Sidney Ernest Swann (24 June 1890 – 19 September 1976) was an English clergyman and a rower

Rowing (sport)

Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...

 who competed for Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 in the 1912 Summer Olympics

1912 Summer Olympics

The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...

 and in the 1920 Summer Olympics

1920 Summer Olympics

The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

.
Swan was born at Sulby

Sulby, Isle of Man

Sulby is a parish ofon the primary A2 road which connects Castletown and Ramsey in the Isle of Man. The name of the village of Sulby or Sõlabyr or Sulaby reflects the Scandinavian influence in Isle of Man place-names....

, Lezayre

Lezayre

Lezayre is a parish in the Sheading of Ayre and lies central and north in the Isle of Man. The parish is bounded by Michael and Ballaugh to the west, Andreas and Bride to the north, the town of Ramsey and the parishes of Lonan and Maughold to the east, and Braddan to the south...

, Isle of Man

Isle of Man

The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...

, the son of Sydney Swann, a rower and clergyman who took his family to Japan where he was a missionary. He was educated at Rugby School

Rugby School

Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...

, where he had no rowing experience, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Trinity Hall, Cambridge

Trinity Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the fifth-oldest college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich.- Foundation :...

. At Cambridge he won the Colquhoun Sculls in 1910 (as a freshman, having sculled only twenty-nine times before the event) and was in the winning crew in the Visitors' Challenge Cup

Visitors' Challenge Cup

The Visitors Challenge Cup is a rowing event for men's coxless fours at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs and has similar qualifying rules to the Ladies' Challenge Plate. Two or more clubs may...

 and Wyfolds Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta

Henley Royal Regatta is a rowing event held every year on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. The Royal Regatta is sometimes referred to as Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage...

, also in 1910. Swann won the Lowe Double Sculls at Cambridge in 1911 and was a member of the Cambridge

Cambridge University Boat Club

The Cambridge University Boat Club is the rowing club of the University of Cambridge, England, located on the River Cam at Cambridge, although training primarily takes place on the River Great Ouse at Ely. The club was founded in 1828...

 crew in the Boat Race in 1911 and 1912. Swann was a member of Leander Club

Leander Club

Leander Club, founded in 1818, is one of the oldest rowing clubs in the world. It is based in Remenham in the English county of Berkshire, adjoining Henley-on-Thames...

 and was the sole Cambridge man in the Leander eight

Eight (rowing)

An Eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or cox....

 which won the gold medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics featured 4 events, for men only. All races were held in Djurgårdsbrunnsviken from Thursday, July 17 to Saturday, July 19, 1912.-Medal summary:-Bronze medals:...

. Swann won the University Pairs in 1913 and the Grand Challenge Cup

Grand Challenge Cup

The Grand Challenge Cup is a rowing competition for men's eights. It is the oldest and most prestigious event at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. It is open to male crews from all eligible rowing clubs...

 at Heley in 1913. He won Silver Goblets at Henley in 1913 and 1914 partnering his brother Alfred. In 1914 he was C.U.B.C. President in the winning crew in the 1914 Boat Race.

Swann became a clergyman and was Chaplain to the forces for the First World War. He returned to Trinity Hall as Chaplain where he helped with Cambridge rowing in the early 1920s. He rowed in the Leander boat which won the Silver Medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics

Rowing at the 1920 Summer Olympics

The Olympic Rowing Events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, the first Olympics after World War I, saw five events. The competitions were held from August 27, 1920 to August 29, 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

.

Swann moved to Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

 as Archdeacon

Archdeacon

An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...

 in 1926-27, to Egypt in the same position in 1928, and returned to England in 1933, where he became vicar of Leighton Buzzard

Leighton Buzzard

-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...

. In 1937 he became vicar of St Mary Redcliffe

St Mary Redcliffe

St. Mary Redcliffe is an Anglican parish church located in the Redcliffe district of the English port city of Bristol, close to the city centre. Constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries, the church is a Grade 1 listed building, St...

, Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

 and in 1941 was appointed Chaplain to King George VI. He retired as Canon Emeritus of Bristol Cathedral.

On his father’s death in 1942 Swann became president of the N.A.R.A.

National Amateur Rowing Association

The National Amateur Rowing Association was founded in 1890 to cater for the large number of working class men who were prevented from joining the Amateur Rowing Association by virtue of their manual occupations...

 and held the post until 1956, when the A.R.A.

Amateur Rowing Association

British Rowing, formerly the Amateur Rowing Association , is the governing body in England for the sport of rowing. It is also responsible for the development and organisation of international rowing teams representing Great Britain...

 removed manual labour as a disqualification for amateur status and the two organizations merged.

Swann died at Minehead

Minehead

Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the border with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National Park...

, Somerset

Somerset

The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...

at the age of 86.