Also 6 Sc. favorar. [f. FAVOUR v. + -ER1.] One who favours.
1. One who countenances, encourages, or sides with another; a well-wisher, friend, or follower.
1483. Cath. Angl., 124/1. A Fauerer, favtor.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 64. Preamb. The same persones … were adherentis, assistencis, confederatis, favowrers.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Macc. vii. 7. Let him be punished with all his frendes and fauourers.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., III. 84. He was a great favourer of the French Nation.
1691. Luttrell, Brief Rel. (1857), II. 318. Reported that captain Hewson in the Lyon, a ship, is gone voluntarily into Brest, with the countesse of Inchiqueen on board, bound home from Jamaica richly laden, being supposed a favourer of king James.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, IV. 62. That modest Freedom … which … some of my Favourers attribute to me.
1876. Lytton, Pausanias, 49. A favourer of the Persians.
† b. Const. to, towards. Obs.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 56. They are not … faithfull fathers, friends, and fauourers to their country.
1586. R. Carvyle, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 225. III. 119. A favorer towards the mayntenaunce of peace and amitie.
† c. A patron; = FAUTOR 2.
1625. K. Long, trans. Barclay’s Argenis, II. xxi. 138. Go euery one to his colours, go, Souldiers, with the gods your fauourers, and subdue those men, that now by their owne confession are too weake for you.
1741. C. Middleton, Cicero, II. vii. 18. A particular favorer, and Patron of Ariobarzanes.
2. One who supports or promotes a movement, opinion, project, etc.; a furtherer, promoter.
1542–5. Brinkelow, Lament. (1874), 91. Euen those whiche saye they be the favorers of the Gospell!
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. vii. § 4 (1873), 53. Learned, or singular favourers and advancers of learning.
1662. H. More, Philos. Writ., Pref. Gen. (1712), 23. They were no enemies to the opinion of the Soul’s Prae-existence, but rather favourers thereof.
1703. J. Savage, Lett. Antients, clxx. 394. Whether Matters will be refer’d to any favourer of Peace.
1792. Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, V. VII. 304. The French Revolution, of which she is a favourer.
1875. Tennyson, Q. Mary, I. v. They think me favourer of this marriage.
