him an urbanity of manner, and an eminent kindliness that grew out a loving, charitableness of character. He was a man of intense convictions, absolutely fearless in the proclamation of them, and exceedingly tenacious in his adherence to them. Yet there was nothing but the finest courtesy at any time in his absolute and courageous upholding of what he believed was right. Long before the modern craze for ancestry, he was a careful and interested student of the early history of New England. Before "nature-study" had become the password to the drawing room, he had studied and loved the flowers and the birds with a care and thoroughness more than amateurish. He loved the broad fields, the sweep of the hill, the open sky. In the quiet of his country home on Cedar Mountain he found for many years his delight and refreshment. He loved birds, flowers and children. The latter always loved him and the others gave him of their best. He represented in a remarkable degree the strong, sturdy, basally religious, eminently practical traits of the best type of New England character, and with it was mingled a touch of courtly graciousness, a strain of aesthetic appreciation, a quality of native lovingness and lovableness altogether unusual.
Later life and death
On Friday afternoon, June 13, 1902, Rowland Swift, president of the American National Bank and the oldest bank officer in the city of Hartford in point of service, died at his home, No. 1 Wethersfield Avenue. He had been kept from his desk at the bank for two weeks but was not confined to his bed until Wednesday, when unfavorable symptoms developed, and he failed rapidly. His illness during the last three days took the form of acute Bright's disease.
Of his ten siblings, only two survived him, General Frederick W. Swift and Mrs. Sarah K. Adams, both of whom resided in Detroit.
Mr. Swift's funeral was at his late home, No. 1 Wethersfield Avenue, at 3 o'clock Monday, June 16th. He was buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Connecticut.
Bank Officer Summary
During his banking career, Rowland Swift was involved with the following bank(s):
- Bank of Hartford County (Haxby CT-175) Cashier 1854-1865
- American National Bank, Hartford, CT (Charter 1165): President 1871-1901; Cashier 1865-1870
Sources
- Rowland Swift on Findagrave.com
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Sat., June 14, 1902.