Henry Fairfax (1634–1702) was an English clergyman and academic,

Dean of Norwich The Dean of Norwich is the head of the Chapter (religion), Chapter of Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, England. The current Dean is Andrew Jonathan Braddock, who took up the position in late January 2023. List of deans Early modern *1538–1539 ...

after the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

Life

He was a twin son (with John) of Charles Fairfax, and grandson of

Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron Thomas Fairfax, 1st Lord Fairfax of Cameron (c. 1560 – 1 May 1640) was an English army officer, diplomat and politician. Life Thomas Fairfax was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Fairfax of Denton, Yorkshire and Dorothy Gale, and was born at ...

. He was educated at

Exeter College, Oxford Exeter College (in full: The Rector and Scholars of Exeter College in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, and the fourth-oldest college of the university. The college was founde ...

, where he matriculated 21 July 1653. He graduated B.A. in 1657, M.A. 1659, B.D. 26 April 1660, and D.D. 10 March 1680. He was elected a Fellow of

Magdalen College Magdalen College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and one of the strongest academically, se ...

in 1659. He was senior fellow of Magdalen in 1687, when James II endeavoured to force on the college a president of his own choosing. Fairfax signed the petition to the king (9 April 1687) begging him to cancel his decree ordering the fellows to elect Anthony Farmer. When that appeal failed he voted for a second petition to the same effect (15 April), and on 17 April took a prominent part in electing John Hough to the presidency. With his colleagues he wrote to

James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde Lieutenant general, Lieutenant-General James FitzThomas Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond, Knight of the Garter, KG, Privy Council of England, PC (19 October 1610 – 21 July 1688), was an Anglo-Irish statesman and soldier, known as Earl of Ormond fr ...

(19 April), asking for his intervention with the king. On 6 June he was summoned before the

court of high commission A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and administer justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law. Courts gene ...

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

. On 13 June he was brought before George Jeffreys, president of the court, protested against the proceedings, denied their legality, and declined to sign any answer to the charges brought against him. Jeffreys abused him, and told him he was fit for a madhouse. On 22 June 1687 the high court commissioners suspended Fairfax from his fellowship; but he disputed the validity of the act, and still resided in the college. When the royal commissioners first visited Magdalen on 20 October Fairfax absented himself, although he was in Oxford, whereupon he was pronounced contumacious (31 October) He appeared before the commissioners next day, and denied the right of the king's new nominee, Samuel Parker, to act as president. He would appeal, he said, to the

court of king's bench The Court of King's Bench, formally known as The Court of the King Before the King Himself, was a court of common law in the English legal system. Created in the late 12th to early 13th century from the '' curia regis'', the King's Bench initi ...

, and with another fellow, Thomas Stafford, signed a protest against the proceedings of the Oxford visitors. On being warned of its dangers he withdrew the document; but he was finally expelled the college and his name struck off the books (25 October). On 11 November his fellowship was filled up. On 22 December he was included in the decree which disqualified all the expelled fellows of Magdalen from holding any ecclesiastical benefice. After the abdication of James II Fairfax was restored to his fellowship (26 October 1689). A year later (23 October 1689) he was rewarded with the deanery of Norwich, and he died there on 2 May 1702, aged 68, being buried in the cathedral. The tomb is by William Stanton.Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.368 He is one of the persons credited with the authorship of ''An Impartial Relation of the whole proceedings against St. Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxon.... in 1687'' (1688), usually claimed for Charles Aldworth, vice-president of the college.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fairfax, Henry 1634 births 1702 deaths Deans of Norwich Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford English twins 17th-century English Anglican priests