The Swanwick Family
Engineers, Civic Leaders & Community Servants
Chester • Whittington • Chesterfield
c. 1810 – 1966
Introduction
The Swanwick family story is one of remarkable range and depth. Beginning with Frederick Swanwick’s birth in Chester in 1810, it encompasses the very birth of the railway age, decades of public service in Derbyshire, the sacrifice of two family members in two World Wars, and a legal legacy that reached the highest courts in England. Through four generations, the Swanwicks shaped the landscape — literally and figuratively — of Victorian and Edwardian Britain.
This document draws together what is known of the family across three principal themes: Frederick’s pioneering engineering career, the family’s sustained contributions to the communities of Whittington and Chesterfield, and the lives of the later generations who inherited and extended that legacy in their own ways.
Part One: Frederick Swanwick — Engineer
Born: 1st October 1810, Chester • Died: 15th November 1885, Chesterfield
Early Life and Education
Frederick Swanwick was born on 1st October 1810 in Chester, the son of Joseph and Hannah Swanwick. The family were Unitarians — a religious tradition that placed great emphasis on rational enquiry, education and public duty — values that would define Frederick’s long career. He was educated by a Unitarian minister until the age of seventeen, receiving an unusually rigorous grounding in the sciences and humanities of the day.
In 1826, aged seventeen, he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to study mathematics, natural philosophy and geology. Edinburgh at this period was one of the foremost universities in Europe, and its scientific culture fostered in Frederick a passion for civil engineering. Via family connections he soon assisted with the construction of the Grosvenor Bridge at Chester, an experience that proved decisive: it led to an introduction to George Stephenson, the most celebrated engineer of the age.
Apprenticeship to George Stephenson
On 5th October 1829, aged nineteen, Frederick was indentured to George Stephenson “for four years and eight months… in the occupation or business of a civil engineer.” He went to live at Stephenson’s home alongside the other apprentices, absorbing not only technical knowledge but the extraordinary energy and ambition of a man who was remaking Britain’s transport system from the ground up.
One of his earliest and most celebrated roles came almost immediately. Frederick assisted in the construction of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — the world’s first inter-city passenger railway — and at its opening ceremony on 15th September 1830, he drove one of the locomotives, the “Arrow,” which drew the first passenger train. It was one of the defining public events of the nineteenth century, attended by the Duke of Wellington and witnessed by vast crowds, and Frederick Swanwick was at its heart.
The Whitby and Pickering Railway
Stephenson’s trust in his young apprentice was demonstrated most vividly by his reported delegation to Frederick of the entire construction of the Whitby and Pickering Railway. Work began with a survey in 1832, and Frederick is recorded as having laid out the line, designed and specified the works, made drawings and superintended construction throughout 1833–1836. The railway opened on 26th May 1836.
The line was horse-drawn — the terrain required gradients unsuitable for the steam locomotives of the day — and ran 24 miles through North Yorkshire. That Frederick, still in his mid-twenties, was entrusted with such an undertaking is a measure of the confidence Stephenson placed in him.
The North Midland Railway and Later Career
The Act for the North Midland Railway was obtained in 1836, and Frederick became acting engineer. This was a major undertaking: the line ran from Derby to Leeds, and its construction required the surveying of enormous tracts of country, the letting and supervision of contracts, and attendance at Parliamentary Committees to secure permissions and oppose rival schemes. Frederick continued as resident engineer through to the railway’s completion, overseeing numerous extensions and branch lines through the 1840s.
The scale of Frederick’s engineering output across his career was extraordinary. The table below summarises the principal projects with which he was associated, both as assistant to Stephenson and, increasingly, as an engineer in his own right or in partnership with Robert Stephenson.
Engineering Projects: Chronological Record
The following is drawn from the detailed record of Frederick’s work, compiled during his lifetime:
1829–30 Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Assisted George Stephenson in construction; drove locomotive “Arrow” at the opening ceremony, drawing the first passenger train.
1832–36 Whitby and Pickering Railway (24 miles). Carried out the survey; after joint inspection with Stephenson, laid out the line, designed and specified all works; made drawings and superintended construction throughout; completed 1836–37. Opened 26 May 1836.
