Frances Elizabeth "Fanny" King, née Bernard (25 July 1757 – 23 December 1821) was an English philanthropist and author.She was born in Lincoln, the eight child of Sir Francis Bernard and his wife Amelia, née Offley.[1] In the same year, King began to assist her brother Thomas in the development of the "Society for Bettering the Condition of and Improving the Comforts of the Poor" (SBCP) based in Clapham, London.She was also involved in founding schools and libraries in her husbands parishes, and at this time became acquainted with the philanthropist Hannah More.[1][4] In 1774, Frances Bernard wrote The Rector's Memorandum Book, a sermonizing novel (not published until 1814 under her married name) which, in the words of her biographer Mary Clare Martin, depicts "[an] exemplary Christian heroine...educating all the children in the village and nursing the sick.
Portrait of Frances King (1757-1821) by
Edward Scriven
(after Edward Hastings)
