Timeline on Lord Fairfax' Remains' Moves - Grave Matters
1753 Unfinished wooden church seen.
Eyewitness accounts of the Shawnee Indians coming to Winchester VA for a peace conference indicate there was an unfinished wooden church near the log courthouse. See source.
1762 Feb 9 - a contract was signed to build a stone church closer to the northeast corner of Boscawen and Loudoun. The previous wooden one was situated closer to the original log courthouse.
1766 Stone church construction was completed. NE corner of Loudoun and Boscawen.
1781 Dec 9, Lord Fairfax dies. (Virginia Baron, The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E brown Jr, 1965 Chesapeake Book Company, Berryville VApage 187)
1781, Dec 27 hearse comes from Alexandria and travels either to Winchester or Greenway Court? (Virginia Baron, The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E brown Jr, 1965 Chesapeake Book Company, Berryville VApage 188)
1781 or 1782 ? Lord Fairfax buried in the stone church on NE corner of Loudoun and Boscawen.
A marble tablet was inscribed with these words "In Memory of Thomas, Lord Fairfax, who died 1782 and whose ashes repose underneath this church, which he endowed" (Virginia Baron, The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E brown Jr, 1965 Chesapeake Book Company, Berryville VApage 189)
1828 February/ March construction begins of new Church on corner of Washington and Boscawen
1828 February old church torn down (Christ Church book page 80)
1828 April a workman received a 1.50 for removing "some" remains found under the [old] church (page 87)
1828, May 1 James [page 85] Stackhouse paid to re-inter the bones of Lord Fairfax under the new chancel [of the new church] (The History of Christ Church, Frederick Parish, Winchester, 1745-2000" by Katharine L Brown, Nancy T Sorrells, J Susanne Simmons, published 2001, Lot's Wife Publishing, Staunton VA, page 87)
1828, June 14 cornerstone of new church laid.(The History Christ Church, page 81)
1828 October 6 deed recorded for the unfinished new church (The History Christ Church, page 80)
1829 construction of new church ends
1829, October 30 construction of new church ended. "The completion coincided with the appointment of William Meade as Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia. In his first official act . . . consecrated the new structure on October 30. (Christ Church book page 87)
The book Virginia Baron states the old stone church was destroyed in 1829.
The book on the History of Christ Church states the old stone church was torn down in February 1828 (he History Christ Church, page 80)
1925 The chancel was moved while the church was being enlarged
May 19, 1924 is the date of an article in the Daily Independent stating that the Christ Church Episcopal decided to look for the remains of Lord Fairfax before construction begins. June 9, 1925, The Daily Independent proclaims the remains of Lord Fairfax were found.
". . . . for some reason in 1924 Robert T Barton requested permission to search for the remains of Fairfax "supposed to be interred under the chancel of the church" Permission was granted for a search under the direction Jjunior Warden Nelson Page. The location of the remains and their state of decomposition were described in the almoust ghoulish detail in the vestry minutes. It appears that Lord Fairfax was doing his best to return to dust. The body was evidently placed under the original chancel after the celllar had been excavated but before the middle wall of the church was built in 1825. Except for part of a bottom board, three wrought iron handles and some iron nails, no evidence remained of the coffin. The bones were embedded in the dirt of the celllar floor and in disarray apparently from the 1828-interrment. The searchers gathered up what remained of Lord Fairfax and his coffin and locked everything in a mahogony box. As news of the discovery got out, the press arrived and requested permission to photograph the bones; but the long-deceased gentleman's privacy was protected and permission denied. "
"Within a short time the church had purchased a $500 crypt for the colonial benefactor and reburied him in the church basement. A Bronze tablet was also purchased from a Philadelphia firm for one hundred dollars. The new crypt was dedicated Dec 9. 1926, in an 8pm ceremony. Lord Fairfax still had one move ahead of him --- in 1955 when the chancel was enlarged."
("The History of Christ Church, Frederick Parish, Winchester, 1745-2000" by Katharine L Brown, Nancy T Sorrells, J Susanne Simmons, published 2001, Lot's Wife Publishing, Staunton VA, page 176)
This picture shows the digging up Lord Fairfax' remains found on both sides of a wall under the old chancel to make way for a new chancel in 1925.
