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The information displayed here is at the time of death.
John Hughes Francis Rowell Swan was born in Willington Quay, Tyneside in 1887, the eldest of three children to Benjamin, a ship plumber originally from Durham, and Margaret. He sat his entrance examinations for the university in October 1908 and, failing two of them, was accepted on a probationary basis. He matriculated as an Arts student on 4 November 1908 and became a member of Hatfield Hall. In spite of excellent attendance at lectures throughout his first year, in June 1909 Swan failed all his end of year examinations, with the exception of Arithmetic in which he excelled. He did not return to the university after the summer but was able to repeat his examinations in December 1909. However, he failed these and consequently left the university. Swan returned to Willington Quay to live with his parents and was recorded as still living with them by 1911 when he was listed in the census as a Divinity student, but it is not known where he was studying.
During the war he enlisted in the Army in Newcastle and joined the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders as a private. He was killed in action on 26 October 1917 and is buried in the Hooge Crater Cemetery in Belgium. John Swan is remembered on war memorials in both Willington Quay and at Hatfield College.
Place of birth: Willington Quay
University College: Hatfield Hall, Durham
Hooge Crater Cemetery, Belgium
War memorial, Willington Quay
War memorial Hatfield College
Joyce Malcolm, Anabel Farrell