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William Fairfax
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William Fairfax
William Fairfax (1691 – 1757) was a British-born American customs official, judge, planter and politician who spent much of his life in the colony of Virginia. Fairfax served as Collector of Customs in Barbados, Chief Justice and governor of the Bahamas; and Customs agent in Marblehead, Massachusetts, before being reassigned to the Colony of Virginia.
In Virginia, Fairfax acted as a land agent for his cousin's vast holdings in the Northern Neck Proprietary. Also a tobacco planter himself, Fairfax was elected to the House of Burgesses representing King William County within the proprietary, which he helped split so that Fairfax County was created. Appointed to the Royal Governor's Council, he rose to become its president (effectively the colony's lieutenant governor). Fairfax also commissioned the construction of his plantation called Belvoir in what became Fairfax County to honor his family.
Fairfax was born in London and baptized in Yorkshire in 1691, the second son of Henry Fairfax (d. 1708) and grandson of Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His elder brother was in line to inherit the title. The family also included a daughter, Mary Fairfax, who married this brother's friend William Philip Warder in 1730.
As a young man, he served in the Royal Navy under his kinsman, Capt. Fairfax, as well as in the army in Spain. Sailing to the English colonies in the Caribbean, Fairfax served as the Customs agent in Barbados and as Chief Justice of the Bahamas under Woodes Rogers. However, the Bahamian climate did not agree with him, so in 1725 he secured an appointment as customs collector at Marblehead and Salem, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, his titled cousin, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron inherited an extensive grant of land on the Northern Neck of Virginia. Residing in England in Leeds Castle, Lord Fairfax used a succession of land agents to manage his vast Virginia property. As discussed below, upon reading the 1732 obituary of his last resident agent, Robert "King" Carter, and learning of the vast personal wealth Carter had amassed, Lord Fairfax decided to place a trusted member of the family in charge of his 5-million-acre (20,000 km2) Northern Neck proprietary. He arranged for William Fairfax to be transferred from Massachusetts to Virginia, to be assigned as that colony's customs collector for the Potomac River and to act as his land agent.
In the Bahamas, Fairfax married Sarah Walker (c. 1700 – January 21, 1731), the daughter of a former justice of the Vice admiralty court and acting deputy governor of the Bahamas. They had a son, George William Fairfax, followed by a daughter Anne (discussed below) and another daughter Sarah before Mrs. Sarah Fairfax died on January 21, 1731, in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
The widower Fairfax then married Deborah Clarke, of Marblehead. Together they had three sons: Thomas, William Henry ("Billy") and Bryan, and a daughter Hannah. In June 1743, the eldest Fairfax daughter, Anne (then aged 15) was hastily married to Lawrence Washington. At age 25 in 1742, Washington had recently returned to Virginia from two years at war in the Caribbean. Washington was appointed Adjutant (commander) of the Virginia militia, at the colonial rank of major. In the spring of 1743, the young Anne disclosed to her parents that she had been sexually molested by Charles Green, the Anglican priest of Truro Parish. Surviving court documents suggest Lawrence Washington may have been staying with the Fairfax family at Belvoir before the marriage, awaiting the completion of his new home at nearby Little Hunting Creek. Washington named his home Mount Vernon, to honor Admiral Edward Vernon, under whom he has served for two years as "Captain of the Soldiers acting as Marines" of the American Regiment, aboard the admiral's flagship HMS Princess Caroline (80 guns). In 1745 Washington took Green to court over his actions with Anne Fairfax; he and the senior Fairfax tried to have the priest deposed for the scandal, but were unsuccessful. Green rallied support in the county, and the trial was aborted. Lawrence and Anne Washington had four children together. Only one, a daughter Sarah, survived to inherit that estate upon Lawrence's death in 1752. The widow remarried, to George Lee. Her sister Sarah married Alexandria merchant John Carlyle. Meanwhile, William Fairfax's eldest son George William Fairfax married Sally Cary; they had no children, but would inherit the main estate, Belvoir, discussed below.
William Fairfax's first two sons by his second wife both died in combat while serving the Crown: Thomas (1726–1746) was killed in action on 25 June 1746 (Old Style) against the French Navy off the coast of India, aged about 20, while serving as a newly enrolled midshipman in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Harwich (50 guns). Lieutenant William Henry "Billy" Fairfax died of wounds received during the British Army's capture of Quebec in fall 1759 during the Seven Years' War. The youngest son, Bryan Fairfax became an Anglican priest and would return to England to claim his inheritance, the title of Lord Fairfax of Cameron from his cousin Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.