1833–35 Assisting Stephenson — Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Lancashire. Wide-ranging railway work across the Midlands and North West.
1834–35 Midland & East Junction Railway. Assistant to Stephenson; responsible for surveying the railway.
1834–35 Stockport and Warrington Railway. Assistant to Stephenson; responsible for surveying the line, providing estimates and preparation of reports.
1835–36 Stockport and Manchester Railway (7 miles). Assistant to Stephenson; superintended survey, Parliamentary plans and sections, detailed estimates, gave evidence before Committee in Parliament.
1835–36 Huddersfield and Leeds Railway (16 miles). Assistant to Stephenson; surveyed the country, made plans and sections for deposit with Clerks of the Peace, made drawings and estimates.
1835–36 York and North Midland Railway (20 miles). Assistant to Stephenson; examined the country, superintended the survey, made detailed drawings of bridges and estimates, superintended valuation of land, canvassed landowners, attended Committees of Parliament.
1835–36 North Midland Railway (Derby to Leeds). Assistant to Stephenson; examined country, superintended surveys, made drawings and detailed estimates, attended Committees of Parliament.
1835–36 Sheffield and Rotherham Railway (5 miles). Engineer in Chief; examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates, attended Parliamentary Committee.
1835–36 London and Blackwall Railway. Consultant.
1836–37 Doncaster, North Midland and Goole Railway (22 miles). Acting engineer; superintended surveys, examined country, waited upon landowners, made estimates.
1836–40 North Midland Railway. Setting out, making detailed drawings, letting contracts, superintending construction; completed 1840.
1838–40 Sheffield and Rotherham Railway. Constructing and completion.
1841–44 North Midland Railway — Resident Engineer. Surveying, preparing plans, obtaining Acts of Parliament for extensions including Erewash Valley, Nottingham and Lincoln, Nottingham and Mansfield, Pinxton and Mansfield, and junctions with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway.
1844–45 Various branch lines (with Robert Stephenson). Darfield to Worsborough (5 miles); Darfield to Elsecar (3 miles); Chevet to Horbury (4 miles); Oakenshaw to Wakefield (3 miles); Ambergate to Crich (3 miles). Country examined, lines surveyed, plans deposited, estimates and designs made.
1844–45 Swinton to Lincoln Railway (44 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers; examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made estimates and designs, attended Committees of Parliament.
1845–46 Leeds, Wakefield and Midland Junction Railway (6 miles). Frederick Swanwick, engineer; examined country, superintended surveys, attended Parliamentary Committees.
1845–46 Great Grimsby, Louth, Horncastle, Lincoln and Midland Junction Railway (45 miles). Examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates, examined opposing railway projects, attended Committees of Parliament.
1845–46 Eastern Counties Railway (54 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers; directed and completed surveys, made detailed estimates, attended Parliamentary Committees.
1845–46 Sheffield, Bakewell and West Midland Railway (32 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers.
1845–46 Lincoln to South Milford (53 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers; examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates.
1846–47 Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster and Goole Railway (43 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers; examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates.
1846–47 Shropshire Union Railway (55 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers.
1846–47 Wakefield and Harrogate Railway (18 miles). Frederick Swanwick, engineer; examined country, superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates.
1847–48 Newark and Gainsborough Railway (20 miles). Robert Stephenson and Frederick Swanwick, engineers; superintended surveys, deposited plans, made drawings and estimates.
1848 onwards Completing authorised Midland Railway branches. Nottingham and Mansfield (opened 1848); Midland and Sheffield and Manchester (opened 1847); Erewash Valley (completed 1848); Nottingham and Lincoln; numerous other branch railways within the Midland system.
From approximately 1850, Frederick began to wind down his work as a civil engineer. Stephenson’s own death in 1848 had removed the central relationship of his professional life, and Frederick’s interests turned increasingly toward the communities in which he had settled.
