Francis Fulford

Who is Francis Fulford?

Sir Francis Fulford was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1625.

Fulford was the son of Thomas Fulford of Fulford, Devon and was baptised at St Mary Major, Exeter on 1 September 1583. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford on 16 February 1599, aged 15 and was a student of Middle Temple in 1601. He was knighted on 26 February 1606. He succeeded his father in 1610, inheriting the family seat of Great Fulford.

In 1625, he was elected Member of Parliament for Devon. He served as a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset by 1640 and was appointed High Sheriff of Dorset for 1642–43.

During the Civil War he was an active royalist and was captured and briefly imprisoned in Devon in early 1643. He maintained a garrison at Great Fulford until December 1645, when he surrendered to Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His eldest son was killed during the war.

He married Elizabeth, the daughter and coheiress of Bernard Samways of Winterbourne St. Martin and Toller Fratrum, Dorset, with whom he had 7 sons and 6 daughters. Fulford died at the age of about 80 between 7 January 1664 when he made his will and 2 May 1664 when it was proved and was buried at Toller Fratrum. His eldest son having been killed, his Devon estates passed to his grandchild and the Dorset estate to his brother George.