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The lineage is believed to have begun with the Fairfax family seated at Towcester in Northumberland at the time of the conquest of William the Conqueror, and they were probably Saxons.
Lineage
Henry Fairfax of Shapenbeck had a son
John Fairfax, who had a son
Richard Fairfax who possessed the Manor of Askham and other landed estates in Yorkshire in 1204. His son
William Fairfax, alive in 1212-1213, married Alice de Bugthorpe, the daughter and heiress of Nicholas de Bugthorpe. Heir:
William Fairfax, the High Bailiff of York in 1249 purchased the Manor of Walton, married to Mary Flower, the widow of Walter Flower. Heir:
Thomas Fairfax of Waltoon, died before 1261, married Anne de Sezevaux, the daughter and heiress of Henry de Sezevaux Mayor of York. Heir:
John Fairfax of Walton, born before 1261, died 1314, married Clara Scott, daughter and heiress of William Scott. Heir:
Thomas Fairfax of Walton, living in 1349, married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Ivo de Etton of Gilling. Heir:
William Fairfax of Walton, married before 1349, Ellen, the daughter of John Roucliffe of Roucliffe. Heir:
Thomas Fairfax of Walton married (1) Margaret, daughter of Sir John and sister of Sir William Malbis. He died 1395, his will dated 1394,Test Ebor.I, 203). He married (20 Margarret, daughter of John and sister of Richard Friston of Marston. Heir:
Richard Fairfax of Walton (his will, Test. Ebor. I 203). Heir:
Richard Fairfax of Walton died 1432 (will dated 1429) married Eustace Carthrop, daughter of John Carthrop by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Sir Richard. Ergham. Heir:
William Fairfax of Walton, ancestor of the Viscounts Fairfax of Walton and Gilling Castle, died 1452/1453. Heir:
Thomas Fairfax, died 1504/1504. Heir:
Sir Thomas Fairfax, K. B., died 1520-1521. Heir.
Sir Nicholas Fairfax, died 1572. Heir:
Sir William Fairfax. Heir:
Sir Thomas Fairfax, died 1636. In 1629 he was created Viscount Fairfax of Emely, Co. Tipperary, in the peerage of Ireland, married Catherine Constable, sister of Sir Henry Constable of Burton and Halsham, Yorkshire, first Viscount Dunbar. Heir:
Thomas Fairfax, 2d Viscount Fairfax, died 24 Sept 1641, married Alathea Howard, daughter of Philip Howard. Heir:
William, 3d Viscount Fairfax, born 6 June 1630, married Elizabeth, daughter of Alexander Smith. Heir:
Nicholas Fairfax. Heir:
Nicholas Fairfax, died 26 Feb 1702/1703. Heir:
Charles Fairfax, 7th Viscount Fairfax, died at Gilling in 1719 unmarried Heir:
The American Family
The American Fairfax family is descended from William Fairfax of England who was born in 1691 and settled in the Bahamas in 1717; later removed to Massachusetts in 1725. He was the first cousin of Thomas Fairfax, the sixth Baron of Cameron, who offered his kinsman (William) the management of his estates in Virginia, comprising some 6,000,000 acres, nearly the entire Northern Neck of Virginia. In 1733 William removed to Virginia and settled on a plantation which he purchased from William Washington located in (then) Prince William County but later called Fairfax County. William was elected to the Houses of Burgesses and was President of the Colonial Council. He died 3 September 1757. He built "Belvoir" plantation in 1735. He was county lieutenant of Fairfax county, member of the King's Council (1744) and president of it from 1752 to 1757. He married (1) 27 Mar 1723, Sarah Walker, daughter of Major Thomas Walker of the Barbadoes and (2) on 28 Oct 1731, Deborah Clarke (1708-1744), a daughter of Francis Clarke and his wife, Deborah Gedney of Salem, Massachusetts.
Issue by first wife:
- George William Fairfax, Colonel and County Lieutenant, born 2 Jan 1724, died at Bath 3 April 1787. He was a Member of the Virginia Council from 1767 to 1772; returned to England in 1773. He was married on 17 Dec 1748 to Sarah Cary, eldest daughter of Colonel Wilson Cary of "Ceelys" on the James River. She died 2 Nov 1811 at Bath.
- Thomas Fairfax, born 1720, was in the Royal Navy; killed on board the "Harwich" under Capt. Carteret during a sea-fight with a French squadron in the West Indies on 26 June 1746.
- Anne Fairfax, born 1728 at Salem, Massachusetts, died 14 Mar 1761, married (1) on 19 Jul 1743 Major Lawrence Washington of "Mt. Vernon", the eldest brother of George Washingtoon (he died 26 Jul 1752)> Anne married (2) Colonel George Lee, born in London, England on 14 Aug 1714, died 19 Nov 1764 in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
- Sarah Fairfax, born 1729, died 22 Jan 1761, married 1748 Colonel John Carlyle of Alexander, Virginia (1720-1780). Issue by second wife:
- Bryan Fairfax, born 11 Aug 1736, died 7 Aug 1802, born at "Belvoir", eighth Baron Fairfax. He served in the French and Indian Wars of 1755 to 1759 under George Washington. He was married in 1759 to Elizabeth Cary (1738-1788). In 1782 he was admitted to the Holy Orders and became Rector of Christ Church in Alexander. He died at his home in Virginia "Mt. Eagle" located near Alexandria.
- William Henry Fairfax, born 9 Oct 1739, He was a Lieutenant in the 28th Regiment of Regulars, died of wounds received at the siege of Quebec on 13 Sept 1759.
- Hannah Fairfax, born Aug 1742, died 30 May 1804, married Warner Washington of Gloucester Bounty, first cousin of George Washington.
Fairfax of Yorkshire