He owned a colony within a colony. His brother was on the Privy Council to the King. He dealt with the high and the low. From metropole life and castles to a Frontier wilderness, while still subscribing to Gentleman's Quarterly. He was better at getting and keeping his land than John Dutton in the Yellowstone series. And then his bones were buried and they forgot. Even built a wall over his bones in the dirt basement not knowingly. And then it took an interesting black man to see his location in a dream. The press got wind of it. They didn't let the press take a picture. They were probably more ashamed of their stewardship of his bones than the cover story they presented to the press. Yeah. Respect his privacy. He was their benefactor. Decades later they move his bones again. Stored it in a bank deposit box while reassembling his current brick Tomb. They tried to do right by him. DO we know who he really was other than his name?
1955 the brick tomb monument was built to hold Lord Fairfax in its basement
". . . . in summer of 1755 when Howard Shockey and Sons, contractors, began construction on the church basement. The contractors immediated encountered interesting complications. Lord Fairfax's exhumed remains from the 1926 crypt [Mahogany box?] were placed first in the rector's vesting room closet and then in a bank vault, along with the memorial table given in 1929 by Fairfax Harrison, owner of Lord Fairfax's portrait, until a suitable tomb could be constructed in the church yard.
"The vestry saw plans for a $500 Fairfax Tomb in July 1956 and adopted Harry F Byrd's motion for implementation. Work was completed by the following spring [1957]. Moving the remains necessitated rewording the tablet to state that Lord Fairfax's remains "repose beside this church." The table was placed on the west wall of the nave. The tablet to the Reverend John Scott, a colonial rector in Virginia and Maryland, also buried under the church, was moved near Balmain's stone tablet on the west wall. A final piece of the Fairfax puzzle fell into place in June 1959. [Nelson?] Page reminded the vestry that Lord Fairfax's silver coffin plate was on loan to Handley Library and got authorization to negotiate its return."
1956 April 9 minutes of church authorizing tablet and Lord Fairfax' skeletal remains to be placed in SVNB, Shenandoah Valley National Bank
1957 Spring Brick tomb in its current place.
("The History of Christ Church, Frederick Parish, Winchester, 1745-2000" by Katharine L Brown, Nancy T Sorrells, J Susanne Simmons, published 2001, Lot's Wife Publishing, Staunton VA, page 203-205)
Researched in February 2024, Compiled by Jim Moyer 3/2/2024, 3/4/2024, 3/10/2024, updated 2/14/2025, 2/15/2025
Research Notes and questions
Before the first Burial
Virginia Baron, The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E brown Jr, 1965 Chesapeake Book Company, Berryville VA
Hades
Before Lord Fairfax dies, his caretaker speaks of a dream of seeing him in Hades.
Side note, this caretaker, Polly Ann Green lives on the western side of Ashby's Gap.
Lord Fairfax, born 22 Oct 1693, dies 9 December 1781, after the Battle of Yorktown which began Sept 28, 1781, and ended on Oct 19, 1781.
A Double Coffin is made with a large silver plate. Oddly, it shows a coat of arms of Viscounts Fairfax of Emeley rather than those of the Barons of Cameron.
Lord Fairfax' full title is Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.
That Silver Plate gets separated from the coffin. Question after question arises about this silver plate.
Place of Death is in dispute
Stuart E Brown Jr's book, "Virginia Baron - The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax" mentions "persistent local tradition" that Lord Fairfax died in Winchester VA and not at Greenway Court.
This tradition persists because Lord Fairfax' jackboots were left in the Winchester home of his physician, Dr Cornelius Baldwin.
A January 7, 1905 issue of the Daily Independent on page 3 disputes that "persistent local traditon."
It claims Lord Fairfax got sick in Winchester at this doctor's office, but that he was transported back to Greenway court to die. His jackboots were forgotten and left in the doctor's home while arranging the transport. Scroll down on that page. You may have to sign up for a free account at Handley Library to see this:
Who has Lord Fairfax Jackboots?
