Robert Fairfax (rear-admiral)
Encyclopedia
Robert Fairfax was a rear admiral
. He was the second son of William Fairfax of Steeton and Newton Kyme
in Yorkshire
, England
, and grandson of Sir William Fairfax
.
officer. With Bushell he made two voyages to the Mediterranean. On his return in December 1685 his friends were desirous that he should enter the Royal Navy
, but it was not till January 1687–8 that he was received as a volunteer on board the Mary, the flagship
of Sir Roger Strickland
.
, Fairfax was promoted to be lieutenant of the Bonaventure
, commanded by Captain (afterwards Sir) Thomas Hopsonn
. In her he was present at the Battle of Bantry Bay
, 1 May 1689, and afterwards at the relief of Derry
, 28 July.
In June 1690 Hopsonn was relieved in the command of the Bonaventure by Captain Hubbard, but Fairfax, remaining in her, was present at the Battle of Beachy Head
on 30 June 1690. On 15 November he was promoted to the command of the Conception prize, and for the next two years was stationed at Boston
in New England
, cruising against the French privateer
s.
for the protection of trade. While on this service he had the good fortune to capture, after a hard-fought action, the Entreprenant, a French privateer of the same nominal force, but larger, and with a more numerous complement. In recognition of this service he was promoted, 24 December 1694, to the command of the Newark of 80 guns, in which, and afterwards in the Cornwall, he was employed in convoy service, in the English Channel
, in the Bay of Biscay
, or on the coast of Portugal
, till the Peace of Ryswick.
to maintain the Treaty of Altona
between Denmark
and Holstein
. On returning from the Baltic
he was appointed to the Cambridge, and in January 1701–2, on the eve of the declaration of war, was transferred to the 70-gun ship HMS Restoration
, one of the squadron which sailed under Sir John Munden in May. After failing to intercept the French squadron off Corunna
, Munden and his ships returned to Spithead
, and in the following autumn Fairfax was sent out to reinforce the grand fleet, which he joined at Vigo
on 18 October, too late to share in the glory or the treasure, but in time to take part in the labour of refitting the prizes and bringing them to England.
on 26 July, a service for which Fairfax and the other captains engaged, as well as the rear-admiral, received a gold medal.
and the grand fleet at Lisbon
. With this the Berwick continued during the summer and was one of the six ships which vainly chased a French squadron off Cape Palos
on 8 May - a failure for which Fairfax and the other captains were tried by court-martial
, but fully acquitted. He was one of the division actually engaged under Byng
at the reduction of Gibraltar
(23 July), for his share in which exploit ‘the Queen afterwards presented Fairfax with a silver cup and cover bearing a suitable inscription, which is still preserved by his descendants’. The Berwick took an honourable part in the Battle of Malaga
(13 Aug.), where her masts, rigging, and sails were shattered and torn, and she had sixty-nine men killed and wounded. The fleet afterwards returned to England for the winter, and in the following February the Berwick was paid off at Chatham.
, and participated with the fleet in the reduction of Barcelona
. After the capture of Montjuich the prisoners were sent on board the Torbay. The Torbay supplied guns to arm the fort and sailors to haul them up the hill. Her marines were landed for service in the trenches and Fairfax himself had command of the seven bomb vessels, whose terrible fire cowed the garrison and rendered the approaches of the besiegers easier and safer. When the town capitulated on 4 Oct. the season was already far advanced and, according to the custom of the day, the fleet at once returned to England.
. In May he was ordered round to Spithead to join Shovell, who was then preparing to carry over an expeditionary force intended to effect a descent on the coast of France
. After vainly waiting for a promised Dutch squadron till the summer was passed, the fleet was forced, by a westerly gale, to take shelter in Torbay
. It was detained for several weeks, and the original idea of a landing in France had to be given up. The Berwick, by stress of weather, sprang a leak, and was found to be unseaworthy. She returned with difficulty to Portsmouth
, where Lord Rivers, the general in command of the troops, and his staff, were transhipped to the Tartar frigate. In December Fairfax, with his ship's company, was turned over to the Albemarle, and during the early part of 1707 was commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. In August he was superseded, Sir John Leake
having chosen the Albemarle as his flagship.
in 1713 he was returned to Parliament for the city of York
, but lost his seat in the general election
after the accession of George I
. He had meantime been elected an Alderman
of York, of which city he was further elected Lord Mayor in 1715. In these, and other local duties, and in the management and development of his handsome property, the remainder of his life passed away.
