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John Swinton of Kimmerghame

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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
CommandsLondon 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

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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

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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

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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

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  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 by GOC London District
1976–1979 		Succeeded by
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