John Fox (1611–1691) was Clerk of the Acatry to King Charles II, which below stairs department was responsible for meat destined for the royal tables. In 1660 the department comprised a clerk and a sergeant, appointed by royal warrant, a yeoman of the salt stores, yeomen and grooms, appointed by the Lord Steward's warrant.

Origins

He was the eldest surviving son of William Fox, of

Farley Farley may refer to: People * Farley (name), a list of people with the given name or surname Places Antarctica * Mount Farley * Farley Massif Australia * Farley, New South Wales * Farley railway station England * Farley, Derbyshire * Farle ...

, in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, a

yeoman Yeoman is a noun originally referring either to one who owns and cultivates land or to the middle ranks of servants in an English royal or noble household. The term was first documented in mid-14th-century England. The 14th century also witn ...

farmer, by his wife Margaret (or Elizabeth) Pavey. His younger brother was the politician Sir

Stephen Fox Sir Stephen Fox (27 March 1627 – 28 October 1716) of Farley in Wiltshire, of Redlynch Park in Somerset, of Chiswick, Middlesex and of Whitehall, was a royal administrator and courtier to King Charles II, and a politician, who rose from ...

(1627–1716), the "richest commoner in the

three kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Han dynasty#Eastern Han, Eastern Han dynasty and wa ...

" and ancestor of the

Earls of Ilchester Earl of Ilchester is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1756 for Stephen Fox, 1st Baron Ilchester, who had previously represented Shaftesbury in Parliament. He had already been created Baron Ilchester, of Ilchester in ...

and

Barons Holland Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

Career

His position at court was obtained on the recommendation of the Dean of

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury. The buildi ...

in Wiltshire, and it was John who first introduced his younger brother Stephen Fox to the royal court, specifically to the household of the royal children, as "supernumerary servant and play-fellow".Ferris, John. P., biography of "Fox, Stephen (1627-1716), of Farley, Wilts. and Whitehall" published in

History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...

, House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 198

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Marriage and progeny

He married Elizabeth Smart (buried on 2 January 1707), by whom he had progeny including: *John Fox, whose son was Thomas Fox (1664-1691), Receiver General of Their Majesties Customs, whose gravestone survives in the north cloister of Westminster Abbey displaying the arms of Fox and inscribed: "Here lyeth interrd the body of Thomas Fox Esq. Receiver General of Their Majesties Customes who departed this life the 18th day of August 1691 in the 27th year of his age". *Margaret Fox (buried on 22 June 1729), who married a member of the Whittle family. *Elizabeth Fox, who in Westminster Abbey on 18 May 1665 married Thomas Donkley (buried on 8 February 1689), a Yeoman of His Majesty's Vestry and Closet Keeper.

Death and burial

His gravestone survives in the north cloister of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

, inscribed: "Here lyeth interrd the body of John Fox Esq. who departed this life the 19 day of Novemb. 1691 in the 80 year of his age".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:John Fox (1611-1691) 1691 deaths 1611 births