Richard Swann was born on October 28, 1811, either in Maryland or in Alexandria, Virginia, to James King Swann. He married Ann H. Smith on October 7, 1834, and they had at least three children: Samuel, born around 1836; Thomas, born around 1841; and Caroline, born around 1850. They lived in Annapolis, Maryland. He supported the Whig Party. He served in the state legislature in the late 1830s, and he served several terms as mayor of Annapolis. In 1851, he became the commissary at the United States Naval Academy, and he held the position for the rest of his life. He died of apoplexy in Annapolis on May 7, 1877.