Admiral Robert Fairfax was born in February 1666 and baptised on the 23rd February at Steeton Chapel in Newton Kyme, Yorkshire. He was the second son of William Fairfax of Steeton and Newton Kyme, and his wife Catherine Stapleton. His grandfather, Sir William Fairfax, had been a colonel in the parliamentary army and was killed at the relief of Montgomery Castle in 1644.
Robert Fairfax's first experience of the sea was aboard a merchant ship commanded by Captain Bushell in 1681. In January 1688 he was received as a volunteer on board the 'Mary', the flagship of Sir Roger Strickland, and was promoted to be lieutenant of the 'Bonaventure', commanded by Captain Thomas Hopson, later that same year. In this role Fairfax saw action at the battle in Bantry Bay (1 May 1689), the relief of Londonderry (July 1689), and the battle of Beachy Head (20 June 1690).
In November 1690, Fairfax was promoted to command the 'Conception', and for the next two years was stationed at Boston, Massachusetts, cruising against French privateers. In June 1693 he returned to England where he was appointed to the 'Ruby' and ordered to cruise on the coast of Ireland for the protection of trade. During this time he captured a French privateer, the 'Entreprenante', and was consequently promoted to command of the eighty gun 'Newark' in recognition of his service. In the Newark, and later in the 'Cornwall', he was employed in convoy duty in the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the Portuguese coast.
On the death of his elder brother in 1694, Robert Fairfax succeeded to the Steeton and Newton Kyme estates. On 20 November of that year he married Esther, the sister of Captain Bushell and widow of Charles Tomlinson of Whitby.
In May 1699, Fairfax was appointed to the 'Severn,' followed by the 'Cambridge' and the 'Restoration.' In January 1703 he took command of the 'Somerset,' before being transferred to the 'Kent' as flag captain to Rear-Admiral Thomas Dilkes.
In 1704, as commander of the 'Berwick', Fairfax was tried by court martial, along with six other captains, for their failure to capture a French squadron off Cape Palos on the Spanish coast. All were fully acquitted. Fairfax went on to fight at the capture of Gibralter and the battle of Malaga in the same year. In 1705 he took part in the capture of Barcelona aboard the 'Torbay'.
In 1706 Fairfax was given command of the 'Barfleur' as commander-in-chief in the Thames and Medway, and in early 1707 he was commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. After a commission as vice-admiral of the blue was cancelled in 1708, Fairfax refused all further service and retired from naval life later that year.
Following his retirement, Fairfax was elected Member of Parliament for the city of York at a by-election in 1713. In 1715 he served as Lord Mayor of York. He spent the rest of his life in Yorkshire, attending to the management and development of his property.
Admiral Fairfax died on 17 October 1725 and was survived by his wife and 2 children.
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GB 193
Log books, including assorted papers relating to Fairfax’s naval career and entries relating to his part at the Battle of Malaga and reduction of Barcelona and Gibraltar,1695-1705; order book, 1694-1706.
The archive was purchased by the University of York Library and deposited in the Borthwick Institute in August 1974.
Further accruals are not expected.
The records were originally in Newton Kyme and were purchased in 1961. They form part of the University Library Manuscripts collection.
For related material held by the Borthwick Institute, see copies of correspondence by Admiral Fairfax, including commissions and other naval papers, in the Photocopy Collection (Ref: GB 193 PH 131).
The papers of Admiral Robert Fairfax, 1666-1725, are held by the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London (ref. GB 064 MSS/FFX).
Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.
A reprographics service is available to researchers. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute, University of York, terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.
A typescript catalogue, to file level, is available for consultation in the Borthwick Institute's searchrooms and at the National Register of Archives, London.
Clements R. Markham, 'Life of Robert Fairfax of Steeton, Vice-Admiral, Alderman, and Member for York - 1666-1725' (London, 1885).
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On the verso of each folio is a table giving the month and the day of the year, weekday, morning, noon and night (wind directions), courses sailed, distance run in miles, latitude corrected, longitude corrected, meridian distance, bearings and distances of headlands. The recto of each folio is concerned with daily entries entitled 'Remarkable Observations and Accidents'.
Size: 14½ x 9½ inches. Binding: contemporary vellum with one tie intact. Limp covers, loose with paste-down endpapers free.
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HMS Newark 3 June 1695-18 September 1695, at anchorage at Hull, Spithead and St Helens and cruising in home waters.
