George William Fairfax

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

George William Fairfax, painted by Joseph Wood 1816

George William Fairfax, was born in Bath, England, and died on 3 April, 1787. He was the son of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron's first cousin, Colonel Sir William Fairfax, lieutenant of the County of Fairfax, and member and president of the council in Virginia. He came to Virginia as a young man, and was a contemporary and companion of George Washington. He inherited Belvoir after the death of his father. George William and his wife Sally Fairfax returned to England in 1773, prior to the events of the American Revolutionary War, to take care of a family property matters. They did not return to Virginia afterwards, due to the political difficulties of travel from England to the colonies after the war.