Jonathan Swire, a Liberal Minister, is the brother of the late Reggie Swire, a solicitor.

Once, when his brother owed Sir Richard Carlisle a large amount of money and was unable to repay him, his niece Lavinia went to Carlisle to plead on her father's behalf. He made a deal with her: he would forgive her father's debt if she would deliver to him some papers of state in Jonathan's possession. She agreed, stole the papers from her uncle and delivered them to Sir Richard. The publication of information in the papers triggered the Marconi scandal.