[Seubert's Künstler-Lexikon; Graves's Dict. of Artists, 1760–1880; Royal Academy Catalogues.]
FARRINGTON, Sir ANTHONY (1742–1823), baronet, general, colonel-commandant first battalion royal artillery, was son of Charles Farrington, who entered the artillery as a matross in 1733, was wounded at the battle of Val in 1747, and died at Woolwich as lieutenant-colonel commandant of the royal invalid artillery 23 Feb. 1782. Anthony was born 6 Feb. 1742, entered the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, as a cadet 3 March 1754, was appointed a lieutenant fireworker 29 Oct. 1755, and became second lieutenant 1756, first lieutenant 1757, captain-lieutenant 1759, captain 1764, major March 1782, lieutenant-colonel December 1782, colonel 1791, major-general 1795, lieutenant-general 1802, general 1812. He served at Gibraltar in 1759–63, and at New York and elsewhere in America 1764–8. Returning to New York in 1773, he continued to serve in America until May 1783. He was at Boston in 1774–1776, and was present at Bunker's Hill, Brooklyn, Long Island, White Plains, Brandywine, and other early engagements during the war of Independence. He commanded the artillery at Plymouth in 1788–9, at Gibraltar in 1790–1, was commandant at Woolwich from 3 April 1794 to 27 May 1797, and commanded the artillery of the expedition to North Holland, under the Duke of York, in September 1799. Some curious details of the latter are given in Duncan's ‘Hist. Roy. Artillery,’ ii. 90–101. Farrington was appointed commandant of the field-train department in 1802, and in 1805 president of a select committee of artillery officers. In 1805 he was appointed inspector-general of artillery with the rank and style of director of the field-train department of the ordnance. On 3 Oct. 1818 Farrington was created a baronet in recognition of his long and meritorious services. On 14 June 1820 the university of Oxford conferred on him the honorary degree of D.C.L. After sixty-eight years of military service, retaining his mental vigour to the last, Farrington died on 3 Nov. 1823, at his residence at Blackheath.
He married on 9 March 1766 Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Colden of New York, by whom he had two sons and three daughters. His eldest child, Charles Colden Farrington, born in 1770, died a captain in the 33rd foot in 1796. He was married, and left issue a son, Charles Henry Farrington, who became a captain in the 31st foot, and succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his grandfather.
[Foster's Baronetage; Kane's List of Officers Roy. Art. (rev. ed., Woolwich, 1869); Duncan's Hist. Roy Art.; Minutes Roy. Art. Institution, xiv. 303; Gent. Mag. xciii. (ii.) 639.]
FARRINGTON, Sir WILLIAM (fl. 1412), soldier and diplomatist, of a well-known Lancashire family, was knighted by the Duke of Lancaster before the battle of Nájera, 1366. During the decline of the English power in Aquitaine he there held several important military commands. He made an unsuccessful attempt to come to the assistance of the Earl of Pembroke in the sea-fight at La Rochelle. Having become governor at Saintes, he was in the fight at Soubise, where he narrowly escaped being made prisoner. Being obliged to abandon Saintes, he joined the forces under the command of Sir Thomas Felton, who went to relieve the town of Thouars, then besieged by the French. He subsequently joined the Duke of Buckingham, and distinguished himself during the campaign by several feats of arms. In 1376 he was named one of the guardians of the truce concluded with the French. The son of the Count Denia, one of the prisoners taken at the battle of Nájera, having managed to escape, Farrington was imprisoned with others in the Tower, as being therein guilty of negligence, and released by request of Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland, 1377. In 1381 he was charged by royal order to assist at a duel in the Scotch marches, fought between Sir John Chatto, a Scotch knight, and Sir William Badby. He seems to have taken part in the crusade led by the Bishop of Norwich to assert the supremacy of Pope Urban over Clement, both of whom were claimants to the papal chair at this period. According to Rymer he was obliged to pay into the treasury a fine of fourteen hundred francs in gold for having taken part in the quarrel. He was sent on a mission to Philip van Arteveld in Flanders. Having stopped at Calais, he there received and brought to England the news of the battle of Rossebeke, 1382, fought between the French and the Flemings, led by Van Arteveld, in which the latter were defeated and their leader slain. He was at the battle of Dunkirk, and was besieged in Bourbourg. He was also with the Duke of Lancaster in Galicia. He was sent by Richard II on a special mission to Portugal, and his name is mentioned in the charter of 4 June 1390 among the principal personages then at the Portuguese court. He was also sent by Henry IV, shortly after his accession, on a mission to Paris, where he was not very favourably received. In 1403 Henry IV gave him the command of the
