Francis French, 7th Baron de Freyne

Who was Francis French, 7th Baron de Freyne?

Francis Arthur John French, 7th Baron de Freyne of Coolavin, County Sligo was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat, son of Francis French, 6th Baron de Freyne and Lina Victoria. He was educated at Ladycross School and at Glenstal Abbey School.

He inherited his title in 1935, at which time, until 1999, he could vote in the House of Lords. In 1999, all but 90 or so hereditary peers were stripped of voting rights in the Lords by Tony Blair's Labour government. Lord de Freyne was a Knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

In 1952, Lord de Freyne sold French Park, the family's ancestral home in Frenchpark, County Roscommon. The great house and demesne had been in the French family since 5,000 acres were granted to Dominick French in 1666; prior to its dissemination during the Land Acts the estate comprised 36,000 acres. Having sold the estate, the family moved to Oxfordshire.