FAIRFAX, THOMAS, Lord, gen. of time parliamentary troops in England during the civil wars under Charles I., was the son of Ferdinand, lord F., and was b. in 1611, at Denton, in Yorkshire. He studied at St. John's college, Cambridge, and afterwards served as a volunteer in Holland, under lord Vere, whose fourth daughter, Anne, he married shortly after his return to England. On the outbreak of the civil war in 1642, F. warmly espoused the cause of the parliament, and was appointed cavalry-gen. under his father, who commanded the parliamentary forces in the north. He distinguished himself so much by his valor, prudence, and energy, that in 1645, when the earl of Essex resigned his office of gen. of the parliamentary forces, F. was appointed in his room. In a short time, Cromwell, who had been appointed lieut.gen., obtained un bounded influence over him; and from this time, although nominally head of the parliamentary forces, he really played a secondary part. At last, in June. 1650, he
refused to march against the Scots, who had proclaimed Charles II. king, and Cromwell was appointed commander-in-chief in his stead. F. now withdrew into private life, and did not come forward again until after the death of Cromwell, when he showed a zeal for the restoration of the king, gathered troops for that purpose to assist gen. Monk against Lambert; and was appointed one of the delegates dispatched to the Hague in 1660 to promote the return of Charles II. He died at Bilburgh, near York, 12th Feb., 1671. F. had a slight turn for literary pursuits, and wrote several works, prose and poetic; among others, one entitled Short Memorials, which was published in 1699.