. Although she was ten years older than him, he had had a boyish attachment to her from the time of his first going to sea.
, which last Fairfax acquired by purchase from the collateral family of Lord Fairfax. There are three portraits of the admiral, taken at the ages of thirty, forty-two, and shortly before his death. They are all in the possession of his family at Bilbrough. In a register ticket, dated 1696, he is described as a tall and well-set man of a fair complexion, which corresponds with the earlier portrait of the same date.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
. He was the second son of William Fairfax of Steeton and 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...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and grandson of Sir William Fairfax
William Fairfax (soldier)
Sir William Fairfax , was a soldier.Fairfax was the second son of Sir Philip Fairfax of Steeton and Frances Sheffield. In 1629 William Fairfax married Frances, daughter of Sir Thomas Chaloner of Guisborough in Cleveland, and sister of James and Thomas Chaloner, the regicides. He was knighted by...
.
Ships
He first went to sea in 1681, in a merchant ship, the Mary, commanded by Captain Bushell, the son of an old parliamentaryRoundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
officer. With Bushell he made two voyages to the Mediterranean. On his return in December 1685 his friends were desirous that he should enter the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, but it was not till January 1687–8 that he was received as a volunteer on board the Mary, the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Sir Roger Strickland
Roger Strickland
For the basketball player, see Roger Strickland Sir Roger Strickland was an English admiral and Member of Parliament....
.
Bonaventure
Within a few weeks after the accession of William and MaryWilliam and Mary
The phrase William and Mary usually refers to the coregency over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, of King William III & II and Queen Mary II...
, Fairfax was promoted to be lieutenant of the Bonaventure
HMS Bonaventure (1650)
President was a 38-gun fourth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England by Peter Pett I at Deptford Dockyard, and launched in 1650....
, commanded by Captain (afterwards Sir) Thomas Hopsonn
Thomas Hopsonn
Sir Thomas Hopsonn was born in Bonchurch, near Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, England in 1642.Orphaned at an early age he was fostered and apprenticed as a tailor in nearby Niton....
. In her he was present at the Battle of Bantry Bay
Battle of Bantry Bay
The Battle of Bantry Bay was a naval engagement fought on 11 May 1689 during the Nine Years' War. The Allied fleet was commanded by Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington; the French fleet by François Louis de Rousselet, Marquis de Châteaurenault...
, 1 May 1689, and afterwards at the relief of Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 28 July.
In June 1690 Hopsonn was relieved in the command of the Bonaventure by Captain Hubbard, but Fairfax, remaining in her, was present at the Battle of Beachy Head
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
The Battle of Beachy Head was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war...
on 30 June 1690. On 15 November he was promoted to the command of the Conception prize, and for the next two years was stationed at Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, cruising against the French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s.
Pembroke, Ruby, Newark, Cornwall
In June 1693 Fairfax was moved into the Pembroke of 60 guns, and, returning in her to England, was appointed to the command of the Ruby, a 48-gun ship, ordered to cruise on the coast of IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for the protection of trade. While on this service he had the good fortune to capture, after a hard-fought action, the Entreprenant, a French privateer of the same nominal force, but larger, and with a more numerous complement. In recognition of this service he was promoted, 24 December 1694, to the command of the Newark of 80 guns, in which, and afterwards in the Cornwall, he was employed in convoy service, in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
, or on the coast of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, till the Peace of Ryswick.
