kids encyclopedia robot

Lord Fairfax of Cameron facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
"Lord Fairfax" redirects here. It is not to be confused with Viscount Fairfax or Lord Fairfax (turtle).
Quick facts for kids
Lordship Fairfax of Cameron
Creation date 1627
Monarch Charles I
Peerage Peerage of Scotland
First holder Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Present holder Nicholas Fairfax, 14th Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Heir apparent Edward Nicholas Thomas Fairfax
Remainder to heirs male of the body of the grantee
Thomas Fairfax
Thomas Fairfax,
3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

The Lord Fairfax of Cameron is a special title in the Peerage of Scotland. Even though it's a Scottish title, the Fairfax family actually comes from Yorkshire in England. They are a very old family. From 1515 until about 1700, the family lived at a place called Denton Hall.

How the Fairfax Title Began

King Charles I created this title in 1627. He gave it to Sir Thomas Fairfax. Sir Thomas was an important person. He worked for Queen Elizabeth I on many trips to meet James VI of Scotland. He was also a Member of Parliament, which means he helped make laws in England.

Fairfax Leaders in the English Civil War

Sir Thomas's son, Ferdinando, became the second Lord. His grandson, Thomas, became the third Lord. Both Ferdinando and Thomas were important military leaders. They fought for the Parliament's side during the English Civil War. This was a big war in England between the King and Parliament.

When Thomas, the third Lord, died in 1671, the title went to his cousin, who became the fourth Lord. This fourth Lord was the son of Reverend Henry Fairfax, who was the first Lord's second son. The fourth Lord was also a Member of Parliament for Yorkshire. His son, the fifth Lord, also served as a Member of Parliament for Malton and Yorkshire.

The Fairfax Family Moves to America

The sixth Lord Fairfax inherited a lot of land in Virginia, America. He got this land from his mother, whose father was Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, a former Governor of Virginia.

When the sixth Lord died, his younger brother became the seventh Lord. He also served in Parliament for Maidstone and Kent. However, during the American War of Independence, the huge American lands belonging to the Fairfax family were taken away. In 1792, the British Parliament gave him £13,758. This money was to help people who had lost their property in America because they supported Britain.

The eighth Lord, Rev. Bryan Fairfax, was the seventh Lord's first cousin once removed. He also lived in Virginia. He was the grandson of Reverend Henry Fairfax, who was the second son of the fourth Lord. It took until 1800 for the House of Lords to officially confirm that he was the rightful Lord.

The Title Returns to England

Many years later, Albert Kirby Fairfax became the twelfth Lord. He lived in Maryland in the United States. His family had lived in America for many generations. They had almost forgotten about the title! But then, it was discovered that Albert was the true heir. In 1908, the House of Lords officially confirmed his title. In 1917, he was chosen to be a Scottish Representative Peer. This meant he could represent Scotland in the House of Lords. He held this position until he died in 1939.

His oldest son became the thirteenth Lord. He was also a Scottish Representative Peer from 1945 to 1963. He worked for the government as a Lord-in-waiting (a type of government helper in the House of Lords) from 1954 to 1957. This was during the time of Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and Anthony Eden.

As of 2017, the title is held by his son, Nicholas John Albert Fairfax. He became the fourteenth Lord in 1964.

Lords Fairfax of Cameron (1627)

Coat of arms of Fairfax County, Virginia
Arms of the Lords Fairfax of Cameron, also adopted as the arms of Fairfax County, Virginia

Here is a list of the people who have held the title of Lord Fairfax of Cameron:

The person who will inherit the title next is the current Lord's son. His name is The Honourable Edward Nicholas Thomas Fairfax. He is also known as the Master of Fairfax (born in 1984).

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Lord Fairfax of Cameron Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.