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John Swire

1825 – 1898

Swire, John Samuel [<em>called </em> the Senior] (1825–1898), merchant and shipowner

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About John Swire

Lived 1825 – 1898 (aged 73). John Swire was a British businessperson.

John Samuel Swire (24 December 1825 – 1 December 1898) was a British businessman. He grew his family business, the Swire Group, and expanded the cotton and sugar trade with China. He established the Taikoo Sugar Refinery in Hong Kong and The China Navigation Company on the Yangtze river. He was the instigator and founding chairman of the China and Japan Conference (later known as the Far Eastern Freight Conference). This shipping cartel existed from 1879 to 2008 and was a major component of the shipping industry from the Far East to Europe.

Early life John Samuel Swire was born on 24 December 1825 in Liverpool, England. His father, John Swire, was the founder of the Swire Group.

Career Swire established Swire Bros in Melbourne, Australia in 1855.

Personal life He was married twice. He first married Abigail Fairrie, the daughter of Adam Fairrie, a sugar refiner from Ayrshire, in 1859.

John Samuel

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Also known as
John Samuel Swire

People in John Swire's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped John Swire's

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Swire?

Swire, John Samuel [<em>called </em> the Senior] (1825–1898), merchant and shipowner

When was John Swire born?

John Swire was born on 17 January 1825 in Liverpool.

When did John Swire die?

John Swire died on 17 January 1898.

What was John Swire's occupation?

John Swire was a businessperson.

What nationality was John Swire?

John Swire was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: John Swire

· Wikidata: Q18527659

· DBpedia: John Samuel Swire

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Swire. https://biography.guide/john-swire/

MLA: "John Swire." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-swire/.

Chicago: "John Swire." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-swire/.

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