Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-11-18
ALBERT KIRBY FAIRFAX.

Albert Kirby Fairfax enjoys the high
est privileges of birth and fortune, yet
he is a man without a country. His
position is anomalous to the last degree.
Heir of a distinguished American family
and native American himself, he is
vet member of the British peerage.
As such he is entitled to the prerogatiyes
of his rank, such as attendance at royal
functions, yet, because ne is an Ameri-
can, he cannot sitin the British House OF
Lords. This curious situation has been
developed by a decision of the Lord
Chancellor, just rendered.
Notwithstanding the honors awaiting
him in London Fairfax had never been
in England before he went short time
ago as the representative Of an interna-
tional banking corporation. He is 30
years old, although he looks younger.
The Fairfax peerage dates from 1927,
1t was Thomas, the sixth baron of The
line. who left Scotland and settled in
Virginia about 1889. He had inherited
tract of about G, 100000 acres of land
between the Rappahannock and Potomac
rivers, and there erected two mansions
Bevoir and Greenway Court--where ne
lived in baronial state.
The present home of the family Is
Northampton, Prince Georges county,
Nd. This is a tract of 700 acres, aud
was bought by Baron John Contee
Fairfax, father of Albert Kirby Fairfax,
from the descendants of former Gov
ernor Spriggs, of Maryland. The prop
erty was once part of the estate OF
Lord Baltimore.
1t was here that Albert Kirby Fair
fax and his brother and sisters were
born. The brother is Charles Edmund
Fairfax, next in the line of succession,
and the sisters are Mrs. Tunstall Smith,
of Philadelphia; Sister Mary Cecilia, OF
New York; Carolina Snowden Fairfax
and Frances Mervin Fairfax. Their
mother was Mary Kirby, daughter OF
Colonel Edmund Kirby, of the United
States army.
OF late years Albert Kirby Fairfax
had lived in New York, where he was
employed as a clerk in the banking
house of Brown Brothers & Co. There
he was known merely as "Mr.. Fairfax, "
although he is the only American
citizen who could be rightfully address
ed as "your Lordship," 1t was when
he went to England on business that the
question of his status arose. He has no
ambition to take a seat in the House OF
Lords, preferring to become successful
banker, but his mere presence there
created the situation.
The Lord Chancellor has now decided
that Lord Fairfax is eligible to election
to the House of Lords, but that, even
were he elected, writ for the seat could
not be issued, because he is an alien and
he would first have to be naturalized, the
same as any other foreigner.
This right to election which seems
strange in the circumstances, is due to
the fact that the Fairfax peerage Is
Scotch and does not carry seat, but II
is bis privilege to be one of the sixteen
Scottish peers elected to the House IL
each new parliment. ;,
Fairfax believed that all he had 10 az
was to assume his title and become
British subject. He is, therefore, muci
surprised by the decision, and he has no
vet decided whether or not to take ou
| notuyolizafion naners
The belief is that he will be content t.
forego parliamentary honors for the sak'
of remaining a loyal American.