Henry Fane

Who was Henry Fane?

Henry Fane, MP for Lyme Regis 1772–1802.

The younger son of Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland. He was a Clerk to HM Treasury from 7 December 1757 until 29 August 1763, but was described as "very idle and careless and spending much time in the country".

In January 1772 he became Keeper of the King's Private Roads, Gates and Bridges. Henry Fane followed a long list of Fanes as Members of Parliament for Lyme Regis the family's rotten borough, inherited from John Scrope which at times provided the Fanes with up to two members of parliament at the same time. Between 1753 and 1832 twelve separate members of the family represented Lyme Regis in the Tory interest. The family also represented Constituencies in Somerset, Lincolnshire, Kent, Hampshire, Northampshire and Dorset.

Fane's father gave him Fulbeck Hall in 1783. In 1784 Fane and his wife occupied Fulbeck and enlarged and refurnished it, adding a new north wing.

On 12 January 1778 Fane married Anne, the daughter of Edward Buckley Batson, a banker. The couple had 14 children:

Gen. Sir Henry Fane MP

Anne Fane, married Lt-Gen. John Michel and mother of Field Marshal Sir John Michel