Frances King

Frances "Fanny" King, née Bernard (25 July 1757 – 23 December 1821) was an English philanthropist and author. Her father, Sir Francis Bernard, 1st Baronet, was Governor of the Provinces of New Jersey and Massachusetts in America, though Frances was born and remained in England. She had four children, after which she assisted her brother Thomas with his philanthropic work, and then herself became involved in founding schools and libraries in the parishes where her husband served. After her brother's death she continued to involve herself in projects to assist the poor. Three of her grandchildren were also well-known: Admiral Richard Collinson, one of the naval officers searching for the lost Franklin Expedition in the arctic; the writer Lady Julia Cecilia Stretton; and the engineer Thomas Bernard Collinson.

Life Frances Elizabeth Bernard was born in Lincoln, England, the eighth child of Sir Francis Bernard and his wife Amelia, née Offley. Among her siblings was Sir Thomas Bernard, 3rd Baronet, who was also involved in many philanthropic projects.

Her father Francis Bernard became in 1758 Governor of the Province of New Jersey in America and moved there with his family and four of her siblings. He later became Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. But Frances, who was apparently regarded as delicate, remained in England with relatives and was not reunited with her family until their return in 1769.