Thomas Fairfax Biography

Birth of Ferdinando Fairfax

Birth of Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, eldest son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Birth of Thomas Fairfax, 3rd Lord Fairfax of Cameron

Studies at St Johns College, Cambridge (1626-29)

Raises the Yorkshire Redcaps to fight in the Bishops War for which he is knighted

Raises a forces called the Yorkshire Redcaps for which he is knighted

Fairfax receives command of Parliamentarian cavalry operating in Yorkshire.

Fairfax presents a Yorkshire petition urging the King to return to Westminster.

Captures Leads for the Parliamentarians

Captures Leads for the Parliamentarians

Fairfax suffers a severe defeat while withdrawing Parliamentarian infantry toward Leeds.

Captures Wakefield for the Parliamentarians

Fairfax fights in the Parliamentarian defeat at Adwalton Moor and withdraws as Royalist power expands across Yorkshire.

The Parliamentary forces are driven back to Hull. Defeated by the Royalists near Bradford. After the Battle of Adwalton Moor the royalists occupy the West Riding of Yorkshire

Appointed Governor of Hull

Helps capture York for the Parliamentarians

Fairfax helps prevent Hull from falling during the Royalist siege, preserving an important Parliamentarian base in Yorkshire.

Combines with Cromwell & Manchester to check the Governor of Newark

Fairfax fights with Parliament's forces at Winceby, where the Royalist field army in Lincolnshire is defeated.

Helps capture Newcastle for the Parliamentarians

Fairfax helps defeat Byron's Royalist army at Nantwich, relieving the town and weakening Royalist control in Cheshire.

Defeats Irish Royalists & local troops who have laid siege to Nantwich

Fairfax defeats Royalist forces at Selby, helping open the way for Parliamentarian pressure on York.

Defeats the Royalists under Lord Bellasis & captures Selby

Lord Newcastles Royalist force of 5,000 is trapped in York

The Covenanters & Parliament join forces at Tadcaster

The Covenanters & Parliament join forces at Tadcaster

Begins the siege where Newcastle is stranded with 5,000 men but is relieved by Rupert

Appointed Governor of York

A gathering of eager national forces within a few square miles of ground naturally led to a battle, and Marston Moor proves decisive for the struggle in the north.

Cromwell relieves Fairfax and Parliament is victorious.

Fairfax's horse meets Gorings 1st line and charges them successfully.

The city of York is taken after the Battle of Marston Moor, and nearly the whole of the north submits to the Parliament.

Thomas Fairfax Cameron, 3rd commands the right suffering heavy losses from Goring.

Fairfax fights on the Parliamentarian side during the major victory at Marston Moor.

The city of York is taken after the Battle of Marston Moor, and nearly the whole of the north submits to the Parliament

Resumes the siege of York after victory at Marston Moor

Appointed Captain General of the New Model Army

Appointed Captain General of the New Model Army

Organised into 12 infantry & 11 cavalry regiments & 1 dragoon regiment. Becomes the 1st Commander of the New Model Army

Fairfax is appointed to command the New Model Army and begins organising Parliament's new national field force.

Fairfax becomes commander of the New Model Army created to improve Parliament's war effort.

Marches out from Windsor prior to the Battle of Naseby

Reaches Blandford & detaches 6 regiments for the relief of Taunton

Arrives at Nuneham near Oxford & is joined by Cromwell

Siege of Oxford by Fairfax and the New Model Army

Rupert captures and ransacks Leicester in an attempt to draw Fairfax away from Oxford

Rupert captures and ransacks Leicester in an attempt to draw Fairfax away from Oxford

After Royalists take Leicester Fairfax is ordered nth

Marches to Newport Pagnell on his way to besiege Oxford

Fairfax arrives at Newport Pagnell where is joined by Vermuyden & his 2,500 horse

Initial contact between Fairfax and the King's army at Borough Hill

Cromwell joins forces with Fairfax & Parliament has an Army of more than 13,000 men

Fairfax arrives 12 miles from where Charles is at Daventry to the latters surprise

Leads his main force into Gainsborough while his main scouts enter Naseby

Fairfax directs the New Model Army at Naseby and wins the decisive victory over Charles I's main field army.

With Cromwell's help defeats Charles force of 7,500. Leaves Guilsborough in the early hours & by sunrise the Army is ready on Naseby Bridge. A decisive victory over the royalists

Fairfax commands the New Model Army in the decisive defeat of Charles I at Naseby.

Fairfax takes back Leicester

Fairfax meets the Clubmen of Dorset and Wiltshire at Dorchester

Fairfax defeats the last major Royalist field army in the west at Langport and continues the New Model Army's advance.

Fairfax boldly attacks Gorings strong defences at the Battle of Langport

Fairfax defeats Goring's Royalist army and opens the west of England to Parliamentarian advance.

Fairfax takes Bridgewater

Fairfax takes Bridgewater

Fairfax assaults and captures Sherborne Castle

Fairfax assaults and captures Sherborne Castle

Fairfax begins Parliament's campaign to retake Bristol.

Siege of Bristol by Fairfax begins

Fairfax captures Bristol for Parliament.

Prince Rupert surrenders Bristol to Parliament under Fairfax

Discovers letters from the Queen enlisting French support. Captures Dartmouth

Truro falls and Hopton accepts Fairfax's terms, ending organised Royalist resistance in Cornwall.

