Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-03-16
AN AMERICAN PEER
His Name Now Borne by a Virginia
County.

l
lords is not only resident, but a full
fiedget cNizen of the United States. is
surely an interesting fact. The indl-
vidual in question is Rt Hon. John
Contee Fairfax, eleventh Baron Fair
fax of Cameron, and male representa-
tive of the great parlianen gem
erals, the second and third Lords
Fairfax.
Lord Fairfax is a landowner in a
small way, and practicing physician.
None of the vast Fairfax estates in
Virginia and Maryland-which gave
to Thackery the idea for his Esmond
principally" on the Potomac-remain,
save the farmstead on which he re-
sides. This is called Northampton,
and lies near the historic village of
Bladensburg, some miles from LIE
capital at Washington. Lord Fair
fax is 6S years of age, having been
born on Sept. 10, 1880. He married in
1857 Mary, daughter of Col Kirby
of the United States army. He has
two sons; Albert, born in 1870, and
Charles Edmund, born in 1876.
Burke, Debrett, and the rest of the
scribes of British nobility fully ac-
knowledge the eleventh Baron Fair
fax of Cameron. But in his home on
the banks of the Potomac the genial
old gentleman who holds the title
does not insist upon being so styled by
his republican neighbors, and, in fact,
leaves it to them whether they call
him my lord" or merely doctor" in
the locality; but the Marylanders are
very proud of him for all that.
The Fairfax family is an ancient
one, probably of Saxon origin. From
remote times it was seated at Walton.
in the Ainsty district of Yorkshire,
between York and Tadcaster. On Oct.
Is, 1927, Sir Thomas Fairfax, Knight
of Denton and Steeton, Co. York was
created Baron Fairfax of Cameron in
the Peerage of Scotland" This peers
elder son, Ferdinando (second) Lord
Fairfax, was the commander-in-chief
of the parliamentary forces at Mars
ton Moor. His son an heir, the stin
more famous (third) Lord Fairfax
DIETER known as Sir Thomas Fair
fax was generalissimo for the parlia-
ment and commanded at Naseby He
mad nothing to do with the execution.
or charles l., however, and in 1860
he helped Monk to bring Charles II.
back to England. Dying in 1871, he
was succeeded by his cousin-german.
Henry QV) Lord Fairfax of the
Cavalier branch of the family This
nobleman's elder son, Thomas (V.)
Baron, married the heiress of the
Cole peppers, and with her acquired
an enormous estate, including Leeds
castle in Kent, what is called the
Northern Neck of Virginia, and
100000 acres in the fertile Shenandoah
valley. The sixth baron turned over
his English estates to his .rother
Robert and went to live in Virginia
much as we are told Col. Esmond did.
He built two colonial mansions,
Belvoir and Guernsey Court, and
lived in baronial style as the lieuten-
ant and custos rotulorum of Frederick
county. When he died. unmarried, in
1913, his brother succeeded as seventh
baron, but left no legitimate descend
ants. AS a result the English property
| IS,
the Martin family of Leeds castle. but
the title, and very small scrap of the
American "principality," passed to a
cousin, Rev. Bryan Fairfax, great
grandson of the fourth baron. This
clergyman made voyage to England
In 1900, and had his title confirmed by
the house of lords on May of that
year. His son Thomas, ninth Lord
Fairfax, resided at Vancluse, in Fair
fax county, Virginia. This nobleman
died in 1S46, and was succeeded by
his grandson, Charles Snowden Fair
fax, tenth baron, who was from 1857
to 1852 clerk of the California Su-
preme court. The tenth lord died in
Baltimore, 1869, and was succeeded
by his brother, John G. Fairfax, M. D..
now eleventh Baron Fairfax of Cam
eron. In addition to his family coat
of-arms of black lion surrounding
three bars gemelles" on a golden field
Lord Fairfax has the right to quarter
upon his shield the arms of Carthorpe.
Thwaites of Denton, Barwick of Tolls
ton, and Harrison of Virginia.
! The Fairfax family Cat least the
chiefs thereof, although Roundheads
and republicans during the English
revolution, were tories and monarch
lists in the American struggle against
England. When the news OF the sur
render of CORVALLIS was brought to
Lord Fairfax at his house off Green
way court, he cried out to his negro
body-servant: Come, Joz, Carry me
to bed; for I'll never survive this, and
tbs high time to die" He was borne
to his bed, where exclaiming, Lord,
thy mysterious will be done!" he
turned his face to the wall and ex-
pired. However, his second successor,
Brian, eighth Baron Fairfax, became
reconciled to Gen. Washington. owing
to the fact that his sister married
Laurence Washington, the generals
brother. During the American civil
war the Fairfaxes sided naturally
with the south, and more than one OF
them lost their lives in battle for the
lost cause"
The eldest son and heir of Lord
Fairfax is a member of a firm of Eng