Charles Fane, 1st Viscount Fane facts for kids
Charles Fane, 1st Viscount Fane (born January 1676 – died 4 July 1744) was an important person in both England and Ireland. He worked for the royal court, was a politician, and owned large areas of land.
Charles Fane was born in Basildon, Berkshire, and was baptized on January 30, 1676. He was the second son of Sir Henry Fane, but he became the main heir after his older brother passed away.
Family Life
Charles Fane became the heir to several large estates, including lands in County Limerick and County Armagh in Ireland, as well as estates in Basildon, Berkshire, and Calwoodley, Devon, in England.
His older brother, Henry Bourchier Fane, held a special role as the Standard Bearer for the Gentlemen Pensioners, a group of royal guards. Sadly, Henry died in 1696 after a duel. Charles Fane then took over this role from his brother.
Charles also had a younger brother named George Fane. George became a Captain in the Royal Navy, commanding a ship called the Lowestoffe. He passed away in New York in 1709.
Political Career
Charles Fane became a Deputy Lieutenant for Berkshire in 1715, which meant he helped manage local affairs. He was also a Member of the Irish Parliament (MP) for Killybegs in County Donegal from 1715 to 1719.
In 1718, he was given two important titles: Baron of Loughguyre and Viscount Fane. These titles made him a member of the Irish nobility. Seven years later, in 1725, he joined the Privy Council of Ireland, a group of advisors to the King in Ireland. His brother-in-law, James Stanhope, who was a powerful politician, likely helped him gain these high positions.
In 1727, Charles Fane tried to become an MP for Berkshire in England, but he was not successful in that election.
His Wife, Mary Fane
Charles Fane married Mary Stanhope (1686–1762) on December 12, 1707, at Chelsea Hospital. Mary was the daughter of Alexander Stanhope and the sister of the famous soldier and statesman, James, Earl Stanhope.
Before her marriage, Mary Fane was one of the six original Maids of Honour to Queen Anne, starting in 1702. This was an important role working for the Queen. Mary was also a good friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, a very influential woman at court.
Charles and Mary Fane had seven children together:
- Charles, 2nd Viscount Fane
- Mary, who married Jerome, 2nd Count de Salis
- Elizabeth (1711–1760)
- Dorothy Fane, who married John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich
- Charlotte (1718–1765)
- Two children, Lucy and James, who died when they were young.
Charles Fane passed away on July 7, 1744, at the age of 68. His wife, Mary, lived until 1762, dying at 76.
Lady Fane's Grotto
In the 1720s and 1730s, Lady Mary Fane built a famous Grotto at the Fane family's "New House" in Lower Basildon, near the River Thames. A grotto is a cave-like structure, often decorated with shells, rocks, and water features.
Here are some parts of letters that show how she built it: In April 1731, Lady Fane wrote to her husband, asking him to send "some stones and shells" for the grotto. Later, in November 1736, while she was in Florence, she wrote, "...when I go home I shall finish my Grotto as fast as possible..."
Lady Fane visited Florence, Italy, with her son Charles and daughter Dorothy in 1736. It's thought that during this trip, she ordered special table tops made of scagliola (a material that looks like marble) for her grotto. These tables might have been decorated with shells, fitting the grotto's theme.
In 1747, a writer named Elizabeth Montagu described Lady Fane's grotto: She said the grotto was attached to the house. The first room was beautifully decorated with shells in a mosaic pattern, with shell flowers and ribbons. There was even a bed for a "Hermit" made of shells. The next room had rougher stone work and a cold bath with water falling into it. The grotto was very close to the Thames River, and you could see the river from the shell room. Lady Fane often spent time in this small house with the grotto.
Images for kids
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Mary Fane writing to her husband about the birth of the future Philip, 2nd Earl Stanhope in August 1714.
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Letter from Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough to Lady Fane, 1737.
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A letter from his wife, with a Stanhope family seal.
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A diagram showing the family connections and symbols for Fane, Southcott, Stanhope, and Burghill families.
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A Florentine scagliola table top with the Fane and Stanhope family symbols, from around 1737.
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A close-up of Bacchus on one of the side-tables made for Lord and Lady Fane around 1740. These might have been for the grotto.
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A silver tray from 1732, showing the Fane family symbols and the combined Fane and Stanhope family symbols. Made by Paul de Lamerie.
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One of the Fane family's Florentine tables with a scagliola top and Bacchus decorations, around 1740.
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The Coat of arms on a silver tray from 1732, showing the Fane and Stanhope family symbols. This might have been a gift for their 25th wedding anniversary.
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Bourchier Tower at Lough Gur in September 2005.
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Lady Fane's "New House" (also called "The Grotto") in August 2007, seen from a train.
