simi Ricardi Suiseth Anglici,’ Venice, 1520; ‘Tractatus Proportionum introductorius ad Calculationes Suisseth,’ by Bassanus Politus, appeared at Venice in 1505, folio.
[Bale's Centuriæ, vi. 2; Tanner's Bibl. Brit.-Hib. p. 691; Wood's Hist. and Antiq. Univ. Oxford, i. 419, 448; Brodrick's Memorials of Merton College, p. 213; Kastner's Geschichte der Mathematik, i. 50; Graesse's Tresor de Livres, vi. 526; British Museum Catalogues.]
SWINEY, GEORGE (1786?–1844), founder of the Swiney prize and Swiney lectureship, born about 1786, was the son of William Swiney (1760–1820), admiral of the red, and a descendant of Major Matthew Swiney (1681–1766), who fought at Dettingen. He was educated at Edinburgh University, whence he graduated M.D. in 1816, with a thesis ‘De Insania’ (List of Medical Graduates, 1867, p. 52). Having retired from practice, he settled in London, lived a secluded life, was very rarely seen beyond his door, and acquired a reputation as an eccentric. He spent much of his time latterly in revising his will and framing elaborate directions for his funeral. He died at Grove Street, Camden Town, on 21 Jan. 1844, and was attended to the cemetery of St. Martin's, Pratt Street, by an enormous concourse of people, attracted by the rumours and exaggerations which had been circulated by the newspapers. About a dozen years before his death Swiney had left a parcel with a number of mysterious injunctions at the rooms of the Society of Arts. When opened the parcel was found to contain a draft of a will in the society's favour, but as no trace could be found of the testator the matter was regarded as a hoax. After Swiney's death, however, by a codicil (dated 14 Nov. 1835) modifying his previous arrangements (under a will dated 27 May 1831), it was found that he had bequeathed 5,000l. to the Society of Arts, in order to found a quinquennial prize for the best published essay upon jurisprudence, the prize to be adjudicated jointly by the Society of Arts and the College of Physicians; and 5,000l. to the British Museum to found a lectureship in geology, the lecturer to be an M.D. of Edinburgh. Among the recipients of the Swiney prize have been Sir Henry James Sumner Maine [q. v.] for his ‘Ancient Law’ (1864), Leone Levi [q. v.], and Sir Robert Joseph Phillimore [q. v.] The prize consists of a cup valued at 100l. (the original design was executed by Daniel Maclise in 1849), and 100l. (see Journal of Society of Arts, 30 Nov. 1888; Swiney's will was proved on 6 Feb. 1844).
A first cousin of the preceding, General George Swiney (1786–1868), colonel commandant of the 19th brigade of the royal artillery, entered the Honourable East India Company's service in 1802, was present at the battle of Deig and commanded the artillery in the first three assaults of Bhurtpore, where he was wounded, for which service he received a medal. He also commanded the artillery at the siege and capture of Emaum Ghur in 1810, receiving the thanks of the vice-president in council and the commander-in-chief. He eventually became the senior officer of the royal (Bengal) artillery (Cooper, Reg. and Mag. of Biogr. i. 148). He died at Cheltenham on 10 Dec. 1868. His nephew, Colonel George Clayton Swiney, entered the Bengal cavalry in October 1857, was transferred to the 6th dragoon guards, served in the Indian mutiny, and has written ‘Historical Records of the 32nd (Duke of Cornwall's) Light Infantry,’ 1893.
[Gent. Mag. 1844, ii. 100; Illustr. London News, 3 Feb. 1844; private information.]
SWINFEN, JOHN (1612-1694), politician. [See Swynfen.]
SWINFIELD or SWYNFIELD, RICHARD de (d. 1317), bishop of Hereford, took his name from the village of Swinfield, now called Swingfield, five miles north of Folkestone in Kent, where he is generally supposed to have been born (Hasted, Kent, iii. 350). His lifelong interest in Kent, and the large number of Kentish names among his following as bishop of Hereford, attest his abiding attachment to this county. When bishop he held a small estate at Womenswould, between Springfield and Canterbury. His father, Stephen, died at the episcopal manor of Bosbury, near Ledbury, where his monumental stone, dated 1282, can still be seen in the parish church (Webb, p. cvi). Richard's brother, also named Stephen, a layman, was, with his sons, a permanent member of the episcopal household. Two at least of his nephews were beneficed in the diocese. One of these, Gilbert de Swinfield, became chancellor of Hereford Cathedral on 20 Jan. 1287, and held that office until his death in 1299. The other, John de Swinfield, was archdeacon of Shrewsbury in 1289, resigning that preferment to be made treasurer of Hereford in 1292, which post he exchanged for the precentorship in 1294, and was still holding the latter office in 1311.
Richard became famous as a preacher and for his pleasant powers of speech (Trivet, p. 306, Engl. Hist. Soc.). He graduated doctor of divinity (Rishanger, Chronica, p. 103; ‘Waverley Annals’ in Ann. Monastici,