Hopton agrees surrender terms to Fairfax as Truro is captured from the Royalists

Fairfax receives Oxford's surrender and ends the king's wartime capital.

Fairfax receives the surrender of Oxford, ending the Royalists' principal headquarters and effectively closing the First Civil War.

Commands the New Model Army to victory over Goring, a final blow to the Royalist cause

Oxford capitulates following the final siege of Oxford, and by the end of September 1646 Charles had neither army nor garrison in England, following the surrender of Thomas Blagge at Wallingford Castle after a siege conducted by Fairfax

Oxford capitulates following the final siege of Oxford, and by the end of September 1646 Charles had neither army nor garrison in England, following the surrender of Thomas Blagge at Wallingford Castle after a siege conducted by Fairfax

Charles I is deliverred by the Scots to the commissioners of Parliament, Fairfax meets the King beyond Nottingham, and accompanies him during the journey to Holdenby

Captures Torrington from the Royalists

Signs a peace Treaty with Lord Ralph Hopton who agrees to disband his forces

Captures the garrison ar Exeter & Princess Henrietta becomes a prisoner of Parliament

The Army Council supports the Solemn Engagement of the Army, drawn up because Parliament seeks to disband the New Model Army before settling arrears, indemnity and the soldiers' grievances

Fairfax stands at the head of the New Model Army Grandees as officers and Agitators adopt the Solemn Engagement, resisting parliamentary disbandment until soldiers' arrears, indemnity and grievances are secured

Fairfax's Army leadership approves the completed Heads of the Proposals as the New Model Army's official basis for a national settlement

The Levelllers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, which were to be regulated by an unalterable "law paramount"

The Levelllers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, which were to be regulated by an unalterable "law paramount"

The Levellers demand a dissolution of Parliament within a year and substantial changes to the constitution of future Parliaments, to be regulated by an unalterable law paramount. At least five regiments of cavalry elect new unofficial agitators and produce "The Case of the Army Truly Stated", which is presented to Sir Thomas Fairfax

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by The Case of the Armie Truly Stated and invite the New Agents and their civilian supporters to debate their proposals before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by "The Case of the Army Truly Stated" and order the unofficial Agitators to explain their principles before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Fairfax is absent through illness, but the debates take place under the authority of the Army command that sought to prevent division between officers and rank-and-file soldiers

Senior officers in the Army, nicknamed the Grandees, are angered by The Case of the Armie Truly Stated and invite the New Agents and their civilian supporters to explain their principles before the General Council of the Army at the Putney Debates

Senior officers in the Army (nicknamed "Grandees") were incensed by the "Case of the Army" and ordered the unofficial Agitators to give an account of their principles before the General Council of the Army, known as the Putney Debates

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army Council meetings are suspended, leaving the Agreement of the People unadopted as the Army's official constitutional programme

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army Council meetings are suspended and the Agitators are ordered back to their regiments, limiting the Leveller challenge to the officer leadership

Fairfax's authority is used by the Grandees to suspend the Army Council meetings and send Agitators back to their regiments, ending the open phase of the Putney Debates

Fairfax's authority is used as the Army leadership orders Agitators and representative officers back to their regiments, bringing the debates to a temporary close

Fairfax's authority is used at the Ware rendezvous to suppress Leveller-influenced Agitator resistance, restore Army discipline and end the immediate challenge to the Grandees

Death of Ferdinando Fairfax

Fairfax leads the successful siege of Colchester, after the surrender of which he approves the execution of the Royalist leaders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, holding that these officers had broken their parole

Fairfax leads the successful siege of Colchester, after the surrender of which he approves the execution of the Royalist leaders Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, holding that these officers had broken their parole

Fairfax defeats Royalist insurgents at Maidstone during the Second Civil War and breaks the main Kentish rising.

Fairfax receives the surrender of Colchester after a hard Royalist siege during the Second Civil War.

Attempts to form a provisional Government around the Independent Members of Parliament

Opposes Colonel Thomas Prides purge of Parliament

Attempts to form a provisional Government around the Independent Members of Parliament

Parliament passes an Ordinance setting up a High Court of Justice to try Charles I

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Puts down the Leveller mutiny

Calls for the adoption of the Leveller programme. Calls for the trial of the King, the abolition of the Army

Introduces the Remonstrance of the Army to Parliament

Orders Charles I to be transferred to Hurst Castle

Cromwell is appointed Fairaxs successor, "captain-general and Commander in Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised at authority of Parliament within the Commonwealth of England"

The Scots had declared for Charles II, and the council of state resolved to send an army to Scotland in order to prevent an invasion of England, Fairfax resigns his commission. Cromwell is appointed Fairaxs successor, "captain-general and Commander in Chief of all the forces raised or to be raised at authority of Parliament within the Commonwealth of England"

Fairfax receives a pension of 5000 pounds a year, and lives in retirement at his Yorkshire home of Nunappleton

Supports the restoration of a constitutional monarchy

Supports the restoration of a constitutional monarchy

Charles II the "merry monarch, scandalous and poor", is glad to obey the summons, and Fairfax provides the horse on which Charles rides at his coronation

A "free" Parliament is called; Fairfax is elected member for Yorkshire, and is put at the head of the commission appointed by the House of Commons to wait upon Charles II, at the Hague and urges his speedy return

Death of Thomas Fairfax