Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-03-16
AN AMERICAN PEER.
His Name Now Borne by a Virginia
County.

Hedged citizen OF the United States Is
surely an interesting fact. The indl-
yidual in question is Rt Hon. John
Contee Fairfax, eleventh Baron Fair
fax of Cameron. and male representa-
tive of the great parliamentary gen
erals, the second and third Lords
Fairfax.
Lord Fairfax is a landowner in a
small way, and a 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 ne re-
sides. This is called Northampton,
and lies near the historic village of
Bladensburg. some miles from tne
capital at Washington Lord Fair
fax is 6S years OF age, having been
born on Sept. 49, 1880, He married in
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
scrlbes Of British nobility fully ac-
knowledge the eleventh Baron Fair
fax of Cameron. But in his nome on
the banks of the Potomac the genial
old gentleman who holds the title
does not insist upon being so styled by
his republican neighb0rs, 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.
49, 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 stiu
more famous (third) Lord Fairfax
(better known as Sir Thomas Fair
fax was generalssimo for the parlia-
had nothing to do with the execution
of Charles l., however, and in 1860
he helped Monk to bring Charles H.
back to England. Dying in 1911, 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 orother
Robert and went to live in Virginia
much as we are told Col. Esmond did.
He built two colonial mansions.
Belvoir and Guernsey Court ana
lived in baronial style as the lieuten-
ant and custos rotulorum of Frederick
county. When he died, unmarried, in
1893, his brother succeeded as seventh
baron, but left no legitimate descend
ants. AS a result the English property
passed by will to the female heirs,
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 a 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 nobeman
died in 1876, and was succeeded by
his grandson, Charles Snowden Fair
fax, tenth baron, who was from 1857
to 1862 clerk of the California SUI
preme court The tenth lord died in
Baltimore. 1869, and was succeeded
by his brother, John c. Fairfax, NJ. d..
now eleventh Baron Fairfax of Cam
eron. In addition to his family coat
of-arms of black lion surmounting
three bars gemelles" on a golden field
Lord Fairfax has the right to quarter
upon his shield the arms of Carthorpe,
rhwaites of Denton. Barwick of Tolls
ton, and Harrison of Virginia.
The Fairfax family (at 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 exclalming, Lord
thy mysterious will be done," he
turned his face to the wall and eX-
PRED However. his second successor.
Brian, eighth Baron Fairfax, became
recOnciled 10 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 or
them lost their lives In battle for the