Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 25 - Fraigneau

2912479Protestant Exiles from France — Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 25 - FraigneauDavid Carnegie Andrew Agnew

Fraigneau. — Andrew and John Fraigneau were French Protestants naturalized at Westminster on 5th January 1688, n.s. (see List xiv.). Mr. Wagner, with characteristic ability, has tracked them to their shops and houses in London. Jean Fraigneau, confiseur en Pall-Mall, married Madeleine Liege, and had a family of daughters. André Fraigneau, chapelier dans Rupert-street, married Catherine Billon, and had several sons, one of whom, Jean Fraigneau, was baptized in Hungerford French Church, on 10th November 1690. This infant, John Fraigneau, lived and married, and had a son, William, who was in 1731, being of the age of fourteen, admitted a pupil of Westminster School. William Fraigneau was elected from Westminster to the University of Cambridge in 1736. “William, son of John Fraigneau of London, aged nineteen, pupil of Westminster Public School under Dr. Nichols, was admitted a pensioner of Trinity College, 24th June 1736, Mr. Holme, tutor.” He became B.A. in 1739, M.A. in 1743, and a Fellow of Trinity College. The Cambridge Professor of Greek, Walter Taylor, M.A., died on 25th February 1744, and Mr. Fraigneau succeeded to his chair. Cole, the University Chronicler, describes Professor Fraigneau as “a little man of great life and vivacity,” and we may therefore conclude that he was not undistinguished during the six years of his professorship, although disinclined to settle. In 1750 he resigned his chair, and left Cambridge to become tutor to Frederick, third Viscount St. John, who, in 1751, became second Viscount Bolingbroke. By that nobleman he was made Vicar of Battersea in 1758, and he became also the Rector of Beckenham in 1765. He died at Brighton (then called Brighthelmstone) on 12th September 1778, where there is a tablet to his memory:—

H. S. E.
Reverendus Gulielmus Fraigneau, A.M.
olim Coll. S.S. Trin. Socius et Linguae Graecae
professor in Academiâ Cantabrigiensi
nuper Rector de Beckenham in com. Cantii et
Vicarius de Battersea in com. Surriae.