Fagan

Barthélemy-Christophe Fagan, also known under the pen name Fagan de Lugny, (31 March 1702 – 28 April 1755) was an 18th-century French playwright.

Biography

His father, William Fagan, was a descendant of Irish refugees who fled to France during a period of religious persecution. William served as the King's secretary and controller of the Chancellery and the Wars, but was financially ruined following the collapse of the Law system (système de Law). He subsequently took a more modest position at the consignment office of the Parlement of Paris.

Through his father's influence, Barthélemy-Christophe Fagan secured a clerkship at the same office. At the age of 20, he married a significantly older widow. While working at the Parlement, Fagan developed an interest in the theater and went on to write approximately thirty plays. These works were primarily performed at the Théâtre de la foire, the Théâtre-Italien, and the Théâtre-Français. Fagan died of dropsy in 1755 at age 53.

Bibliography

Albert Clerc, Barthélemy-Christophe Fagan, auteur-comique, 1702-1755. Contribution à l'histoire de la comédie en France au XVIIIe siècle, Paris, E. de Boccard, 1933

Vie de Fagan, in Chefs-d'œuvre de Fagan, Paris, 1789, (p. 1-9)