Frances Fairfax

Brief Life History of Frances

When Frances Fairfax was born on 13 December 1612, in Denton, Yorkshire, England, her father, Baron Ferdinand Fairfax, was 28 and her mother, Baroness Mary Sheffield, was 25. She married Sir Thomas Wetherington MP on 13 October 1634, in Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, Yorkshire East Riding, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 11 sons and 7 daughters. She died on 4 May 1649, in London, England, at the age of 36, and was buried in London, England.

Photos and Memories (3)

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Family Time Line

Sir Thomas Wetherington MP
1608–1664
Frances Fairfax
1612–1649
Marriage: 13 October 1634
Sir Thomas Widdrington
1620–1664
Edward Witherington
1640–1677
Andrew Witherington
1645–1667
Andrew Witherington or Widdington
William Widdrington
Dorothy Widdrington
1636–1649
Mary de Widdrington
1637–1683
Frances Widdrington
1637–1683
Esther Witherington
1639–
Sir Thomas Widdrington
1640–1660
Samuel Widdrington
1640–1717
Master Samuel Witherington
1640–1717
Samuel Witherington or Widdrington
1640–1717
Catherine Witherington
1642–1676
Mary Widdrington
1644–1683
Esther Witherington
1645–1716
Nicholas Widdington
1647–1712
Ursula Widdrington
1647–1717

Sources (12)

  • Legacy NFS Source: Frances Fairfax - birth-name: Francis Fairfax
  • England, Durham Diocese, Calendar of Marriage Bonds & Allegations, 1594-1815; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6DCR-4B?cc=1840743&wc=MLVD-PT1%3A165412001%2C165412002%2C165412401
  • Frances in entry for Dorothy Widdrington, "England, Buckinghamshire, Church Records, 1217-1994"

World Events (2)

1620 · The Pilgrims Board the Mayflower

"The Pilgrims boarded the Mayflower in search of religious freedom in the New World in September 1620. The Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers, 40 of whom called themselves ""Saints."" After two stormy months at sea, the ship reached the New World. Nearly half of the group died during their first winter due to malnutrition and the harsh New England winter."

1642 · The English Civil War

A series of conflicts regarding England's governance during the years 1642 to 1651 is now known as The English Civil War. Charles I summoned supporters to join him against his enemies in Parliament. In October 1642, nearly 10,000 men fought for Charles I and chased Parliament across the River Tamar. Fighting continued for years and was finally ended at the Battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651, with a Parliamentarian victory.

Name Meaning

English: nickname for someone with beautiful long hair, from Middle English fair fax ‘beautiful tresses’. This was a common descriptive phrase in Middle English: the alliterative poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight refers to ‘fair fanning fax’ encircling the shoulders of the doughty warrior.

History: Thomas Fairfax (1693–1781), an army officer from Leeds Castle, Kent, England, first came to VA in 1735 and settled on maternal estates there as a proprietor in 1747.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Story Highlight

Fitzherbert, Martha story

When Martha FitzHerbert was born in 1621 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, her father, William, was 26, and her mother, Mary, was 25. She married Thomas (Capt) Witherington and they had 11 childre …

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