Background
Fairfax was the son of Sir William Fairfax of Gilling Castle and Walton. He succeeded his father to the estates of Gilling and Walton in 1597.
Fairfax was the son of Sir William Fairfax of Gilling Castle and Walton. He succeeded his father to the estates of Gilling and Walton in 1597.
He was created Viscount Fairfax in the Peerage of Ireland in 1629. He was at school at Gilling and entered Caius College, Cambridge in 1590. He was a sheep farmer and an encloser.
In 1600 he was commissioner for musters for the West Riding of Yorkshire.
He was a Justice of the Peace for the North Riding of Yorkshire by 1603. He was knighted in April 1603.
In 1621 he was elected Member of Parliament for Hedon. He was re-elected Member of Parliament for Hedon in 1624.
1625 and 1626. From 1627 to 1628 he was High Sheriff of Yorkshire.
He was created Viscount Fairfax on 10 January 1629. Fairfax died at Howsham at the age of about 61 and was buried at Scrayingham. She was an open Catholic and was convicted of recusancy at regular intervals from 1599 until her death.
She also employed Catholic maids and escaped penalty for this and although it was also an offence, at least two of the sons went abroad to Catholic colleges.
She died in 1626) and in 1627, Fairfax remarried to Lady Mary Bamburgh, widow of Sir William Bamburgh, Baronet, of Howsham.and daughter of Sir Robert Ford of Butley, Suffolk.
Useless Parliament; Happy Parliament. 2nd Parliament of King Charles I]
In 1601, he was elected Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge. From July 1603 he was a member of the council in the north, and was vice-president of the council in the north in 1608 and 1616.