2010

Poor Thomas Fairfax. You spend years going bravely into battle, doing your duty, nearly die from a horrible war injury to your shoulder, lead the New Model Army, win the battle of Naseby – and in the capital of the county where you were born and lived and fought so many battles, most people have never heard of you, and keep mentioning Oliver Cromwell instead.

They didn’t just fight, the Fairfaxes. They showed a remarkable regard for the treasures of what we now call our ‘historic environment’. As is often quoted, it’s largely thanks to them that we still have medieval stained glass in our Minster and ancient parish churches, and that it wasn’t smashed to bits when the siege of York ended.

There are many other recorded instances of Fairfax involvement in protecting treasures of the past for the citizens of the future.

They had a home within the city walls, in Bishophill. The name of one of its Victorian streets is the only reminder of their forgotten mansion. Another home was at Nun Appleton, not far from here. Thomas Fairfax lived at Nun Appleton after retiring from his military role, and died there in 1671. He and his wife Anne are buried in the church at Bilbrough, in this side chapel. The chapel was beautifully restored in the 1980s.

Anne Fairfax (nee Vere) was an equally interesting character, who was at one point captured by the Royalist forces, while following her husband and his armies.

Recent reports in the papers regarding an excavation in the Fishergate area of a mass grave from the time of the 1644 siege showed how this once famous Yorkshire family have been forgotten. Soldiers who had been under the command of Ferdinando and Thomas Fairfax were widely reported as being ‘Cromwell’s soldiers’.

Perhaps though I shouldn’t get on my high horse about this misunderstanding. (Pictured left is Sir Thomas on his high horse.) When I started this site I’d read about the siege of York and the Fairfaxes, but struggled to find it interesting. The civil war period is generally seen as rather dull and confusing, despite the best efforts of those who do have a passionate interest. I got drawn in eventually.

In the 1640s, Fairfax was a hero to many, charismatic, respected. When the famous New Model Army was founded, Thomas Fairfax was made its commander-in-chief – with Oliver Cromwell in charge of the cavalry.

Often mentioned is Fairfax’s ‘modesty’. Perhaps the modesty, combined with other personal qualities, meant that he was destined to withdraw from the limelight, and to be overshadowed, and to have his fellow Yorkshiremen/women forgetting him and attributing his achievements to Cromwell. Many modest people will recognise that scenario.

Still, Thomas Fairfax is remembered here, in a thoughtfully restored chapel in Bilbrough church, not far away from York. And also not far from Marston Moor – site of just one of his many, many battles. Anyone reading biographies of Thomas Fairfax, and his own ‘Short Memorials’, will probably recognise that many of the battles were with himself and his own conscience.

More information

The Castle Museum in York has amongst its military collection a buff coat which once belonged to Thomas Fairfax. This is more interesting than it sounds, honest. Buff coats were apparently the 17th century version of the biker’s leather jacket.

If that doesn’t capture your interest, there’s even a novel about Thomas and Anne Fairfax, written some decades back: The Rider of the White Horse, by Rosemary Sutcliff. York Explore (Central library) has a copy, in the reserve section somewhere in the basement, available if you request it.

Biography of Thomas Fairfax on www.british-civil-wars.co.uk

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July 2011

This brass plaque in the chapter house of York Minster remembers two members of the Fairfax family, and acknowledges their role in protecting the stained glass so many of us have gazed at in awe in the centuries since.

IN MEMORY OF FERDINANDO FAIRFAX, 1584-1647, AND THOMAS FAIRFAX, 1612-1671 SECOND AND THIRD LORDS FAIRFAX OF CAMERON AND GENERALS OF THE PARLIAMENTARY FORCES, WHO DURING THE CIVIL WAR 1642-1646 PRESERVED FROM DESTRUCTION THE TREASURES OF GLASS OF YORK MINSTER. THIS WINDOW, RESTORED BY MEMBERS OF THE FAIRFAX FAMILY WAS UNVEILED BY ALBERT TWELFTH LORD FAIRFAX OF CAMERON, SEPTEMBER 14TH 1932.

Lord Ferdinando Fairfax was appointed governor of York in July 1644 after the Parliamentarian victory at Marston Moor and the ending of the siege of York around two weeks later. Sir Thomas Fairfax (who became Lord Fairfax after his father’s death in 1648) led the New Model Army to victory at Naseby.

