English Captain: George Swanley

George Swanley served the Parliamentarian, Commonwealth, and Restoration navies. In 1642, he commanded the hired merchantman Bonaventure. In 1646, he was nominally in command of the hired merchantman George Bonaventure, although the ship was in reserve. From 1651 to 1653, he commanded the hired merchantman Providence (24 guns and a crew of 84 men). On 29 April 1652, he was mentioned as being involved with convoying merchantmen in the Providence. On 30 May, he and the Providence were ordered to the Downs to provide local defense. On30 March 1653, he and others were ordered to sail with William Penn for London, as they needed stores. It does seem likely that he is the George Swanley who commanded the Princess (52 guns) in 1664. He fought at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665. Sources:

1. R. C. Anderson, List of English Naval Captains 1642-1660, 1964.
2. C. T. Atkinson, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.IV, 1910.
3. Frank Fox, A Distant Storm: the Four Days' Battle of 1666, 1996.
4. Dr. S.R. Gardiner, Ed., The First Dutch War, Vol.I, 1898.
5. J.R. Tanner, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Naval Manuscripts in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College, Cambridge, Vol.I, 1903.