Francis Fane KB (abt. 1580 - 1629)

Born about Feb 1580 in Kent, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 23 Mar 1629 at about age 49 in Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, England

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Biography

Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland (c.1579/80-1628) was the son of Sir Thomas Fane and Mary Neville, Baroness le Despenser. He married Mary Mildmay, daughter of Sir Anthony Mildmay and Grace Sherington, c. 15 February 1598/99.

He was MP for Kent in 1601, Maidstone in 1604-1611,1614,1620-1622, and Peterborough in 1624. He was created a Knigh of the Bath (K.B.) in 1603. He was created 1st Earl of Westmorland on 29 December 1624 and succeeded his mother as 4th Lord le Despenser on 28 June 1626. He died March 23, 1628/9 and was buried at Apethorpe.

Children of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland and Mary Mildmay

1. Sir Francis Fane d. c 1681
2. Lady Catherine Fane d. c 1649
3. George Fane
4. Lady Grace Fane
5. Lady Elizabeth Fane
6. Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland b. 24 Jan 1601/2, d. 12 Feb 1665/66
7. Lady Mary Fane b. 3 Aug 1606, d. c 1634
8. Anthony Fane b. 1613, d. 1643
9. Lady Rachael Fane b. 28 Jan 1612/13, d. 11 Nov 1680

Barony of (A)bergavenny

The Barony of Abergavenny (or Bergavenny) has a very confusing pedigree due to variations on the name, lack of letters patent in 1604 leading to multiple creations and claims by different heirs.

Thomas Fane's mother Mary was the heir general to the barony and in a notable court case she relinquished her claim to her cousin and heir-male Edward Nevill, who was summoned to Parliament in 1604 as Lord Bergavenny. The King granted the abeyant Barony of Le Despenser by letters patent to Mary and her heirs in compensation, succeeded by Francis at her death and the title merged with the Earls of Westmorland.

However, by modern doctrine this was a third creation of the title by writ as there is no evidence it was created by patent. Subsequent holders descended to the heir male rather than the heir general, resulting in a 4th creation in 1628, 5th in 1662, 6th in 1695, and 7th in 1724, with multiple possible co-heirs for the 3rd, 6th and 7th creations.

The 1st and 2nd creations continued to descend through the Earls of Westmorland, until the title became abeyant on the death of the 7th Earl (and 14th and 12th Baron) in 1762. The Barony of le Despencer was called out of abeyance on 19 Apr 1763 in favour of Sir Frances Dashwood, 2nd Bt., of West Wycombe, co. Buckingham, but no claim was considered regarding the barony of (A)bergavenny and the titles remain in abeyance.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Complete Peerage 2nd ed. v.1. pp.35-36

• Malcolm Mercer,‘Fane, Sir Thomas (d. 1589)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008
• FANE (VANE), Sir Francis (1580-1629), of Mereworth Castle, Kent and Apethorpe, Northants., History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629, ed. Andrew Thrush and John P. Ferris, 2010
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p68.htm#i673
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00008380&tree=LEO