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William Fairfax
William Fairfax (1691 – 1757) was a British-born American customs official, judge, planter and politician who spent much of his life in the colony of Virginia. Fairfax served as Collector of Customs in Barbados, Chief Justice and governor of the Bahamas; and Customs agent in Marblehead, Massachusetts, before being reassigned to the Colony of Virginia.
In Virginia, Fairfax acted as a land agent for his cousin's vast holdings in the Northern Neck Proprietary. Also a tobacco planter himself, Fairfax was elected to the House of Burgesses representing King William County within the proprietary, which he helped split so that Fairfax County was created. Appointed to the Royal Governor's Council, he rose to become its president (effectively the colony's lieutenant governor). Fairfax also commissioned the construction of his plantation called Belvoir in what became Fairfax County to honor his family.
Fairfax was born in London and baptized in Yorkshire in 1691, the second son of Henry Fairfax (d. 1708) and grandson of Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His elder brother was in line to inherit the title. The family also included a daughter, Mary Fairfax, who married this brother's friend William Philip Warder in 1730.
As a young man, he served in the Royal Navy under his kinsman, Capt. Fairfax, as well as in the army in Spain. Sailing to the English colonies in the Caribbean, Fairfax served as the Customs agent in Barbados and as Chief Justice of the Bahamas under Woodes Rogers. However, the Bahamian climate did not agree with him, so in 1725 he secured an appointment as customs collector at Marblehead and Salem, Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, his titled cousin, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron inherited an extensive grant of land on the Northern Neck of Virginia. Residing in England in Leeds Castle, Lord Fairfax used a succession of land agents to manage his vast Virginia property. As discussed below, upon reading the 1732 obituary of his last resident agent, Robert "King" Carter, and learning of the vast personal wealth Carter had amassed, Lord Fairfax decided to place a trusted member of the family in charge of his 5-million-acre (20,000 km2) Northern Neck proprietary. He arranged for William Fairfax to be transferred from Massachusetts to Virginia, to be assigned as that colony's customs collector for the Potomac River and to act as his land agent.
In the Bahamas, Fairfax married Sarah Walker (c. 1700 – January 21, 1731), the daughter of a former justice of the Vice admiralty court and acting deputy governor of the Bahamas. They had a son, George William Fairfax, followed by a daughter Anne (discussed below) and another daughter Sarah before Mrs. Sarah Fairfax died on January 21, 1731, in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
The widower Fairfax then married Deborah Clarke, of Marblehead. Together they had three sons: Thomas, William Henry ("Billy") and Bryan, and a daughter Hannah. In June 1743, the eldest Fairfax daughter, Anne (then aged 15) was hastily married to Lawrence Washington. At age 25 in 1742, Washington had recently returned to Virginia from two years at war in the Caribbean. Washington was appointed Adjutant (commander) of the Virginia militia, at the colonial rank of major. In the spring of 1743, the young Anne disclosed to her parents that she had been sexually molested by Charles Green, the Anglican priest of Truro Parish. Surviving court documents suggest Lawrence Washington may have been staying with the Fairfax family at Belvoir before the marriage, awaiting the completion of his new home at nearby Little Hunting Creek. Washington named his home Mount Vernon, to honor Admiral Edward Vernon, under whom he has served for two years as "Captain of the Soldiers acting as Marines" of the American Regiment, aboard the admiral's flagship HMS Princess Caroline (80 guns). In 1745 Washington took Green to court over his actions with Anne Fairfax; he and the senior Fairfax tried to have the priest deposed for the scandal, but were unsuccessful. Green rallied support in the county, and the trial was aborted. Lawrence and Anne Washington had four children together. Only one, a daughter Sarah, survived to inherit that estate upon Lawrence's death in 1752. The widow remarried, to George Lee. Her sister Sarah married Alexandria merchant John Carlyle. Meanwhile, William Fairfax's eldest son George William Fairfax married Sally Cary; they had no children, but would inherit the main estate, Belvoir, discussed below.
William Fairfax's first two sons by his second wife both died in combat while serving the Crown: Thomas (1726–1746) was killed in action on 25 June 1746 (Old Style) against the French Navy off the coast of India, aged about 20, while serving as a newly enrolled midshipman in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Harwich (50 guns). Lieutenant William Henry "Billy" Fairfax died of wounds received during the British Army's capture of Quebec in fall 1759 during the Seven Years' War. The youngest son, Bryan Fairfax became an Anglican priest and would return to England to claim his inheritance, the title of Lord Fairfax of Cameron from his cousin Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.
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