John Fenwick
Encyclopedia
Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet (c. 1645 – 28 January 1697) was an English
Jacobite
conspirator
, who succeeded to the Baronetcy of Fenwick
on the death of his father
in 1676.
He was the eldest son of Sir William Fenwick
, or Fenwicke, a member of an old Northumberland
family. He entered the army, becoming major-general in 1688, but before this date he had been returned in succession to his father as one of the Members of Parliament
for Northumberland
, which county he represented from 1677 to 1687. He was a strong partisan of King James II
, and in 1685 was one of the principal supporters of the act of attainder against the Duke of Monmouth
; but he remained in England when William III
ascended the throne in the Revolution of 1688
.
He had financial problems and in 1688 he sold the rump of the family estates and Wallington Hall
to Sir William Blackett for £4000 and an annuity of £2000 a year.
He began to plot against the new King William, for which he underwent a short imprisonment in 1689. Renewing his plots on his release, he publicly insulted Queen Mary
in 1691, and it is practically certain that he was implicated in the schemes for assassinating William which came to light in 1695 and 1696. After the seizure of his fellow-conspirators, Robert Charnock
and others, he remained in hiding until the imprudent conduct of his friends in attempting to induce one of the witnesses against him to leave the country led to his arrest in June in 1696.
To save himself he offered to reveal all he knew about the Jacobite
conspiracies; but his confession was a farce, being confined to charges against some of the leading Whig noblemen, which were damaging, but not conclusive. By this time his friends had succeeded in removing one of the two witnesses, and in these circumstances it was thought that the charge of treason must fail. The government, however, overcame this difficulty by introducing a bill of attainder, which after a long and acrimonious discussion passed through both Houses of Parliament (Act 8 & 9 Will. III c. 4). His wife persevered in her attempts to save his life, but her efforts were fruitless, and Fenwick was beheaded in London on the 28 January 1697, with the same formalities as were usually observed at the execution of a peer
.
By his wife, Mary (d. 1708), daughter of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle
, he had three sons and one daughter, all of whom died young, and are buried with Fenwick at St Martin-in-the-Fields
.
Macaulay says that of all the Jacobites, the most desperate characters not excepted, he (Fenwick) was the only one for whom William felt an intense personal aversion. Fenwick's hatred of the king is said to date from the time when he was serving in Holland, and was reprimanded by William, then Prince of Orange. A horse, White Sorrel, owned by Fenwick was among items of his estate confiscated by the Crown on his attainder and a fall from that horse was responsible for William's death. The horse purportedly stumbled when it stepped on a mole hill. In recognition of this, the Jacobites' secret toast was to 'The little Gentleman in Black Velvet.'
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
conspirator
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
, who succeeded to the Baronetcy of Fenwick
Fenwick Baronets
The Fenwick Baronetcy, of Fenwick in the County of Northumberland, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created omn 9 June 1628 for Sir John Fenwick, of Wallington Hall, Northumberland. He sat as Member of Parliament for Northumberland and Cockermouth. The second and third Baronets also...
on the death of his father
Sir William Fenwick, 2nd Baronet
Sir William Fenwick, 2nd Baronet , was an English baronet and MP.He was the eldest surviving son of Sir John Fenwick, 1st Baronet of Wallington Hall, Northumberland and was educated at Morpeth Grammar School and Christ's College, Cambridge, before entering Grays Inn...
in 1676.
He was the eldest son of Sir William Fenwick
Sir William Fenwick, 2nd Baronet
Sir William Fenwick, 2nd Baronet , was an English baronet and MP.He was the eldest surviving son of Sir John Fenwick, 1st Baronet of Wallington Hall, Northumberland and was educated at Morpeth Grammar School and Christ's College, Cambridge, before entering Grays Inn...
, or Fenwicke, a member of an old Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
family. He entered the army, becoming major-general in 1688, but before this date he had been returned in succession to his father as one of the Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Northumberland
Northumberland (UK Parliament constituency)
Northumberland, was a County constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament.The constituency was split into two...
, which county he represented from 1677 to 1687. He was a strong partisan of King James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
, and in 1685 was one of the principal supporters of the act of attainder against the Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, 1st Duke of Buccleuch, KG, PC , was an English nobleman. Originally called James Crofts or James Fitzroy, he was born in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, the eldest illegitimate son of Charles II and his mistress, Lucy Walter...
; but he remained in England when William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
ascended the throne in the Revolution of 1688
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
.
He had financial problems and in 1688 he sold the rump of the family estates and Wallington Hall
Wallington Hall
Wallington is a country house and gardens located about west of Morpeth, Northumberland, England, near the village of Cambo. It has been owned by the National Trust since 1942, after it was donated by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan, the first donation of its kind...
to Sir William Blackett for £4000 and an annuity of £2000 a year.
He began to plot against the new King William, for which he underwent a short imprisonment in 1689. Renewing his plots on his release, he publicly insulted Queen Mary
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
in 1691, and it is practically certain that he was implicated in the schemes for assassinating William which came to light in 1695 and 1696. After the seizure of his fellow-conspirators, Robert Charnock
Robert Charnock
Robert Charnock was an English academic and Jacobite conspirator.-Life:He belonged to a Warwickshire family, and was educated at Adams' Grammar School and Magdalen College, Oxford, becoming a fellow of his college and a Roman Catholic priest.When in 1687 the dispute arose between James II of...
and others, he remained in hiding until the imprudent conduct of his friends in attempting to induce one of the witnesses against him to leave the country led to his arrest in June in 1696.
To save himself he offered to reveal all he knew about the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
conspiracies; but his confession was a farce, being confined to charges against some of the leading Whig noblemen, which were damaging, but not conclusive. By this time his friends had succeeded in removing one of the two witnesses, and in these circumstances it was thought that the charge of treason must fail. The government, however, overcame this difficulty by introducing a bill of attainder, which after a long and acrimonious discussion passed through both Houses of Parliament (Act 8 & 9 Will. III c. 4). His wife persevered in her attempts to save his life, but her efforts were fruitless, and Fenwick was beheaded in London on the 28 January 1697, with the same formalities as were usually observed at the execution of a peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
By his wife, Mary (d. 1708), daughter of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle
Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle was an English politician and military leader.The first in the Howard line of earls, he was the son and heir of Sir William Howard, of Naworth in Cumberland, by Mary, daughter of William, Lord Eure, and great-grandson of Lord William Howard, "Belted Will" , the...
, he had three sons and one daughter, all of whom died young, and are buried with Fenwick at St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
.
Macaulay says that of all the Jacobites, the most desperate characters not excepted, he (Fenwick) was the only one for whom William felt an intense personal aversion. Fenwick's hatred of the king is said to date from the time when he was serving in Holland, and was reprimanded by William, then Prince of Orange. A horse, White Sorrel, owned by Fenwick was among items of his estate confiscated by the Crown on his attainder and a fall from that horse was responsible for William's death. The horse purportedly stumbled when it stepped on a mole hill. In recognition of this, the Jacobites' secret toast was to 'The little Gentleman in Black Velvet.'