Frances, known as Fanny, was the thirteenth child of Thomas Flindell and Mary Brunton.   Her birth and death details are not known, however, she was baptised at All Hallows Church, Goldsmith Street, Exeter on 27^th July 1815.  Eleven months later her eldest sister Mary married George Simpson at the same church.  Her father Thomas had moved to Exeter in 1812 and purchased the Western Luminary.  At the time of her birth he was involved with raising funds to publish the works of Francis Gregor of Trewarthennick, his friend and benefactor.   Frances would have been about ten when her father died.

Letters from her sister Matilda and nephew Francis Richard Flindell state Fanny married a Mr. Falkner.  The parish records of St Nicholas, Brighton, Sussex list the marriage of Frances Flindell to Barnabas Falkner on January 25^th 1856.  If this is correct, Frances was about 41 when she married, and Barnabas possibly older, which could explain why there is no reference in family records to her having children.  Birth or death details of Barnabas have not been found.

Matilda in another letter to her brother Francis Bassett Shenstone Flindell dated September 14^th 1886, states “I write upon receipt of your letter to Fanny – but she says she has written to you two letters for which she has never received an acknowledgement – so that I suppose she will hardly write again without some explanation.  Matilda goes on to add “She is very well but remarkably stout.  She calls it dropsy – I call it good living”.  This would indicate that Barnabas was still alive and gainfully employed in 1886 for Fanny to enjoy such good living.