Francis, an ingenious poet, had his school education at Leeds; from whence he was transplanted to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he took the degrees in arts. Entering early into holy orders, he settled first at Bramham in Yorkshire, near the elegant seat of that name (Mr Lane's), which he celebrated in verse in 1745, in a 4to pamphlet anonymous. His first poetical publications were, Gawen Douglas's Description of May and Winter modernized. Removing afterwards to the curacy of Croydon in Surrey, he recommended himself to the notice of Archbishop Herring, then resident there on account of his health, to whom, besides other pieces, he addressed an ode on his recovery in 1754, printed in Mr Dodley's collection. In consequence, his grace collated him in 1755 to the vicarage of Orpington with St Mary Gray in Kent; and Mr Fawkes lamented his patron's death in 1757 in a pathetic elegy styled Aurelius, first printed with his grace's seven sermons, in 1763. He married about the same time Miss Purrier of Leeds. In April 1774, by the late Dr Plumptree's favour, he exchanged his vicarage for the rectory of Hayes. He was also one of the chaplains to the princess dowager of Wales. He published a volume of poems by subscription in 8vo, 1761; the Poetical Kalendar 1763; and Poetical Magazine 1764, in conjunction with Mr Woty; Partridge Shooting, an eclogue, to the honourable Char. Yorke, 1767, 4to; and a Family Bible, with notes, in 4to, a compilation. But his great strength lay in translation, in which, since Pope, few have equalled him. Witness his fragments of Menander (in his Poems); his works of Anacreon, Sappho, Bion, Moschus, and Musaeus, 12mo, 1760; his Idylliums of Theocritus, by subscription, 8vo, 1767; and his Argonautics of Apollonius Rhodius, by subscription also (a posthumous publication, completed by the Reverend Mr Meen of Emanuel College, Cambridge), 8vo, 1780. He died August 26, 1777.