Background
Fairfax was the second son of Sir Philip Fairfax of Steeton and Frances Sheffield.
Fairfax was the second son of Sir Philip Fairfax of Steeton and Frances Sheffield.
Fairfax was knighted by Charles I at Whitehall on 1 June 1630. In 1636 he succeeded to the family estates at Steeton and Newton Kyme. In 1642 he took the side of the parliament, and signed the Yorkshire petition of 12 May 1642, beseeching the king to trust to parliament and dismiss his guards.
He was given the command of a regiment in the army of Essex, which was stationed on the left wing at the Battle of Edgehill and ran away.
In the victory at Nantwich (25 January 1644) Sir William Fairfax commanded a wing of the horse, and at Marston Moor headed a brigade of foot on the right of the parliamentary line. In August 1644 he was despatched into Lancashire with two thousand Yorkshire horse, and took part in the siege of Liverpool.
In the Relief of Montgomery Castle on 18 September 1644 he was mortally wounded, and died the following day. John Vicars, who gives a detailed account of the death of Fairfax, states that he had fifteen wounds, and adds that his widow said "that she grieved not that he died in this cause, but that he died so soon to do no more for it".
He was the father of General Thomas Fairfax 1633-1712, William 1630-1673 (whose son was Robert Fairfax (rear-admiral)), Catherine b1634 and Isabella Fairfax 1635-1691 who married Nathaniel Bladen.
Quotations: "that she grieved not that he died in this cause, but that he died so soon to do no more for it".