According to the above, the boots went this path:
Dr Cornelius Baldwin
Dr Robert Mackey
Dr Mackey had 2 daughters who married the two sons of Dr Baldwin
Wm C Kennerly of White Post
A wealth Northerner
Geo W Childs of Philadelphia got the Bell of Greenway Court but not the boots?
Questions
1828 or 1829? Lord Fairfax is moved from the old church and is buried under the new church chancel. The chancel is the place of the alter and pulpit and sometimes the chorus is included.
In 1829 the old stone church was razed according to the book Virginia Baron, The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax by Stuart E Brown Jr. I just don't have the dates starting construction which is 1828 and the end of construction.
That's the second burial.
1925 The chancel was moved while the church was being enlarged
May 19, 1924 is the date of an article in the Daily Independent stating that the Christ Church Episcopal decided to look for the remains of Lord Fairfax before construction begins.
June 9, 1925, The Daily Independent proclaims the remains of Lord Fairfax were found.
The quote below is from Chapter 21, page 189-190 of Stuart E Brown Jr's book, "Virginia Baron - The Story of Thomas 6th Lord Fairfax" who paraphrased a Letter from Robert T Barton to Fairfax Harrison 12 June 1925.
Then "while other changes were being contemplated. a search was made for the remains. At first, the quest produced nothing, but finally one of the Negro workmen. a part-time preacher, dreamed Fairfax's bones rested in a certain spot. And sure enough, the diggers there unearthed the remnants of a skeleton and a coffin, both of which were identified as being those of his lordship."
And where buried?
Was he interred in the church yard or under the new moved chancel?
Scott Straub found the answer.
He was reburied in the same basement. Maybe it was a different area of the basement but the Church records are silent on that. He was buried into a new tomb which had a bronze plaque. We are not sure if that was the same plaque now found on the 1955-1957 brick tomb in the side church yard outside.
That's the third burial.
Question on this 1925 move4
How did they identify the coffin if it had no label?
Answer: Probably by deducing from church records no one else was recorded buried under the church.
Could anybody tell if it was the "double coffin" ? Or was Lord Fairfax put in a different coffin when moved from the 1766 church to the 1828 church?
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When they found those remains, did they discover him buried underneath the original chancel like that man dreamed of its location?
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Did they find a silver plate on that coffin? Answer: The Historical Society of PA had Fairfax's oval silver plate for the coffin. So there there was no silver plate found when the discovered the bones of Lord Fairfax. How the Historical Society of PA in Philadelphia ever receive this plate? Maybe it got removed by a Union soldier when in Winchester VA.
Scott Straub visited the basement of Christ Episcopal Church on Boscawen and Washington. He was given a tour. On this tour he discovered the Historical Society of Pa gave the silver plate back to Christ Episcopal Church. He took this picture of it. The note below the plaque states it was returned to the Church in 1926. It shows the wrong coat of arms as described above.
A July 9, 1925 article of the Daily Independent documents that story of the return of this silver plate. The correct arms for Thomas 6th Lord of Fairfax is shown below.
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But where would that union soldier have found that plate? Especially if the remains of Lord Fairfax were removed with the coffin in 1829. Would the plate have fallen off? Or taken off and put where for 30 years until the civil war soldier found it ? . .. .
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Was the silver place held by the Historical Society of Pa match the description of the plate listed in inventory when Lord Fairfax died? The answer is no. They do not match.
The Frederick County Will Book 4:589 and 8 V 11
indicates a silver plate in the inventory. Is this the same silver plate the Historical Society of Pa held? And how long did they hold it? The inventory was from 1799 or revised at 1781 when Lord Fairfax died. Where and to whom did this plate go at his death? And then when did the Historical Society of PA get it -- that is, if it is the same plate. The inventory in the Frederick Co Will book states the silver plate was 25lb and 10 1/2 oz. Could that be the coffin plate? The Will book does not state if there was a coat of arms inscribed on that plate.
Because of the weight, this silver plate listed in the Frederick County Will Book appears to be different from the silver plate showing the wrong arms returned by the Historical Society of PA to Christ Episcopal Church.
