Edmund Fanning (colonial administrator)
Encyclopedia
Edmund Fanning first gained fame for his role in the War of the Regulation
, but later had a distinguished career as a colonial governor and British general.
Edmund Fanning was born in the Town of Southold
on Long Island
in the colony of New York
. Other sources (Memoir of Governor John Parr, page 56) state that Fanning was, like Parr
, a Protestant Irishman, and was from Ulster and owned great estates there. And still other sources (Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online) also state that his parents were Captain James Fanning and Hannah Smith.
He was graduated from Yale
in 1757 and studied law in New York. He then moved to North Carolina
in 1761 and settled in Hillsborough
. He held several local political posts and became a protégé of colonial governor William Tryon
. Fanning came into conflict with the leaders of the Regulator movement. He, along with lawyer Francis Nash
, was charged with extorting money from the local residents, but was fined only a small fine. After several riots, the movement was crushed by the an army of North Carolina
militia
led by Tryon at the Battle of Alamance
on May 16, 1771.
Fanning followed Tryon to New York as his personal secretary. At the start of the American Revolution
, revolutionaries drove Fanning from his home, forcing him to seek refuge aboard HMS Asia (1764)
in the New York harbor. After being commissioned a colonel by General William Howe, Fanning later raised a regiment of Loyalists named the King's American Regiment
. He was wounded twice during the war and was credited with saving Yale College from destruction by British forces, for which Fanning was granted an honorary degree LL.D., 1803. He was later appointed to the office of surveyor general, which he retained until he fled, with other Loyalists, to Nova Scotia
in 1783.
Fanning became lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia in that same year, and was thereby deputy to Governor John Parr
. On November 30, 1785 he married Phebe Maria Burns. In 1786, he was appointed governor of St. John's Island
(which was later renamed Prince Edward Island
) by the Home Secretary
, Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
, a post which he held for almost 19 years. Prince Edward Island's Government House
, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, is often referred to as "Fanningbank" on the island, though Fanning never dwelt there. He was appointed General of the British Army
in 1808. He retired to London
and died there in 1818.
Despite having several children, Fanning had no grandchildren. He had two daughters, Lady Wood, who lived near London with her mother; the other daughter married a Captain Bentwick Cumberland, a nephew of Lord Bentwick, and lived in Charlotte's Town, St. John's Island
. He also had several prominent nephews, including the like-named explorer Edmund Fanning
, the war hero Nathaniel Fanning
, and the celebrated attorney John Wickham
. A great nephew was James Fannin
.
War of the Regulation
The War of the Regulation was a North Carolina uprising, lasting from approximately 1760 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against corrupt colonial officials...
, but later had a distinguished career as a colonial governor and British general.
Edmund Fanning was born in the Town of Southold
Southold, New York
Southold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
in the colony of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Other sources (Memoir of Governor John Parr, page 56) state that Fanning was, like Parr
John Parr (governor)
Col. John Parr Parr was born in Dublin, Ireland as part of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy that had settled on the island during the 17th century and attended Trinity High School...
, a Protestant Irishman, and was from Ulster and owned great estates there. And still other sources (Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online) also state that his parents were Captain James Fanning and Hannah Smith.
He was graduated from Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
in 1757 and studied law in New York. He then moved to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in 1761 and settled in Hillsborough
Hillsborough, North Carolina
Hillsborough is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 5,653 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Orange County....
. He held several local political posts and became a protégé of colonial governor William Tryon
William Tryon
William Tryon was a British soldier and colonial administrator who served as governor of the Province of North Carolina and the Province of New York .-Early life and career:...
. Fanning came into conflict with the leaders of the Regulator movement. He, along with lawyer Francis Nash
Francis Nash
Francis Nash was a brigadier general killed in the American Revolutionary War.Nash was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At an early age he became prominent as a North Carolina merchant, attorney, and justice of the peace; experiences which eventually led to a seat in the North Carolina...
, was charged with extorting money from the local residents, but was fined only a small fine. After several riots, the movement was crushed by the an army of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
led by Tryon at the Battle of Alamance
Battle of Alamance
The Battle of Alamance was the final battle of the War of the Regulation, a rebellion in colonial North Carolina over issues of taxation and local control. In the past, historians considered the battle to be the opening salvo of the American Revolution and locals agreed with this assessment...
on May 16, 1771.
Fanning followed Tryon to New York as his personal secretary. At the start of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, revolutionaries drove Fanning from his home, forcing him to seek refuge aboard HMS Asia (1764)
HMS Asia (1764)
HMS Asia was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 March 1764 at Portsmouth Dockyard. She participated in the American Revolutionary War and the capture of Martinique in 1794....
in the New York harbor. After being commissioned a colonel by General William Howe, Fanning later raised a regiment of Loyalists named the King's American Regiment
King's American Regiment
The King's American Regiment was a British provincial regiment which was raised and served in the American Revolutionary War.It was raised in New York in December, 1776 by Colonel Edmund Fanning as the Associated Refugees. It served in the attacks on Fort Clinton and Fort Montgomery...
. He was wounded twice during the war and was credited with saving Yale College from destruction by British forces, for which Fanning was granted an honorary degree LL.D., 1803. He was later appointed to the office of surveyor general, which he retained until he fled, with other Loyalists, to Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in 1783.
Fanning became lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia in that same year, and was thereby deputy to Governor John Parr
John Parr (governor)
Col. John Parr Parr was born in Dublin, Ireland as part of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy that had settled on the island during the 17th century and attended Trinity High School...
. On November 30, 1785 he married Phebe Maria Burns. In 1786, he was appointed governor of St. John's Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
(which was later renamed Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
) by the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
, Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney
Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney PC , was a British politician who held several important Cabinet posts in the second half of the 18th century...
, a post which he held for almost 19 years. Prince Edward Island's Government House
Government House (Prince Edward Island)
Government House of Prince Edward Island, often referred to as Fanningbank, is the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island, as well as that in Charlottetown of the Canadian monarch...
, the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor, is often referred to as "Fanningbank" on the island, though Fanning never dwelt there. He was appointed General of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
in 1808. He retired to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and died there in 1818.
Despite having several children, Fanning had no grandchildren. He had two daughters, Lady Wood, who lived near London with her mother; the other daughter married a Captain Bentwick Cumberland, a nephew of Lord Bentwick, and lived in Charlotte's Town, St. John's Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. He also had several prominent nephews, including the like-named explorer Edmund Fanning
Edmund Fanning
Edmund Fanning was an American explorer and sea captain, known as the "Pathfinder of the Pacific."-Life:...
, the war hero Nathaniel Fanning
Nathaniel Fanning
Nathaniel Fanning was an officer in the Continental Navy and later the United States Navy, who served on board Bonhomme Richard during its 1779 battle with HMS Serapis....
, and the celebrated attorney John Wickham
John Wickham (1763)
John Wickham was an American Loyalist and attorney. He was one of the very few Loyalists to achieve any sort of national prominence in the United States after the American Revolution, and is best remembered for his role in the treason trial of former Vice President Aaron Burr in...
. A great nephew was James Fannin
James Fannin
James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36...
.