Early life

He was born in 1588 at Denton, Yorkshire, the fourth son of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron was an English soldier, diplomat and politician, his title being in the Peerage of Scotland.-Life:...

. Two of his brothers were Ferdinando Fairfax

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...

 and Charles Fairfax

Charles Fairfax (antiquary)

-Early life:Fairfax was born at Denton, Yorkshire on 5 March 1597, and was the seventh and third surviving son of Sir Thomas Fairfax. His two surviving brothers were Ferdinando and Henry. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge on 5 October 1611, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn on 9...

. His uncle, Edward Fairfax, who, says Brian Fairfax, was very serviceable to his brother, the first lord Fairfax, in the education of his children, was living at New Hall, Otley, Yorkshire, about 1600. Henry Fairfax proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

, of which, in 1608, he became a fellow. In the same year his great friend George Herbert entered the college, where he also obtained a fellowship. They were intimate friends until Herbert's death in 1634.

Clerical career

He gave up his fellowship on accepting the living of Newton Kyme

Newton Kyme

Newton Kyme is a village and a civil parish near the River Wharfe, in the Selby District, in the English county of North Yorkshire. It is near the town of Tadcaster. For transport there is the A659 road nearby. Newton Kyme has a place of worship and a castle called Kyme Castle.- References...

, Yorkshire, from his father. This preferment he exchanged for a few years for the parish of Ashton-in-Makerfield in Lancashire, returning at the end of that time to Newton Kyme. He married (second wife) Mary, daughter of Sir Henry Cholmondeley of Whitby, and his rectory at Newton was during the civil wars ‘a refuge and a sanctuary to all their friends and relations on both sides’ (Fairfax MSS.)

Fairfax took an active part in the unsuccessful movement, about 1640, to obtain the foundation of a university for the north. Petitions were sent up to parliament urging the necessity of such a seat of learning. York and Manchester competed warmly for the honour of receiving it. Fairfax wrote to his brother Ferdinando

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...

, then second Lord Fairfax, 20 March 1641, asking for his influence. In 1646 Fairfax was removed from Newton Kyme to the neighbouring, and much richer, rectory of Bolton Percy. Here he resided for a great portion of the time with his nephew Thomas

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron was a general and parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War...

, the third Lord Fairfax, as a parishioner at Nun Appleton, until the Restoration in 1660. At that time, his position being doubtful, he voluntarily withdrew in favour of a Mr. Wickham, and retired to a private estate which he had inherited at Oglethorpe, Yorkshire.

Fairfax was an admirable parish priest, and something of an antiquarian and genealogist. His learned brother, Charles

Charles Fairfax (antiquary)

-Early life:Fairfax was born at Denton, Yorkshire on 5 March 1597, and was the seventh and third surviving son of Sir Thomas Fairfax. His two surviving brothers were Ferdinando and Henry. He entered Trinity College, Cambridge on 5 October 1611, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn on 9...

, the author of ‘Analecta Fairfaxiana,’ frequently quotes from his notes on antiquarian and family subjects, and evidently held his learning in the highest respect. None of his works now survive, except some anagrams and epigrams in ‘Analecta Fairfaxiana.’

He died at Oglethorpe on 6 April 1665 and was buried in the choir of Bolton Percy Church by the side of Mary, his wife, who had died in 1650. His eldest son Henry

Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron was the grandson of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His father was the Honourable Henry Fairfax, of York, and his mother was Lady Mary Cholmondeley.....

 succeeded a cousin as fourth Lord Fairfax in 1671. His second son was the diplomat Brian Fairfax

Brian Fairfax

Brian Fairfax, LL.D. , was an English politician.-Early life:Brian Fairfax, the second son of the Rev. Henry Fairfax, was born at the rectory at Newton Kyme, Yorkshire, on 6 October 1633. He gives some account of his early life in a manuscript narrative written for his sons...

.