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No
identification on the back of that photograph apart from a 1883 dating.
Luckily
a copy of it is featured in Regiment Magazine #9 (p21), where the sitter
is identified :
"Harold
William Swithinbank. Born 2.3.1858, he served in the ranks of the Scots
Greys for five years, gazetted lieutenant in the 11th Hussars 28.6.1882,
becoming adjutant on 15.8.1883. He retired to the reserve list of
officers on 11.4.1885. In 1886 he became a captain in the Duke of
Cambridge Hussars Yeomanry."
Harold
William Swithinbank was a sergeant in the 2d Dragoons when he was
gazetted a Lieutenant in the 11th Hussars. he resigne dhis commission in
the 11th Hussars on March 24 1885 before being appointed to the Reserve
of Officers.
Upon
retiring he settled in a nice property in Denham, Buckinghamshire
: "an avenue of lime trees leads to Denham Court, the seat of Mr. H. W. Swithinbank. It is an old house surrounded by beautiful grounds sloping down to the River Colne, which forms the eastern side of the moat. The mid-17th-century west wing is all that remains of the original house, the rest having been built or rebuilt in the 18th and 19th centuries. The ancient fish-ponds still exist, and there is a large fishery in the Colne. The Misbourn, a tributary of this river, and the Grand Junction Canal pass through Denham. Denham Court Farm, to the south-east of the village, dates in part from the first half of the 17th century, but the north-west portion seems to have been built early in the succeeding
century." (From: 'Parishes:
Denham', A History of the County of Buckingham: Volume 3 (1925), pp.
255-61)
In
1887 he commanded the small body of Yeomanry cavalry at the Easter
volunteer operations.
On November 12 1888 he was nominated a Sheriff in the Queen's Bench
Division of the High Court of Justice for Buckinghamshire. That
appointment was renewed in 1889.
His
settling in a rural environment was not idle - according to the "Dexter
Cow Entries in the Kerry and Dexter Herd Book, Volume One, 1890",
Harold Swithinbank was the proud owner of several Kerry and Dexter cows
:
31
BLACK LASS.
Black;
calved May, 1882; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham,
Bucks; breeder unknown. Earmark No. 1000. Second Prize, R. A. S. E.
Windsor, 1889.
53
DENHAM DAISY.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1056. Qualified by inspection.
54
DENHAM DOROTHY.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1066. Qualified by inspection.
55
DENHAM DOT.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1042. Qualified by inspection.
56
DENHAM BRIDGET.
Black;
calved 1886; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1008. Qualified by inspection.
57
DENHAM GIPSY.
Black;
calved 1886; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1010. Qualified by inspection.
58
DENHAM KATIE.
Black;
calved 1886; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1015. Qualified by inspection. Produce - Black c.c.,
"Kathleen"; calved January 28, 1889; sire El Toro.
59
DENHAM LADY LIMERICK.
Black;
calved 1884; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1005. Qualified by inspection.
60
DENHAM LADY LISBURN.
Red;
calved 1884; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1003. Qualified by inspection.
61
DENHAM LADY LONGFORD.
Black;
calved 1884; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1004. Qualified by inspection.
62
DENHAM LADY LURGAN.
Red;
calved 1884; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1001. Qualified by inspection.
63
DENHAM LILIAN.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1050. Qualified by inspection.
64
DENHAM LORNA.
Black;
calved 1887; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1049. Qualified by inspection.
65
DENHAM MAY.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1062. Qualified by inspection.
66
DENHAM MOLLY.
Black;
calved 1886; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1014. Qualified by inspection.
67
DENHAM OLIVE.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1069. Qualified by inspection.
68
DENHAM VERA.
Black;
calved 1888; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks.
Earmark No. 1057. Qualified by inspection.
135
MIDGET.
Black;
calved, 1887; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks;
breeder unknown. Earmark No. 1068. Commended, R. A. S. Show, Windsor,
under name of "Salix."
143
MOIRA.
Black;
calved, 1887; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks;
breeder unknown. Earmark No. 1053. Commended, R. A. S. E., Windsor,
June, 1889, under name of "Sapinaria."
195
TINY.
Black;
calved 1885; owner, Harold Swithinbank; breeder unknown. Highly
Commended at Windsor, 1889, under name of Giantess. Produce -
Black c. c., "Orphan"; calved January 15, 1890.
Those
Ladies were sired by one prize bull :
12
LIMELIGHT. [See
photo]
Black;
calved, 1886; owner, Harold Swithinbank, Denham Court, Denham, Bucks;
breeder unknown. 1st Prize, and Queen's Gold Medal, at the R. A. S.
Show, Windsor, 1889.
He
and his cattle took part in too many Agricultural shows to mention. This
specific interest probably led to his Royal connections : he was present
at various Levées, and Mrs Swithinbank was several times present at the
Queen's Drawing Room.
His
farming interests led Harold
William
Swithinbank
to scientific scholarship :
a member of the Veterinary Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society,
he is mentionned in the "General
Catalog of Old Books and Authors".
Swithinbank,
H. & Bullen, G.E.
- The scientific and economic aspects of the Cornish pilchard
fishery. 2. - The plankton of the inshore waters in 1913 considered in
relation to the fishery
(Article in MeraPubl., 2: 1-3, 1914)
Swithinbank,
Harold & Bullen, G.E -
British Sea Fish: An Illustrated Handbook of The Edible Sea Fishes
of The British Isles
London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent. Paperback. Circa 1918.
Illustrated with 34 black-and-white photographs of fish, and a 'Table
showing the Comparative Values of the principal Marine Fishes'. Also
has a table showing the average quantity of each kind of fish landed
annually in England and Wales during the period 1906-1913.
Swithinbank,
Harold & Newman, George
- Bacteriology of Milk
London, John Murray, 1903.
He was the father of Isobel
Swithinbank (born Januray 25 1891 at Denham Court), who married Rt. Hon. Sir
Richard Stafford Cripps, son of Charles
Alfred Cripps, 1st Baron Parmoor and Theresa
Potter, on 12 July 1911. He
died
on 9 february 1928. A
Stained
Glass Window is dedicated to Harold William Swithinbank in St Mary
Chruch, Denham.
The
photo displays many regimental specificities :
- Busby plume of white osprey feathers, lower third covered with
crimson feathers ;
-
Braiding around the button on the busby bag;
- Plaited busby cords
;
- Specific "V" shaped collar
;
-
11th Hussars' pattern officer pouch belt with crown device ;
- The trousers are crimson instead of the usual dark blue - but
the difference doesn't show here ;
-
The sphinx can be distinguished on the sabretache (an emblem of the
Regiment since C Squadron returned from service in Egypt in 1802) ;
-
The 11th Hussars was one of the regiments where a Mameluk type sword was
worn by officers in Levée dress. Lieutenant Swithinbank is displaying
his shiny Levée dress hessian boots with boss.
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