Sir William George Fairfax (8 March 1739 – 7 November 1813) was a vice-admiral in the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 and the progenitor of the Fairfax Baronets. His most notable service was as Admiral Adam Duncan's flag captain on board HMS Venerable

HMS Venerable (1784)

HMS Venerable was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 April 1784 at Blackwall Yard.In 1797, Venerable served as Admiral Duncan's flagship at the Battle of Camperdown....

 during the Battle of Camperdown

Battle of Camperdown

The Battle of Camperdown was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797 between a Royal Navy fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter...

 on 11 October 1797.

Life

Born in 1739 the son of Captain John Fairfax of the Horse Guards

Horse Guards

Horse Guards or horse guards can refer to:* A Household Cavalry regiment:** Troops of the Horse Guards Regiment of the British Army from 1658-1788** The Royal Horse Guards, which is now part of the Blues and Royals...

. He joined the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 in 1750 aboard HMS Centurion

HMS Centurion (1732)

HMS Centurion was a 60-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched on 6 January 1732. At the time of Centurion's construction, the 1719 Establishment dictated the dimensions of almost every ship being built...

, later moving to HMS Mars, HMS Garland and HMS Duke.He was commissioned a lieutenant on 20 December 1757, and later served on HMS Eurus off North America. He was in reserve between 1760 and 1766 and again between 1769 and 1776 with a brief break aboard HMS Greyhound

HMS Greyhound (1773)

HMS Greyhound was a Modified sixth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was first commissioned in October 1775 under Captain Archibald Dickson.-References:...

 and at the start of the American Revolutionary War

American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...

 he returned to service but was captured by the French in August 1778 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war

Prisoner of war

A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

.

In 1782 Fairfax was released as a post captain and briefly commanded HMS Tartar

HMS Tartar

HMS Tartar has been the name of more than one ship of the British Royal Navy, and may refer to:, a 28-gun sixth rate launched in 1756 and wrecked in 1797, a 32-gun fifth rate launched in 1801 and wrecked in 1811, a 36-gun fifth rate launched in 1814, reduced to receiving ship service in 1830, and...

. In 1790 he took command of HMS Sheerness

HMS Sheerness

Seven ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Sheerness, after the town of Sheerness in Kent, once home to one of the navy's dockyards:...

 and in 1796 became flag captain of HMS Venerable under Admiral Adam Duncan and was heavily engaged at the Battle of Camperdown

Battle of Camperdown

The Battle of Camperdown was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797 between a Royal Navy fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Dutch Navy fleet under Vice-Admiral Jan de Winter...

 the following year. For his service in the battle, Fairfax was knighted and in 1801 was made a rear-admiral serving in the Baltic Sea

Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...

 but had made an enemy of Lord Spencer

George Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer

George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer KG PC FRS FSA , styled Viscount Althorp from 1765 to 1783, was a British Whig politician...

 and was permanently placed in reserve. He was later promoted to vice-admiral and died in Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 in 1813. His fourth son Henry Fairfax was made a baronet

Baronet

A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...

 in 1836 in recognition of his father's service. His daughter, Mary Somerville

Mary Somerville

Mary Fairfax Somerville was a Scottish science writer and polymath, at a time when women's participation in science was discouraged...

, became a noted science writer and polymath

Polymath

A polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable...

.

Promotions

• Commander, 13 May 1778
• Captain, 12 January 1782
• Rear-Admiral of the Blue, 1 January 1801
• Rear-Admiral of the White, 23 April 1804
• Rear-Admiral of the Red, 9 November 1805
• Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 13 December 1806
• Vice-Admiral of the White, 25 October 1809
• Vice-Admiral of the Red, 31 July 1810