David Fanning (loyalist)
| David Fanning | |
|---|---|
| MLA for Kings County, New Brunswick | |
|
In office 1791–1801 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1755 Amelia County, Virginia |
| Died | March 14, 1825 Digby, Nova Scotia |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Carr |
| Parents | David Fanning |
| Occupation | Farmer, Author, Colonel, Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1775–1782 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
David Fanning (c. 1755 – March 14, 1825) was a Loyalist leader in the American Revolutionary War in North and South Carolina. Fanning participated in approximately 36 minor engagements and skirmishes, and in 1781, captured the Governor of North Carolina, Thomas Burke, from the temporary capital at Hillsborough. Additionally, Fanning was captured by Patriot forces 14 times throughout the war, each time escaping or receiving a pardon. After the British defeat in the war, Fanning fled to Canada, where he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick from 1791 to 1801 representing Kings County. After being convicted of rape in 1801, Fanning was expelled from New Brunswick, and settled in Nova Scotia, where he lived the remainder of his life.
Fanning was born October 25, 1755 in Amelia County, Virginia. His father was David Fanning, and he grew up in Johnston County, North Carolina. He developed a childhood scalp condition which, according to oral traditions collected by early North Carolina historian Eli Caruthers, resulted in long-term baldness. Fanning and his sister were orphaned in 1764 by the death of their father, and in 1773, David settled on a tributary of the Reedy River in South Carolina. At the onset of the Revolutionary War, Fanning was also an officer in a local militia unit in the South Carolina upcountry. In 1775, that region leaned in favor of the Loyalists, and Fanning lent himself to that cause.
Fanning initially participated in the Snow Campaign of 1775, which proved to be a setback for the Loyalists in South Carolina. After a particular disaster at the Battle of Great Cane Break on December 22, 1775, Fanning avoided capture by Patriot forces by taking refuge among the Cherokee nearby. Fanning was arrested by the Patriots one month later, which would prove to be the first of fourteen times he would be made a captive during the ensuing war. He managed to escape and flee again to the Cherokee, and was arrested three more times in North Carolina, each time being rescued by sympathetic forces. Fanning then returned home, and was subsequently arrested several more times before being acquitted at a treason trial in November 1777. At some point during this time, Fanning was harassed by Patriot sympathizers, and had trade goods stolen from him by them.
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