Footnotes

Beresford & Company, one of four private banks in Dublin, was established in about 1795 by John Claudius Beresford who was prominent in Irish public life. In 1795 the Directors of the Bank of Ireland decided that credit would no longer be given for any private banker's notes or drafts until payment in cash had been received by the Bank from the Bankers in question. The regulation did not affect the four Dublin private banks including Beresford & Co. and the system of 'clearing notes' continued. Following the suspension of cash payments in 1797 many new banks were formed, particularly in the south of Ireland, leading to a large increase in the issue of private bank notes, where in many cases, this lead to them becoming the principle circulating medium. It soon became obvious that most of the recently established private banks had issued notes far in excess of their resources and the Directors of the Bank of Ireland decided to refuse to accept any notes of the private banks including those of the four reputable private banks of unquestioned integrity. This state of affairs was to lead to the eventual closure of the private banks in Ireland including Beresford's Bank which went into voluntary liquidation in 1810. All its creditors were paid in full

Major William Bellingham Swan appears in the Army List of 1805 as an Assistant Town Major in Dublin. During the Rebellion of 1798 he was involved in the arrest of the conspirator Lord Edward Fitzgerald at Murphy's, 153 Thomas Street, Dublin on 19 May. Fitzgerald attacked Major Swan, who presented the Warrant, with a dagger, upon which Major Swan discharged a pistol at him, but missed. A Captain Ryan then entered the room and was mortally stabbed by Fitzgerald, however he was eventually captured following a determined struggle. See J.F. Smith, John Cassell's Illustrated History of England, 1863, vol. IV, p. 463