Severn, Cambridge, Restoration
In May 1699 Fairfax commissioned the Severn, which in the following year was one of the fleet sent under Sir George RookeGeorge Rooke
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke was an English naval commander. He is known for his service in the wars against France and particularly remembered today for his victory at Vigo Bay and for capturing Gibraltar for the British in 1704.-Early life:Rooke was born at St Lawrence, near Canterbury...
to maintain the Treaty of Altona
Altona, Hamburg
Altona is the westernmost urban borough of the German city state of Hamburg, on the right bank of the Elbe river. From 1640 to 1864 Altona was under the administration of the Danish monarchy. Altona was an independent city until 1937...
between Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
. On returning from the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
he was appointed to the Cambridge, and in January 1701–2, on the eve of the declaration of war, was transferred to the 70-gun ship HMS Restoration
HMS Restoration
HMS Restoration has been the name two Royal Navy ships, named after the English Restoration.* HMS Restoration , third-rate, 70 guns, built Betts, Harwich 1678; Rebuilt 1702; wrecked in the Great Storm of 1703....
, one of the squadron which sailed under Sir John Munden in May. After failing to intercept the French squadron off Corunna
Corunna
Corunna is the traditional English name of the city of A Coruña in Spain and the surrounding province A Coruña .Battles*Battle of Corunna, fought near Corunna in 1809*Battle of the Corunna Road, fought near Madrid in 1936–37...
, Munden and his ships returned to Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
, and in the following autumn Fairfax was sent out to reinforce the grand fleet, which he joined at Vigo
Vigo
Vigo is a city and municipality in north-west Spain, in Galicia, situated on the ria of the same name on the Atlantic Ocean.-Population:...
on 18 October, too late to share in the glory or the treasure, but in time to take part in the labour of refitting the prizes and bringing them to England.
Somerset, Kent
The Restoration was then put out of commission, and in January 1702–3 Fairfax was appointed to the Somerset, from which in May he was transferred to the Kent as flag-captain to Rear-admiral Thomas Dilkes, with whom he served during the summer, and especially in the wholesale capture or destruction of the French merchant ships at GranvilleGranville, Manche
-Sights:The old town preserves all the history of its military and religious past. The lower town was partly built on land reclaimed from the sea. The upper part of the old town is surrounded by ramparts from the fifteenth century...
on 26 July, a service for which Fairfax and the other captains engaged, as well as the rear-admiral, received a gold medal.
Berwick
With the new year Fairfax commissioned the Berwick, a 70-gun ship, in which he sailed in March to join Sir George RookeGeorge Rooke
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rooke was an English naval commander. He is known for his service in the wars against France and particularly remembered today for his victory at Vigo Bay and for capturing Gibraltar for the British in 1704.-Early life:Rooke was born at St Lawrence, near Canterbury...
and the grand fleet at Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. With this the Berwick continued during the summer and was one of the six ships which vainly chased a French squadron off Cape Palos
Cape Palos
Cape Palos is a cape in the Spanish municipality of Cartagena, in the region of Murcia. It is part of a small range of volcanic mounts that form a small peninsula. The Mediterranean islands of Grosa and the group known as the Hormigas Islands are part of this range, as well as the islands in the...
on 8 May - a failure for which Fairfax and the other captains were tried by court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
, but fully acquitted. He was one of the division actually engaged under Byng
George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington
Admiral of the Fleet George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB PC was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II.-Naval career:Byng was born at Wrotham, Kent, England...
at the reduction of Gibraltar
Capture of Gibraltar
The Capture of Gibraltar by the Anglo-Dutch forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Allies had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate...
(23 July), for his share in which exploit ‘the Queen afterwards presented Fairfax with a silver cup and cover bearing a suitable inscription, which is still preserved by his descendants’. The Berwick took an honourable part in the Battle of Malaga
Battle of Malaga
The Battle of Málaga was the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. It took place on 24 August 1704, south of Málaga, Spain.-The battle:...
(13 Aug.), where her masts, rigging, and sails were shattered and torn, and she had sixty-nine men killed and wounded. The fleet afterwards returned to England for the winter, and in the following February the Berwick was paid off at Chatham.
Torbay
Fairfax was immediately appointed to the Torbay. In her he again went to the Mediterranean, under the command of Sir Cloudesley ShovellCloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
, and participated with the fleet in the reduction of Barcelona
Siege of Barcelona (1705)
The Siege of Barcelona took place between 14 September and 19 October 1705 during the War of the Spanish Succession when an Allied army supporting the Austrian pretender to the Spanish throne led by Lord Peterborough captured the city of Barcelona from its Franco-Spanish Bourbonic defenders.An...
