Colonel William Swabey, was born in Doctors Commons, London, on the 13th June, 1789, the youngest son of Maurice Swabey. He married Marianne Hobson in 1820 and served eighteen years in the British army before emigrating to Prince Edward Island aboard the "John Craig" in May of 1840, with ten of their eleven children, and six servants. William and his family lived on PEI for twenty-one years during which time was very active in various organizations and committees and served on the Legislative Council for many years. When responsible government was attained in 1851, Swabey joined the Executive Council of George Coles' Liberal government and was appointed register of deeds, and later Commissioner of public lands. He held these major positions, and about a dozen smaller ones, for most of the period until the Liberals were defeated in 1859. One of his positions included succeeding Colonel Ambrose Lane as Adjunct-General in 1853. He was also the Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Aide-de- Camp to the Commander of the Militia Force. William Swabey died in Bucks, England on the 6 February 1872.