Fairfax Family of Preston County Papers
Collection
Collection Number: A&M 4555
Correspondence of the Fairfax family of Preston County including some of Colonel John Fairfax’s business correspondence, 1803-1838. Colonel John Fairfax (1762-1843), an overseer for George Washington, settled with his family in the Preston County area in 1790. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates twice. He was instrumental in the formation of Preston County from Monongalia County and as the Sheriff, the muster of troops. He also served as the Justice of the Peace. Much of the John Fairfax correspondence appears to be legal papers stemming from these roles.
Documents included in the collection are letters, legal and business including a deed, patent rights, wills, lists of purchases with prices, receipts, a marriage record (Washington Johnson to Elizabeth Posten), a notebook, muster lists, and other documents of Fairfax family members including Susan Fairfax, Col. Fairfax’s daughter Elizabeth, and Buckner Fairfax, often discussing family matters. Much of the correspondence is to and from J.A. Martin and his wife Louisa Martin Fairfax. All of these post date John Fairfax’s death or are very near it.
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The donor of this collection has transferred rights to the intellectual property they created to the Center. For more information regarding persmission to publish or reproduce, please contact the West Virginia and Regional History Center.
Colonel John Fairfax (1762-1843), an overseer for George Washington, settled with his family in the Preston County area in 1790. He served as Colonel of the 104th Regiment of Virginia troops. He was appointed as the Justice of the Peace in 1794. Fairfax was elected to the House of Delegates of Virginia three times.
Other Fairfax family members represented in this collection include:
Elizabeth Fairfax, Col. John Fairfax’s daughter, never married and inherited his property; General Buckner Fairfax, Col. John Fairfax’s eldest son, Preston County representative to the Virginia Assembly (1837-38, 1846-47, and 1851) and general of the 10th Brigade, 3rd Division of the Virginia Military; Rebecca Parsons, Buckner’ wife, daughter of James Parsons of Romney; Susan Louisa Fairfax, Buckner’s daughter who married John Allen Fairfax Martin (J.A.F. Martin), her first cousin; Colonel John A.F. Martin of the 148th Regiment of the Virginia Militia, deputy sheriff, and member of the Legislature of Virginia (1853, 1855, and 1881) and Susan Louisa’s husband; Philip Doddridge, member of the Senate of Virginia, member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1815-1816, 1822-1823, and 1828-29), and delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention (1829), Doddridge County named for him
0.21 Linear Feet (1 document case, 2.5 in.)
English
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/”
Purchased from Hall, Michael, 2022 August 08.
Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository