Francis Fane (dramatist)
Encyclopedia
Sir Francis Fane, of Fulbeck
, in the county of Lincoln, K.B. was a writer of stage plays and poems and a courtier in the Restoration court of Charles II of England
.
(c. 1611–1681?). Fane the younger was created a K.B. in 1661 at the coronation of Charles II.
During the latter part of his life Sir Francis resided on his estate at Henbury, Gloucestershire, where he died. In his will, dated 14 November 1689, and proved 15 September 1691, he requests his wife (Hannah), whom he appoints sole executrix, "to pay ffourty pounds to the poore of the parish of Olveston, in the county of Gloucester, being in full and more of the ffines at any time leavied by me on the Quakers without a full deduccon of charges in leavying them, the Informers parte not defraying the Charges".
In the opinion of Gordon Goodwin who wrote Fane's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography
Fane's plays are not wholly destitute of merit.
, K.B., F.R.S., of Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, and Aston, Yorkshire, who was the third, but second surviving, son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
and Elisabeth, widow of John, lord Darcy, (eldest daughter of William West of Firbeck, Yorkshire and his wife Catherine Darcy dau of Sir Edward Darcy of Dertford). Sir Francis Fane the elder died in 1681, and was buried in the chancel of Aston Church, together with his wife, who had died before him.
Frances Fane married Hannah, daughter of John Rushworth
of the county of Essex. They had several children:
John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland
, died without issue, in 1762, when the barony of Le Despencer, being a barony in fee, devolved upon his nephew Sir Francis Dashwood, bart.; but the earldom of Westmorland went to the male heir, Thomas Fane
, of Bristol, merchant, son of Henry Fane, (d. 1726,) attorney at law, grandson of Sir Francis Fane, K.B. (the subject of this article) and great grandson of Sir Francis Fane, of Fulbeck, co. Lincoln, K.B. the third son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
.
Fulbeck
Fulbeck is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies on the A607, north from Grantham and north-west from Sleaford. To the north is Leadenham, and to the south is Caythorpe.-Toponymy:...
, in the county of Lincoln, K.B. was a writer of stage plays and poems and a courtier in the Restoration court of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
.
Biography
Francis Fane was the eldest son of Sir Francis FaneFrancis Fane (royalist)
Sir Francis Fane of Fulbeck K.B. supported the Royalist cause During the English Civil War.-Biography:Fane was the third, but second surviving, son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland....
(c. 1611–1681?). Fane the younger was created a K.B. in 1661 at the coronation of Charles II.
During the latter part of his life Sir Francis resided on his estate at Henbury, Gloucestershire, where he died. In his will, dated 14 November 1689, and proved 15 September 1691, he requests his wife (Hannah), whom he appoints sole executrix, "to pay ffourty pounds to the poore of the parish of Olveston, in the county of Gloucester, being in full and more of the ffines at any time leavied by me on the Quakers without a full deduccon of charges in leavying them, the Informers parte not defraying the Charges".
Works
He was the author of:- Love in the Dark; or the Man of Business, A Comedy (in five acts, in prose and verse), acted in the Theatre RoyalTheatre RoyalTheatre Royal is the name of many theatres, especially in the United Kingdom. The name was once an indication that the theatre was a patent theatre, with a Royal Patent without which performances of serious drama would be illegal.United Kingdom:...
, 4to, London, 1675 Genest, Hist. of the Stage, i. 173-4. In dedicating the play to the Earl of RochesterJohn Wilmot, 2nd Earl of RochesterJohn Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , styled Viscount Wilmot between 1652 and 1658, was an English Libertine poet, a friend of King Charles II, and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry. He was the toast of the Restoration court and a patron of the arts...
, Fane observes : "I never return from your lordship's most charming and instructive conversation, but I am inspir'd with a new genius and imnrov'd in all those sciences I ever coveted the knowledge of: I find my self not only a better poet, a better philosopher, but, much more than these, a better Christian, so that, I hope, I shall be obli'd to your lordship, not only for my reputation in this world, but my future happiness in the next". - A Masque, written at Rochester's request for his alteration of Beaumont and Fletcher's 'Valentinian,' and printed in Tate's Poems by several Hands, 8vo, London, 1685 (p. 17).
- The Sacrifice. A Tragedy(in five acts, and in verse), 4to, London, 1686; 3rd edition, 1687. It was never acted; the author, as he informs the Earl of Dorset in the dedication, "having long since devoted himself to a country life, and wanting patience to attend the leisure of the stage".
In the opinion of Gordon Goodwin who wrote Fane's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
Fane's plays are not wholly destitute of merit.
Family
Francis Fane was the eldest son of Sir Francis FaneFrancis Fane (royalist)
Sir Francis Fane of Fulbeck K.B. supported the Royalist cause During the English Civil War.-Biography:Fane was the third, but second surviving, son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland....
