Sir John Swinton of Kimmerghame
Born(1925-04-21)21 April 1925
Died4 October 2018(2018-10-04) (aged 93)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1944–1979
RankMajor General
Commands heldLondon District
Household Division
Battles/warsSecond World War
Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
AwardsKnight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Mentioned in Despatches
Spouse(s)
Judith Balfour Killen
​
​
(m. 1954; died 2012)​
RelationsTilda Swinton (daughter)
Honor Swinton Byrne (granddaughter)
George Swinton (grandfather)

Major-General Sir John Swinton of Kimmerghame, KCVO, OBE, DL (21 April 1925 – 4 October 2018) was a British Army officer who served as Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District from 1976 until his retirement in 1979. He was the father of actress Tilda Swinton.

Early life

Swinton was the son of Brigadier Alan Henry Campbell Swinton of Kimmerghame[1][2][3][4][5][6] and his wife, Mariora Beatrice Evelyn Rochfort Alers-Hankey. A member of the Swinton family, his paternal grandfather was Scottish politician and officer-of-arms George Swinton.[5] He was educated at Harrow School, London.[7]

Military career

Swinton was commissioned into the Scots Guards on 24 March 1944,[8] and was twice wounded towards the end of the Second World War.[9] He was promoted to lieutenant on 8 November 1947.[10] He served in Malaya during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation and was mentioned in despatches.[11] Swinton was promoted to captain on 21 April 1952.[12] Between 1953 and 1954, he was aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Sir William Slim, governor-general of Australia.[13]

Swinton was successively promoted to major on 21 April 1959,[14] to lieutenant colonel on 1 April 1966,[15] commanding the Scots Guards (1970–71), to full colonel on 30 June 1970, and to brigadier on 31 December 1971.[16][17] He was promoted to major general and appointed Major-General commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District in 1976.[18] In 1977, he was appointed Brigadier of the Queen's Body Guard for Scotland (The Royal Company of Archers).[13] He retired from the army in 1979.[19]

In 1980, Swinton became a deputy lieutenant for Berwickshire,[20] and went on to be Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1989 to 2000,[21] escorting the Stone of Scone back to Scotland in 1996.[9]

Personal life

Swinton married the Australian-born Judith Balfour Killen (1929–2012) on 26 August 1954; they had three sons – James Christopher Swinton, Alexander Harold Swinton, and Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Swinton – and one daughter, actress Tilda Swinton.[1]

As the laird of Kimmerghame, Swinton lived at Kimmerghame House in Duns in Berwickshire.[1][22] He died there on 4 October 2018 at the age of 93.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b c The Peerage.com
  2. ^ Dewar, Peter Beauclerk, Burke's Landed Gentry of Great Britain – The Kingdom in Scotland, 19th edition, vol.1, Wilmington, Delaware, 2001, p.1317. ISBN 0-9711966-0-5
  3. ^ Tilda Swinton Biography Archived 17 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "SWINTON: Chart 2B, Sheet 2." Swinton Family Society.org.
  5. ^ a b Tilda Swinton, one of our most unique actors, talks to Gaby Wood | Magazine | The Observer
  6. ^ "Major General Sir John Swinton – obituary". The Telegraph. 16 October 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. ^ Black, A & C, Who's Who, 138th edition, London, 1986, p.1695.
  8. ^ "No. 36519". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 May 1944. p. 2277.
  9. ^ a b Thieves startled by general's roar The Herald, 9 April 1997
  10. ^ "No. 38139". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 December 1947. p. 5752.
  11. ^ "No. 39214". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 April 1951. p. 2384.
  12. ^ "No. 39522". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 April 1952. p. 2226.
  13. ^ a b Black, 1986, p.1695.
  14. ^ "No. 41686". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 April 1959. p. 2603.
  15. ^ "No. 44053". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 July 1966. p. 7948.
  16. ^ "No. 45138". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 June 1970. p. 7186.
  17. ^ "No. 45564". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 January 1972. p. 87.
  18. ^ "No. 47036". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 October 1976. p. 13763.
  19. ^ "No. 48025". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 December 1979. p. 15601.
  20. ^ "No. 48262". The London Gazette. 28 July 1980. p. 10671.
  21. ^ "No. 51895". The London Gazette. 9 October 1989. p. 11545.
  22. ^ Bell (1803). "The decisions of the Court of Session: from its first institution to the present time : digested under proper heads, in the form of a dictionary, Volume 13". 1803 – Scotland. Court of Session, William Maxwell Morison. (Page 10264) ....Lady Kimmerghame.....Laird of Kimmerghame...
  23. ^ "Tilda Swinton collects film festival prize hours after father's death". Star. 6 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
Military offices Preceded bySir Philip Ward GOC London District 1976–1979 Succeeded bySir Desmond Langley
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