William Swymmer
William Swymmer (birth and death dates unknown) was a Bristol sugar merchant, involved in the slave trade. In 1667, he became a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers. He was an alderman in Bristol, and then Sheriff in 1679. Swymmer may have inherited a share in a sugar plantation in Barbados from his father. His brother Anthony Swymmer and his wife Elizabeth Swymmer were also involved in the slave trade. Records survive of the1684 correspondence from William Swymmer and William Hayman, to William Helyar, the Somerset owner of a Jamaica plantation, explaining why they were unable to provide the ten slaves they had contracted to supply. The deal was illegal, as the Royal African Company had a monopoly on the British slave trade at this point. 

In 1681, Swymmer built two warehouses in Bristol, probably for the storage of sugar, and in 1692 Swymmer loaned the Society of Merchant Venturers £600 for building a new quay and cranes in Bristol docks. 

In 1686 Swymmer writes to William Helyar to explain a delay in a separate consignment of slaves that had been agreed between Elizabeth Swymmer and Helyar's son. Historian Madge Dresser reports this as the only case she has found of a Bristol woman involved in her husband's slave-factoring or slave trading business. 

Swymmer's daughter Elizabeth married Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland.
Q3487452
Society of Merchant Venturers
ORG
None
Anthony Swymmer
UNK
None
Elizabeth Swymmer
UNK
Q96742689
William Hayman
PER
None
William Helyar
UNK
Q769519
Royal African Company
Concept
Q7611529
Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland
PER
Q75270704
William Swymmer
PER
Q75270704
William Swymmer
PER
1667-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1667
DATE
1679-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1679
DATE
1681-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1681
DATE
1692-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1692
DATE
1686-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1686
DATE
+1684^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1684
NUMBER
+600^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
600
NUMBER
+8^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
8
NUMBER
partner in business or sport
partner in business or sport