The Influence of the Fairfax Family

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The Influence of the Fairfax Family

William Fairfax:

• fought in Spain for Queen Anne;

• was a member of the Royal Navy;

• served as Governor of New Providence, Bahama Islands,

• served as an agent to manage, the Northern Neck Proprietary;

• was a Vestryman of Pohick Church;

• elected to the House of Burgesses (the elected lower house of the Virginia legislature) in 1741;

• used his influence to create Fairfax County in 1742;

• appointed by the Governor to be the first County Lieutenant and Court Justice of Fairfax County;

• served as a member and President of the King's Council of Virginia, a position second only to the Governor.

Fairfax Coat of Arms

Fairfax seal: The Fairfax motto "Fure Fat" translates to mean "To speak is to act," or literally, "Speak. Do." The motto forms the crest for the Fairfax County Seal.

Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax:

• inherited the Northern Neck Proprietary, one-sixth from his grandmother, Margaret Lady Culpeper, 5/6 from his mother, Katherine, Lady Fairfax; resided at Belvoir 1748 circa 1761.

• employed George Washington and George William Fairfax to survey his holdings in the Shenandoah Valley;

• built Greenway Court, near Winchester, Virginia, circa 1751

• transferred the Proprietary's land office from Belvoir to Greenway Court in 1761.

George William Fairfax

• was the son of William Fairfax and Sarah Walker;

• served as hand agent to manage the Proprietary;

• was an officer in the Virginia militia;

• was a member of the House of Burgesses;

• was a Vestryman of Pohick Church;

• was a member of the Council of Virginia in 1768-1769.

Bryan Fairfax:

• was the son of William Fairfax and Deborah Clarke;