Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Fagg, John
FAGG, Sir JOHN (d. 1701), colonel, was the son of John Fagg of Rye, Sussex (son of John Fagg of Brenzett, Kent), by his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Hudson (Berry, County Genealogies, Kent, p. 262). During the civil war he took sides with the parliament and became a colonel. He sat for Rye in the Long parliament. On 19 June 1643 he offered a loan of 1,000l. to parliament, which his future brother-in-law, Colonel Herbert Morley, was authorised to accept. He was appointed a commissioner to try the king, and attended in the painted chamber on 10, 12, and 13 Jan. 1648–9, but otherwise bore no part in the trial. On being nominated one of the committee for Sussex he refused to countenance their proposals for ‘righting’ the county. William Goffe [q. v.], in writing to Thurloe from Lewes, 7 Nov. 1655, states that he had omitted Fagg's name from the commission because he was ‘lately observed to be too gratious with disaffected men; besides, will not stirr a haires bredth without coll. Morley’ (Thurloe, State Papers, iv. 161). At the election of 1654 Fagg was returned for the county of Sussex, and again in 1656, when, however, he was not permitted to take his seat (Lists of Members of Parliament, Official Return, pt. i. p. 505). In the parliament of 1658–9 he was returned for the county, Bramber borough, and Horsham, when he elected to sit with Colonel Morley for the county (ib. pt. i. p. 510). On 31 July of that year the council of state placed him in command of the Sussex militia. He was directed to pay special regard to the security of Chichester and Arundel, and to promise all who volunteered for this service equal pay with the regular troops while actually under arms. He was also to maintain a correspondence with the army and militia in Kent, Surrey, Hampshire, and Wiltshire, as there might be occasion, and to give frequent intelligence to the council of his proceedings (Thurloe, vii. 712; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1659–60, p. 562). He refused to act with Fleetwood and Lambert's party, and for attempting to raise forces in Sussex to join Haslerig and Morley in Portsmouth, he was seized by Lieutenant-colonel Lagoe and sent prisoner to London in Dec. 1659 (Mercurius Politicus, 8–15 Dec. 1659, p. 946). The Rump, on being restored a fortnight afterwards, accorded him a special vote of thanks, 29 Dec. (Commons' Journals, vii. 799). Two days later he was placed on the council of state (ib. vii. 800). Fagg used his influence to promote the king's return, and was created a baronet 11 Dec. 1660. He was elected for Steyning, Sussex, in March 1661, and held the seat during his life (Lists of Members of Parliament). In the election of 1680–1 he was returned for the county as well as for Steyning, but preferred to represent the latter (ib. pt. i. p. 550). Fagg acquired the estate of Wiston, Sussex, which had been sold by Sir Thomas Sherley [q. v.] The heir of the Sherleys, Thomas Sherley, M.D. [q. v.], did his utmost to recover his lost inheritance, basing his claim upon the settlement of the estate made by Sir Thomas Sherley before his death in February 1624–5. His suit was, however, unsuccessful, and on carrying an appeal to the House of Lords in 1675, he was ordered into the custody of the serjeant-at-arms for breach of privilege, Fagg being a member of parliament. The matter occasioned so violent a dispute between the houses, that the king was in consequence compelled to prorogue the parliament on 22 Nov. in the same year (Elwes, Castles, &c. of Western Sussex, pt. i. pp. 265, 267; Cobbett, State Trials, vi. 1121–88). Fagg died 18 Jan. 1700–1. He married, 19 March 1645, Mary, daughter of Robert Morley of Glynde, Sussex, by whom he had sixteen children. After her death on 20 Nov. 1687 he married, secondly, Ann, daughter of Philip Weston of Newbury, Berkshire, but she died 11 May 1694 without leaving issue. A fine full-length portrait of Fagg is preserved at Wiston.
[Noble's Lives of the English Regicides, i. 206–7; Wotton's Baronetage (Kimber and Johnson), ii. 124–5; Burke's Peerage (1888), p. 525; Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1660–1, p. 247, 1661–2, p. 293; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 498, iv. 77; will registered in P.C.C. 88, Dyer; Sussex Archæological Collections, vols. v. xii.; W. Durrant Cooper's Parl. Hist. of Sussex; Will of John Fagg, esq. (P.C.C. 97, Rivers); Thurloe's State Papers, v. 456, 490; Evelyn's Diary (Wheatley), iii. 177–83.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.119
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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