Weatherby Swann

Weatherby Swann was the Governor of Port Royal. He made the crossing from England with his daughter Elizabeth after the death of his wife.

Governor of Port Royal
The Swanns made the crossing to the Caribbean aboard the HMS Dauntless, under the command of Lieutenant James Norrington. Weatherby and James would become friends during their time in Port Royal, and Norrington proved to be highly loyal to the Governor. Weatherby lived with his daughter and their servants in a mansion overlooking the port town. Swann appeared to be a fair ruler, though he himself put down Port Royal's rise following the earthquake that devastated it to Norrington's efforts.

Weatherby and Elizabeth attended Norrington's promotion ceremony at Fort Charles, during which now-Commodore Norrington proposed to Elizabeth. Shocked, and finding it difficult to breathe in a corset her father had insisted she wear, Elizabeth fell from the fort's battlements, but was rescued from a watery grave by Captain Jack Sparrow. Despite the fact that Sparrow had saved his daughter's life, Weatherby ordered him to be shot, then later called for his hanging when it was revealed he was a pirate. Jack managed to escape Norrington's clutches, though it would not be the Swanns' last encounter with the Captain.

Rescue Missions
That night, Port Royal came under attack from the Black Pearl. Weatherby witnessed the opening stages of the battle from the fort, though Norrington ordered him to barricade himself in the Commodore's office. During the fight, Elizabeth was kidnapped from her home by the pirates, and, next morning, Weatherby assisted in formulating a plan to rescue her. Ultimately, the Royal Navy dispatched its vessels in a sweep of the Caribbean, and Weatherby joined Norrington aboard the Dauntless.

Elizabeth was sighted by the Dauntless on a desert island, in the company of Jack Sparrow, having been marooned by Hector Barbossa, who was set to sacrifice Elizabeth's friend, Will Turner at Isla de Muerta. Despite his daughter's pleadings, Weatherby refused to condone a rescue mission, stating that the boy was responsible for his own actions, having engaged in the act of piracy. However, Elizabeth was able to persuade Norrington otherwise, and Weatherby accompanied the Navy forces to Isla de Muerta.

When Barbossa's crew attacked the Dauntless, Weatherby was forced into a fight against a severed, skeletal arm in the Captain's cabin. He was able to shut it inside a dresser drawer, and, when the pirates' curse was lifted, promptly joined in the celebrations on deck. The rescue mission had been a success, and on the return voyage to Port Royal, Weatherby offered Turner clemency if he did not interfere in Jack Sparrow's fate&mdash;as the pirate, in Norrington's custody, was set for execution at the fort.

Turner, however, disregarded this, and staged a rescue attempt at the fort that ended in a confrontation on the battlements. Norrington was set to hang Turner as well as Sparrow, but when Elizabeth decided to stand by Will in opposition of Norrington, Weatherby ordered the marines surrounding them to stand down. Sparrow escaped, and Elizabeth professed her love for Will. Weatherby was concerned over his daughter's choice, but nevertheless accepted it.

Lord Beckett
A year later, Elizabeth and Will were set to be married, and, despite Norrington's disgrace some time earlier, Weatherby Swann remained Governor of Port Royal. However, the peace was upset by the arrival of Lord Cutler Beckett, with whom Swann had had previous dealings. Beckett bore arrest warrants for Elizabeth, Will and Norrington, and though Will was later released as part of a bargain with Beckett, Elizabeth remained locked up despite Weatherby's best efforts. Ultimately, Weatherby felt his duty as a father took providence over his duty as Governor, and freed Elizabeth from jail and attempted to escape with her back to England. However, this action had been forseen by Beckett, who dispatched his aide Mercer to intercept Weatherby. The Governor was caught, though his daughter managed to slip away.

Animosity grew between Swann and Beckett, though the latter decided to keep Swann in his position as Governor, if only to ensure Beckett's superiors in England recieved good reports from the Governor's office. Beckett ultimately forced Swann to choose between his daughter and his own life when he revealed his ships were in pursuit of Elizabeth and her colleagues. Only Weatherby's loyalty to the East India Trading Company would ensure her continued survival. Weatherby, defeated, accepted.

World's End
With the capture of Davy Jones' heart, and the expansion of Beckett's fleet with the acquisition of the Flying Dutchman, the East India Trading Company became a far more dangerous and potent threat in the Caribbean. Weatherby continued to serve Beckett, though with no word from Elizabeth since her escape, he was reaching breaking point. Beckett realized Weatherby's loyalty was short-lived, and with Beckett's increased power, also knew the Governor's usefulness had run its course. Beckett had Weatherby Swann killed.

Swann's spirit entered the realm of the dead, where it encountered Elizabeth and her friends, having journeyed into Davy Jones' Locker to rescue Jack Sparrow and the Black Pearl. Weatherby was concerned that Elizabeth had died, though when she ensured him otherwise, stated that he had. Elizabeth attempted to save him, though Weatherby was by now beyond rescue. As he disappeared into the mists, Weatherby promised to give Elizabeth's love to her mother, with whom the hapless Governor would soon be reunited.

Behind the scenes

 * Weatherby Swann was portrayed by Jonathan Pryce.

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
 * Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
 * Pirates of the Caribbean 3