Sidney Swann

Who was Sidney Swann?

Sidney Ernest Swann was a Manx-English clergyman and a rower who competed for Great Britain in the 1912 Summer Olympics and in the 1920 Summer Olympics.

Swan was born at Sulby, Lezayre, Isle of Man, 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, where he had no rowing experience, and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. At Cambridge he won the Colquhoun Sculls in 1910 and was in the winning crew in the Visitors' Challenge Cup and Wyfolds Henley Royal Regatta, also in 1910. Swann won the Lowe Double Sculls at Cambridge in 1911 and was a member of the Cambridge crew in the Boat Race in 1911 and 1912. 12th September 1911 Swann set the record for rowing across the English Channel in a single with a row of 3 hours and 50 minutes. Swann was a member of Leander Club and was the sole Cambridge man in the Leander eight which won the gold medal for Great Britain rowing at the 1912 Summer Olympics. Swann won the University Pairs in 1913 and the Grand Challenge Cup 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.