SWAIN, JOSEPH (1761–1796), hymn-writer, was born at Birmingham in 1761, and was apprenticed to an engraver of that town at an early age. The latter part of his apprenticeship, however, he served in London with his brother. In 1782 he came under conviction of sin, and on 11 May 1783 was baptised by John Rippon [q. v.] In December 1791 a baptist congregation was formed at Walworth, and Swain, being unanimously chosen pastor, was ordained on 8 Feb. 1792. As a preacher he was extremely acceptable, and his meeting-house was three times enlarged during his ministry. He died on 16 April 1796, leaving a widow and four children, and was buried in Bunhill Fields.
Swain was the author of:
- ‘A Collection of Poems on Various Occasions,’ London, 1781, 4to.
- ‘Redemption: a poem in five books,’ London, 1789, 8vo.
- ‘Experimental Essays,’ London, 1791, 12mo; new edit. with memoir, 1834, 8vo.
- ‘Walworth Hymns,’ London, 1792, 16mo; 4th edit. 1810.
- ‘Redemption: a poem in eight books’ (a different work from No. 2); 2nd edit. London, 1797, 8vo; 5th edit. Edinburgh, 1822, 12mo.
Many of Swain's ‘Walworth Hymns’ and some of those in his earlier ‘Redemption’ became very popular and are still in common use. The best known are those commencing ‘Brethren, while we sojourn here,’ ‘How sweet, how heavenly is the sight,’ ‘In expectation sweet,’ and ‘O Thou in whose presence my soul takes delight’ (Julian, Dict. of Hymnology).
[Memoir of Swain prefixed to Experimental Essays, 1834; Funeral Sermon by James Upton; Allibone's Dict. of Engl. Lit.]
SWAINE, FRANCIS (d. 1782), marine-painter, was one of the earliest English artists whose sea-views possess any merit. He was an imitator of the younger Vandevelde, and his works may be classed with those of his contemporaries, Charles Brooking [q. v.] and Peter Monamy [q. v.] He enjoyed a considerable reputation, and was awarded premiums by the Society of Arts in 1764 and 1765. Swaine exhibited largely with the Incorporated Society and the Free Society from 1762 until his death, sending chiefly studies of shipping in both calm and stormy seas, harbour views, and naval engagements. He was very partial to moonlight effects. Some of his works were engraved by Canot, Benazech, and others, and there is a set of plates of fights between English and French ships, several of which are from paintings by him. Swaine resided at Strutton Ground, Westminster, until near the end of his life, when he removed to Chelsea. He died in 1782, and seven works by him were included in the exhibition of the Incorporated Society in the following year. Two pictures by Swaine are at Hampton Court.
[Edwards's Anecdotes; Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Seguier's Dict. of Painters; Exhibition Catalogues.]
SWAINE, JOHN (1775–1860), draughtsman and engraver, son of John and Margaret Swaine, was born at Stanwell, Middlesex, on 26 June 1775, and became a pupil first of Jacob Schnebbelie [q. v.] and afterwards of Barak Longmate [q. v.] He is best known by his excellent facsimile copies of old prints, of which the most noteworthy are the Droeshout portrait of Shakespeare, Faithorne's portrait of Thomas Stanley, Loggan's frontispiece to the Book of Common Prayer, and the plates to Ottley's ‘History of Engraving,’ 1816, and Singer's ‘History of Playing Cards,’ 1816. He was also largely engaged upon the illustrations to scientific, topographical, and antiquarian works. He drew and engraved the whole series of plates in Marsden's ‘Oriental Coins,’ 1823–5, and many subjects of natural history for the transactions of the Linnean, Zoological, and Entomological societies. There are a few contemporary portraits by him, including one of Marshal Blücher, after F. Rehberg. Swaine was a constant contributor of plates to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine’ for fifty years, commencing in 1804. He died in Dean Street, Soho, London, on 25 Nov. 1860. In 1797 he married the daughter of his master, Barak Longmate. She died in October 1822.
John Barak Swaine (1815?–1838), his only son, studied in the schools of the Royal Academy, and while still a boy did some good antiquarian work. Drawings by him, illustrating papers by Alfred John Kempe [q. v.], appeared in ‘Archæologia,’ 1832 and 1834. In 1833 he was awarded the Isis gold medal of the Society of Arts for an etching, and in that year drew, etched, and published a large plate of the east window of St. Margaret's,
