Henry Swanzy (1841-1906) was a scion of the family of Henry Swanzy who came to Ireland with the army of William III (of Orange) in 1689 and settled in Co Monaghan. His father (also Henry) was curate in Youghal in 1835 when he married Elizabeth Green (aunt of Willliam S Green). Henry, born in December, 1841, was cousin (once removed) to the latterly famous artist Mary Swanzy and was Rector of Castlemagner, Co Cork, for 35 years.
There seems to be very little information available on his early years. He attended Mr Wall's school in Portarlington for a time and then Rathmines School under Mr Benson, before entering Trinity College in 1861 from where he graduated BA in 1865 and MA in 1868. Ordained Deacon in 1866, then priest in 1868, he was curate in Kilshannig from 1866 to 1871.
His first foray to the Alps was in 1870 when he joined his cousin, W.S. Green and another Irish clerical gentleman, J.S. Lyle, and climbed the Brevant. They went on that season to cross a number of Switzerland's notable passes (Col d'Herens, Adler and Grimsel Passes) and climbed two 4,000m peaks - Finsteraarhorn and Monte Rosa, with eminent guides, Alexander Burgener and Peter Knubel.
There appears to be little mountain activities in the following years. However as a member if the British Association for the Advance of Science (now the British Science Association) he is likely to have had a serious interest in scientific matters and when that association held its annual meeting in Canada in 1884 he attended, along with another Irish climber and naturalist Richard M. Barrington. In a post conference excursion they travelled to Lake Louise (Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railway) from where Swanzy and Barrington continued on foot on the proposed route of the rail line through 170 miles of the Rocky Mountains. The trek took 17 days, crossing the Roger's Pass to Shuswap Lakes and Kamloops.
The Canadian mountains may have greatly impressed him for in 1888, at his suggestion and along with his cousin, W.S Green, he set off again in what was probably the first all Irish expedition team to explore and map any mountain range outside Europe. They spent from mid July to early September in the mountains, much of the time surveying the hitherto unexplored part of the Selkirk Range 'lying immediately south of the Canadian Pacific railway track and enclosed by the highest peaks of the Selkirks' in the region of the Illecillewaet Glacier. It was particularly difficult terrain, especially below the tree line and on one occasion they spent seven hours in travelling 1.5 miles.
 |
| On Mt Bonney |
 |
| Swanzy hunting. |
 |
| Swanzy leading |
They used pack horses to carry their 'gear' and sought the services of a 'packer'. When 'some mighty hunter expressed a desire to join us...when he heard we were two parsons he "chucked it up" in disgust... he would have to knock off swearing for a month and that that was utterly impossible".
When their badly packed horse took a fall, smashing much of their technical equipment, they would have given their erstwhile packer "permission to swear for five minutes without stopping".
(Illustrations from Among the Selkirk Glaciers, Aquila Books, Calgary - reprint)
Despite such misadventures they completed the survey, made a first ascent of a 3,000m summit (they named Mt Bonney for the Alpine Club president) and named numerous topographical features that retain the name to this day (Mounts Dawson, Fox, Donkin, Deville -later changed to Selwyn, Macoun - for Prof John Macoun, Dominion Botanist and Naturalist who assisted them, born in Co Down in 1831). Marion Lake was named for Green's daughter and Lily Glacier for Swanzy's daughter. Mount Swanzy (1895) and Mt Green (by A.O.Wheeler) were later named in their honour.
After their survey work they spent time in the Lake Louise area and it was at their suggestion that an hotel be located there that resulted in the subsequent construction of what is now Chateau Lake Louise.
 |
| https://www.chateau-lake-louise.com/ |
Further details of the survey are available in Frank Nugent's In search of Peaks, Passes and Glaciers
On their return to Ireland it was Green who gained fame as a result of the expedition from his lectures and the resulting book Among the Selkirk Glaciers. Swanzy seems to have faded into relative obscurity and it might be wondered if they ever hiked again in the mountains of Cork and Kerry in Ireland.
 |
| Mt Swanzy. Wikipedia |
 |
| Mt Green. Wikipedia |
No comments:
Post a Comment