After exploring the ruins of Leesylvania, we searched for the ruins of another 18th century home: that of Colonel William Fairfax, friend and neighbor of George Washington.
NORTHERN NECK PROPRIETARY LAND GRANT
We were standing on the Northern Neck Land Grant…5 million acres between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers that the King of England granted as a proprietorship to seven loyal supporters, including Lord Culpeper in 1649.
Since Lord Culpeper served as governor of Virginia, a town was named for him.
Culpeper’s daughter married Thomas, Fifth Lord Fairfax.
Their son, Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax, ultimately inherited the entire Northern Neck land grant from his mother and grandmother.
Still living in England, Lord Fairfax had the infamous Virginian, Robert King Carter, manage his land.
Upon Carter’s death in 1732, Fairfax needed a new land agent.
Learning of the great wealth Carter had achieved, Lord Fairfax had his cousin, William Fairfax, reassigned from Salem, Massachusetts to Virginia.
FAIRFAX-WASHINGTON FRIENDSHIP BEGINS
William Fairfax and Augustine Washington (father to George Washington) explored the vast amount of land for a suitable location for land upon which to settle.
Augustine Washington chose land on the Potomac River that later came to be known as Mount Vernon.
Meanwhile Fairfax chose this land four miles down the river from Mount Vernon, and named his home Belvoir, which means beautiful to see in French.
On the land he built a beautiful Georgian estate by 1741, where the Fairfax family lived until 1773, when they returned to England.
After the death of Augustine Washington, his oldest son, Lawrence Washington (George’s older brother) lived at Mount Vernon.
William Fairfax’s daughter, Ann, married Lawrence.
Young George frequently visited Belvoir while visiting his older brother, often fox hunting with Colonel Fairfax, and later learning to survey from him.
In 1757, George William Fairfax inherited the land when his father died.
Two years later George Washington inherited Mount Vernon, then he married Martha.
The Fairfaxes and Washingtons continued to spend much time with each other.
FAIRFAX FAMILY LEAVES FOR ENGLAND
In 1773, the Fairfax’s left for England due to a “complex inheritance suit.”
Washington was given power of attorney to “oversee their interests in Virginia.”
However, the Fairfaxes never returned to Virginia.