, K.B., F.R.S., of Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, and Aston, Yorkshire, who was the third, but second surviving, son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland, KB head of the Fane family, of Mereworth in Kent, and then of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire, was first a Member of Parliament and then an English peer...
and Elisabeth, widow of John, lord Darcy, (eldest daughter of William West of Firbeck, Yorkshire and his wife Catherine Darcy dau of Sir Edward Darcy of Dertford). Sir Francis Fane the elder died in 1681, and was buried in the chancel of Aston Church, together with his wife, who had died before him.
Frances Fane married Hannah, daughter of John Rushworth
John Rushworth
John Rushworth , English historian, was born at Acklington Park in the parish of Warkworth, Northumberland, England. He compiled a series of works called Historical Collections , concerning the period of history covering the English Civil Wars throughout the 17th century.-Background:John Rushworth...
of the county of Essex. They had several children:
- Henry died as an infant;
- George (recorded as 3 months old in April 1666)
- Francis survived his father. Known as Francis Fane of Fulbeck he married a daughter of Henry Herne of Cressey HallGosbertonGosberton is a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire, England. It lies south-west from Boston, north from Spalding and north-west from Holbeach. The parish includes the hamlets of Gosberton Clough and Gosberton Risegate...
in county Lincoln and had one son Francis (died 19 October 1758), who married twice first a daughter of Edward Paine, and then Jane a daughter of Sir Richard CustSir Richard Cust, 1st BaronetSir Richard Cust, 1st Baronet was a British barrister and Member of Parliament.Cust was the son of Samuel Cust and Ann Burrell. He represented Lincolnshire in the House of Commons in 1653 and Stamford from 1679 to 1685...
. There were no children by either marriage and after his death Jane married James Evelin. - HenryHenry Fane of BrymptonHenry Fane of Brympton, Somerset was a great-grandson of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland and father of Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland....
(2nd son of that name), survived his father, (died 17 December 1726) and was buried at Westbury-on-Trym. He married Anne sister and coheir of John ScropeJohn ScropeJohn Scrope was a British lawyer and politician.He was the son of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant, the third son and ultimate heir of Colonel Adrian Scrope of Wormsley in Oxfordshire, hung drawn and quartered after the restoration as one of the regicides of Charles I.Scrope was educated at the...
of Wormsley, they had three sons who survived him: FrancisFrancis Fane of BrymptonFrancis Fane KC of Brympton, nr. Yeovil, Somerset, and later Wormsley, Oxfordshire was a commissioner for trade and the Plantations, and a British Member of Parliament.-Early life:...
, Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of WestmorlandThomas Fane, 8th Earl of WestmorlandThomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland , MP for Lyme Regis and a lord commissioner of trade. Thomas Fane was the second son of Henry Fane of Brympton d'Evercy in Somerset and Anne sister and coheir of John Scrope, children of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant. Anne was a granddaughter of Colonel...
and HenryHenry Fane of WormsleyHenry Fane of Wormsley nr. Watlington, Oxfordshire, was one of the chief clerks of the Board of Treasury, one of the chief clerks to the Privy Council, and a Member of Parliament.-Biography:...
; and a daughter Mary (died October 1773). She married twice, first to John Henley of Bristol and second to Dr. Samuel Creswick, dean of WellsDean of WellsThe Dean of Wells is the head of the Chapter of Wells Cathedral in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The current Dean is the Very Revd John Clarke, who lives in The Dean's Lodging, 25 The Liberty, Wells.-List of the Deans of Wells:*1140–1164 Ivo...
. - Edward survived his father (died 6 February 1736). He was a prebendaryPrebendaryA prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
in Lincoln cathedralLincoln CathedralLincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
. He had a son Edward (died March 1760) who was the Rector of Fulbeck. - Six daughters
John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland
John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland
John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland was an English nobleman, styled The Honourable John Fane from 1691 to 1736....
, died without issue, in 1762, when the barony of Le Despencer, being a barony in fee, devolved upon his nephew Sir Francis Dashwood, bart.; but the earldom of Westmorland went to the male heir, Thomas Fane
Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland
Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland , MP for Lyme Regis and a lord commissioner of trade. Thomas Fane was the second son of Henry Fane of Brympton d'Evercy in Somerset and Anne sister and coheir of John Scrope, children of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant. Anne was a granddaughter of Colonel...
, of Bristol, merchant, son of Henry Fane, (d. 1726,) attorney at law, grandson of Sir Francis Fane, K.B. (the subject of this article) and great grandson of Sir Francis Fane, of Fulbeck, co. Lincoln, K.B. the third son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland
Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland, KB head of the Fane family, of Mereworth in Kent, and then of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire, was first a Member of Parliament and then an English peer...
.