Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet

Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet (c. 1658 – 4 November 1724) was a British merchant.

Biography

Francis Dashwood was the third son of Francis Dashwood, a merchant trading with a Turkey, and an Alderman of London. His brother, Sir Samuel Dashwood, was Lord Mayor of London in 1702.^[1]

Dashwood and his brother Samuel joined their father's business early and became leading silk importers. They were also members of the British East India Company and the Worshipful Company of Vintners. They prospered despite the disruption in trade caused by the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and sent a frigate to trade in China in 1700.

In 1698, Sir Samuel and Francis bought the estate of West Wycombe from their brother-in-law Thomas Lewis, Francis eventually buying out his brothers' share. Francis was knighted in 1702, but a cooling of the relationship between the brothers had occurred, and they had ceased their joint business in 1704.

Sir Frances was elected M.P. for Winchelsea on 4 May 1708, and again on 9 October 1710; he was created Baronet Dashwood of West Wycombe on 28 June 1707.^[1] He died on 4 November 1724,^[2] and was buried at Wycombe.^[1]

Family

Sir Frances was four times married, and by his third wife, Mary, daughter of Major King, was father of Sir John Dashwood-King (1716-1793), who succeeded his half-brother Lord Le Despencer as 3rd baronet, an honour which his descendants, having dropped the name King, still held in 1900.^[1]

Sir Francis further improved his prospects by marriage, his first wife, Mary Jennings (m. c. 13 April 1683), having died in 1694, after bearing the following children:

• Mary Dashwood, married Sir Fulwar Skipwith, 2nd Baronet in 1703
• Susanna Dashwood (c. 1685 – 4 September 1747), married Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet
• two sons, died in infancy

On 30 May 1705, he married Lady Mary Fane (1676 – 19 August 1710), daughter of Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland. By her he had two children:

• Rachel Dashwood (c. 1706 – 16 May 1788), married Sir Robert Austen, 4th Baronet in 1738
• Francis Dashwood, 11th Baron le Despencer, married Lady Sarah Ellys, died without issue

After the death of Mary, he married Mary King (d. c. 1717) on 17 June 1712, by whom he had four children:

• Henrietta Dashwood, died unmarried
• Mary Dashwood, married John Walcott in 1732
• Sir John Dashwood-King, 3rd Baronet
• Charles Dashwood (b. 4 November 1717), died unmarried

His fourth and final wife was Lady Elizabeth Windsor (d. 1736), daughter of Thomas Hickman-Windsor, 1st Earl of Plymouth, whom he married on 21 July 1720. They had no children before his death in 1724.

Notes

1. Pollard 1901, p. 112.
2. Woodland 2004.

References

• Dashwood, Sir Francis (1987). The Dashwoods of West Wycombe. London: Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 0-948149-77-9.
• Woodland, Patrick (2004). "Dashwood, Francis, eleventh Baron Le Despencer (1708–1781)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7179. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Pollard, Albert Frederick (1901). "Dashwood, Francis". In Sidney Lee. Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement​. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 112–115.

External links

• Dashwood genealogy