Colin McMillan has submitted the following:
James Herbert Cecil Swinney belonged to the well-known Morpeth family who had made their wealth with the founding of the Swinney Brothers’ Iron Foundry in the Back Riggs area of the town. His father, Robert, was the son of the company’s founder and in 1901 was head of the household, aged 33 when the family lived at No 2 The Grove, a small terrace of houses within Kings Avenue, a street for the well to do. In James’ household were also his mother, the 29 year old Elizabeth J., his younger sister Rachel, aged 5, younger brother Nelson, 3, and 18 year old servant Kate Abbott. James was 7 at the time.
By the time of the 1911 Census James was 18 and a “fitter in engineering works”, presumably working in the family business. The family had been joined by the 2 year old Peggy and the “domestic servant general” was now 27 year old Isabel Dickson. Their postal address was given as “Ashleigh, Morpeth”. There is an Ashleigh, no. 7 Kings Avenue, more-or-less across the road from The Grove, so it appears the family have moved into larger premises as befits their status and increased size of family.
James was awarded the Military Cross and was serving in the early months of the war as he was also awarded the 1915 Star. He was commissioned into the Northumberland Fusiliers and was a Captain with the 7th Battalion of the regiment at the time of his death on 16 April 1917, aged 22. He is remembered with honour at the Arras Memorial.
He is remembered in Morpeth on M17.01, M17.02, M17.06, M17.09, M17.10, M17.12, M17.16, M17.18, M17.29 and Battalion History