Hi Paula,
I managed to do a little digging - unfortunately with little to show for it. Have you seen the article in the Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser dated 20th July 1850 and signed H. F. ? It records the author's visits to Robert at Lathom in the 1820s. There is also a poem, by H. F. dated 1st May 1820 but published in August 1850 by the same paper. Both are interesting in their way - but add virtually no biographical information, except a passing reference to a gentleman from Liverpool who sent Robert an epitaph.
Clutching at straws - I went back to the Return of Papists 1767 and found this:
Liverpool
Stanley Street
Wm Swarsbrick Labourer aged 40 - 10 years resident
Agnes his wife aged 45
Thomas his son aged 13
John his son aged 11
Ellen his daughter aged 9
Jane his daughter aged 6
A William Swarsbrick with a son John???
Whilst I had the Return open I looked for any Robert Swarbrick of the right age - the only possible candidate, assuming he was a single man, was this man:
Westby with Plumpton
Robert Swarsbreck aged 25 servant to Thomas Barrowes [Catholic aged 48 – yeoman]
So – born c. 1742
It is possible that the Edward previously found in Ormskirk and the William and Robert above are the three we want - it's equally possible that they are none of them connected. I very much doubt that the 1767 Return listed all the known Catholics of the day. Even if all three are "right" it doesn't get us much further as we have yet to connect them to each other and to any possible ancestors and descendants.
I may well try and follow up the Liverpool connection, if only to rule them out. At least there we have a proven family to go after. I'm still occupied elsewhere over the next week or so, so it may be some time before I can return to this - unless the temptation to dig some more overwhelms me!
jds1949