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).

See also

Notes

  1. "Denton Hall History". NG Bailey. Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Fairfax</span> English politician and general (1612–1671)

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, including the crucial Battle of Naseby, effectively becoming military ruler of England, but he was eventually overshadowed by his subordinate Oliver Cromwell, who was more politically adept and radical in action against Charles I. Fairfax became dissatisfied 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, as well as his honourable battlefield conduct and active role in the Restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell's death, he was exempted from the retribution that was 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 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 Rosebery</span> Title in the Peerage of Scotland

Earl of Rosebery is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1703 for Archibald Primrose, 1st Viscount of Rosebery, with remainder to his issue male and female successively. Its name comes from Roseberry Topping, a hill near Archibald's wife's estates in Yorkshire. The current earl is Neil Primrose, 7th Earl of Rosebery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl of Dunmore</span> Peerage of Scotland title

Earl of Dunmore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper</span> English peer

John Colepeper, 1st Baron Culpeper was an English peer, military officer and politician who, as Chancellor of the Exchequer (1642–43) and Master of the Rolls (1643) was an influential counsellor of King Charles I during the English Civil War, who rewarded him with a peerage and some landholdings in Virginia. During the Commonwealth he lived abroad in Europe, where he continued to act as a servant, advisor and supporter of King Charles II in exile. Having taken part in the Prince's escape into exile in 1646, Colepeper accompanied Charles in his triumphant return to England in May 1660, but died only two months later. Although descended from Colepepers of Bedgebury, Sir John was of a distinct cadet branch settled at Wigsell in the parish of Salehurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Fitzwilliam</span> Earldom in the Peerage of Great Britain

Earl Fitzwilliam was a title in both the Peerage of Ireland and the Peerage of Great Britain held by the head of the Fitzwilliam family.

<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. The only resident peer in late colonial-era America, Fairfax owned a vast territory of land in Virginia known as the Northern Neck Proprietary, which his ancestors had acquired in 1649 by a land grant from King Charles II of England. The proprietary originally spanned roughly 5 million acres, and Fairfax administered it from his wilderness estate in Greenway Court, Virginia. He owned several hundred slaves on some 30 farms and derived much of his income from their labor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Fairfax, 12th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> British noble (1870–1939)

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> Scottish nobleman, peer and politician

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, in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper</span> English noble and colonial governor of Virginia (1635-1689)

Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper was an English peer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of the Isle of Wight from 1661 to 1667 and as the governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denton, North Yorkshire</span> Hamlet and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England

Denton is a hamlet and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. At the 2011 Census the population of this civil parish was less than 100. Details are included in the civil parish of Middleton, Harrogate. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) north-east of Ilkley, West Yorkshire. Denton Hall is located in the hamlet. The church in the village is noted for some its windows which instead of stained glass, are panels where the artists have painted directly onto the glass.

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.

Thomas Brian McKelvie Fairfax, 13th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, was a Scottish nobleman, peer, and Conservative politician.

<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">Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron</span> English peer and politician (1707–1793)

Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an English peer 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> American born Scottish peer

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.

John Contee Fairfax was an American citizen and heir to a Scottish peerage.

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

Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron of Denton, Yorkshire was an English 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.

Henry Fairfax (1588–1665), was an English priest and academic.

References