Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Last updated

Lordship Fairfax of Cameron
Creation date1627
Created by Charles I
Peerage Peerage of Scotland
First holder Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Present holder Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Heir apparentEdward Nicholas Thomas Fairfax
Remainder to heirs male of the body of the grantee
Thomas Fairfax,
3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron Thomas Fairfax.jpg
Thomas Fairfax,
3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Lord Fairfax of Cameron is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. Despite holding a Scottish peerage, the Lords Fairfax of Cameron are members of an ancient Yorkshire family, of which the Fairfax baronets of The Holmes are members of another branch. From 1515 to about 1700 the family lived at Denton Hall. [1]

Contents

History

Charles I created the title in 1627 for Sir Thomas Fairfax. He had represented Queen Elizabeth I on several diplomatic missions to James VI of Scotland and also sat as a Member of Parliament for several constituencies in the English Parliament.

Both his son Ferdinando, the second Lord, and grandson, Thomas, the third Lord, served as prominent military commanders in the cause of Parliament during the Civil War. On the latter's death in 1671 the title passed to his first cousin, the fourth Lord. He was the son of Reverend Henry Fairfax, second son of the first Lord, and notably represented Yorkshire in the House of Commons. His son, the fifth Lord, sat as a Member of Parliament for Malton and Yorkshire.

He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Lord. He inherited substantial estates in Virginia through his mother, the daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, Governor of Virginia. On his death the title and American estates passed to his younger brother, the seventh Lord. He represented Maidstone and Kent in Parliament. The immense American estates were confiscated during the American War of Independence. He was awarded £13,758 in 1792, by Act of Parliament for the relief of American Loyalists. He was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, the eighth Lord, Rev. Bryan Fairfax who also lived in Virginia. He was the grandson of Reverend Henry Fairfax, second son of the fourth Lord. However, it wasn't until 1800 that he was confirmed in the title by the House of Lords.

His great-great-grandson was Albert Kirby Fairfax, the twelfth Lord, who lived in Maryland in the United States. His branch of the family had lived in America for several generations and had essentially forgotten about the title. However, it was then discovered that Albert was the rightful heir to the lordship and in 1908 he was confirmed in the title by the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords. In 1917 he was elected a Scottish Representative Peer, which he remained until his death in 1939.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, the thirteenth Lord. He was a Scottish Representative Peer from 1945 to 1963 and served as a Lord-in-waiting (government whip in the House of Lords) between 1954 and 1957 in the Conservative administrations of Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden. As of 2017 the title is held by his son, the fourteenth Lord, who succeeded in 1964.

Lords Fairfax of Cameron (1627)

Arms of the Lords Fairfax of Cameron, also adopted as the arms of Fairfax County, Virginia Coat of arms of Fairfax County, Virginia.svg
Arms of the Lords Fairfax of Cameron, also adopted as the arms of Fairfax County, Virginia

The heir apparent is the present holder's son The Hon. Edward Nicholas Thomas Fairfax, Master of Fairfax (b. 1984).

Line of succession

See also

Notes

  1. "Denton Hall History". NG Bailey. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  2. Debrett's 2019
  3. "Person Page".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Derby</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279. Most of the Ferrers property and the Derby title were then held by the family of Henry III. The title merged in the Crown upon Henry IV's accession to the throne in 1399.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax</span> English politician and general

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, also known as Sir Thomas Fairfax, was an English politician, general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented commander, Fairfax led Parliament to many victories, notably the crucial Battle of Naseby, becoming effectively military ruler of England, but was eventually overshadowed by his subordinate Oliver Cromwell, who was more politically adept and radical in action against Charles I. Fairfax became unhappy with Cromwell's policy and publicly refused to take part in Charles's show trial. Eventually he resigned, leaving Cromwell to control the country. Because of this, and also his honourable battlefield conduct and his active role in the Restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell's death, he was exempted from the retribution exacted on many other leaders of the revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> English parliamentary general (1584–1648)