The Fairfaxes had many Yorkshire properties, including homes in Bishophill, and Nun Appleton, where Thomas Fairfax spent his retirement. He died there and is buried at nearby Bilbrough.

There are several recorded instances of both Ferdinando and Thomas Fairfax taking care of items of antiquarian interest, preserving them for future generations.

Overshadowed by Cromwell

So, these local heroes are fondly remembered, of course.

Well, no. Their profile is so low that even archaeologists and journalists appear completely unaware of their existence. In recent years an excavation in the Fishergate area, connected with the siege of York in 1644, was widely reported as ‘containing the remains of Cromwell’s soldiers’, by the archaeologists, on their website, and by the local paper, and the Daily Mail, among others.

They weren’t ‘Cromwell’s soldiers’. They were ‘Fairfax’s soldiers’ (or perhaps Fairfaxes’ soldiers), if they were anybody’s – as the documentary on the excavation later made clear. The dead soldiers were from the forces led by Lord Ferdinando Fairfax – Sir Thomas was his second-in-command.

At least here in the Minster credit is given where credit is due.

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July 2011

A Google map showing the location of the city’s defences, damaged buildings, known homes of important personages, bridges of boats across the Ouse used by the besieging forces, etc.

Load the map in the enlarged view for the full key/list of features marked (opens in new browser window).

View Siege of York 1644 in a larger map

All information is correct to the best of my knowledge. If you want to amend/add anything, email me.

Sources

Contemporary accounts of the siege by Henry Slingsby, Christopher Hildyard, Simeon Ashe and others present.

Francis Drake, Eboracum (1736)

Peter Wenham, The Great and Close Siege of York, 1644 (1970)

Information on the city and abbey walls – Barbara Wilson and Frances Mee, The City Walls and Castles of York: the Pictorial Evidence (2005), and St Mary’s Abbey and the King’s Manor, York: the Pictorial Evidence (2009) – both available from York Archaeological Trust

. . . . . . . . .

Page compiled July 2011. Last updated: 10 January 2012.

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July 2011

I’m sure many of us, while investigating the varied delights of the Castle Museum, have rushed past the military section. All that fearsome weaponry isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But among the military hardware from centuries past is this significant item of clothing: ‘Buff coat of Sir Thomas Fairfax 1612-1671, Parliamentarian General’. The nearby ‘diary extracts’ of the siege of York aren’t authentic, but I’m assuming this buff coat is.

It’s rather impressive that this 17th century garment has survived the centuries. I’m not sure how it ended up in the Castle Museum. I’d love to know, but cuts to services mean there’s apparently no one to ask, and I’ll have to wait until at least 2014 for an answer. (See update, below.)

In the meantime …

Buff coats, made from cowhide, were worn in battle, usually under armour. The information displayed alongside explains that the phrase ‘in the buff’ – meaning naked – may have come from soldiers fighting dressed in buff coats, without armour, and therefore not fully protected.

It didn’t look to be very large – though hard to tell as it’s in a glass case. (Shame that the modern trend to allow the public to handle historic exhibits hasn’t extended to textiles, as it would be a grand thing to try on Thomas Fairfax’s coat. I’d be first in the queue. I might even queue overnight to be first in the queue.)

These garments apparently became status symbols, and were treasured, valued more than other garments might be. See Dressing the Elite, in the links below.

See also

Related pages on this site: Thomas Fairfax is buried at Bilbrough, near York. There’s a memorial to Thomas and his father Ferdinando in York Minster.

More information/links

Wikipedia page on the buff coat

Extract from Dressing the Elite: Clothes in Early Modern England – an interesting account of John Hodgson’s deep attachment to his buff coat.

Apparently some of Thomas Fairfax’s armour was on display at the Yorkshire Museum some years back. I’ve emailed for confirmation as to whether they still have it, but haven’t had a reply.

If you’re bored with 21st century fashions, you could buy a carefully-crafted modern replica buff coat.

Update

My email enquiry via the form on the Yorkshire Museum website wasn’t answered, but thank you to the correspondent who let me know that the buff coat was a gift to the museum in 2004, from a descendant of Sir Thomas, and that the armour was displayed temporarily in the Yorkshire Museum in an exhibition some years ago, but is part of the Castle Museum collection.

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