Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Alexander Wilsone Swinfen-Broun JP (1858–1948) was a soldier, magistrate, High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

,Inscription on Beacon Park monument and benefactor of the city of

Lichfield Lichfield () is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated south-east of the county town of Stafford, north-east of Walsall, north-west of ...

, England, where he lived at Swinfen Hall.

Career

Swinfen-Broun joined the

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

in 1876, and was lieutenant-colonel in command of the 3rd (1st King's Own Staffordshire Militia) Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, from 3 December 1898. He was also granted the honorary rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. The battalion was embodied in May 1901, and the following month left for service in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...

. Following the end of hostilities, Broun returned with most of the battalion in July 1902. He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

for his services during the war, and on 5 April 1905 he was appointed Honorary Colonel of the 3rd Battalion, and was its only remaining officer on the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in 1939.''Army List'', various dates. He was High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1907.

Philanthropy

Among Swinfen-Broun's many acts of charity were donations to Lichfield's Victoria Hospital, where he was president of the management committee from 1913-27. He donated 12 acres of land that now forms part of the city's Beacon Park. His bequests to Lichfield include the statues by Barcaglia (', "The Woman who Tries to Arrest Time") and Benzoni (a work known locally as 'the reading girl'). In 2008, the former was sold at auction at

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in London for £150,000, as the council was unable to provide a home for it with suitable conditions to prevent its deterioration. He also bequeathed his family home, the 1757 Swinfen Hall, to the Church and City of Lichfield. Most of the land was sold off and the hall stood unoccupied for many years until acquired in 1987 by the present owners and converted to an hotel. Other bequests included silver plate and sporting trophies to Lichfield City Council.

Honours

Swinfen-Broun was elected freeman of the City and County of Lichfield in 1936.

Memorials

He is commemorated by a memorial in Beacon Park, comprising two plaques on opposite sides of a block of sandstone, unveiled in 1972 by the then Mayor of Lichfield, Councillor W.J. Wilson J.P., who became the first chairman of The Swinfen Broun Charitable Trust. His family coat of arms is depicted in stained glass on the side of Lichfield Guildhall.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swinfen Broun, Michael People from Lichfield South Staffordshire Regiment officers Staffordshire Militia officers 1858 births 1948 deaths High sheriffs of Staffordshire Deputy lieutenants of Staffordshire English philanthropists British Army colonels 19th-century British Army personnel 20th-century British Army personnel