Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1876-09-16
A Brave Woman.

A storyin Scribner's Monthly, entitled
ga Little Centennial Lady" has the
following regarding Sir Thomas Fairfax,
of Cromwellian memory:
"There are high-paneled walls, on
which hang the old English Fairfaxes;
here Vandyke of the great Parliamen-
tary general, "Black Tom," of Crom-
wells time, clad in leather doublet, sash
and gorget, and starting from the can
vas with a strange fire which a couple
of centuries have not yet dimmed any
more than they have the luster of his
fame"
Among many historical "reminiscences
of General Fairfax one in particular is
revived by the perusal of the above. In
the year of grace 1914 James, seventh
Earl of Derby, Lord of the Isle of Man,
placed his vast wealth, numerous vas
sails and his life (Which he subsequently
lost on the scaffold) at the disposition of
his king. Obliged to absent himself
from his territory in the service OF his
sovereign, he left in charge his wife,
Charlotte de la Tremouille, descended
from the illustrious houses of Bourbon
and Nassau. During that absence Sir
Thomas Fairfax came TO demand of the
Countess of Derby possession of the
island, in the name of the Parliament
and Oliver Cromwell. Alone with her
young children, an insufficient and un-
disciplined garrison, she asked for a
month to consider the proposition. The
Parliamentary general, through mean
intrigue with one of the countess re-
tainers, believing himself authentically
informed that the garrison was not in
condition to resist successfully vigor-
Gus attack, CURLY answered: "Not a
days" and he departed to begin that
siege from which he retired after three
months of incessant action, utterly dis
comfted, with loss of 1000 men. The
heroic courage of Charlotte de la Ire
mouille animated her faithful soldiers.
She taught them by her own lofty and
steadfast endurance to prefer death to
dishonor.
She feared neither shot nor shell, and
more than once cannon ball passed
through her chamber, but she made
light of every peril which threatened her
own person. The Eagle tower still rose
imperiously in its untouched strength,
the banner of the Stanleys waving
proudly over it. But she was destined
to encounter Sir Thomas Fairfax again,
under less propitious circumstances,
after seven years of conflict, broken in
spirit by the death of her noble hus-
band, who had just been executed at
Bolton, in Lancashire, of whom it was
said: "He died gallantly, piously, Ike
q Cavalier" In the supreme hour of
her sorrow, on the very night of her
husbands death, while reading his last
letter, she received o summons from
General Fairfax to surrender the island.
In this extremity, her heart wrung with
grief, the indomitable spirit of tho limo
of Nassau showed itself in the action of
the undaunted Charlotte de la Tremou-
lille.
She came forth bracing up her ener-
gies to action, resolved that the honor
of her house should not be lost so long
as a woman's head could contrive means
TO preserve it or woman's influence
sway the hands of others. But treachery
nullifed the efforts of the bereaved lady
through the agency of miscreant who
Ddtt DG6u lIOLl HIS CdLII0SU JOutll b1O It,
cipient of unbounded favors from the
Earl of Derby, and to whose care on the
scaffold that confding nobleman had
committed his countess and her chill
dren. By the action of this creature,
who betrayed them to General Fairfax
for a consideration, Charlotte and her
children found themselves prisoners in
their own castle. She was cast into
prison and kept there reduced to the
lowest penury, her children starving
around her, whilst General Fairfsx en-
joyed her revenues and reveled in his
greatness as Lord of Man. Her great
heart, overwhelmed with grief and end
less sorrow, burst in pieces. She died
in 1861.