When Lord Fairfax peformed his duties in Winchester VA
Lord Fairfax made trips to Winchester often. He held two offices requiring such visits to Winchester VA.
The Winchester Star noted that he held no political office. If the Winchester Star meant political office to mean an elected office then the statement stands as correct. However Lord Fairfax did hold appointed political offices.
"Before Straub addressed the dozens of people gathered at Winchester Brew Works on North Cameron Street, Charles Harbaugh IV, who serves as Middletown’s mayor and is an avid historical reenactor, explained why Fairfax, who held no political office in the 13 American colonies and remained loyal to the British monarchy until the day he died, was being discussed on Presidents Day. " -- Presentation chronicles the many burials of Lord Fairfax By BRIAN BREHM The Winchester Star Feb 18, 2025He was a Justice of Peace.
He was also County Lieutenant. That position required he raise a militia, hold regular drills and inspections. If he did not perform those duites, the law then could penalize him financially.
Also as County Lieutenant, Lord Fairfax was at the Indian Peace conference in 1753 held at the courthouse site. The indians stayed in the unfinished wooden church located on the same site on which Lord Fairfax would later be buried after his death Dec 9, 1781.
He was also the Proprieter, the owner of land the size of Massachussets within the colony of Virginia. This ownership allowed him the right to "grant" land and then to charge annual quit rents on that land he granted. Selling these grants and collecting quit rents often required a visit to Winchester's courthouse.
Being a landowner made him a voter. Only landowners of either 50 acres lots undeveloped or 25 acres with a dwelling on it qualified them to vote. So, Lord Fairfax had to come to the courthouse to vote. He was the first voter in line to Colonel George Washington's election to the House of Burgesses.
Did Lord Fairfax see Fort Loudoun?
Lord Fairfax did see a partially built Fort Loudoun in August of 1756. He joined the city leaders and the Virginia Regiment
He may have needed to guard Fort Loudoun. if Rutherford's Rangers rebelled at garrisoning the fort while the Virginia Regiment was needed on the Forbes Expedition, then Lord Fairfax as County Lieutanant might need to get involved with raising a militia to guard Fort Loudoun,
That's it.
That's our lead story.
There's always more.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
Table of Contents
He was a Justice of Peace.
He was also County Lieutenant.
He was also the Proprieter
Being a landowner made him a voter
Did Lord Fairfax see Fort Loudoun?
Compiled and researched by Jim Moyer 2/21/2025
He was a Justice of Peace
4. The Frederick County court convened on 14 Nov., and on 16 Nov. Thomas, Lord Fairfax, presented himself to be sworn as a justice of the peace and as county lieutenant of Frederick County (Frederick County Order Book 3, 1748–51, p. 179).Footnote 4
In 1752, Fairfax moved out to the Shenandoah Valley, where he lived with his nephew Thomas Bryan Martin in current-day Clarke County, Virginia. Fairfax frequently hunted for foxes with his nephew to pass time. Fairfax also served as the county lieutenant and as justice of the peace for Frederick County, Virginia near his newly settled home. Source
He was also a County Lieutenant
In 1661 Governor William Berkeley stated, "All our freemen are bound to be trained every month in their particular counties." The British county lieutenant system was employed as the population grew; each county had a lieutenant, appointed as the county's chief militia officer. Source - Wikipedia
That position required he raise a militia, hold regular drills and inspections. If he did not perform those duites, the law then could penalize him financially
He was head of court martial of his county militia in 1755. He presided over this court martial at the old court house on the site of today's 1840 Courthouse serving as a civil war museum.
Also as County Lieutenant, Lord Fairfax was at the Indian Peace conference in 1753 held at the courthouse site. The indians stayed in the unfinished wooden church located on the same site on which Lord Fairfax would later be buried after his death Dec 9, 1781.
More on the origins of Frederick County
He was also the Proprietor
He gave out grants
He collected quit rents
He had others perform those 2 actions, but he often came to town to review accounts.
The Northern Neck Land Office controlled 5,282,000 acres in land grants
The Northern Neck Land Office controlled 5,282,000 acres in land grants. . .
Being a landowner made him a voter
He was first in line to vote for Colonel George Washington 24 July 1758.
The 1758 election.
Lord Fairfax did vote for George Fairfax 11 Dec 1755.
To vote you had to be in person and say the name of your candidate out loud.
So these are 1 instances showing Lord Fairfax was in town.
But Lord Fairfax is not listed on the first page of voters for GW 18 May 1761.
Side note. It is interesting that Founders Online mistaked the 2nd James Wood as the first James Wood in this footnote on the 1761 election.
5. Prominent friends of GW and George Mercer did indeed succeed in hurrying “in at the first of the Poll.” Of the first fifteen men who stepped up to the polling table at Winchester on 18 May 1761 and announced their choices for burgesses, all but one voted for GW and all but three for Mercer. The first two to vote were GW’s brothers John and Samuel, and the first fifteen included as well GW’s brother-in-law Fielding Lewis, George Mercer’s brother James, the early settler of the county Isaac Hite, and the founder of Winchester James Wood, who in 1758 had been sheriff and GW’s chief supporter in the burgess election of that year. Among other early voters for GW and Mercer were Van Swearingen, GW’s close friend Dr. James Craik, and GW’s brother Charles Washington. See “A Copy of the Poll taken at the Election of Burgesses in Frederick County the 18th day of May 1761” in DLC:GW. See also the Frederick County Poll Sheet, 24 July 1758, enclosed in Charles Smith to Gw, 26 July 1758. For further references to the 1761 election in Frederick County, see Robert Stewart to GW, 10 June 1761, n.1.Footnote 5
Side note
Robert Stewart at Stalnakers on the Holstein river for the Cherokee War 20 July 1761
Lord Fairfax voted for George Fairfax 11 Dec 1755.
Was George Washington caned?
Totals for 1755 and 1758 and 1761 elections
This link quotes Barton who had the year of the first election wrong. Barton shows 1757 but the election was held 10 Dec 1755. That election George Washington lost.
Some election rules
Did Lord Fairfax see Fort Loudoun?
August 1756 announcing Declared War, he joined the city leaders to march around town.
He may have needed to guard Fort Loudoun. if Rutherford's Rangers rebelled at garrisoning the fort while the Virginia Regiment was needed on the Forbes Expedition, then Lord Fairfax as County Lieutanant might need to get involved with raising a militia to guard Fort Loudoun,
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Comments