Francis Fane, MP

Family and Education b. c.1698, 1st s. of Henry Fane of Bristol by Anne, da. of Thomas Scrope, a Bristol merchant, sis. and coh. of John Scrope, M.P., sec. to the Treasury; bro. of Henry and Thomas Fane. educ. King’s, Camb. 1715; M. Temple 1714, called 1721. unm. suc. fa. 1726; to estates of his uncle John Scrope 1752.

Offices Held

K.C. 1727; bencher M. Temple 1727; counsel to Board of Trade 1725-46; solicitor-gen. to the Queen 1730-7; chairman of ways and means 1739-51; ld. of Trade 1746-56.

Biography Fane inherited from his uncle a large fortune and the control of both seats at Lyme Regis. From 1757 till at least 1782 the family received £100 p.a. from secret service funds in support of their interest at Lyme Regis.

In 1754 Fane apparently planned to seek reelection at Ilchester, and on 8 Aug. 1753 wrote to Pelham1 that he found Thomas Lockyer, who had command of the borough, willing to stand jointly ‘upon condition that I should bear the whole expense’. Fane was ready to pay his own share, ‘be it ever so great’, but hoped Pelham would not expect him ‘to bear the whole expense of keeping this borough out of bad hands’, since he feared that with the approaching election at Lyme his expenses would amount to at least £3,000—‘a very great sum considering I have no further views and only wish to be in Parliament to give you my poor assistance to support you and your measures’. Fane now moved to Lyme, where he was returned unopposed; and in 1756 he was again employed by Newcastle to negotiate with Lockyer for the return of a Government candidate at Ilchester. In 1756, when a place was required for Henry Fox’s friend W. G. Hamilton, Fane vacated the Board of Trade, and was given a secret service pension of £200 a year for his brother Thomas.

He died 27 May 1757, aged 59.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790 Author: Mary M. Drummond Notes 1. Newcastle (Clumber) mss.