Meet William Fairfax for the Last Time

William Fairfax dies 3 Sept 1757. His funeral is held 30 Sept 1757.

Colonel William Fairfax. Author/Artist:Anonymous, American School, Virginia, 1701-1750. Creation Date:1701 Description:Graphic reproduction(s) with documentation of a painting. Provenance:Mrs. Charles Baird, Jr., Glen Welby, Marshall, Virginia. Current Repository: . . Mrs. Charles Baird, Jr., Marshall, Virginia, United States, private. . . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Fairfax

Our Colonel George Washington leaves Fort Loudoun Winchester VA to attend to it.

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Douglas Southall Freeman writes that William Fairfax oversaw George Washington's welfare far more than a much more distant Lord Fairfax.

From Douglas Southall Freeman's Young George Washington, Volume 2, Pages 266 :

On September 3, 
death had taken Col, William Fairfax, [footnote 16] 
the man who had done more 
than any other single individual 
to counsel and to advance young George Washington.

Because of the glamour of a title and the Weight of wealth, 
it may have been assumed 
by some of Washington’s friends 
that Lord Fairfax 
had given the strongest momentum 
to George’s own effort; 
but, actually, 
the peer had done little for Washington as a boy 
and nothing material for him as a young man.



Colonel [William] Fairfax, on the other hand, had transferred to George the moral assistance he had given to Lawrence.

He could not have been kinder to the son-in-law [Lawrence Washington] than to the dead man’s younger brother.

As a member of the Council of State for thirteen years, 1744-57, William Fairfax had served during the whole of George’s military duty from the time of the journey to Fort Le Boeuf.

There scarcely had been a session of the General Assembly from 1753 onward during which Fairfax had not sat in the upper house, to see, among other things, that Washington was informed of every move that would help or hurt.

Fairfax enjoyed the confidence of [Lt Gov] Dinwiddie and doubtless smoothed some of the roughness that developed on the road of communication between Williamsburg and Winchester.

Although there was perhaps something pompous in the manner of Colonel [William] Fairfax, there always was sound counsel, accurate information and intelligent restraint in his letters to his young friend up the river at Mount Vernon. 

Washington appreciated the advantage of his proximity and association and in this spirit he had admonished his brother John [John Augustine Washington, 28 May 1755]:

“It is in their power,” he said of the family at Belvoir, “to be very serviceable upon many occasions to us, as young beginners.” 

He acknowledged: 
“ , for to that family I am under many obligations, particularly to 
the old gentleman ” [footnote 17] 

Doubtless from Colonel [William] Fairfax, who was widely traveled and used to genteel life and manners, George learned more of the arts of society than from any other person except Lawrence.

It was, therefore, as much a personal duty as it was a neighborly social obligation to make plans to ride over the mountain to Colonel [William] Fairfax’s formal funeral, later in the month, [footnote 18] even though the continuance of the bloody flux would make the journey difficult and perhaps painful. [footnote 19] 



[footnote 16]
Gentleman's Mag , November, 1757, p 531, 16 V 208. For his will, see 4 V 102-04 

[footnote 17]
Letter of May 28, 1755, 1 GW, 129 

[footnote 18] 
For the postponement of funerals, see Vol I, p 114 :

"If season or circumstance necessitated a burial before kinsmen and cherished friends could be assembled, the funeral sermon might be deferred for days."

[footnote 19]
The dates of extant letters show Washington at Fort Loudoun as late as September 24, 1757 See 2 GW, 135