Sweet-Escott was born at Bath, the fifth son of the Rev. Hay Sweet-Escott, headmaster of Somersetshire College, Bath, and Rector of Kilve, Somerset, by his wife Eliza, daughter of Rev. John Coombes Collins, Vicar of St John's Bridgwater [REF].
In 1886 he became assistant colonial secretary at Mauritius and was promoted in 1889 to acting colonial secretary.