Francis Fulford (television personality)

Francis Fulford (born 31 August 1952) is a British reality TV personality. He is a member of the United Kingdom's landed gentry, and the 23rd Fulford to have owned and inhabited Great Fulford manor house.[1][2]

Family estate

Fulford is Lord of the Manor of Great Fulford. He is the current owner of the estate which was granted to his ancestor William de Fulford by Richard I of England about 1191, as a reward for military service on the Third Crusade.[3] The present great house dates back to the 16th century.[4]

Life and career

Francis Fulford is the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Edgar Anthony Fulford and Joan Shirley, younger daughter of Rear-Admiral C. Maurice Blackman, DSO.[5] He is a great-great-grandson of Francis Fulford (1803–1868), Bishop of Montreal.[6]

Fulford attended Sunningdale School in Berkshire, but failed the common entrance exam for Eton, so instead attended Milton Abbey School in Dorset. After leaving there, he did not go on to any higher education.[7] At 18 he started a career with the Coldstream Guards, but failed the Army Officer Selection Board exam and so left after nine months. He travelled to Australia to work as a jackaroo, but soon returned to Britain, re-taking (and again failing) the Army Officer Selection Board exam,[7] before moving to London to work as a stockbroker and insurance broker.[1] Since inheriting the family estate he has devoted himself to its management, though it is in need of restoration and currently (according to his many television appearances) in a state of severe debt. He lives there with his wife Kishanda and four children.

Since 2004 he has maintained an ongoing career in reality television, appearing in various entertainment and documentary-style programmes, many of which (such as The F***ing Fulfords) make a feature of his casual swearing, prejudices,[8] and traditionalist views.[9][10][11]

In 2007 he attempted a move into local politics, standing for a seat on Teignbridge District Council as a member of the Conservative Party. He was defeated, gaining 370 votes out of an electorate of 2215.[12] In all previous local elections, the Conservative Party candidate(s) had been elected easily. The Teign Valley is currently (2020) represented by two Conservative Party councillors on the Teignbridge District Council.[13]

Fulford is currently a member of the UK Independence Party.[14]

Reality television

Publications
  • Bearing Up: The Long View, Timewell Press, London 2004, ISBN 1-85725-203-9

Ancestry

References
  1. Fulford, Francis, Bearing Up:The Long View London, 2004, ISBN 978-1-85725-203-3
  2. Colby, Frederic Thomas, B.D., F.S.A., Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford – editor, The Visitation of Devon 1620, London, 1872, pps: 117–119.
  3. Peter Townend, ed., Burke's Landed Gentry, 18th edition, volume 1 (1965), p. 294: three Fulford brothers are recorded as crusaders.
  4. "Great Fulford :: Historic Houses Association". Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  5. Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed, and Official Classes, London, 1962, p.801.
  6. Charles Mosley, ed., Burke's Peerage, Baronet, 107th edition, volume 3 (2003), p. 3,110
  7. Interview Jonathan Sale (2 April 2009). "Passed/Failed: An education in the life of Francis Fulford, landowner". The Independent.
  8. Saban, Stephen. The Wow Report, 2004. Latest Star of Brit TV Is Swearing Racist Sexist Homophobic Aristocrat
  9. "Prepare for the F***ing Fulfords! – Showbiz". London Evening Standard. 6 August 2004. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  10. "Can the Fulfords clean up?". The Daily Telegraph. 6 July 2005. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  11. Shrimsley, Robert. The Financial Times, 13 August 2004 When gritty realism turns into panto
  12. "Teign Valley Ward". Government of the United Kingdom.
  13. ""Election results--Teignbridge District Council"" (PDF). Teignbridge District Council.
  14. Radio Times Interview, 28 October 2014 Life is Toff's the Fulfords as posh and outspoken as ever
  15. "Country House Rescue". Channel 4.
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