John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland

The 7th Earl of Westmorland
File:FaneArmsEarlOfWestmorland.jpg Armorial of John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland: Azure, three dexter gauntlets back affrontée or
Born	John Fane (1685-03-24)24 March 1685
Died
Title	7th Earl of Westmorland
Tenure	1736-1762
Other titles	1st Baron Caterlough 7th Baron Burghersh 10th Lord le Despencer
Nationality	English
Wars and battles	Battle of Oudenarde Siege of Lille (1708) Battle of Malplaquet
Offices	MP for Hythe (1708-1711) MP for Kent (1715-1722) MP for Buckingham (1727-1734) High Steward of the Univesty of Oxford (1754) Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1759-1762)
Predecessor	Thomas Fane, 6th Earl of Westmorland
Successor	Thomas Fane, 8th Earl of Westmorland
Spouse(s)	Mary Cavendish
Issue	None
Parents	Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland Rachel Bence
Notes

John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland (24 March 1685 – 26 August 1762), styled The Honourable John Fane from 1691 to 1733 and Lord Catherlough from 1733 to 1736, was an English nobleman and soldier.

File:William Blackstone, The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest (1st ed, 1759, dedication) - 20141022.jpg

The dedication page on the first edition of William Blackstone's work The Great Charter and Charter of the Forest (1759). Blackstone dedicated the book to Westmorland, calling him "The Assertor of those Liberties" set down in the Magna Carta and other charters "[o]f which his Ancestors Witnessed the Confirmation".

John Fane was the son of Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland and his wife Rachel Bence. He was admitted at Lincoln's Inn in 1703, and entered as a fellow commoner at Emmanuel College, Cambridge in 1703/4. It is likely that his older brother Thomas influenced his decision to become Member of Parliament for Hythe in 1708, a position which he held until 1711. That same year, he joined the army and fought at Oudenarde and Lille. After the war, he returned to England with a letter for the Lord High Treasurer, Lord Godolphin, from the Duke of Marlborough, who wrote that "Fane behaved himself very well, so that I am desirous you would do him the honour of presenting him to the Queen. I like him much better than his brother [Westmorland]." A year later, however, he left for the continent again, this time as a Captain of horse in William Cardogan's regiment, and saw action at Malplaquet.

In 1709 and 1710, he was re-elected as Member of Parliament for Hythe, but he was forced to relinquish his seat in 1711 due to a petition by Tory candidates. He later became Member of Parliament for Kent from 1715 to 1722, and for Buckingham from 1727 to 1734. While originally a Whig, Fane changed sides and became a Tory during the reign of George II. He may also have been involved in Jacobite intrigues.

During his service in the British Army, Fane reached the rank of colonel in the 1st Troop, Horse Guards, and that of general in 1761. He was created 1st Baron Catherlough of Catherlough in Ireland on 4 October 1733 and succeeded his elder brother as 7th Earl of Westmorland in 1736. He is also notable for being the patron of Colen Campbell's Palladian Mereworth Castle.

Since Fane outlived many of his siblings, including the 5th and 6th Earl, and was the only male heir, he inherited most of their properties. His wealth increased further with an inheritance from his younger brother Mildmay and with the revenue from his Caterlough barony.

When Fane died without issue in 1762, his Irish barony became extinct; the barony of Le Despencer, being a barony in fee, devolved upon his nephew Sir Francis Dashwood, Bt; and the earldom of Westmorland went to the male heir, Thomas Fane of Bristol, merchant, son of Henry Fane, (d. 1726,) attorney at law, grandson of Sir Francis Fane, KB and great grandson of Sir Francis Fane, of Fulbeck, co. Lincoln, KB the third son of Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland.

Literature

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Sir Philip Boteler, Bt John Boteler	Member of Parliament for Hythe with John Boteler 1708–1710 The Viscount Shannon 1710–1711 George Chamberlayne 1728 1708–1711	Succeeded by John Boteler William Berners
Preceded by Mildmay Fane William Delaune	Member of Parliament for Kent with William Delaune 1715–1722	Succeeded by Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bt Sir Thomas Twisden, Bt
Preceded by Richard Grenville William Heathcote	Member of Parliament for Buckingham with William Heathcote 1727 Thomas Lewis 1727–1728 George Chamberlayne 1728 1727–1728	Succeeded by George Chamberlayne Richard Grenville
Military offices
Preceded by William Windress	Colonel of John Fane's Regiment of Foot 1715–1717	Succeeded by Viscount Hinchingbrooke
Preceded by Lord Lumley	Captain and Colonel of the 1st Troop Horse Grenadier Guards 1717–1733	Succeeded by Sir Robert Rich, Bt
Preceded by The Earl of Pembroke	Captain and Colonel of His Majesty's Own Troop of Horse Guards 1733–1737	Succeeded by The Duke of Montagu
Academic offices
Preceded by The Earl of Arran	Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1759–1762	Succeeded by The Earl of Lichfield
Peerage of England
Preceded by Thomas Fane	Earl of Westmorland 1736–1762	Succeeded by Thomas Fane
Peerage of Ireland
New creation	Baron Catherlough 1733–1762	Extinct