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HMS Cornwall 16 December 1696 to 1st April 1698; at anchorage at Spithead, Torbay, Cork, Gillingham and Chatham and cruising in the soundings and off Ushant. Service under Admirals Benbow, Mitchell, Rooke and Aylmer.
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The Log Book covers the period 1699-1705 (folios 1-158). On the verso of each folio is a table giving the month and the day of the year, weekday, morning, noon and night (wind directions), courses sailed, distance run in miles, latitude corrected, longitude corrected, meridian distance, bearings and distances of headlands. The recto of each folio is concerned with daily entries entitled 'Remarkable Observations and Accidents'
The papers later bound into the volume span the period 1694/5 to 1709.
Size: 11" x 8"
Binding: Half red morocco with spine titling and tooling in gold. Marbled and inserted endpapers. Bound May 1885 by Izacke, Tufton Street, Westminster.
On the verso of folio I is the following note:
"1884. The Log Book was found behind the books in the book case of the small study at Newton Kyme. The old binding was worn and torn and at the back partly worn away. The other papers in this volume were loose and scattered about in old boxes with deeds and other documents injured by damp and age.'
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HMS Severn - 8th May 1699 - 21st September 1700, at Spithead, the Nore, Sheerness, Torbay, the Down, the Soundings, cruising in home waters and off Copenhagen. Service under Admirals Shovell, Hopson and Rooke.
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HMS Cambridge at anchorage in Portsmouth harbour.
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HMS Restoration at anchorage at Spithead and Portsmouth cruising in the soundings and off the northern coast of Spain (Galicia) and off Vigo. Service under Admirals Munden and Shovell.
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HMS Somerset at anchorage at Chatham, Spithead and the Nore and cruising off Dunkirk.
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HMS Kent at anchorage at Spithead, Portsmouth and Cork, cruising in the Bay of Biscay and off Ushant and Bell-Île. Action off Granvelle. Service under admirals Dilkes, Leake and Rooke.
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HMS Berwick at anchorage at Portsmouth, Spithead, the Nore Chatham and off Lisbon. Took part in the landing at Lisbon. Took part in the landing at Barcelona, the capture of Gibraltar and the Battle of Malaga. Service under Admiral Rooke.
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Appointments relating to various volunteers serving in Fairfax's ships Newark, Cornwall, Severn, Cambridge, Somerset, Restoration and Torbay.
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To be observed in landing the army under Earl Rivers. Issued by Admiral Shovell.
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Order regarding a contract for seamen's clothing: with details and prices of the clothing obtainable from Richard Harnage of London.
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Warrant from Prince George of Denmark, Lord High Admiral concerning the trial of Captian Temple, of HMS Advice (prize), for irregularities complained of by Robert Saunders of the same ship. Addressed to Fairfax as commander of HMS Albemarle and Commander-in-Chief of the ships at Spithead and in Portsmouth Harbour. Record of the proceedings at the Court Martial, 23rd June 1707.
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Warrant from Prince George of Denmark, Lord High Admiral., concerning the trial of Lieutenant Ward of HMS Canterbury for beating and abusing the master of the ship. Addressed to Fairfax, 11th June 1707. Includes record of the court proceedings for the Court Martial on 18th June 1707.
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The 50 senior captains are to be entitled to half-pay. Captains are listed by name, date of first commission, rate, name of ship and those presently employed in the navy. 18 April 1700. [Issued 27 May 1700]
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With dates from which they are allowed to take post. Appended is a list of masters and commanders of HM ships who have not taken post as Captains, with the dates of their first commissions. Issued 18 August 1704.
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Concerning the cancellation of Fairfax's promotion to Vice-Admiral and his entitlement to half pay. Undated, but after 25 December 1709.
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The case concerned the cancellation of Fairfax's promotion to Vice-Admiral and his entitlement to half pay.
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Minute of the High Lord Admiral on Fairfax's case.
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Petition relating to Fairfax's case, c. 1708.
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The volume contains the Orders received by Fairfax from the Admirals in whose fleets and squadrons he served as Captain. There are approximately 350 separate items.
Size: 14" x 9"
Binding: Half red morocco with gold titling and tooling. Marbled and inserted endpapers. The items are mounted on narrow tongues and bound into volume form c. 1869. Several Orders have been stuck together before mounting, and some text is thus obscured.