Francis Fawkes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francis Fawkes (1720–1777) was an English poet and translator. He translated works by Anacreon, Sappho and other classical authors, modernised parts of the poems of Gavin Douglas, and was the author of the well-known song, The Brown Jug, and of two poems, Bramham Park and Partridge Shooting. His translation of the Argonautica in rhymed couplets appeared in 1780.
Fawkes was born near Doncaster, the son of Jeremiah Fawkes, for twenty-eight years rector of Warmsworth, Doncaster. He was baptised at Warmsworth on 4 April 1720. He was educated at Bury Grammar School[1] under the Rev. John Lister. On 16 March 1738 he was admitted as a sizar to Jesus College, Cambridge, where his tutor was the Rev. Richard Oakley. He took his degree of B.A in 1742, and proceeded to an M.A. in 1745.[2]
He was ordained in the Church of England, and took the curacy of Bramham in Yorkshire. He later held the curacy of Croydon, where he came to the notice of Archbishop Thomas Herring, leading to his becoming the vicar of Orpington, Kent. He remained at Orpington until April 1774, when, by the favour of Charles Plumptree, rector of Orpington and patron of the adjacent rectory of Hayes, he was appointed to Hayes with the curacy of Downe. The other piece of clerical patronage which he received was a chaplaincy to the Princess Dowager of Wales.
He died on 26 August 1777, leaving his widow, formerly a Miss Purrier of Leeds, whom he married about 1760, with scanty resources. His library was sold in 1778.
