Thomas Fairfax Biography

Thomas Fairfax was a Parliamentary commander-in-chief during the English Civil War. Credited to have molded the Parliamentary army into a skilled and disciplined fighting force, he led them to several notable victories, the most important of them being the crucial battle of Naseby where his army crushed the Royalists. Born as the son of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron, he was a brave soul who became interested in military affairs early on. After completing his studies, he volunteered to join Sir Horace Vere's expedition to fight for the Protestant cause in the Netherlands. His father too was a commander in the Parliamentary army in the English Civil War, and the father-son duo distinguished themselves with their bravery in the campaigns in Yorkshire. He played a very significant role in his army’s ultimate victory against the Royalists following which he was hailed as a hero. After the war, he became an MP for the newly created constituency of West Riding in the First Protectorate Parliament. He was a devout Christian with an interest in literature and while in retirement translated some of the Psalms and wrote poems on the Christian warfare