Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland

The Right Honourable The Earl of Westmorland KB
Francis Fane, first Earl of Westmorland, in coronation robes
Member of Parliament for Kent
In office 1601–1601 Serving with Sir Henry Nevill
Monarch	Elizabeth I
Preceded by	Sir Robert Sidney Percival Hart
Succeeded by	Sir John Scott John Leveson
Member of Parliament for Maidstone
In office 1604–1611 Serving with Laurence Washington
Monarch	James I
Preceded by	Sir Thomas Fludd
Succeeded by	Himself Sir John Scott
In office 1614–1614 Serving with Sir John Scott
Monarch	James I
Preceded by	Himself Sir Thomas Fludd
Succeeded by	Himself Sir Francis Barnham
In office 1621–1622 Serving with Sir Francis Barnham
Monarch	James I
Preceded by	Himself Sir John Scott
Succeeded by	Sir George Fane Thomas Stanley
Member of Parliament for Peterborough
In office 1624–1624 Serving with Laurence Whitaker
Monarch	James I
Preceded by	Mildmay Fane Walter Fitzwilliam
Succeeded by	Sir Christopher Hatton Laurence Whitaker
Personal details
Born	Francis Fane (1579-02-00)February 1579
Died	23 March 1628(1628-03-23) (aged 49)
Resting place	Apethorpe Hall, Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, England 52°32′50″N 0°29′32″E / 52.5472°N 0.4922°E / 52.5472; 0.4922Coordinates: 52°32′50″N 0°29′32″E / 52.5472°N 0.4922°E / 52.5472; 0.4922
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	Mary Mildmay (1599-1628)
Children	Mildmay Fane, 2nd Earl of Westmorland Sir Francis Fane George Fane Rachel Fane more
Parents	Sir Thomas Fane Mary Neville, 3rd Baroness le Despencer
Residence	Apethorpe Hall, Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, England

Francis Fane, 1st Earl of Westmorland KB (1 February 1580 – 23 March 1629), styled Sir Francis Fane between 1603 and 1624 was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1601 and 1624 and then was raised to the Peerage as Earl of Westmorland.

Francis Fane was the eldest surviving son and heir of Sir Thomas Fane (d.1589) of Badsell in Kent, by his second wife Mary Neville (c. 1554-1626), sole daughter and heiress of Henry Nevill, 6th Baron Bergavenny (d.1587) (de jure 4th Baron Bergavenny) by his wife Lady Frances Manners. Fane was the senior representative of the Fane family of Mereworth, near Maidstone, Kent, and then of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire. His younger brother was George Fane of Burston.

Fane was educated at Maidstone Grammar School and in about 1595 matriculated at Queens' College, Cambridge. He was admitted to Lincoln's Inn on 19 November 1597.

In 1601, with the support of Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham, Fane was returned as a Member of Parliament for Kent. He was created a Knight of the Bath at the Coronation of King James I on 25 July 1603. After Cobham's disgrace Fane was elected MP for Maidstone in 1604. He was re-elected MP for Maidstone in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624 he was elected MP for Peterborough. On 29 December 1624, he was created Baron Burghersh in the County of Sussex, and Earl of Westmorland (1008th on the roll). On his mother's death on 28 June 1626 he succeeded her as 4th Baron le Despenser, and as de jure 8th and 6th Baron Bergavenny.