Timeline Resumed
1955 the brick tomb monument was built to hold Lord Fairfax's final resting place?
That year was when the church authorized to build a tomb for outside. But the fundraising and building took 2 years according to Scott Straub reading Church records. But where were the bones during those 2 years? The bones were moved twice. Once inside the church, and then to a bank vault. We don't know what bank that was yet.
Also, according to Scott Straub reading the church records, the jaw was found in the middle of the body of the bones and only one leg is mentioned. Could the other leg bone still be near the first excavation in 1925?
That's the fourth burial.
A Winchester Star article states his remains were interred in the church yard in the 1940s. See bottom of 3rd column. But Scott Straub states that is either a typo or mistake in the article.
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Researched in February 2024, Compiled by Jim Moyer 3/2/2024, 3/4/2024, 3/10/2024
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Scott Straub has obtained this book mentioned in the article below:
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Scott Straub obtained the book mentioned in the article above.
"The History of Christ Church, Frederick Parish, Winchester, 1745-2000" by Katharine L Brown, Nancy T Sorrells, J Susanne Simmons, published 2001, Lot's Wife Publishing, Staunton VA,
Other than that book,
we have not looked through all the
Handley Library archives
holding Christ Church Episcopal journals - -
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Lord Fairfax and Family
Scott Straub took a photo of this portrait of Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax, held by Christ Episcopal Church.
Lord Fairfax expands Winchester VA
Feb 13, 2023
Lord Fairfax and Willa Cather
Feb 25, 2021
Meet William Fairfax for the Last Time
posted Oct 17, 2021
Meet William Fairfax et al
posted Apr 4, 2021
Bryan Fairfax marries in 1759, later the 8th Lord Fairfax
posted Dec 1, 2023
R.T. Barton
Biography of Robert Thomas Barton
Robert Thomas Barton (November 24, 1842 – January 17, 1917) was a Virginia lawyer and politician, the author of law and historical books and articles, and a president of the Virginia Bar Association.
Born in Winchester, Virginia he served in the Confederate Army, as did his five brothers, two of whom were killed in the War.[1]
In 1865, he was admitted to the bar and became one of the leading lawyers in the state.[2]
He was also author of some standard textbooks, Barton’s Law Practice[3] and Barton’s Chancery Practice,[4] and edited a two-volume set of the records of Virginia's colonial courts, Virginia Colonial Decisions: The Reports by Sir John Randolph and by Edward Barradall of Decisions of the General Court of Virginia, 1728-1741,[5] "which has been a landmark reference work for mid-eighteenth century Virginia since its first printing in 1909."[6]
Barton was also a member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1884–85),
mayor of Winchester from 1899 to 1903,
and sat as chair or president on several state and local organizations.[2]
His term as president of The Virginia Bar Association was 1892-93.[7]
He was made president of the Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Winchester in 1902.[1]
Barton married twice, first to Katie Knight (1868) and then to Gertrude W. Baker (1890). He had two children with Gertrude. He was buried in Mt. Hebron cemetery.[2]
Source:
Robert Barton became the first president of the bank and served in this position until his death in 1914. Wikipedia and Wikitree states he died in 1917.
Robert Thomas Barton
Born 24 Nov 1842 in Winchester, Virginia
Died 18 Jan 1917 at age 74 in Winchester, Virginia (Wikipedia states 17 Jan 1917)
ANCESTORS
Brother of Randolph Jones Barton Sr.
[spouse(s) unknown]
DESCENDANTS
Father of Robert Thomas Barton Jr.
Source:
His son
also named Robert Thomas Barton, Jr.
Birth date: October 15, 1891 Birth Place:Winchester, VA
Death Date: 08/17/1980
Military Service: Virginia National Guard (116th Infantry)
Memberships/Affiliations: Episcopal Church, Masons, Elk, Moose, Odd Fellows, Delta Phi Phi Delta Phi
Robert Thomas Barton Jr.
Born 15 Oct 1891 in Winchester, Virginia
ANCESTORS
Son of Robert Thomas Barton and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of Eleanor Winch (Parrish) Barton — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Father of Robert T. Barton III
Died 17 Aug 1980 at age 88 in Richmond, Virginia
Robert Barton Jr. is buried in Mount. Hebron Cemetery.
