Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet

Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet (c. 1658 – November 4 1724) was a British merchant.

A son of Francis Dashwood, Alderman of London, he and his brother Samuel Dashwood early joined their father's business and became leading silk importers. They were also members of the British East India Company and the Worshipful Company of Vintners. They prospered despite the disruption in trade caused by the Anglo-Dutch Wars, and sent a frigate to trade in China in 1700.

In 1698, Sir Samuel and Francis bought the estate of West Wycombe from their brother-in-law Thomas Lewis, Francis eventually buying out his brothers' share. Francis was knighted in 1702, but a cooling of the relationship between the brothers had occurred, and they had ceased their joint business in 1704.

Sir Francis further improved his prospects by marriage, his first wife, Mary Jennings, having died in 1694, after bearing the following children:
*Mary Dashwood , married Sir Fulmar Skipwith, 2nd Baronet
*Susanna Dashwood (c. 1685 – 4 September 1747), married Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 2nd Baronet
*two sons, died in infancy

On 30 May 1705, he married Lady Mary Fane (d. 1710), daughter of Vere Fane, 4th Earl of Westmorland. By her he had two children:
*Francis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer (1708–1781)
*Rachel Dashwood (d. 16 May 1788), married Sir Robert Austen, 4th Baronet

Sir Francis was further honored with a baronetcy in the new Baronetage of Great Britain in 1707. After the death of Mary, he married on 17 June 1712, Mary King, by whom he had four children:
*Sir John Dashwood-King, 3rd Baronet
*Mary Dashwood, married John Walcott in 1732
*Charles Dashwood (b. 4 November 1711), died unmarried
*Henrietta Dashwood, died unmarried

His fourth and final wife was Lady Elizabeth Windsor, daughter of Thomas Windsor, 1st Earl of Plymouth, whom he married on 21 July 1720. They had no children before his death in 1724.

External links

* [http://www.stirnet.com/HTML/genie/british/dd/dashwood01.htm Dashwood genealogy]

References

*cite book | last=Dashwood | first=Sir Francis | authorlink=Francis John Vernon Hereward Dashwood | title=The Dashwoods of West Wycombe | year=1987 | publisher=Aurum Press Ltd. | location=London | id=ISBN 0-948149-77-9