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP was an English nobleman and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1648. He was a commander in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Longford</span>

Earl of Longford is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Burgh</span> Title in the Peerage of England

Baron Burgh is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Borthwick</span> Title in the Peerage of Scotland

Lord Borthwick is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lord Sinclair</span> British noble title

Lord Sinclair is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. According to James Balfour Paul's The Scots Peerage, volume VII published in 1910, the first person to be styled Lord Sinclair was William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney and 1st Earl of Caithness. However, according to Roland Saint-Clair writing in the late 19th century, William Sinclair's father, Henry II Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, who died in 1420, is the first person recorded as Lord Sinclair by public records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Londesborough</span> Title in English peerage

Baron Londesborough, of Londesborough in the East Riding of the County of York, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1850 for the diplomat and Whig politician Lord Albert Denison. He was the third son of Henry Conyngham, 1st Marquess Conyngham, and his wife Elizabeth Denison. Born Albert Denison Conyngham, he assumed by royal licence the surname of Denison in lieu of Conyngham in 1849 on inheriting the vast fortune of his maternal uncle William Joseph Denison (1770–1849). Before his elevation to the peerage, Denison had represented Canterbury in Parliament. His eldest son, the second Baron, sat as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Beverley and Scarborough. In 1887 he was created Viscount Raincliffe, of Raincliffe in the North Riding of the County of York, and Earl of Londesborough, in the County of York. These titles were also in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. However, the viscountcy and earldom became extinct on the death of his grandson, the fourth Earl, in 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> Scottish peer

Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, was a Scottish peer. He was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and Catherine Colepeper, daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baron Hylton</span> Barony in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

Baron Hylton is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the Peerage of England 1295 when Robert Hylton was summoned to the Model Parliament as Lord Hylton by writ. His son, Alexander, was called to Parliament in 1332 and 1335, but no further summons were sent for his descendants. Therefore, the title has only been held de jure after the death of the second baron. Indeed, the last baron was Member of Parliament for Carlisle after "inheriting" the title, due to this anomaly. Despite this, the creation is deemed to have fallen into abeyance on the death of the eighteenth baron without male heirs in 1746.

Albert Kirby Fairfax, 12th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, was an American-born Scottish Representative Peer and politician in the British House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span>

Nicholas John Albert Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, is a Scottish nobleman, peer, and politician. He is the current holder of the title of Lord Fairfax of Cameron, succeeding his father, Thomas Fairfax, 13th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

Charles Snowden Fairfax, 10th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an American Democratic politician of California. He held a Scottish peerage. Fairfax was lured west as part of the gold rush. The town of Fairfax, California, is named for him.

Thomas Bryan Martin (1731–1798) was an 18th-century English American land agent, justice, legislator, and planter in the colony of Virginia and in present-day West Virginia. Martin was the land agent of the Northern Neck Proprietary for his uncle Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1693–1781) and served two terms in the House of Burgesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> English nobleman

Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP was an English nobleman, soldier, diplomat, and politician, his title being in the Peerage of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> American planter

Rev. Bryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1736—1802) was an Anglican clergyman and Scottish peer. He was a lifelong friend of George Washington and became the first American-born Lord Fairfax; his predecessors were born in the UK. The Rev. The Lord Fairfax was the first cousin once removed of the seventh Lord. He lived in Virginia. He was the grandson of Reverend the Hon. Henry Fairfax, second son of the fourth Lord. However, it wasn't until 1800 that he was confirmed in the title by the House of Lords.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> Scottish peer and politician

Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP (1707–1793), was a member of the Scottish peerage and politician. He died at Leeds Castle, England, which he inherited from his mother Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span>

Thomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1762–1846), was an American born Scottish peer, who along with his father, on 11 December 1799, was among the last guests at Mount Vernon before Washington died.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> Scottish peer and politician

Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron of Denton, Yorkshire was a Scottish peer and politician. He was the grandson of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> English nobleman

Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP was an English nobleman and politician.

References