A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sweny, Mark Halpen
SWENY. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 25; h-p., 24.)
Mark Halpen Sweny was born in 1785.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 June, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Formidable 98, commanded in the Channel by the present Sir Jas. Hawkins Whitshed; and in Feb. 1799 he became Midshipman of the Castor 32, Capt. Edw. Leveson Gower, in which frigate he appears to have been severely wounded while fitting at Plymouth. He continued to serve on the Home station in the Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admirals J. H. Whitshed and Cuthbert Collingwood, Donegal 74, Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, Neptune 98, Capts. Fras. Wm. Austen, Wm. O’Brien Drury, and Sir Thos. Williams, and Renown 74, Capt. Sir R. J. Strachan, until 1805; when, being nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Colossus 74, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris he was afforded an opportunity of participating in the battle of Trafalgar, and was again severely wounded. He was confirmed, 22 Jan. 1806, into the Sparrow sloop, Capt. Hon. Wm. Pakenham; and, during the next ten years, he was employed, occasionally as First-Lieutenant, and on various stations, in the St. Alban’s 64, Capt. F. W. Austen, Africa 64, Capt. John Barrett, St. Alban’s again, Capt. F. W. Austen, Aquilon 32, Capts. Hon. W. Pakenham and Wm. Bowles, Elephant 74, Capt. F. W. Austen, Benbow 74, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, and Northumberland 74, bearing the flag of Sir Geo. Cockburn. In the Africa, while in escort of a large convoy, he was present, 20 Oct. 1808, and received a slight contusion, in an attack made on that ship, in the Malmo Channel, by a powerful flotilla of gun-boats, with whom the Africa maintained an action for nearly four hours, when, darkness closing the fight, her loss, independently of considerable damage in hull and rigging, amounted, it was found, to 9 men killed and 53 wounded. While attached to the St. Alban’s Mr. Sweny took part, in 1809, in a dispute with the natives of China, and escorted home a valuable convoy of Indiamen. In 1815, being then First of the Northumberland, he accompanied Napoleon Buonaparte to St. Helena. In June, 1820, he joined the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Severn 50, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch; he was advanced to the rank of Commander 19 July, 1821; and he was subsequently appointed – 22 Nov. 1830, to the Gannet 18, on the West India station – and, 27 April, 1833, and 16 July, 1834, to the Vernon 50 and President 52, flag-ships of Sir Geo. Cockburn in North America. In the Vernon he acted for a short time_as Captain; and while his name was on the books of that ship and the President he commanded, pro. tem., from June to Sept. 1834, the Serpent 16. Since his return to England in June, 1836, he has been on half-pay. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838.
Besides obtaining a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, Capt. Sweny was granted a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum for his wounds 16 Oct. 1816.