The modern Swintons have produced some notable public figures. Captain George Swinton, descended from the Swintons of Kimmerghame, a cadet of the chiefly house, was Lord Lyon King of Arms, and Secretary to the Order of the Thistle from 1926 to 1929, Major-General Sir Ernest Dunlop Swinton was the author of "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" and was one of the driving forces behind early tank development and training in WWI. Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton is regarded by many as the father of modern television. A prominent member of the family is the actress Tilda Swinton, who is a great-granddaughter of Captain George Swinton. The chief of Clan Swinton is Rolfe William Swinton, 36th of that Ilk. His son, Maxim Jasper Swinton, is in line to be the 37th of that Ilk.