Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 20.djvu/141

 idea of founding an asylum at Chelsea for disabled soldiers, the credit of which is generally ascribed to Nell Gwyn. In furthering the enterprise through all its stages he derived assistance from Evelyn (Diary, ii. 159, 163). His contribution to the building and maintenance fund was above 13,000l. (, Funeral Sermon, p. 8 n.)

On James coming to the throne a peerage was offered to Fox on the condition of his turning Roman catholic. He adhered, however, manfully to his religion. The priests then intrigued to have him removed from the commission of the treasury, but the king had sense enough to insist on keeping Fox and Godolphin as members of an otherwise inexperienced board. He was also suffered to retain his clerkship of the green cloth. On 26 March 1685 he was returned once more for Salisbury. Greatly to James's anger he opposed the bill for a standing army, though he otherwise endeavoured to serve him faithfully. When the Prince of Orange landed, Compton, bishop of London, attempted to tamper with the fidelity of Fox. Fox refused to take an active part against his old master. His anonymous biographer, however, can only say that ‘he never appeared at his highness's court to make his compliments there till the king had left the country.’ William, who had dined with him when on a visit to England, 23 July 1681, soon won him over to his side. In February 1689–1690 Luttrell heard that Fox ‘hath lately kist his majesties hand, and is received into favour’ (Historical Relation of State Affairs, 1857, ii. 16). The next month he took his seat once more at his accustomed boards. Thenceforward whatever changes might occur at the treasury Fox's name was always on the new commission. On 9 Nov. 1691 he succeeded, on the death of Sir William Pulteney, in being returned a second time for Westminster, and he was re-elected by the same constituency on 29 Oct. 1695. In May 1692, James, having arrived at La Hogue, excepted Fox by name in his declaration promising pardon to all who returned to their allegiance. In 1696–7 Fox was a rival with Montague for the place of first commissioner, but at length withdrew from the competition, though not with a very good grace. He wished it to be notified in the ‘London Gazette’ that the place had been offered to him and declined by him. This would have been an affront to Montague. But from tenderness to Fox the promotion of his rival was not announced in the ‘London Gazette’ (, Hist. of Engl. ch. xxi.). By a commission, which bears the date 1 Feb. 1696–7, Fox succeeded Henry Frederick Thynne in the office of treasurer and receiver-general to the queen dowager, ‘Sir Christopher Musgrave haveing refused it;’ it is certain that Charles Fox was acting as such by 1700 (, Angliæ Notitia, ed. 1700, pt. iii. p. 515). On 26 Jan. 1698–9 Fox was chosen member for Cricklade, Wiltshire, in place of Charles Fox, who elected to serve for Salisbury, and was returned again 7 Jan. 1700–1. Upon Anne's accession he wished to retire into private life, but by the queen's express desire he led the commons in procession at her coronation, 23 April 1702, and also acted for a time as first commissioner of horse. He consented to be chosen for Salisbury, 15 March 1713–14, in succession to his son, who had died in the preceding September. In 1685 he had purchased a copyhold estate at Chiswick, Middlesex, on which he built a villa, which excited the admiration of William III, but not that of Evelyn (, Environs, ii. 209;, ii. 169, 175). There he died, 28 Oct. 1716, and was buried at Farley (the date, ‘23 Sept.,’ is wrongly given on his monument). Ninety years later his grandson, Charles James Fox [q. v.], died in the same place. About 1654 he married Elizabeth, daughter of William Whittle of Lancashire, and sister of Sackvill Whittle, chief surgeon to Charles II, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters. Charles, the eldest son, who was named after his godfather, Charles II, died childless in September 1713, and was buried at Farley (, Funeral Sermon on C. Fox, Esq.) Five other sons, who died young, were buried in Westminster Abbey (, Westminster Abbey Registers). Of the two surviving daughters, Elizabeth, the elder, married, 27 Dec. 1673, Charles, third lord Cornwallis, a disreputable gambler. Evelyn (ii. 156–7) gives an amusing sketch of the ‘grave and dexterous courtesy’ with which Fox foiled Lady Sunderland's attempt to secure his younger daughter Jane for her son, Lord Spencer. Jane Fox was married in 1686 to George, fourth earl of Northampton. Lady Fox died 11 Aug. 1696, ‘much lamented by the poor for her charity’ (, iv. 96), and was buried at Farley. In his seventy-seventh year, Fox, ‘unwilling that so plentiful an estate should go out of the name, and being of a vegete and hale constitution,’ married as his second wife, 11 July 1703, Christian, daughter and coheiress of Francis Hopes, rector, first of Haceby and afterwards of Aswarby, both in Lincolnshire (, p. 262, n. 3). By this lady, who was then in her twenty-sixth year, Fox became the father of four more children: Stephen (b. 1704), afterwards Earl of Ilchester; Henry (b. 1705), first Lord