Francis Fortescue, Esq. was a barrister of the Inner Temple, and Solicitor-General to Queen Henrietta Maria. He was admitted at the Inner Temple in 1616. Very little is recorded about him... [It] is certain that he had a son Nicholas, who was born at Chicheley Hall, the seat of his mother's brother-in-law Sir Anthony Chester; for Nicholas, son of Mr. Francis Fortescue and Frances his wife, was baptized at Chicheley, on 23d June 1639. Francis Fortescue on 26th Nov. 1650 took out letters of administration de bonis non to the estate of his late father Sir Nicholas, in consequence of the death of his elder brother William Fortescue, Esq. of Cookhill, to whom administration had been granted on 29th Oct. 1636. Frances survived his wife Frances Peyton, and after her death married a second wife Joyce, who was living his widow on 24th Dec. 1672, when she renounced the administration of his estate in favour of Thomas Howard, his principal creditor. It is stated in the grant that Francis Fortescue had died in foreign parts and in debt. 2
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Parliamentary session held 2 July, 23 Charles I (1647):
Order that if Francis Fortescue and others do not pay their debts and duties owing to the House, upon demand of the steward, their chambers shall be seized; and if they do not pay before the first parliament of Hilary term, that the said chambers shall be sold or otherwise disposed of to the use of the House. 3
Francis Fortescue was bequeathed £20 in the Will of his brother Edmund Fortescue of London, esq. (written 1673). This is curious given Francis was purportedly dead by Dec 1672 (see above). It seems unlikely that Edmund wouldn't know that his brother was deceased.
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