Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Encyclopedia
Peerage of Scotland
The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. With that year's Act of Union, the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England were combined into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and a new Peerage of Great Britain was...
. Despite holding a Scottish peerage, the Lords Fairfax of Cameron are members of an ancient Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
family, of which the Fairfax Baronets of The Holmes are members of another branch. From 1515 to about 1700 the family resided at Denton Hall
Denton Hall, Wharfedale
Denton Hall is an English country house located to the north of the River Wharfe, at Denton between Otley and Ilkley in North Yorkshire, England, and set within a larger Denton estate of about , including a village, church, and landscaped gardens....
.
History
The title was created in 1627 for Sir Thomas FairfaxThomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an English soldier, diplomat and politician, his title being in the Peerage of Scotland.-Life:...
. He represented Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
on several diplomatic missions to James VI of Scotland and also sat as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for several constituencies in the English Parliament.
Both his son Ferdinando, the second Lord
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...
, and grandson, Thomas, the third Lord
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
, were prominent military commanders in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. On the latter's death in 1671 the title passed to his first cousin, the fourth Lord. He was the son of Reverend the Hon. Henry Fairfax, second son of the first Lord, and notably represented Yorkshire
Yorkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Yorkshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
in the House of Commons. His son, the fifth Lord, sat as a Member of Parliament for Malton
Malton (UK Parliament constituency)
Malton, also called New Malton, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295 and 1298, and again from 1640, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
and Yorkshire.
He was succeeded by his son, the sixth Lord. He inherited substantial estates in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
through his mother, the daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper
Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper
Thomas Colpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway was the colonial governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683.-Biography:...
, Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
. On his death the title and American estates passed to his younger brother, the seventh Lord. He represented Maidstone
Maidstone (UK Parliament constituency)
Maidstone was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.The parliamentary borough of Maidstone returned two Members of Parliament from 1552 until 1885, when its representation was reduced to one member...
and Kent
Kent (UK Parliament constituency)
Kent was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Kent in southeast England. It returned two "knights of the shire" to the House of Commons by the bloc vote system from the year 1290...
in Parliament. The immense American estates were confiscated during the American War of Independence. He was succeeded by his first cousin once removed, the eighth Lord, who also lived in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. 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
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
His great-great-grandson was Albert Kirby Fairfax, the twelfth Lord, who lived in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. 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
Representative peer
In the United Kingdom, representative peers were those peers elected by the members of the Peerage of Scotland and the Peerage of Ireland to sit in the British House of Lords...
, 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
Lord-in-Waiting
Most Lords in Waiting are Government whips in the House of Lords who are members of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. As members of the Royal Household their duties are nominal, though they are occasionally required to meet visiting political and state leaders on visits...
(government whip in the House of Lords) between 1954 and 1957 in the Conservative administrations
Conservative Government 1951-1957
The Conservative Party came to power in the United Kingdom after victory in the 1951 general election. This was the first purely Conservative government since Stanley Baldwin's 1924-1929 administration. Winston Churchill became Prime Minister for a second time. The administration saw several...
of Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
and Anthony Eden
Anthony Eden
Robert Anthony Eden, 1st Earl of Avon, KG, MC, PC was a British Conservative politician, who was Prime Minister from 1955 to 1957...
. the title is held by his son, the fourteenth Lord, who succeeded in 1964.
Lords Fairfax of Cameron (1627)
- Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an English soldier, diplomat and politician, his title being in the Peerage of Scotland.-Life:...
(1560–1640) - Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of CameronFerdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of CameronFerdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...
(1584–1648) - Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...
(1612–1671) - Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of CameronHenry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of CameronHenry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the grandson of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His father was the Honourable Henry Fairfax, of York, and his mother was Lady Mary Cholmondeley.....
(1631–1688) - Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the great-grandson of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His father was Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and his mother was Francis Barwick...
(1657–1710) - Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and of Catherine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
(1692–1781) - Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of CameronRobert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of CameronRobert Fairfax , 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , died at Leeds Castle, England, which he inherited from his mother Catharine, daughter of Thomas Culpeper, 2nd Baron Culpeper of Thoresway....
(1707–1793) - Bryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax of CameronBryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax of CameronBryan Fairfax , 8th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, boyhood friend of George Washington, became the first American-born member of the house of Lords.-Biography:...
(1737–1802) - Thomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , son of Bryan Fairfax. Thomas Fairfax, with his father, on December 11, 1799, was among the last guests at Mount Vernon, before Washington died....
(1762–1846) - Charles Snowden Fairfax, 10th Lord Fairfax of CameronCharles S. FairfaxCharles Snowdon Fairfax was an American Democratic politician of California. He was of Scottish noble descent and was himself entitled to the title as the 10th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Fairfax was lured west as part of the gold rush...
(1829–1869) - John Contee Fairfax, 11th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1830–1900)
- Albert Kirby Fairfax, 12th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1870–1939)
- Thomas Brian McKelvie Fairfax, 13th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Fairfax, 13th Lord Fairfax of CameronThomas Brian McKelvie Fairfax, 13th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , was a Scottish peer and Conservative politician. He served in the Second World War as a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards...
(1923–1964) - Nicholas John Albert Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (b. 1956)
Heir apparent is the son of Lord Fairfax, Hon. Edward Nicholas Thomas Fairfax, (b. 1984).
See also
- Fairfax Baronets of The Holmes
- Fairfax County
- Seal with Fairfax family coat of arms