Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07

walked and hunted through the Belvoir
woods all his life; had often passed over the
ancient graves, and had never seen a tomb
stone there. He did not believe there had
been one there within the memory of man.
But the Talbots have lived there many
years, and they ana DR.. hewitt are persons
of standing in their neighborhood.
Descendants of the flowers that bloomed
for the Fairfaxes in their eighteen century
garden are growing around the ruins and
have spread over wide area of the wood.
This is strikingly the case with the jon
quils. Patches, half an acre in extent,
occur at intervals They grow so closely
that the wayfarer really wades through
them. They bear a gigantic crop of golden
blossoms every spring. These hardy flowers
are to be met in small groups, or as isolated
plants a mile more from the ruins.
The site of the fallen mansion commands
a view of wider sweep than may be had
from Mount Vernon. The eastern slope of
the eminence on which the house stood is
now heavily timbered and the trees inter-
fere with the view, but If cut away the
panorama would be majestic, A few rods
south of the ruins the bluff makes nearly
a sheer drop to the river shore, roughly
speaking 100 feet below. Along the shore
tall beeches and sycamores grow and from
the edge OF the bluff pebble may be drop
ped 10 the shore and presumably at high
tide into the river. The prospect up down
and across the river approaches the sub
lime as closely as any prospect in this
region.
on the river shore to the north of the
ruin are two brick buildings that were
occupied as Offices by the Fairfaxes of Bel
vOir. one of these is occupied by a colored
man and family. Robert TAFT, who in the
window of the larger house, maintains
light for river navigators TO steer by at
night. The smaller building is tenantless.
Ila1yr piY &c MIA her ne
fancy may weave irregularly as the vines
and brambles that make jungle there.
1t is a problem place and apt to inspire
memories as melancholy as the forgotten
graves that one stumbles on in the shadow
OF the Belvoir wood.
X
Moncure d. Conway in his "Barons of the
Potomac and Rappahannock mentions a
deed of the date of October Il, 1924, from
The Right Honorable Thomas Lord Fair
fax of Leeds Castle in the County of Kent
and Baron Cameron in Scotland" granting
and confirming to Robert Carter, gentle
man. son Of Robert Carter. esq, OF Ian
caster county a tract of 5000 acres in
Stafford county on a branch of Occoquan
called Bull run. The Composition" was
ten shillings for each fifty acres, and there
after one shilling annually on each fifty
acres. This Carter, who had served as the
representative OF Lord Fairfax in Virginia
dled III 49,, whereupon Fairfax sent from
England as his agent in Virginia, Benjamin
BORDEN Borden became involved with Gov
GoOch in land frauds and in 1874 Lord Fair
TAX, as manager OF his 100000 acre grant
IN Virginia, sent his first cousin, the Hon.
Colonel William Fairfax He was related
10 Eleanor Harrison, who became the wife
OF Col Henry Washington, the defender of
w orCeSter, who was related to the Virginia
Nashingtons. This Fairfax came to Vr-
GINA in 1874, settled on the Potomac and
between 1I34 and 1876 built Belvoir.
William Fairfax had served his sovereign
IN the wars of Queen Anne. had been chief
justice Of the Bahama Islands and COVER
nor of the Island of New Providence At
the time of his appointment TO Virginia he
was collector of the port Of Salem. Mass,
The town OF Hawthorne, the Pyncheons
Maule well and the House of Seven
Gables FairfaXs first wife was Sarah
Walker, Massachusetts lady They had
four children. who were George William
Fairfax che boyhood and lifelong friend of
Washington; Thomas Fairfax, Anne Fair
fax Cwhc' became the wife of Lawrence
Washington and after his death married 10
a Lee. and Sarah Fairfax (who became the
wife of Maj. sJOhn Carlyle OF Alexandria
Sarah Walker Fairfax died in 1871 and the
widower married Deborah Clarke daughter
of Col Bartholomew Gedney of Salem and
widow 072T) Of Francis Clarke, Salem.
There Is a portrait of this estimable woman
In the Essex Institute at Salem. She died
at Belvoir in 1871 Her character and
her influence on young George Washington
are commented on by all students of the
youth OF Washington. AS the consort of
William Fairfax she had three children
These were Bryan Fairfax (the friend of
Washington. who established his claim to
title of Eighth Lord Fairfax after the
American revolution and was the progenitor
OF the present FairfaXes in American, VIII
liam Henry Fairfax Qkilled before Quebec
in 1850, and Hannah Fairfax (who be-
came the wife of Warner Washington,
first cousin of George Washington.
X X
LlErsnoe washington returned to Vir-