Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet (June 1608 – 16 June 1666) was an English poet and translator. He was a diplomat and politian who sat in the House of Commons from 1661 to 1666. During the English Civil War he supported the Royalist cause and served King Charles II in battle and in exile.
[edit] Early life
Fanshawe was the fourth and youngest son of Sir Henry Fanshawe, of Ware Park, Hertfordshire and his wife Elizabeth Smythe, daughter of Thomas Smythe, of Ostenhanger Kent and was baptised at Ware on 12 June 1608. His father was Remembrancer of the Exchequer.[1] He was admitted at Jesus College, Cambridge in November 1623 and was admitted to Inner Temple on 22 January 1626.[2] He travelled on the Continent, and in 1635 was Secretary to the Embassy at the Court of Spain. In 1638, he was Charge d Affaires there.[1]
[edit] Civil War
When the Civil War broke out, Fanshawe sided with the King. He was Secretary of War to the Prince of Wales in 1644 and in 1648 had " credentials for Spain, where he was sent to obtain money for the cause. From 1648 to 1650, he was Treasurer of the Navy under Prince Rupert. He was created baronet on 2 September 1650, and soon afterwards was Secretary of State in Scotland to the young King Charles II. He was captured at the Battle of Worcester on 3 September 1651. He was knighted at Breda in April 1660, and made Latin Secretary and Master of the Requests for King Charles when in Holland.[1]
[edit] Restored monarchy
After the Restoration Fanshawe held various appointments. He represented the Duke of Normandy at the Coronation on 23 April 1661. In 1661 he was elected Member of Parliament for Cambridge University for the Cavalier Parliament and sat until his death. From 1662 to 1666, he was Ambassador to Portugal and from 1664 to 1666 was also ambassador to Spain.[1]
Fanshawe died at his house at Siete Chimineosi, Madrid at the age of 58. He was buried at Allhallows, Hertford, on 26 June 1666, and was later removed to Ware where there is a monument.[1] A portrait of Richard Fanshawe is on display with other portraits of the family at Valence House Museum in east London.
[edit] Works
Fanshawe translated Giovanni Battista Guarini's Il pastor fido, Selected Parts of Horace, and The Lusiad of Camoens, the first English translation of the latter work (circulated from 1655 or earlier).
[edit] Family
Fanshawe married at Wolvercot, Oxfordshire on 18 May 1644, Anne Harrison daughter of Sir John Harrison, of Ball's Park, Ware and Margaret Fanshawe, daughter of Robert Fanshawe of Fanshawe Gate in Dronfield, Derbyshire.[1] His wife wrote memoirs of her own life. His brother Thomas was created Viscount Fanshawe.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f George Edward Cockayne Complete Baronetage Volume III, 1649-1664 1902
- ^ Venn, J.; Venn, J. A., eds. (1922–1958). "Fanshawe, Richard". Alumni Cantabrigienses (10 vols) (online ed.). Cambridge University Press.
[edit] External links
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Crouch William Montagu | Member of Parliament for Cambridge University with Thomas Crouch 1661–1666 | Succeeded by Thomas Crouch Sir Charles Wheler |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Maynard as Agent | English Envoy to Portugal 1661 | Succeeded by The Earl of Sandwich |
| Preceded by The Earl of Sandwich | English Envoy to Portugal 1662–1665 | Succeeded by Sir Robert Southwell |
| Vacant
Title last held by
Sir Henry Bennet |
English Ambassador to Spain 1664–1666 | Succeeded by The Earl of Sandwich |
| Baronetage of Ireland | ||
| New creation | Baronet(of Donamore)1650–1666 | Succeeded by Richard Fanshawe |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Fanshawe, Richard, 1st Baronet |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 1608 |
| Place of birth | |
| Date of death | 16 June 1666 |
| Place of death | |
Annotations
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This gentleman, according to Tomalin, preceded Montagu as ambassador to Spain. His wife, Anne, was a memoirist.
-
“Sir Richard Fanshawe was a successful Metaphysical poet and Latinist, who performed well as a soldier in the English Civil War and was also a diplomat. He was Ambassador to Portugal and to Spain from 1660 and died at Madrid in 1666. His body and papers were brought back to England by his wife, Ann, Lady Fanshawe, whose Memoirs provide a most loving biography.
…
Amongst other duties Sir Richard Fanshawe had responsibility for finalizing the marriage of Charles II and Catherine of Braganza. He oversaw the supply and safety of Tangiers and brokered a peace treaty between Spain and Portugal, despite interference from the English Government. Sir Richard’s duties included ensuring the well-being of the troops sent to fight for the Portuguese against the Spanish invaders and to protect British trade and traders.Sir Richard was required to settle disputes within his own family and household, whilst at the same time maintaining contact with his fellow poets. All these responsibilities wore him down and he died of an ague in 1666, soon after presenting his successor [Mountagu] to the court of Spain.”
from a Googled Web site, http://www.maney.co.uk/bkfanshawe.html -
Husband of Anne: http://www.pepysdiary.com/p/1032.php
-
Ambassador to
Spain. On June 26, 1666, he died at Madrid of fever at the age of
fifty-eight.The England to which his wife brought his body had not fulfilled the
high hopes and dreams of the Restoration. The vice, and laxity of
morals into which it was sinking, would certainly have been repugnant
to the clean-living, high-souled statesman, and we can hardly think
him unhappy in the time of his death.He was buried with much pomp in the Church of St. Mary at Ware, and
his monument stands in a side chapel near the chancel. There, thirteen
years later, his loyal lady and sprightly biographer was laid beside
him in the vault and beneath the monument which she says: “Cost me two
hundred pounds; and here if God pleases I intend to lie myself.”
from her diary from the gutternberg press. -
the ref material:from her notes at
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/mmrsf10.txt -
Portrait:
http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp01525&rNo=37&role=art -
Sir Richard Fanshawe was one of the very few Englishmen that had a great command of the Portuguese language. He was the intermediary and translator of the correspondence between Catarina and Charles.
He also translated the epic Portuguese poem “Os Lusiadas” into English, and it was published in London in 1655.