Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron MP (16 April 1657 – 6 January 1710 N.S.) was an English nobleman and politician.

Life

Thomas Fairfax was born on 16 April 1657, the great-grandson of Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron of the Scottish peerage, not to be confused with his cousin and Civil War leader Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron. His father was Henry Fairfax, 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and his mother was Frances Barwick.

Career

Fairfax graduated from Magdalen College, Oxford in 1675 and served in the Yorkshire Militia under the Earl of Danby. After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, he was appointed Lt-Colonel of Lord Castleton's Regiment of Foot, a new regiment raised to fight in the Nine Years' War. In 1694, William III made him Colonel of a Regiment of Foot and he was promoted to Brigadier in 1696, shortly before the Treaty of Ryswick ended the war in 1697. He left military service in 1703 as a Major-General. In 1690 and 1695, he was a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

generally supporting the

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

interest, although the modern concept of political parties did not yet apply. He was able to sit in the English Parliament because his title was part of the Scottish peerage; after the

1707 Act of Union The Acts of Union ( gd, Achd an Aonaidh) were two Acts of Parliament: the Union with Scotland Act 1706 passed by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act 1707 passed by the Parliament of Scotland. They put into effect the te ...

, Scottish peers were disqualified and he was required to give up his seat. In 1704, Fairfax obtained a three-year licence from Queen Anne to search for wrecks and treasure in the West Indies but the venture was a financial failure. He died on 6 January 1710.

Family

In 1685, Fairfax married Catherine Colepepper, daughter of Thomas Colepeper, 2nd Baron Colepeper, and they had seven children: Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Henry Colpepper Fairfax, Katherine Fairfax, Margaret Fairfax, Frances Fairfax, Mary Fairfax, Robert Fairfax.Harrison Genealogy Repository, ''Thomas FAIRFAX, 5TH LORD Of Cameron''
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfax, Thomas, 05 Lord Fairfax of Cameron 1657 births 1710 deaths 3rd The King's Own Hussars officers Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax of Cameron Tory MPs (pre-1834) English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 Culpeper family Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) Lords Fairfax of Cameron

Life

Career

Family

See also

References