Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-09-02
The Fairfax Ancestry.

The following appears in to-day's
Baltimore Sun: My attention has been
drawn to an article in your issue of
July 81, wherein Mr.. w II. Cary has
sought to correct the inacc,uacy of an
other publication regarding the ances-
try OF the late Baldwin Fairfax, esq,
of West Virginia. As a representative
of the family to which the latter gen
tleman belonged, L desire to further
Mr.. Cary's effort in lighting the public
mind concerning said misstatement,
and if you will indulge me with your
valuable space, should like to rid our
family, if possible, of the frequent an
.noyance of being misrepresented in
print us descendant from the famous
Lord Fairfax, of Virginio-the early
friend and patron of Washington. Mr..
Cary remarks the well-known fact that
Lord Fairfax died a bachelor. More
over, it was not until the year 1145
that he came to settle in Virginia,
whereas the ancestors of both Of the
families of Fairfax now known in Viz
ginia had preceded Lord Fairfax to
America, though neither of them had
immigrated to Virginia. OF the des-
cendants Of William Fairfax, who set
tied in 1928 at Salem, Mass, and later
removed to Virginia TO manage Lord
Fairfax's estates, Mr.. Cary mas given an
adequate record. The earliestsettler OF
the name in America, however, was
Thomas Fairfax, who was living in Cal
vert county, Md, as early as 1867, and
on December 18th of that year proved
title to lands lying in that county. This
date, be it observed, was rs years pre-
vious to Lord Fairfax's settlement in
America. In 170l John Fairfax, son Of
the aforesaid Thomas, owned property
in Charles county, Md, and his son.
John Fairfax (recorded in I'LL as John
Fairfax. jr.) owned estates in Baltimore
county and in Charles county, Md. BE
died near Port Tobacco in 1875, leaving
an only son, William. VIM. Fairfax
and his Oldest son, Jonathan Fairfax.
both resided in Charles county, Nd.
The former having removed in the late
days of his life to Occoquan, Va, died
there in 1893. Jonathan Fairfax, who
died in Charles county, Md, in 1887.
had five sons. the fourth Of whom was
Henry Fairfax, of Dumfries, Va, whose
son John Walter Fairfax, is now resid-
ing ut his fathers old homestead in
Prince William county. William Fair
fax above mentioned, was the father OF
Col. John Fairfax, who for several years
was manager OF General Wash
ington's Mt. Vernon estates during the
latter's absence in the public service
About the year 1886 Colonel Fairfax
removed to the western part of Vir-
GINA, and in 1904 and in 1928 be
represented Nonongalia county i'll the
Legislature OF that State. His son,
Gen. Bucllner Fairfax, who represent
ed Preston county, Va, in the HOUSE
of Delegates almost continuously from
1897 to 1851 was father Of the late Bald
win Fairfax, esq, whose obituary has
elected the publication above noted.
The several branches Of this family now
extant are represented, respectively,
by Col. John Walter Fairfax, Of Vir-
ginia; John Peyton Fairfax, Esq. Of
Kentucky; Dr. Edwin Fairfax, OF
Illinois; Ferdinand Fairfax, of Prince
William county, Va, and the family o!
the late Baldwin Fairfax, of West Vir-
ginia In the hope that so distinct an
exposition from q member of his family
may make impossible any further unau-
thorized and ridiculous publications. as
to its lineage, l remain, sirs greatly
obliged for your services. Faithfully.
LINDSAY FAIRFAX.
New York, August 80, 1892