Biographical sketch
Robert T. Barton [1]Biographical Information
Robert T. Barton (Class of ’14) was born in Winchester, Virginia in 1891 and received his education at the Shenandoah Valley Academy and the University of Virginia, which awarded him the degrees of B. S. and L. L. B. in 1914.
He served as a lieutenant in the Infantry in the Mexican border campaign of 1916 – 1917 and as a captain in the Field Artillery in 1918 – 1919, participating in the battles of St. Mithiel and the Meuse Argonne. In World War II, he saw eighteen months’ service overseas with the Army Air Corps as a colonel.
Mr. Barton took an active part in Virginia politics, having been a member of the Virginia General Assembly in 1926 and on the staffs of three governors of Virginia. He was a member of every Democratic State Convention since 1920 and he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1936.
Among his services to the work of the organized Bar, Mr. Barton was a member from Virginia of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws since 1934, and chairman of its executive committee in 1942 – 1943, and he was a former vice president and chairman of the executive committee of the Virginia State Bar Association.
The father,
RT Barton, wrote in 1897 about George Washington's 3 runs for election in Frederick CO VA in 1755, 1758 and 1761
The son,
RT Barton Jr wrote about Lord Fairfax
Fairfax, Thomas Lord - address by Robert T. Barton, Jr., March 1929, 1 item (2 copies), typescript, 27 leaves, one copy bound
Handley Archives
Barton was not the one who forbade the photograph, it was Dr Maguire.
Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax was buried four times, but he was moved more than that. Here's what we have so far. A few bones might be missing, like the bones for a leg. Scott Straub of the French and Indian War Foundation said it was not Barton but rather it was a McGuire who forbade any photograph of those bones when they were dug up. In following up on that lead it was a Barton who suggested digging up the bones. This author (Jim Moyer) found out that Barton must have been the son, RT Barton Jr (1891-1980 of the famous RT Barton (1842-1917) father. Maybe McGuire felt it too ghastly for the public. Maybe he was protective of Christ Episcoplal Church as custodian of Lord Fairfax' remains. Scott Straub discovered in the records of Christ Church Episcopal mentioning "the leg" -- as in one leg? Maybe that was a mistake omitting the S, or maybe the writer meant only one leg was found. If so, maybe there still exists the bones of the other leg underneath the old chancel where he was said to be buried originally in 1828. So the question is that church record mentioning "the leg" in 1925 - did it really mean only one leg?. By 1955 a tomb was suggested to be built outside in the church yard. During the fundraising and building of that tomb, the remains of Lord Fairfax had to sit somewhere. At one point they were put in a bank vault. So the hunt has begun. Which Bank? This author (Jim Moyer) discovered that Handley Archives has moved all the Winchester newspapers off of microfiche to online. Hours of searching through microfiche was eliminated. But searching through the online newspapers turned up nothing. The Church might have never recorded what bank vault held the remains of Lord Fairfax, much less reported that temporary resting place to the newspaper. Guess? It's Farmers Merchants Bank. We guess that their bank vault on its location at Loudoun Street, held the remains of Lord Fairfax temporarily. RT Barton Jr (1891-1980), who forbade a photograph of Lord Fairfax' remains, was son to RT Barton (1842-1917) , first President of F&M Bank.
All this has to be reviewed for accuracy by Scott Straub who has access to the actual church record.
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Last updated 3/25/2024
Daniel Morgan's Grave Matters
Daniel Morgan's GRAVE MATTERS (the first body snatch 1865)
posted Feb 17, 2016
Daniel Morgan's GRAVE MATTERS (the move to Mt Hebron)
posted Feb 18, 2016
Daniel Morgan's GRAVE MATTERS (JP Morgan's big fail)
posted Feb 19, 2016
Daniel Morgan's Grave Matters (the story of the wrong cannon in 1921)
posted Feb 16, 2016
Daniel Morgan's GRAVE MATTERS (Who gets his body in 1951?)
Feb 18, 2016
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