The Fairfax House-A Georgian Townhouse Museum: The Music and History of an 18th-century Aristocratic Catholic Family of Yorkshire, England
- Nadine Traveler
- Feb 13
- 7 min read
Overview
The Fairfax House: A Georgian Townhouse Museum is located at No. 27, Castlegate, York, England. This video takes viewers on a walk through one of England's most sophisticated and treasured Georgian Townhouse Museums. It also uncovers some of the music of 18th-century English aristocracy, including "For Christmas 1758: Belinda and Amelia, A Favourite Dialogue," a song written for voice and piano by an unknown composer. A brief history of Lord Charles Gregory Fairfax, 9th Viscount Fairfax of Emley (1685-1772), his family, and connection to the Fairfax House is also illuminated. This video also highlights the lived experience of aristocratic Catholics during a predominantly Protestant Georgian Era in England, including a brief history of the Jacobites.
Traveling to York, England
When I visited York, England, in May of 2024, I had never heard of the beautiful Georgian Townhouse, The Fairfax House. When I checked into the York Hilton, I found three historically significant tourist spots within walking distance (scroll down for more information on these sites). Since the Fairfax House was right next door, I decided to visit this lovely Georgian Townhouse Museum. I was not only inspired by what I learned about the history of the house, but also by the 18th-century Catholic aristocratic family, responsible for the 1762 reconstruction of the interior of this historic home. Specifically, I was inspired by Ann Fairfax (1726-1793), the only living heir of her father, Lord Charles Fairfax, the 9th Viscount Fairfax of Emley (1685-1772). In 1772, Ann Fairfax inherited all of her father's estates, including the Fairfax House. This is the story of their connection to one of England's most treasured and sophisticated Georgian Townhouses, the Fairfax House.
Historical Background
The Fairfax House is one of the finest Georgian townhouses in all of England. It is located at number 27, Castlegate, York, England, and was the winner of the 2025 Historic Houses Collections Award. This beautiful Georgian townhouse was built in the 1740s and purchased in 1755 by Lord Charles Fairfax, the 9th Viscount Fairfax of Emley (1685-1772). Lord Fairfax purchased this townhouse shortly after the sudden and tragic death of his second wife, Mary Fairfax (1701-1741). It was at this time that Lord Fairfax also commissioned the 18th-century neoclassical architect, John Carr (1723-1807), to reconstruct the interior of the Fairfax House. The reconstruction of the Fairfax House was completed by 1762.
In 1720, Lord Charles Fairfax married his first wife, Lady Elizabeth Clifford. Viscountess of Dunbar (1689-1721). This marriage only lasted six short months, as Lady Elizabeth Clifford contracted smallpox. and died in 1721. Since 2023, Lady Elizabeth Clifford's portrait, painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller, has been permanently housed at the Fairfax House.
Lord Charles Fairfax married his second wife, Mary Fairfax, in 1722. The couple had nine children, and only one survived past childhood, their daughter, Ann Fairfax (1726-1792), who inherited the Fairfax house in 1772.
The Fairfax family was Catholic during a time when England was predominantly Protestant. In fact, Catholic friends and family members would frequently visit the Fairfax House for dining and entertainment. During the 18th century, music, specifically songs for voice and harpsichord, was a popular form of entertainment. Two 18th-century pianos are among the magnificent collection of Georgian furniture, instruments, music, and art housed in the Georgian Townhouse Museum. The first piano is located in the dining room on the first floor. It is a beautiful example of an 18th-century spinet, a miniature harpsichord, that was manufactured in 1769 by John Kersham of Manchester.
Miniature harpsichords were favored among 18th-century aristocrats and were frequently played at social gatherings. It was also common for young ladies of the Georgian era to learn to play piano and sing. The second 18th-century piano found in the Fairfax House is located in the Saloon. This is a mahogany upright piano, manufactured in York, England, 1792 by Thomas Haxby.
On top of the Haxby piano sat a lovely piece of music, which was an 18th-century song for piano and voice, entitled “December 1758. Belinda and Amelia: A Favourite Dialogue.” Although I have not yet located the composer of this piece, it is a delightful love song that represents the music and elegance of the Georgian Era. This song also provides an example of the kind of song that might have been heard at one of the parties held at the Fairfax House in the 18th century. An excerpt of this song can be heard in the video posted at the beginning and end of this blog.
The Jacobites
Among the guests that visited the Fairfax House were Jacobites, including the man shown in the following portrait. He is wearing a white handkerchief, which not only illuminates the beauty of this blue velvet suit but also secretly represents his Catholic Jacobite devotion.
