Thomas Fairfax

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (17 January 1612 – 12 November 1671) was a general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. An adept and talented commander, Fairfax led Parliament to many victories, notably the crucial battle of Naseby, becoming effectively military ruler of the new republic, but was eventually overshadowed by his subordinate Oliver Cromwell, who was more politically adept and radical in action against Charles I. Fairfax became unhappy with Cromwell's policy and publicly refused to take part in Charles's show trial. Eventually he resigned leaving Cromwell to control the republic. Because of this, and also his honourable battlefield conduct and his active role in the Restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell's death, he was exempted from the retribution exacted on many other leaders of the revolution. His dark hair and eyes and a swarthy complexion earned him the nickname "Black Tom".

Early life

Thomas Fairfax was born at Denton Hall, halfway between Ilkley, and Otley in Yorkshire, on 17 January 1612, the eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron. (His family title of Lord Fairfax of Cameron was in the peerage of Scotland, then still independent from England, which was why he was able to sit in the English House of Commons after he inherited it.) He studied at St John's College, Cambridge, and Gray's Inn (1626–28), then volunteered to join Sir Horace Vere's expedition to fight for the Protestant cause in the Netherlands. In 1639 he commanded a troop of Yorkshire dragoons which marched with King Charles I against the Scots in the First Bishops' War which ended with the Pacification of Berwick before any fighting took place. In the Second Bishops' War the following year the English army was routed at the Battle of Newburn. Fairfax fled with the rest of the defeated army but was nevertheless knighted for his services in January 1641.

Thomas Fairfax (Walton)

Sir Thomas Fairfax (c. 1450 – March 31, 1505) was the first member of the Fairfax family to own Gilling Castle, near Gilling East, North Yorkshire, England. He is a direct ancestor of both Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and The Duchess of Cambridge. He was born Thomas Fairfax of Walton and was presumably a supporter of the House of York in the Wars of the Roses. Fairfax's original home was near the Battle of Towton, which decided the outcome of that war. From 1489 to 1492, he successfully claimed the ownership of the Gilling Estate during two inquisitions. Before Fairfax, the de Etton family had owned this estate. However, in 1349, Margaret de Etton, the sister of Thomas de Etton—who owned the estate at that time and erected its tower keep—married Fairfax's ancestor, also named Thomas Fairfax. She entered an agreement that, should the de Etton family fail, the estate would be inherited by the Fairfax family. Thus, historian John Marwood wrote that "it could be argued that the rightful heirs had at last come home." When Fairfax received the estate, he became the Fairfax of Walton and Gilling.

Thomas Fairfax (disambiguation)

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1612–1671) was a general and Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War.

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