Henry Fairfax

Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax (21 January 1837 – 20 March 1900) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to serve as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.

Naval career Fairfax was born in 1837, the third son of Sir Henry Fairfax, 1st Baronet. He joined the Royal Navy in December 1850, and during early years was posted to HMS Amphitrite, which took him on two trips to the Behring Strait and the Arctic Sea. Promoted to lieutenant on 25 August 1858, he served on board the sloop HMS Ariel and on 4 November 1862 was promoted to commander for "distinguished valour in the capture of a pirate slaver". He was promoted to captain on 3 April 1868, and served as naval attaché on a special mission to the Sultan of Zanzibar in 1872–73. On his return he served for nearly 12 months as private secretary to George Goschen, First Lord of the Admiralty. He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the May 1896 Birthday Honours.

Promoted to admiral on 10 May 1897, he was in 1899 appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, serving as such until he died.

He was a deputy lieutenant and a justice of the peace for Roxburghshire, in which county he owned property. His widow received personal telegraphs of condolences from Queen Victoria and the Duke of York (future King George V) after his death.

Family In 1872 he married Harriet Kinloch, daughter of Sir David Kinloch.