Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-12-03
A7ExANDRIA VA THURSDAY EVENING DECEMBER 8. 1908.
AIexaM0ria Gazette.
Entered at the Postoaice Of AlexAndHis, Viz
ginia, as second-clsss matteF.l
FAIRFAX PEE8AGE.

From the London Standard Nov. Is.
The committee for prvileges of th'
houss of lords sat yesterday 10 con side
the csse of '.Aberl KIRBY Fairfax, Lore
Fairfsx Of O meroD, ClsimioR the tile
honour, a1d dignity of Lord Fairf'x o
Cameron in the pesrsge Of Scotland
The family has been settled for nearly
two hundred years 10 The Unitsd s ste'.
Ia 1927 Sir Toomss Fairfax, of Den
ton, Y rkshire, Knight. was, by L'tte'i
Patent, or atsd LORI Fairfax Of Cane
ron. he Was succeeded in 1910 By his
eldest son, FerdiDsudo. This second
Lor Fairfax, at the beginning Of the
civil war, was parl nentsry general for
York, at or defeating the E'r of New
castle 10 1912, Lord Byron in 1643, aud
OIL. B llais In 1914 at Selby, be h4d
the cbi-f commstd at the bstls OF
M,rstou Moor His son ID successor,
Thoua', Commanded the right wing OF
tie p4rliameD tirsOs a; Msrston Nor,
and routed The kiue's army at Nsisby.
The sixth Lord Fairfax inherited from
mis- mother "a daughter OF Lord Cole
pepper considerable fortune, includ-
ing g vast tract of land, more than FIVE
aud q halt million acres in extent, in
Virginia. A visit to Virginia led to
his spt nding the remainder Of his life IN
America. He never married, and The
utle, after being held for time by his
brother, who also died without issue,
passed to his kinsnau, the Rev. Bryan
Fai,fax.
Ia 1900 this gentleman came 10 Eng-
land and presented a petition tv the
House Of Lords, and after two days had
been occupied with the h'arlug Of the
csse a resolution was passed By the
House declaring that be tai male out
his claim to the tile ss eigh b Lord Fai :
fsx of Cameron. The tenth Lord Fa r
lax was at one time speaker OF the House
of Delegates of Osliforn a
The present claimant, who sought rec.
OQnilion from the House of Lords as
the twelfth Lord Fairfax, was born 10
Price Ge r2e's county, Maryland, on
June 29, 1870. He is d member of The
firm of William P. B,ulright and Com
pany, London and New York; ba' resi-
dences in London and NoittampiOn,
and belongs to several London clubs.
Lori Onslow presided, and other
members of the House present wtrs the
Lord Chancellor, Lrr1 Robertsoo, Lord
Collins, a1d Lord AshbOurne. Mr.. G.
Woods Wollaston appeared as couusal
for the claim ant, AID the crown was rep
resented by the ct torney-geDeral and
the lord advocate for S,o!laod.
Mr. Wolss'on pointed out that the
title carried with it no right to a seat 10
their lordships' HOUSE. The peerage,
however, had many assOcia ions iner.
es,iDg boh in this country and
in America, and therefore the
claimant thought it is duo 10 bis
family to subs aOt ate bis right to
the title. Counsel proceeded to oullioe
the history Of the family from 1927 and
coming to the time when TboDa', sixth
Lord FairfSx, settled 10 Virginia, said
that one of the ladies of the ia nily-
8a0nah-.msrried a bro.her OF George
Washington.
Although the Rev. BrJsn Fairfax es-
tab ished his claim more than 100 years
ago, when he was rector of Fair Ak
P 4rish, Virginia, the records there wer-
very badly KEEP at that me, snd durng
he civil war in Am rics vast quantity
of family papers aud public records we're
DESTROYED Ia those circumstances, 1t
vas necessary 10 many cases TO prO5uce
secondary evidence, and tho only record
that could he produced OF the marriage
of the Diuth Lord Fairfax Wss the Far.
Ak family bible. No shadow OF otjec-
ton hsd ever been passed upon the
cl ua1ts rg1t to the title since his
ather's death iu 1900.
Witnesses were called one OF them be-
ing an American lawyer. who said that
the various documents produced were
90 d evidence, according to common
l,w 10 America. Among the documents
was Ger Ifed copy of monumental In
scription oeer the grave at Ivy HiIl
Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia, Of the
Rev. Bryan, Lprd Fairfax.
There vas also produced certified
copy of monumental insCription over
the grave OF Ih- tenth L rd Fairfax at
Rock Greek Cemetery, Washington,
which ran:-
"Brave, gallant and gihed,
Re was The tenth Lord FART K. Baron
of Cameron, in the Peersge Of Scotland
But he pref rred to be
An Ameri sn Gentleman"
Mr.. Wilson Oiry, cousin of the claim.
ant, gave evidence of the havoc caused
10y the civil war, and stated that after
the war be vent over the field of battle
10 search for records.
The lord cha cellor. Did you search
for cords of Fairfax Iarish h?-I did,
aud there we're none left.
Lord Fairfax was then called, and he
producsd the family Bible.
The lord chancellor, Has that al
ways 0een regarded as the family Bible.
Il mean in the sense that entries were
made in ii a the tim
Lord Fairfax replied in the affirms-
tive, and said thst it had been given to
him by cousin.
This closed the case for the petitioner,
and their lordships having consultej,
Lord O0sloT asked II the attorney gen.
eral or the lord sdvoCats Of Scotland de-
sired to be heard in opposition to the
claim.