SWAN. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 13; h-p., 31.)
Oliver Swan was born 2 June, 1792. His brother, David Swan, Master R.N. (1794), died in 1846.
This officer entered the Navy, 7 April, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ardent 64, Capt. Robt. Winthrop, under whom he was for two years (half the time in the capacity of Midshipman) employed in the Channel, off Ferrol, in the Downs, off Boulogne, and in the North Sea. He then, in April, 1805, joined the Revenge 74, Capt. Robt. Moorsom, lying at Sheerness; and in the ensuing June he was again placed under the command of Capt. Winthrop in the Sybille 38. He twice in that ship carried despatches to the King of Prussia; after which he served on the coast of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay, visited Madeira, and cruized among the Western Islands. While attached, from July, 1807, until Nov. 1809, to the Ganges 74, Capt. Peter. Halkett, he assisted, under the broad pendant of Commodore Rich. Goodwin Keats, at the taking of Copenhagen, made a voyage to Lisbon, and took part, under the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway, in the attack upon Flushing. In the course of the month last mentioned he removed to the Horatio 38, Capts. Geo. Scott and John Chas. Woolcombe. In her he was for nearly 12 months engaged in affording protection to different convoys as far as Madeira, the Cape de Verde Islands, and St. Helena. He was subsequently, until presented, in March, 1815,[1] with a commission bearing date 11 of the previous Feb., employed on the Home and Mediterranean stations in the Aimable 32, Capt. J. C. Woolcomhe, Crescent 38, Capt. John Quilliam, Edinburgh 74, Capts. Robt. Rolles, Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, and John Lampen Manley. His last appointment was, 19 May, 1815, to the Gladiator 44, in which ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Halkett at Portsmouth, he continued until the following Oct., performing the duties during that period of Signal-Lieutenant. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Swan married, 27 Aug. 1817, Mary Newton, eldest daughter of Robt. Davidson, Esq., Solicitor, of Bishop Wearmouth, by whom he has issue a son and three daughters.
SWEETING. (Lieut., 1816. f-p., 8; h-p., 32.)
William Sweeting was born 23 March, 1793.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 July, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Nymphe 36, Capts. Conway Shipley and Hon. Josceline Percy, in which frigate, after accompanying the expedition against Copenhagen, he sailed for Lisbon, and then proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he served as Midshipman, from Oct. 1809 until Dec. 1811, in the Centaur 74, Ville de Paris 110, and Hibernia 120, flag-ships of Rear-Admirals Sir Sam. Hood, Thos. Fras. Fremantle, and Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats. On leaving the Hibernia he was received on board the Minden 74, Capts. Alex. Skene, Joseph Prior, Geo. Henderson, and Hon. Donald Hugh Mackay, with whom we find him, until his return to England in March, 1816, employed in the East Indies as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant – the chief part of the time under the flag of Sir S. Hood. In July of the latter year (he had passed his examination 16 July, 1813) he was appointed Admiralty-Midshipman of the Superb 74, Capt. Chas. Ekins; and on 27 of the ensuing Aug. he was present at the bombardment of Algiers, where he was severely wounded by large splinters in the forehead, right shoulder, and breast.[2] These injuries not being considered equal to the loss of a limb, he received no pecuniary compensation. His conduct, however, procured him a commission dated 16 Sept. 1816. Since his promotion he has been on half-pay.
SWEETLAND. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
Henry Sweetland entered the Navy, in March, 1803, as A.B., on board a ship commanded, on the Lisbon station, by Capt. Jas. Dunbar. From Dec. 1805 until Jan. 1808 he served in the West Indies in the Canada 74, Capt. John Harvey; he was then employed for five years and three months in the Mediterranean as Quartermaster, Midshipman, and Master’s Mate, in the Leonidas 38, Capt. Dunbar, and Sultan 74, Capts. Edw. Griffith and John West; and after serving for a year and ten months at Newfoundland, as Master’s Mate, in the Bellerophon 74, flag-ship of Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats, he was promoted, 8 Feb. 1815, to the rank of Lieutenant. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.
SWENY. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 25; h-p., 24.)
Mark Halpen Sweny was born in 1785.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 June, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Formidable 98, commanded in the Channel by the present Sir Jas. Hawkins Whitshed; and in Feb. 1799 he became Midshipman of the Castor 32, Capt. Edw. Leveson Gower, in which frigate he appears to have been severely wounded while fitting at Plymouth. He continued to serve on the Home station in the Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admirals J. H. Whitshed and Cuthbert Collingwood, Donegal 74, Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, Neptune 98, Capts. Fras. Wm. Austen, Wm. O’Brien Drury, and Sir Thos. Williams, and Renown 74, Capt. Sir R. J. Strachan, until 1805; when, being nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Colossus 74, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris he was afforded an opportunity of participating in the battle of Trafalgar, and was again severely wounded. He was confirmed, 22 Jan. 1806, into the Sparrow sloop, Capt. Hon. Wm. Pakenham; and, during the next ten years, he was employed, occasionally as First-Lieutenant, and on various stations, in the St. Alban’s 64, Capt. F. W. Austen, Africa 64, Capt. John Barrett, St. Alban’s again, Capt. F. W. Austen, Aquilon 32, Capts. Hon. W. Pakenham and Wm. Bowles, Elephant 74, Capt. F. W. Austen, Benbow 74, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, and Northumberland 74, bearing the flag of Sir Geo. Cockburn. In the Africa, while in escort of a large convoy, he was present, 20 Oct. 1808, and received a slight contusion, in an attack made on that ship, in the Malmo Channel, by a powerful flotilla of gun-boats, with whom the Africa maintained an action for nearly four hours, when, darkness closing the fight, her loss, independently of considerable damage in hull and rigging, amounted, it was found, to 9 men killed and 53 wounded. While attached to the St. Alban’s Mr. Sweny took part, in 1809, in a dispute with the natives of China, and escorted home a valuable convoy of Indiamen. In 1815, being then First of the Northumberland, he accompanied Napoleon Buonaparte to St. Helena. In June, 1820, he joined the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Severn 50, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch; he was advanced to the rank of Commander 19 July, 1821; and he was subsequently appointed – 22 Nov. 1830, to the Gannet 18, on the West India station – and, 27 April, 1833, and 16 July, 1834, to the Vernon 50 and President 52, flag-ships of Sir Geo. Cockburn in North America. In the Vernon he acted for a short time_as Captain; and while his name was on the books of that ship and the President he commanded, pro. tem., from June to Sept. 1834, the Serpent 16. Since his return to England in June, 1836, he has been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838.
Besides obtaining a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, Capt. Sweny was granted a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum for his wounds 16 Oct. 1816.
SWINBURN. (Lieutenant, 1848.)
William Swinburn took part as Midshipman of the Alligator 28, Capt. Patrick John Blake, and Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, in the operations on the coast of China; where he obtained official notice for his conduct in the attack upon Canton, and at the capture of Amoy and Chinghae. He passed his examination
