Baptized
born: abt 1504 in Steeton, Yorkshire, England
died: 31 October 1557
Died:
Buried:&
Married: Isabel Thwaits
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"A romance equal to the Scottish ballad of Young Lochinvar twines
about his marriage. The young Sir William Fairfax loved and was loved in
return by Isabel Thwaits, a beautiful Yorkshire heiress, who was guarded
like a rare flower within the walls of a Cisterclan nunnery, on the River
Wharge. She was under the care of the Abbess, Anna Langton. The abbess
was not slow to perceive the blossoming of love's springtime between her
ward and the gallant young knight. Hence she prohibited all meetings between
the pair, and the young suitor, finding supplication, diplomacy and even
commands from those in high authority unavailing, stormed the nunnery in
warlike fashion, captured the willing lady of his heart, carried her off
in triumph to Bolton Percy Church, and without loss of time or speech with
her abbess guardian made her his wife. Since all the world loves a lover
the Ainsty region rang with rejoicings over the match, and Isabel Fairfax
and her gallant knight lived happily ever after. Through his wife, William
acquired Denton Castle and through her descendants the nunnery where she
was confined was wrestled from the abbess, and Nun-Appleton, built upon
its site was afterward the home of Thomas Fairfax, 3rd baron, whose daughter's
wooing was less tempestuous, but whose married life as Duchess of Buckingham
was full of sorrow. The hothead himself, Sir William Fairfax was less patient
with others of a like nature. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his second
son, the eldest having died. Sir Thomas Fairfax of Denton who received
that estate from his mother, but who lost Steeton Castle to his youngest
son, Gabriel. The unruly son Thomas had offended his father by aiding the
Duke of Bourbon at the sacking of Rome, hence his name is not even mentioned
in the will. This will, copies of which still exist, is a curious document,
in which the son fallen under the father's displeasure is never mentioned."
(Baltimore Sun, 15 January 1903)
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