Jacobites were followers of the Jacobean kings, specifically, James II of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1633-1701), a professed Roman Catholic. However, in 1688, James II was overthrown by his Protestant daughter, Mary II (1662-1694), and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange (1650-1702). This event is now known as the Glorious Revolution.
By the time Lord Fairfax purchased the Fairfax House in 1755, the Georgian Era was in full swing, and the second of the Protestant Georgian kings, George II (1683-1760), of Great Britain and Ireland, was sitting on the throne. When the reconstruction of the interior of the Fairfax House was finally completed, in 1762, King George III (1738-1820) of Great Britain and Ireland had taken the throne. George III reigned from 1760 until 1820, and would be the reigning monarch for the rest of Lord Charles Fairfax and Anne Fairfax's lives. In fact, today, you can see a beautiful portrait of King George III hanging in one of the stairwells of the Fairfax house.
When James II died in 1701, the Jacobites continued their efforts to place his male heir, Prince James Francis Edward Stewart (1688-1766), on the throne. Although William and Mary were still the reigning monarchs, the Jacobites believed that Prince James Francis Edward Stewart, also known as the Old Pretender, was the rightful heir to the throne. Even after William III and Mary II died, James II's other Protestant daughter, Queen Anne, took the throne in 1707. Queen Anne ruled until 1714, at which point, the first of the Georgian kings, George I, a descendant of James I, became the reigning monarch. Despite the power and growing popularity of the Georgian Kings, when James Edward Stewart died in 1766, his son, Charles Edward Stewart (1720-1788), better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, was deemed the rightful heir to the throne by the Jacobites. The Jacobites were defeated at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, near Inverness, Scotland. Even still, Jacobitism persisted well into the 18th century and included devoted Catholic Jacobean followers from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
The 1701 Act of Settlement
The Act of Settlement, passed by the English Parliament in 1701, forbade any future King of England from being Catholic or being married to a Catholic wife. The rights of Catholic citizens of 18th-century England were also restricted. And Fairfax and her family stayed strong in their Catholic faith, despite these disabilities. And by the end of the 18th century, many of these legislative restrictions were reversed.
Ann Fairfax's Catholic Devotion
In any case, the history of the Fairfax House illuminates the remarkable lives of an aristocratic family of 18th-century England. This includes the life of a courageous young woman, Anne Fairfax, who never married and became the sole heiress to her father's entire estate. This included Gilling Castle, Coulton, Ampleforth, and the Fairfax House.
One year after her father's death, Ann Fairfax sold the Fairfax House in 1773. She lived in Gilling Castle until she died in 1793 and remained a devoted Catholic throughout the Georgian Era. In the late 18th century, Ann Fairfax donated the Coulton estate to Father Anselm Bolton. Subsequently, the Coulton estate became a monastery of the Benedictine Order. Today, it is called Coulton Abby. Ann Fairfax also donated a large tract of land of the Ampleforth estate to Benedictine monks for the establishment of a Catholic boys' school. This school began in 1803, and today, it is called Ampleforth College.
Planning Your Travels to York, England
For more information about how to visit the Fairfax House, please click on the link to the website below. This historic house is located across the street from the York Hilton, which has a nice hotel restaurant with a full English breakfast. The York Hilton is also across the street from Clifford’s Tower, an English Heritage Site, and the York Castle Museum, a York Museums Trust.
Three additional historic tourist sites you will not want to miss while visiting York, England, include: 1) York Minster, a stunning cathedral that dates back to the 7th-century, 2) the enchanting medieval meat market, The Shambles, which dates back to the 14thcentury, and 3) the Yorkshire Museum, which is located next to the ruins of St. Mary’s Abby and the York Museum Gardens. Feel free to click on the links below to explore these additional historic travel options, and Bon Voyage!
Dr. Alethea Kilgore
CEO, Kingdom Crown Tours
The Fairfax House: A Georgian Townhouse Museum, York Civic Trust
Clifford’s Tower, an English Heritage Site
The Hilton York Hotel
The Shambles
York Castle Museum
The Yorkshire Museum, St. Mary’s Abby, and York Museum Gardens
York Minster
Narration, Alethea Kilgore
"For Christmas 1758: Belinda and Amelia, A Favourite Dialogue," Harpsichord and Voice, Alethea Kilgore
Photography, Videography, and Video Editing, Alethea Kilgore
Background Music, Epidemic Sound
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