. After the capture of Montjuich the prisoners were sent on board the Torbay. The Torbay supplied guns to arm the fort and sailors to haul them up the hill. Her marines were landed for service in the trenches and Fairfax himself had command of the seven bomb vessels, whose terrible fire cowed the garrison and rendered the approaches of the besiegers easier and safer. When the town capitulated on 4 Oct. the season was already far advanced and, according to the custom of the day, the fleet at once returned to England.
Barfleur, Albemarle
In March 1706 Fairfax was appointed to the Barfleur, and as commander-in-chief in the Thames and MedwayRiver Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
. In May he was ordered round to Spithead to join Shovell, who was then preparing to carry over an expeditionary force intended to effect a descent on the coast of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After vainly waiting for a promised Dutch squadron till the summer was passed, the fleet was forced, by a westerly gale, to take shelter in Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
. It was detained for several weeks, and the original idea of a landing in France had to be given up. The Berwick, by stress of weather, sprang a leak, and was found to be unseaworthy. She returned with difficulty to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, where Lord Rivers, the general in command of the troops, and his staff, were transhipped to the Tartar frigate. In December Fairfax, with his ship's company, was turned over to the Albemarle, and during the early part of 1707 was commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. In August he was superseded, Sir John Leake
John Leake
Sir John Leake was an English Admiral in the Royal Navy and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1715.Leake was born at Rotherhithe, the second son of Richard Leake, Master Gunner of England....
having chosen the Albemarle as his flagship.
Political difficulties
Consequent on the death of Sir Clowdisley Shovell (22 Oct. 1707), a promotion of flag-officers was made on 8 January 1708. Fairfax, by his seniority, was properly included, and a commission as Vice Admiral of the Blue was made out for him. This was signed by the Lord High Admiral, and was gazetted. It was then cancelled, and Lord Dursley, who was much his junior, was, by the political interest of his family, made Vice Admiral of the Blue in his stead, with seniority of 10 January. Fairfax, naturally indignant at this unworthy treatment, refused all further service. Prince George obtained for him a commission as rear-admiral, and half-pay equal to that of the rank which he had been deprived of and on 20 June 1708 had him nominated a member of the Council of the Lord High Admiral. With the Prince's death, 28 October 1708, this appointment came to an end, and Fairfax retired altogether from naval life.Political career
At a by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in 1713 he was returned to Parliament for the city of York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, but lost his seat in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
after the accession of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
. He had meantime been elected an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of York, of which city he was further elected Lord Mayor in 1715. In these, and other local duties, and in the management and development of his handsome property, the remainder of his life passed away.
Personal life
By the death of his elder brother, on 20 January 1694, he succeeded to the Steeton and Newton Kyme estates. On 20 November of the same year he married Esther, the sister of his old captain, Bushell, and widow of Mr. Charles Tomlinson of WhitbyWhitby
Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a combined maritime, mineral and tourist heritage, and is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey where Caedmon, the...
. Although she was ten years older than him, he had had a boyish attachment to her from the time of his first going to sea.
Death
He died on 17 October 1725. He was buried in the church of Newton Kyme where, sixty years before, he had been christened. His wife, though ten years older, survived him by ten years, and died at the age of eighty in 1735.Descendants
He left two children, a daughter, who married Mr. Henry Pawson, the son of an alderman of York, and a son, Thomas, whose posterity still hold the estates of Steeton, Newton Kyme, and BilbroughBilbrough
Bilbrough is a village and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, six miles south-west of York, and just outside the York city boundary. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 319....
, which last Fairfax acquired by purchase from the collateral family of Lord Fairfax. There are three portraits of the admiral, taken at the ages of thirty, forty-two, and shortly before his death. They are all in the possession of his family at Bilbrough. In a register ticket, dated 1696, he is described as a tall and well-set man of a fair complexion, which corresponds with the earlier portrait of the same date.