Part Two: Community and Civic Contributions
Frederick’s Civic Life
By the mid-1830s Frederick had settled in Derbyshire. He lived first at Norton Lees on the outskirts of Sheffield in 1836, before moving to Whittington in 1837, where he invited his father, mother and sister to join him, with his maiden aunts, the Misses Wicksteed, living nearby. Census records show the family at various addresses in Old Whittington, with their principal residence being Whittington House.
As his engineering commitments eased, Frederick’s attention turned to local welfare. He became a supporter of benevolent schemes including various schools in Chesterfield and Whittington and the Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Hospital. He was also the driving force behind the construction of the Market Hall in Chesterfield, which opened in 1857 and served the town’s commercial life for generations.
Mary Swanwick — ‘A Life of Public Service’
Born: 13th July 1841 • Died: 7th April 1917
Frederick’s daughter Mary became in many respects the most significant public figure the family produced in the field of local welfare. Supporting her father in his charitable work from an early age, she took a special interest in the school at Old Whittington, eventually becoming its Patron. The school, originally built in 1848, was renamed the “Mary Swanwick Community Primary School” when it was reopened on 4th July 1932 — a lasting tribute to her decades of involvement.
Mary was a member of the Education Committee of Derbyshire County Council, a manager of the Whittington Council Schools, and served for over twenty years as a member of the Chesterfield Board of Guardians. The Derbyshire Courier, in its obituary of 14th April 1917, wrote under the heading “A Life of Public Service”:
“There were few ladies in the northern part of the County who were better known than Miss Swanwick. For many years she was a member of the Education Committee of Derbyshire County Council… education was one of her chief interests in life, and, like her father before her, she gave herself whole-heartedly to its cause.”
The Courier also recorded that she was regarded as having been central to the high standard of efficiency the schools maintained, and that “few members have devoted more time and thoughtful consideration to the numerous subjects affecting the welfare of the poor.”
Mary was actively involved with Elder Yard Chapel, Chesterfield, for many years, and it was there that her funeral service was held following her death on 7th April 1917. She was interred at Chesterfield Cemetery.
Eric Swanwick — Solicitor, Scout Commissioner and Community Figure
Eric was the son of Russell Swanwick (Frederick’s son) and returned to Chesterfield to live in Hasland House. When that house was demolished around 1915 to make way for Eastwood Park, Eric and his wife Margery moved into the family home in Whittington. He was a practising solicitor with the firm Davies, Sanders and Swanwick.
Eric and Margery were deeply involved in the life of St. Bartholomew’s Church, Whittington, and in the wider community. He was County Commissioner for the Scout movement from 1939 to 1947, during which time he was awarded the Silver Wolf — the highest award in Scouting — and counted Lord Baden-Powell among his personal friends.
Eric had the Swanwick Memorial Hall built in honour of his brother Russell Kenneth, who was killed in the First World War. The hall was originally opened as a public hall and rifle range, serving the community in Old Whittington for many years.
Eric’s connection to the Scout movement is commemorated on his gravestone in the churchyard of St. Bartholomew’s, where his and Margery’s ashes are buried.
Part Three: Later Generations
Russell Swanwick
Born: April 1843
Frederick’s son Russell married and settled in Gloucestershire, where he became a gentleman farmer and breeder of racehorses. His children would carry the family story into the twentieth century in very different directions.
Russell Kenneth Swanwick — Killed in Action, 1914
Born: c. 1885 • Died: 14th September 1914, France
One of Russell’s sons, Russell Kenneth Swanwick, served with the 1st Battalion, Gloucester Regiment, in the First World War. He was killed in action in France during the Battle of the Aisne on 14th September 1914, aged 29. He was among the early casualties of a war that would claim millions of lives, and his death marked a loss felt deeply by the whole family.
His brother Eric subsequently had the Swanwick Memorial Hall built in Old Whittington in his honour.
Roy Swanwick — Killed in Action, Second World War
Eric’s son Roy served with the 15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars during the Second World War and was killed in action in Germany. In his memory, Eric had a shelter with seats constructed locally; it served as a bus stop for many years and was known locally as “the Husky” — a nickname that may well have been a tribute to Roy’s regiment, the Royal Hussars.
