Sir William Fermor, 1st Baronet

William Fermor
Born c. 1623
Died 1661
Nationality British

Sir William Fermor, 1st Baronet (1623?–1661), was an officer in the Royalist army during the English Civil War and elected as a Member of Parliament after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, but died before taking his seat.[1]

Early life

William Fermor was the eldest son of Sir Hatton Fermor, of Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, by his second wife, Anna, daughter of Sir William Cockayne, lord mayor of London. Sir Hatton Fermor, the great-grandson of Richard Fermor, was knighted by James I in 1603, and died in 1640, when Dame Anna applied for the wardship of her son, who was under age.[2]

Civil war

The following year, on 6 September 1641, William was created a baronet,[3] by King Charles I, who also gave him the command of a troop of horse, and afterwards made him a Privy Councillor to Charles, Prince of Wales.

First Commonwealth

Fermor lived peaceably, though with greatly diminished means, at Easton Neston during the Commonwealth. He had to compound for his estates to the amount of £1,400, being allowed, however, to collect his own rents on condition of paying them in to the use of the government.[4] In 1651, the authorities having discovered that Fermor had four or five years before married Mary, daughter of Hugh Perry of London, and widow of Henry Noel, second son of Viscount Camden, who brought him an estate of £300, they obliged him to compound for that also.[4]

Probably from a private grudge, efforts were made by two Northamptonshire gentlemen, Willoughby and Digby, on different occasions, to ruin his character with the government. Fermor was summoned before the council, but it having been proved that the reports against him were slanderous, and that Willoughby and Digby had each challenged him to fight a duel, they were sent to the Tower and forced to apologise to Fermor, while he was commended for his behaviour "as a man of honour".[5]

Protectorship

In 1655 a further charge was brought against Fermor of destroying the Protector's deer and encouraging deer-stealers, but, though summoned again before the council, no punishment is recorded.[6]

Second Commonwealth

A Major Farmer was sent in 1659 with a troop of horse to secure Carlisle for Monck, but failed in the attempt, Elton, who commanded in the city, inducing the soldiers to keep him out.[7]

Restoration

At the Restoration Fermor's fortunes revived. In May 1660 he took his seat on the privy council;[8] and on 2 April following was returned as a Member of Parliament for Brackley,[9] being also Deputy-Lieutenant for Northamptonshire.[10] On 18 April he was created a Knight of the Bath, and on the 23rd took part in the coronation, his last appearance in public. He died three weeks afterwards, 14 May, a few days after the meeting of the Cavalier Parliament, having been too ill to take his seat.[11] Sir William was buried at Easton Neston.

Family

Fermor in 1646 or 1647 married Mary (d. 1670), daughter of Hugh Perry of London, and widow of Henry Noel, second son of Edward, 2nd Viscount Campden. They had five sons and two daughters. The eldest son, William, was raised to the peerage by the title of Lord Leominster or Lempster in 1692, while his son and successor, Thomas, became the first earl of Pomfret in 1721.

References

  1. ↑ He is also known as William Farmer and William Fermour
  2. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: State Papers, Dom. Charles I, 1640–1, page 218
  3. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: Burke, Dorm. and Ext. Peerage, page 608
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: Dring, Catalogue and R. Comp. Papers, first series xxvi. folio 51
  5. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: State Papers, Dom. 1653, page 477, 1644, pages 203, 219, 220, 224, 226, 287
  6. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: State Papers, Dom. 1655, page 254
  7. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: Baker, Chronicle, 1679, page 665
  8. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: see warrant signed by him, 31 May, Egerton manuscript 2542, folio 361
  9. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: Parl. Blue Book, i. 625
  10. ↑ Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: State Papers, Dom. Charles II, 1661, page 47
  11. ↑ Collins ascribes his death to smallpox, caught while assisting in the ceremonies of the knights of the Bath at the coronation;(Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites Collins's Peerage (ed. 1812), iv. 214, 215) but there is no other authority for this statement, which may have arisen from the fact that Mary Fermor's first husband died of that disease. (Bradley 1889, p. 371 cites: funeral sermon on "Lady Mary Farmer" by John Dobson)
Attribution