Life

Fortescue, born in London in or about 1578, was the only son of John Fortescue, by Ellen, daughter of Ralph Henslow of Barrald, Kent. His father was the second son of Sir Anthony Fortescue

Anthony Fortescue

Bob marleySir Anthony Fortescue , was an English conspirator.Fortescue was the third and youngest son of Sir Adrian Fortescue, was educated at Winchester College. Unlike his elder brother Sir John Fortescue, chancellor of the exchequer, Sir Anthony adhered to the Roman Catholic church...

 (third son of Adrian), by Katharine, daughter of Sir Geoffrey Pole. His father resided for many years in London, but in his old age he retired to St. Omer to avoid persecution as a Catholic. George probably received part of his education in the English College of Douay, was in October 1609 admitted as a boarder in the English College at Rome, and was recalled by his parents to Flanders 30 April 1614. He was in London secretary to his cousin Anthony Fortescue, the resident for the Duke of Lorraine at the time of his dismissal by the Houses of Parliament in 1647. He was arrested, and, after an imprisonment of sixteen weeks, was ordered to quit the kingdom with his principal. His reputation for learning was so great that Edmund Bolton

Edmund Bolton

Edmund Mary Bolton , English historian and poet, was born in 1575.-Life:Nothing is known of his family or origins, although he referred to himself as a distant relative of George Villiers. Brought up a Roman Catholic, he was educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Bolton then lived in London at the...

 placed his name in the original list of the members of the projected royal academy, or senate of honour. Among his correspondents were Galileo Galilei, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, nephew of Urban VIII, Famiano Strada, the historian of the Spanish wars in Flanders, Thomas Farnaby

Thomas Farnaby

Thomas Farnaby was an English schoolmaster and scholar.-Early life:He was the son of a London carpenter...

, the critic and grammarian, and Gregorio Panzani

Gregorio Panzani

Gregorio Panzani was an Italian Catholic priest, who became Bishop of Mileto and a papal emissary to England during the reign of King Charles I of England....

, who was sent by Urban VIII on a mission to the English Catholics.

He died in 1659, his will being dated on 17 July in that year.

Works

• His principal work is entitled ‘Feriæ Academicæ, auctore Georgio de Forti Scuto Nobili Anglo,’, a volume of Latin essays
• ‘The Sovles Pilgrimage to heavenly Hierusalem. In three severall Dayes Journeyes: by three severall Wayes: purgative, illuminative, unitive. Expressed in the Life and Death of Saint Mary Magdalen,’ 1650, 4to