Michael Swanwick — Solicitor and Coroner
Eric’s son Michael became a well-known local solicitor and served as Chesterfield Coroner for a substantial period, a role that placed him at the heart of the town’s legal and civic life.
Graham Swanwick — High Court Judge
The most publicly prominent of Eric’s children was Graham, who pursued a distinguished legal career that brought him into contact with some of the most high-profile criminal cases of twentieth-century Britain.
Graham led for the prosecution in the A6 murder trial at Bedford — one of the most controversial cases in British legal history, in which James Hanratty was convicted and subsequently hanged, with debate about the verdict continuing for decades. He also prosecuted Michael Copeland, Chesterfield’s triple murderer. On the defence side, he represented John Derby Wheater, a solicitor implicated in the Great Train Robbery.
Graham Swanwick was appointed to the High Court of Justice in 1966 and was knighted. His career represents the culmination of a family tradition of public service that stretched back to Frederick’s community work in mid-Victorian Derbyshire.
Family Summary
The following sets out the key figures of the Swanwick family and their principal connection to this history:
Joseph and Hannah Swanwick: Parents of Frederick; Unitarian family of Chester.
Frederick Swanwick (1810–1885): Civil engineer; apprentice to George Stephenson; drove the “Arrow” at the Liverpool and Manchester Railway opening; engineer of the Whitby and Pickering Railway; acting engineer for the North Midland Railway; civic philanthropist in Chesterfield and Whittington.
Elizabeth Drayton Swanwick (m. 1840): Wife of Frederick; fourth child of William Drayton of Leicester.
Mary Swanwick (1841–1917): Daughter of Frederick; patron of Whittington school; member of Derbyshire County Council Education Committee; Board of Guardians member for over 20 years; the Mary Swanwick Community Primary School named in her honour.
Russell Swanwick (b. 1843): Son of Frederick; gentleman farmer and racehorse breeder in Gloucestershire.
Eric Swanwick: Son of Russell; solicitor (Davies, Sanders and Swanwick); Scout County Commissioner 1939–1947; Silver Wolf award; friend of Lord Baden-Powell; built Swanwick Memorial Hall in honour of brother Russell Kenneth.
Russell Kenneth Swanwick (c.1885–1914): Son of Russell; served with 1st Battalion Gloucester Regiment; killed at Battle of the Aisne, 14 September 1914, aged 29.
Roy Swanwick: Son of Eric; served with 15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars; killed in action in Germany, Second World War. Memorial shelter (“the Husky”) erected in his memory.
Michael Swanwick: Son of Eric; solicitor; Chesterfield Coroner for many years.
Graham Swanwick: Son of Eric; barrister; led prosecution in Hanratty A6 murder trial and Copeland triple murder trial; defended Great Train Robbery solicitor John Derby Wheater; appointed to High Court of Justice 1966; knighted.
Sources and Further Reading
This family history draws on a number of primary and secondary sources, which provide avenues for further research:
Smith, J. Frederick (John Frederick), fl. 1869–1923. Frederick Swanwick: a Sketch. [Edinburgh]: printed for private circulation, 1888.
Institute of Civil Engineers: Detailed obituary to Frederick Swanwick, available in their virtual library.
Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History: Article on Frederick Swanwick.
Facebook pages of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Trust: References to Frederick Swanwick and the “Arrow.”
Derbyshire Courier, Saturday 14th April 1917: Obituary of Mary Swanwick, “A Life of Public Service.”
Chesterfield Museum website: Further details on the Market Hall, Chesterfield (opened 1857).
Census records: Various addresses in Old Whittington, including Whittington House.
St. Bartholomew’s Church, Whittington: Gravestone of Eric and Margery Swanwick.
Document compiled for private family use. Further research may be deposited with Derbyshire Record Office or Chesterfield Local Studies Library.
‘Eric’s involvement with the scouts is remembered on his gravestone in the churchyard of St.Bartholomew’s where his and his wife’s ashes are buried.’
P.S. Frederick died on 15th November 1885 and was buried in Chesterfield churchyard.
Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History has an interesting article on Frederick
